KXTV

KXTV is a television station broadcasting on channel 10 in Sacramento, California, and serving the wider Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto market. The station operates under the ABC 10 brand and is associated with Tegna's television portfolio, although Tegna was acquired by Nexstar Media Group in 2026. KXTV's principal studios are on Broadway near downtown Sacramento, while its primary transmitter is located near Walnut Grove, California. The station began broadcasting on March 20, 1955, as KBET-TV. It was the second television station established in Sacramento proper and the market's first VHF station. Its launch followed a prolonged Federal Communications Commission licensing contest between McClatchy Broadcasting, the media company associated with The Sacramento Bee, and Sacramento Telecasters, a consortium led largely by local business interests without extensive broadcasting holdings. The FCC ultimately favored Sacramento Telecasters, viewing the group as a source of new ownership in the communications field. The decision generated years of appeals and related disputes over the station's transmitter site before the challenge was abandoned in 1958. KBET-TV initially carried CBS programming. In 1958, Sacramento Telecasters agreed to sell the station to Great Western Broadcasting, an operator within the Corinthian Broadcasting group. The call letters changed to KXTV in April 1959. During the Corinthian period, the station endured a labor dispute that began in 1960 and continued for more than two years. The conflict involved members of AFTRA and NABET and included a secondary boycott, lost advertising business, and findings concerning unfair labor practices. KXTV moved from its original facility to 400 Broadway in January 1968 after Corinthian acquired a downtown site affected by plans for Interstate 5. Corinthian was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet in 1971 and later sold to A. H. Belo Corporation in 1984. Belo invested in the station's facilities, staffing, and local-news operation. The station adopted the News10 identity during the 1980s and improved its local news position, moving from a distant third toward second place in some ratings periods. Belo also constructed a new transmitter facility at Walnut Grove in 1986. A major programming change occurred on March 6, 1995, when KXTV exchanged network affiliations with KOVR-TV. KXTV became the Sacramento area's ABC affiliate, while KOVR joined CBS. Four years later, Belo traded KXTV and an additional cash payment to Gannett in exchange for KVUE in Austin, Texas. The transaction closed in July 1999. Gannett later separated its broadcasting and digital assets from its newspaper business in 2015, creating Tegna Inc. KXTV subsequently retired the News10 brand and adopted ABC 10 as its primary identity in 2015. KXTV's business scope centers on local television news, weather, traffic, syndicated and network programming, digital publishing, and community-oriented coverage. It has also carried locally relevant sports programming. The station became a broadcast partner of the Sacramento Kings during the 2002–03 season and later aired selected Sacramento Monarchs games. The Kings moved their full television package to a regional sports network in 2009. The station's journalism has received national recognition. In 2022, KXTV and reporter Brandon Rittiman received an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for reporting on the role of Pacific Gas and Electric Company equipment in the 2018 Camp Fire. In 2025, reporter Andie Judson's series examining governance and financial problems at Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools received another duPont award. KXTV remains an active local broadcast brand, competing principally with KCRA-TV, KOVR-TV, and KTXL-TV in the Sacramento market.

KXTV's history began with a contested application for Sacramento's channel 10. McClatchy Broadcasting, owner of The Sacramento Bee and local radio stations, first applied in 1948. The application was delayed during the FCC's nationwide freeze on new television licenses. When applications resumed, McClatchy faced Sacramento Telecasters, a consortium composed mainly of local non-broadcasting business interests, including figures connected to the Breuners home-furnishings business and Modesto radio. The proceeding became a prominent dispute over media concentration and broadcasting experience. McClatchy emphasized its established record in radio and newspaper publishing, while Sacramento Telecasters argued that awarding another Sacramento outlet to McClatchy would further concentrate regional communications ownership. Although an FCC hearing examiner initially recommended McClatchy, the commission reversed that outcome and granted Sacramento Telecasters a construction permit. The new company modified its proposed transmitter location from Pine Hill to Logtown because of site-availability issues. Litigation continued over the change, but McClatchy ended its challenge in 1958. The station launched on March 20, 1955, under the call letters KBET-TV. It was Sacramento's second television station and first VHF outlet, and it began as a CBS affiliate. Great Western Broadcasting purchased the station in 1958, bringing it into the Corinthian Broadcasting organization. The call sign became KXTV on April 27, 1959. Corinthian jointly developed a new transmitter site with other Sacramento-area stations, and KXTV began using the present general transmitter location near Walnut Grove in 1962. Labor relations dominated much of the early Corinthian era. A strike beginning in September 1960 involved AFTRA and NABET members after management directed two directors to leave AFTRA. The action lasted more than two years and included a union-backed secondary boycott that affected advertising. Administrative and judicial proceedings continued after the strike, with the National Labor Relations Board ultimately determining that certain union publicity activities were protected. The decision was affirmed in 1966. KXTV relocated to a downtown Sacramento facility at 400 Broadway on January 15, 1968. The move was prompted partly by the planned Interstate 5 corridor, which affected the earlier 7th Avenue property. Corinthian merged with Dun & Bradstreet in 1971. In 1984, the television group was sold to A. H. Belo Corporation. Belo invested in the station's facilities and news operation, built a new Walnut Grove tower in 1986, and helped the station improve its local-news ratings. The News10 identity became a durable part of the station's presentation. On March 6, 1995, KXTV and KOVR exchanged affiliations, moving KXTV from CBS to ABC. The change gave KXTV the ABC affiliation for the Sacramento market and made KOVR a CBS station. In 1999, Belo traded KXTV and $55 million to Gannett for KVUE in Austin. Gannett's broadcasting and digital operations were later separated from its newspaper business, creating Tegna in 2015. That year KXTV replaced the News10 identity with ABC 10, a change intended to strengthen the station's association with ABC entertainment programming while retaining its local service identity. The station has maintained a substantial news operation despite fluctuating ratings. It has generally competed for second or third place behind Sacramento's long-standing market leader, KCRA-TV. KXTV also experimented with distinctive facilities and local partnerships. A weather and microwave communications tower completed around 2000–01 was briefly illuminated as a weather beacon and was also lit to mark victories by Sacramento Kings and Sacramento Monarchs teams. KXTV carried Kings games during the 2002–03 season and selected Monarchs games beginning in 2005; the Kings later moved their full package to a regional sports network. KXTV's investigative journalism has received national recognition. Its reporting on the Camp Fire and utility responsibility earned a duPont award in 2022, and an education-investigation series received another in 2025. In September 2025, the station's studios were struck by gunfire in an incident that caused no reported injuries. The supplied reference states that Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna closed in March 2026, after which court orders restricted the integration of Nexstar's newly acquired stations with its existing Sacramento holdings. KXTV consequently remains an active ABC station operating within a changed ownership and regulatory environment.

• 2026

  Nexstar completes Tegna acquisition

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna, while subsequent court orders limited station integration.

• 2025

  Studio shooting and second duPont award

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  The station's studios were struck by gunfire, and its education-investigation reporting received a second duPont award.

• 2022

  First listed duPont award

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  KXTV received national recognition for reporting on the Camp Fire and utility responsibility.

• 2015

  Tegna separation and ABC 10 rebrand

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  Gannett's broadcasting assets became Tegna, and KXTV adopted the ABC 10 identity.

• 1999

  Gannett acquisition

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  Belo traded KXTV and an additional cash payment to Gannett for KVUE.

• 1995

  Switch to ABC

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  KXTV became Sacramento's ABC affiliate in an affiliation exchange with KOVR-TV.

• 1984

  Belo acquires Corinthian television group

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  A. H. Belo Corporation acquired the Corinthian group, including KXTV.

• 1968

  Move to Broadway studios

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  KXTV moved into its downtown Sacramento facility at 400 Broadway.

• 1959

  KXTV call sign adopted

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call letters from KBET-TV to KXTV on April 27.

• 1955

  KBET-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  The station signed on as KBET-TV on March 20, becoming Sacramento's second station and first VHF outlet.

• 1948

  First channel 10 application

  [1]KXTVen.wikipedia.org

  McClatchy Broadcasting filed the first application for Sacramento television channel 10.

A locally focused network-affiliate television station emphasizing Sacramento-area news, weather, investigations, community coverage, and ABC programming.

• Local television news · 1955

  ABC 10 local news

  KXTV's core offering is locally produced news covering Sacramento and surrounding communities. The operation includes daily newscasts, investigative reporting, breaking-news coverage, interviews, public-affairs material, and regionally focused reporting.

• Television weather service

  ABC 10 weather

  The station provides on-air and digital weather information for the Sacramento region, including forecasts, severe-weather updates, and related visual and communications services.

• Digital media

  ABC10.com

  ABC10.com extends the station's local-news operation online with written reporting, video, weather information, traffic coverage, and other market-specific content.

• Sports television · 2002

  Local sports broadcasts

  KXTV has carried locally relevant sports programming, including Sacramento Kings games during the 2002–03 season and selected Sacramento Monarchs women's basketball games beginning in 2005.

• 2025

  Gunfire at KXTV studios

  The station's Sacramento studios were hit by gunfire in September 2025. The supplied reference reports no injuries and describes a federal investigation and custody of a suspect, while stating that no motive had been determined.

  Source

Read more

• 2026

  Nexstar acquisition of TegnaM&A

  Background

  Nexstar already owned Sacramento station KTXL, creating regulatory and operational issues after it acquired Tegna.

  Action taken

  Nexstar completed the Tegna acquisition on March 19, 2026.

  Aftermath

  A temporary restraining order and later preliminary injunction limited Nexstar's ability to integrate the stations.

  Source

• 2015

  Retirement of News10 brandStrategy

  Background

  Following Gannett's separation of its broadcasting and digital operations into Tegna, the station reassessed its long-standing identity.

  Action taken

  KXTV began using ABC 10 as its principal brand instead of News10.

  Aftermath

  The ABC 10 identity became the station's principal public-facing brand.

  Source

• 1999

  Sale of KXTV to GannettM&A

  Background

  Belo sought an exchange that would give it a stronger position in Austin, the Texas state capital.

  Action taken

  Belo transferred KXTV and $55 million to Gannett in exchange for KVUE.

  Aftermath

  KXTV became part of Gannett's broadcast portfolio and later Tegna's.

  Additional cash paid by Belo. $55 million (1999 transaction)

  Source

• 1995

  Change from CBS to ABCStrategy

  Background

  Belo included KXTV in an affiliation arrangement involving its ABC stations and exchanged affiliations with KOVR-TV.

  Action taken

  KXTV became the Sacramento market's ABC affiliate on March 6, 1995.

  Aftermath

  The station has continued operating as an ABC affiliate.

  Source

1. 1KXTVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ABC 10abc10.com