KTXL

KTXL is a commercial television station licensed to Sacramento, California, and affiliated with the Fox network. It broadcasts on UHF channel 40 and markets itself as FOX 40. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and operates from studios on Fruitridge Road near Sacramento’s Oak Park area. Its transmitter is in Walnut Grove, California. KTXL began broadcasting on October 26, 1968, as an independent station established by Camellia City Telecasters. Its early schedule combined syndicated entertainment, movies, cartoons, locally hosted children’s programming, and sports. The station became especially notable for the scale of its movie library and for its ability to reach viewers outside the immediate Sacramento area through cable carriage. Programs such as the locally hosted Cap’n Mitch children’s show and Bob Wilkins’s horror-movie program gave the station a distinctive regional identity during its independent years. The station launched Sacramento’s first 10 p.m. local newscast in 1974. Although the format and schedule changed repeatedly, news gradually became a central part of the KTXL offering. Its early news operation included an hour-long program, the experimental NewsPlus format, satellite newsgathering, and later expanded morning, midday, and early-evening broadcasts. The station’s original late-night newscast was initially important because independent stations could schedule local news outside the hours occupied by network affiliates. KTXL joined the newly launched Fox network in 1986. Under Renaissance Communications, which purchased the station in 1988, it developed into one of Fox’s stronger affiliates, benefiting from Fox’s programming and a news presentation designed to appeal to younger viewers. Tribune Broadcasting acquired Renaissance in 1996, and KTXL remained a prominent Fox affiliate while gradually expanding its local news schedule. By 2005, it had added an hour-long morning newscast; later additions included further morning extensions and midday and early-evening programs. Nexstar acquired Tribune Media in 2019, bringing KTXL into Nexstar’s nationwide station portfolio. In addition to local news, KTXL participates in Inside California Politics, a weekly public-affairs program distributed across Nexstar’s California stations. The station’s current identity combines Fox network entertainment and sports, locally produced news, weather and traffic coverage, and regional public-affairs programming. Its historical significance rests on its long independent-station heritage, early late-news presence, extensive cable reach, and sustained role as Sacramento’s Fox outlet.

The present KTXL is the third station to use Sacramento’s UHF channel 40. The first was KCCC-TV, which began in 1953 and initially carried programming from several networks. As other Sacramento-area stations launched, KCCC-TV lost its affiliations and ceased broadcasting in 1957. A successor, KVUE, operated briefly from 1959 until 1960, leaving the channel’s license available for later development. Camellia City Telecasters pursued a new channel 40 authorization in the early 1960s. After regulatory proceedings and a temporary proposed channel change, the FCC approved the application in 1965. Construction planning followed in 1967, and KTXL began broadcasting in October 1968 from leased facilities before moving to a new Fruitridge Road studio in 1969. Jack Matranga was an important early owner and programmer. The Business Men’s Assurance Company acquired an initial minority stake in 1969 and became the majority owner in 1971. During its independent period, KTXL built a broad schedule of syndicated series, films, cartoons, sports and local programs. Its movie inventory became unusually large for a station in a market of Sacramento’s size. Cable systems carried KTXL across parts of California and several neighboring states, extending the station’s influence well beyond its broadcast footprint. All-night movies and microwave distribution helped attract additional cable carriage. KTXL also faced serious regulatory and legal difficulties. In an effort to challenge a competing proposed station, Camellia City submitted material to the FCC that was later alleged to be forged. The dispute led to a license-renewal hearing, litigation by the competing station’s ownership group and an initial recommendation against renewal. A settlement was reached with the competitor, and the FCC ultimately renewed KTXL’s license in 1978. The station later faced another legal dispute over its extensive acquisition of syndicated programming, with a rival claiming that KTXL’s purchasing practices restricted access to desirable inventory. KTXL’s news operation began in 1974 with Sacramento’s first 10 p.m. local newscast. It experimented with longer broadcasts, the NewsPlus format, live interviews and call-in segments. In the 1980s, the station invested in satellite newsgathering and expanded the late news to an hour. After joining Fox in 1986, KTXL adjusted its news presentation to complement Fox’s younger-skewing programming. The station added morning news in 2005 and subsequently introduced additional daytime and early-evening broadcasts. Renaissance Communications bought KTXL in 1988. The station performed strongly as a Fox affiliate, helped by the network’s growing programming slate and by local news ratings. Tribune Broadcasting acquired Renaissance in 1996. Tribune ownership continued until Nexstar’s acquisition of Tribune Media closed in 2019. KTXL now operates as a Nexstar-owned Fox affiliate, producing local news and participating in the statewide public-affairs program Inside California Politics.

• 2019

  Nexstar ownership

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar Media Group completes its acquisition of Tribune Media and becomes KTXL’s owner.

• 2005

  Morning news expansion

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  KTXL introduces an hour-long morning newscast, beginning a broader expansion of local news programming.

• 1996

  Tribune ownership

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  Tribune Broadcasting acquires Renaissance Communications.

• 1988

  Renaissance ownership

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  Renaissance Communications purchases KTXL for approximately $56 million.

• 1986

  Fox affiliation

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  KTXL becomes an affiliate of Fox when the network launches.

• 1978

  License renewal upheld

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC overturns an adverse administrative recommendation and renews KTXL’s broadcast license.

• 1974

  First Sacramento 10 p.m. newscast

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  KTXL launches a half-hour late local newscast, the first Sacramento program scheduled at 10 p.m.

• 1969

  Fruitridge Road studios

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  The station builds and occupies a new studio facility on Fruitridge Road.

• 1968

  Broadcast launch

  [1]KTXLen.wikipedia.org

  KTXL begins broadcasting on October 26 as an independent Sacramento television station on channel 40.

A Sacramento-focused Fox television station combining local news, weather, traffic, sports, network entertainment and regional public-affairs coverage.

• Local television news · 1974

  FOX 40 News

  KTXL’s local news service, covering Sacramento and surrounding Northern California communities. It developed from the station’s pioneering 10 p.m. newscast and later expanded into morning, midday and early-evening periods, with reporting, weather, traffic and sports coverage.

• Public affairs

  Inside California Politics

  A weekly California-focused public-affairs program produced and presented through Nexstar’s California station group. KTXL participates in the program alongside other Nexstar-owned California outlets.

• Television station brand · 1986

  FOX 40 broadcast brand

  The consumer-facing identity used by KTXL for Fox network programming and locally produced content. The brand links national Fox entertainment, sports and news programming with Sacramento-specific broadcast services.

• 1974

  Forged-document license challenge

  During a dispute over a competing Sacramento station, Camellia City Telecasters submitted material to the FCC that was alleged to be a forged Dun & Bradstreet telex. The matter led to a license hearing, a lawsuit by the competing station’s owner and an initial recommendation against renewing KTXL’s license. The FCC ultimately reversed that recommendation and renewed the license in 1978.

  Source

Read more

• 2019

  Join Nexstar’s station groupM&A

  Background

  Tribune Media owned KTXL after Tribune’s acquisition of Renaissance Communications.

  Action taken

  Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tribune Media on September 19, 2019.

  Aftermath

  KTXL became part of Nexstar’s national broadcast portfolio while continuing as a Fox affiliate.

  Source

• 2005

  Expand local news beyond late nightStrategy

  Background

  For many years KTXL’s principal local news product was its late-evening broadcast.

  Action taken

  KTXL launched an hour-long morning newscast and later added further morning, midday and early-evening programming.

  Aftermath

  Local news became a larger component of the station’s schedule and brand identity.

  Source

• 1986

  Join the Fox networkStrategy

  Background

  KTXL had operated as a major independent station with syndicated entertainment, films and local news.

  Action taken

  The station affiliated with Fox at the network’s launch, replacing its purely independent positioning with a network-affiliate model.

  Aftermath

  KTXL became one of Fox’s stronger affiliates and retained the affiliation under Renaissance, Tribune and Nexstar ownership.

  Source

1. 1KTXLen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KTXL official websitefox40.com