KVIA-TV

KVIA-TV is a commercial television station in El Paso, Texas, serving the cross-border El Paso–Ciudad Juárez media market and nearby communities in southern New Mexico. The station broadcasts as an affiliate of ABC and operates a second digital channel affiliated with The CW. Its principal studios are on Rio Bravo Street in northwest El Paso, while its transmission facilities are located on the Franklin Mountains within the city. Translators extend the station's reach to Alamogordo, Deming, and the Las Cruces area. The station began broadcasting in 1956 as KILT on VHF channel 13. It was the third commercial television station built in El Paso and the only television station constructed from the ground up by broadcaster Gordon McLendon. The project had followed an earlier, abandoned channel 13 permit held by KEPO-TV. Although the proposed service was initially discussed as a Spanish-language station, KILT ultimately launched in English and joined ABC later in 1956. Ownership and identity changed several times during the station's early decades. In 1957, KELP Television Corporation acquired the operation and restored the KELP-TV call sign. John B. Walton purchased the station in the mid-1960s and developed new studio facilities, expanded its technical reach, and connected it with related stations in the region. Marsh Media acquired the television station in the 1970s and changed its call letters to KVIA-TV in 1976. Marsh attempted to reproduce the strong news and programming model it had developed at KVII-TV in Amarillo, sending personnel from Amarillo to reshape KVIA's news operation. A major technical and branding change occurred in 1981, when KVIA-TV moved from channel 13 to channel 7 in an exchange with public television station KCOS. The move placed KVIA between the market's other major network affiliates on the dial and aligned it with several prominent ABC stations using channel 7. The station's news department subsequently became a significant competitor in the El Paso market. It reached the top of the local English-language evening-news ratings during parts of the 1980s, later faced strong competition from KTSM-TV, and returned to the market lead among English-language stations by 2012. News-Press & Gazette Company acquired KVIA-TV in 1995, marking that company's return to television ownership after previously operating a larger television group. Under NPG, the station continued its ABC service and expanded its digital presence. In 2006, it launched a second digital subchannel carrying The CW, giving the network an over-the-air outlet in El Paso after the disappearance of its earlier local affiliate. KVIA completed the United States digital television transition in 2009 and subsequently received authorization to operate its digital service on UHF channel 17 after reception difficulties associated with its post-transition VHF operation. Today, KVIA-TV combines network programming, local news, weather, sports, and community coverage with digital and social distribution. Its business is centered on advertising-supported local broadcasting and the production of news for the El Paso market, while its translators provide additional coverage in New Mexico. The station remains an active local media brand under News-Press & Gazette Company ownership.

Plans for a third commercial television station in El Paso emerged after the Federal Communications Commission lifted its freeze on new television applications. Local radio operator KEPO received a construction permit for channel 13 in 1952, but abandoned the project in late 1953 after concluding that the market could not support another station. KELP radio soon pursued the permit instead. Gordon McLendon's Trinity Broadcasting Corporation received authorization in 1954. Although a Spanish-language format was initially discussed, the completed station launched in English on September 1, 1956, under the call sign KILT. It joined ABC later that year. In 1957, McLendon sold the television and radio properties to KELP Television Corporation, controlled by Joseph Harris and Norman Alexander. The television station resumed the KELP-TV call sign, and its transmitter was moved to the Franklin Mountains in 1960. John B. Walton acquired the KELP stations in 1965 and invested in a new studio complex, including color-production facilities. Walton also expanded the station's regional footprint. KAVE-TV in Carlsbad, New Mexico, became associated with KELP-TV and later operated as a relay station. Marsh Media acquired KELP-TV and KAVE-TV from Walton in 1976 after exercising a contractual purchase option amid a dispute over Walton's earlier agreements with the Marsh family. The television station adopted the KVIA-TV call sign on April 9, 1976. Marsh attempted to reproduce the successful news formula used by its Amarillo station, KVII-TV. Jim Pratt helped lead the overhaul, bringing the Amarillo station's Pro News branding and conversational presentation style to El Paso. The change initially created internal friction, but KVIA's ratings improved during the late 1970s. A highly publicized confrontation between Pratt and anchor Al Hinojos occurred during a late newscast on December 31, 1977; Pratt resigned shortly afterward. KVIA's technical identity changed substantially in 1981. The station and public broadcaster KCOS had shared tower arrangements, and an agreement approved by the FCC allowed them to exchange channel positions. On July 10, 1981, KVIA moved from channel 13 to channel 7 while KCOS moved in the opposite direction. The new position strengthened the station's alignment with ABC's channel-7 branding used in several markets and placed it between the market's other major network affiliates. Marsh also tried to develop a more autonomous operation for KAVE-TV in Carlsbad. A local news program began in 1982, but the regional operation was reduced in 1983 and closed in 1984 after the company determined that it was not economically viable. KAVE later became KVIO-TV and was sold to Pulitzer Broadcasting in 1993, eventually becoming a satellite of KOAT-TV. News-Press & Gazette Company announced its acquisition of KVIA-TV in 1994 and completed the transaction in January 1995. The purchase represented NPG's return to television after the company had previously owned and sold a larger group of stations. KVIA experienced management turbulence around general manager Art Olivas's departure in 1999, followed by the appointment of Kevin Lovell, who had earlier worked at the station and remained associated with it until retiring in 2022. The station's news operation experienced repeated ratings competition. KVIA became a leading English-language news station during parts of the 1980s, while KTSM-TV gained strength during the 1990s. The long-running anchor partnership of Gary Warner and Estela Casas continued until Warner's retirement in 2008. By 2012, KVIA had again become the English-language news ratings leader in the El Paso market. In 2006, KVIA launched a second digital subchannel carrying The CW. The station shut down its analog VHF channel 7 signal on June 12, 2009, and initially used VHF channel 7 for post-transition digital broadcasting. Reception complaints led to testing and a request to operate on the former UHF digital channel 17. The FCC approved the change, and the station's channel 17 license was issued in 2014. KVIA continues to operate as an ABC affiliate with a local news operation, a CW digital service, and translators serving communities in southern New Mexico.

• 2014

  UHF channel 17 license issued

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC issued authorization for the station's permanent digital operation on UHF channel 17.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVIA ended analog transmission as part of the nationwide United States digital television transition.

• 2006

  The CW launches on a digital subchannel

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVIA added The CW to a second digital stream.

• 1995

  NPG completes acquisition

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  News-Press & Gazette Company completed its purchase of KVIA-TV.

• 1982

  Carlsbad local newscast begins

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station's Carlsbad operation began producing an evening newscast for southeastern New Mexico.

• 1981

  Channel assignment changes to 7

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVIA and KCOS exchanged channel assignments, moving KVIA from channel 13 to channel 7.

• 1976

  KVIA-TV call sign adopted

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Marsh Media took control and changed the station's call letters from KELP-TV to KVIA-TV.

• 1960

  Transmitter moves to the Franklin Mountains

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station relocated its transmitter to the Franklin Mountains, improving regional coverage.

• 1957

  KELP-TV identity restored

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KELP Television Corporation acquired the station and restored the KELP-TV call sign.

• 1956

  KILT launches

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station began broadcasting on September 1 as El Paso's third commercial television outlet.

• 1954

  Trinity Broadcasting receives channel 13 authorization

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Gordon McLendon's company received the construction permit that led to the eventual launch of KILT.

• 1952

  KEPO receives the original channel 13 permit

  [1]KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Local radio station KEPO obtained authorization to build El Paso's proposed third commercial television station, but later abandoned the project.

A locally focused English-language broadcast news and entertainment station serving the El Paso, Texas, market, with ABC as its primary network affiliation and The CW on a secondary digital service.

• Broadcast television · 1956

  KVIA-TV ABC service

  The station's primary broadcast service carries ABC network programming alongside locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs, and community content for the El Paso market.

• Local news · 1956

  KVIA local news

  KVIA's local news operation covers El Paso, the surrounding border region, and nearby southern New Mexico communities. Its history includes periods of strong competition and leadership in the market's English-language news ratings.

• Digital television network affiliate · 2006

  KVIA-DT2

  The station's second digital subchannel carries The CW. It was introduced in 2006 and restored an over-the-air CW service to the El Paso area.

• Broadcast distribution

  Southern New Mexico translators

  Translators rebroadcast KVIA's signal in Alamogordo, Deming, and the Las Cruces area, extending the station's coverage beyond the El Paso metropolitan area.

• 2011

  Seek permanent UHF channel 17 operationOther

  Background

  Viewers reported reception problems with the station's post-transition VHF digital signal.

  Action taken

  KVIA petitioned the FCC to operate its digital service exclusively on its former UHF channel 17 allocation.

  Aftermath

  The FCC approved the request, and the operating license for channel 17 was issued in 2014.

  Source

• 2009

  Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  Federal requirements ended full-power analog television broadcasting in the United States.

  Action taken

  KVIA shut down its analog channel 7 signal and operated digitally after the transition.

  Aftermath

  Reception issues with the post-transition VHF signal led to testing and a later move toward permanent UHF channel 17 operation.

  Source

• 2006

  Launch The CW on a second digital channelProduct launch

  Background

  The El Paso market had lacked an over-the-air outlet for The CW and its predecessor networks after the previous local outlet changed format and affiliation.

  Action taken

  KVIA began carrying The CW on a second digital subchannel.

  Aftermath

  The service provided a new terrestrial outlet for The CW, although its carriage by Time Warner Cable in the El Paso area began later.

  Source

• 1981

  Exchange channel assignments with KCOSStrategy

  Background

  KVIA operated on channel 13 while public station KCOS held the educational channel 7 assignment. Their shared tower arrangement included a mechanism allowing the stations to exchange positions with FCC approval.

  Action taken

  KVIA moved to channel 7 and KCOS moved to channel 13 on July 10, 1981.

  Aftermath

  The move gave KVIA a more favorable position between the market's major network affiliates and aligned it with the channel-7 identity used by several ABC stations.

  Source

1. 1KVIA-TVen.wikipedia.org