KVVU-TV

KVVU-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Henderson, Nevada, and serving the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It operates as a Fox affiliate under the consumer-facing brand Fox 5 Vegas and is owned by Gray Media. The station's studios are located on West Sunset Road in Henderson, and its transmitter is situated on Black Mountain near the city. In addition to network programming, KVVU produces an extensive local-news schedule, entertainment and lifestyle content, community features, and locally distributed sports programming. The station began broadcasting on September 10, 1967, as KHBV-TV, becoming Nevada's first independent television station. Its original schedule consisted primarily of older films, cartoons, westerns, and syndicated sitcoms. The station initially operated from facilities adapted from a former gasoline station near Boulder Highway, while administrative offices were located elsewhere in Las Vegas. Levin-Townsend Enterprises acquired the station in 1969, and the Nevada Independent Broadcasting Corporation purchased it in 1971. Following that transaction, the station adopted the KVVU-TV call sign. During the 1970s, KVVU expanded its broadcast day and continued to function as a classic independent station, relying heavily on movies and off-network entertainment. Carson Broadcasting, owned by entertainer Johnny Carson, acquired the station in 1978. The Carson era gave KVVU a distinctive identity, including frequent movie presentations and late-night broadcasts of some uncut R-rated theatrical films preceded in certain cases by recorded warnings. The station also became associated with announcer Ralph Menard, whose stylized identification emphasizing Henderson and Las Vegas became a memorable part of its local presentation. Meredith Corporation purchased KVVU in 1985. Under Meredith, the station adopted a stylized TV 5 presentation and became a charter affiliate of the Fox network when Fox launched on October 9, 1986. Because Fox initially offered limited weekly programming, KVVU continued to operate much like an independent station for several years, combining Fox programs with movies, syndicated series, talk shows, and other acquired content. The station remained with Fox during the major United States network-affiliation changes of the mid-1990s. KVVU moved into its current Henderson studio complex in 1991. It gradually built a substantial news operation, launching a prime-time newscast in 1998 and expanding into morning, afternoon, early-evening, late-evening, and weekend periods over subsequent decades. The station now has one of the largest local-news schedules among Las Vegas broadcast outlets and among Fox affiliates nationally. Its programming portfolio has included the lifestyle magazine program MORE, the sports segment Fox 5 Sports Plus, and locally oriented sports and entertainment content distributed through the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network on its second digital subchannel. Sports has become an important part of KVVU's local positioning. The station served as a broadcast partner for the Las Vegas Raiders, particularly for preseason and related programming, and later became an official broadcast partner of the Las Vegas Aces. Through its digital network, KVVU has also carried selected events involving the Las Vegas Aviators, Vegas Knight Hawks, Las Vegas Lights FC, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas athletics. In 2025, it carried selected spring-training baseball games involving the Arizona Diamondbacks and Athletics and announced plans to air a package of Athletics regular-season games simulcast from NBC Sports California. Gray Television announced its agreement to acquire Meredith's local-media division, including KVVU, in 2021. The transaction closed on December 1 of that year, placing KVVU within Gray's national portfolio of local television stations. The station remains active as a Fox affiliate, local-news producer, digital publisher, and regional sports and entert…

KVVU-TV began broadcasting on September 10, 1967, under the call sign KHBV-TV. It was Nevada's first independent television station and initially operated with a limited daily schedule built around syndicated films, cartoons, westerns, and sitcoms. The station's original facilities included a converted Flying A service station near Boulder Highway, while its offices were based in a separate Las Vegas office building. Levin-Townsend Enterprises acquired the station in 1969. The Nevada Independent Broadcasting Corporation purchased the station in 1971, after which it adopted the KVVU-TV call letters. By the middle of the 1970s, KVVU had expanded its operating hours and offered a broad independent-station schedule, including movies, children's programs, syndicated comedies, dramas, and westerns. The Las Vegas television market was comparatively small at the time, but it supported several commercial stations. In 1978, Carson Broadcasting acquired KVVU. The company was associated with entertainer Johnny Carson, who reportedly visited the station regularly. KVVU's programming during this period included distinctive late-night movie practices, including occasional uncut presentations of R-rated films and recorded warnings for titles considered unsuitable for some viewers. Announcer Ralph Menard, who worked at the station from 1973 through 2001, also contributed to its local identity through a recognizable station-identification delivery. Meredith Corporation bought KVVU in 1985. The station adopted a TV 5 visual identity related to that used by several Meredith-owned stations. On October 9, 1986, it became one of Fox's original affiliates. Since Fox initially supplied only a small amount of programming, KVVU remained heavily dependent on syndicated entertainment and movie programming until Fox developed a full-week schedule. In 1990, the station introduced Rusty the Fox, an on-air mascot used for community appearances and family-oriented promotions. KVVU moved to its present Henderson studios in 1991. It retained its Fox affiliation during the network realignment of the 1990s, when Meredith entered a broad affiliation arrangement with CBS involving other stations. The Las Vegas market was not substantially disrupted by that realignment because the existing CBS affiliate retained its long-term relationship. Meredith built KVVU's modern news operation in stages. A prime-time newscast launched in June 1998, followed by a morning newscast in 1999. The news schedule expanded to weekends, additional morning hours, a 5 p.m. program in 2007, an 11 p.m. newscast in 2008, a 4:30 a.m. start for the weekday morning broadcast in 2011, and a 6 p.m. newscast in 2012. In 2020, KVVU added a weekday 1 p.m. newscast and extended its late-evening news block to two hours. A weekday 2 p.m. newscast followed in 2022. The station's locally produced news output subsequently became one of the largest among American Fox affiliates. The station also broadened its original programming. MORE, a locally produced lifestyle and entertainment magazine, premiered in 2006 and focuses on Las Vegas fashion, food, events, and related interests. KVVU developed sports partnerships as Las Vegas became home to major professional teams. It supported Raiders preseason and related programming before and after the team's relocation to the city, and later added Las Vegas Aces programming. In June 2022, it launched the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network on its second digital subchannel, using the service to distribute local sports and entertainment content. KVVU completed the United States digital television transition on June 12, 2009, ending analog broadcasts on VHF channel 5 while retaining virtual channel 5 on its digital signal. Gray Television announced the purchase of Meredith's local-media division, including KVVU, in May 2021. The sale closed on December 1, 2021. KVVU continues to operate as a Gray-owned Fox affiliate with a strong emphasis on local news, regional sports, and digital distribution.

• 2022

  Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network launches

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVVU begins operating a sports and entertainment service on its second digital subchannel.

• 2021

  Gray Television purchase closes

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Gray completes its acquisition of Meredith's local-media division, including KVVU.

• 2009

  Digital transition completed

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVVU ends full-power analog broadcasts and continues digitally using virtual channel 5.

• 2006

  MORE premieres

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station introduces its locally produced lifestyle and entertainment program MORE.

• 1998

  Prime-time news operation begins

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVVU launches a locally produced 10 p.m. newscast.

• 1991

  Moves to Henderson studios

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station moves into its current studio facilities in Henderson.

• 1986

  Joins the Fox network

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVVU becomes a charter Fox affiliate at the network's launch.

• 1985

  Meredith acquires KVVU

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Meredith Corporation purchases the station and introduces a related TV 5 visual identity.

• 1978

  Carson Broadcasting acquisition

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Carson Broadcasting, associated with Johnny Carson, acquires the station.

• 1971

  KVVU-TV call sign adopted

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following a change in ownership, the station adopts the KVVU-TV call letters.

• 1967

  Station signs on as KHBV-TV

  [1]KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KVVU begins broadcasting as KHBV-TV, becoming Nevada's first independent television station.

A high-output local-news and regional sports broadcaster serving Southern Nevada, combining Fox network affiliation with Las Vegas-focused journalism, entertainment, community coverage, and digital programming.

• Local news · 1998

  Fox 5 News

  KVVU's principal local-news franchise, covering Las Vegas and Southern Nevada through morning, afternoon, evening, and late-night broadcasts. Its schedule expanded progressively from a prime-time newscast into one of the most extensive local-news operations among Fox affiliates.

• Lifestyle programming · 2006

  MORE

  A locally produced entertainment and lifestyle magazine program focused on Las Vegas fashion, food, events, and community subjects. It premiered in 2006 and is presented as an extension of the station's weekday morning news operation.

• Sports and entertainment network · 2022

  Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network

  A KVVU-operated second digital-subchannel service carrying locally oriented sports and entertainment content. Its programming has included selected University of Nevada, Las Vegas events, Las Vegas Aviators baseball, Vegas Knight Hawks indoor football, Las Vegas Lights FC soccer, and Las Vegas Aces programming.

• Sports news

  Fox 5 Sports Plus

  A short-form local sports highlights program produced by the station's sports department and scheduled after the Saturday late-evening newscast.

• 1990Rusty the Fox

  Las Vegas · Henderson

  KVVU introduced Rusty the Fox, a costumed station mascot used in community appearances, family-oriented announcements, and promotions connected with the Fox 5 Kids Club.

  Outcome. The mascot became part of the station's local identity and community-outreach activity.

  Source

• 2022

  Launch Silver State Sports & Entertainment NetworkProduct launch

  Background

  KVVU sought to expand its regional sports and entertainment presence beyond its primary broadcast channel.

  Action taken

  The station launched the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network on its second digital subchannel.

  Aftermath

  The network became a distribution outlet for selected local sports rights and Las Vegas-focused programming.

  Source

• 2021

  Transfer ownership from Meredith to GrayM&A

  Background

  Gray Television sought to acquire Meredith's local-media division, which included KVVU-TV.

  Action taken

  Gray announced the purchase on May 3, 2021, for $2.7 billion, and completed the transaction on December 1, 2021.

  Aftermath

  KVVU became part of Gray's portfolio of local television stations and continued operating as a Fox affiliate.

  Transaction value. $2.7 billion announced purchase price (Announced May 3, 2021; completed December 1, 2021)

  Source

• 1986

  Join Fox as a charter affiliateStrategy

  Background

  Fox was preparing to launch as a new national broadcast network, while KVVU was an established independent VHF station in the Las Vegas market.

  Action taken

  KVVU affiliated with Fox on October 9, 1986, while continuing to rely heavily on syndicated programming and films during Fox's early limited schedule.

  Aftermath

  The affiliation became a long-term part of the station's identity and remained in place through later network realignment.

  Source

1. 1KVVU-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Fox 5 Vegas official websitefox5vegas.com