KZJO is a Seattle television station branded as Fox 13+, operated alongside Fox-owned KCPQ.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KZJO is a television station serving Seattle, Washington, and the surrounding Puget Sound market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 22 and is owned by Fox Television Stations as part of a duopoly with KCPQ, the market's Fox affiliate. Although its current Fox 13+ branding presents it as a companion service to KCPQ, KZJO is programmed primarily as an independent station and retains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. Its schedule combines syndicated entertainment, locally produced news and weather content, network sports, and selected regional sports rights. The station began broadcasting on June 22, 1985, as KTZZ-TV. It was Seattle's first full-service commercial UHF station and the third independent station in the market. Its early schedule relied heavily on classic television series, children's programming, syndicated talk shows, and locally produced material. The station also carried selected Seattle sports through arrangements with KIRO-TV, including portions of Seattle SuperSonics basketball and Mariners baseball schedules. Despite these efforts, KTZZ struggled against established independents KSTW and KCPQ. Limited audience awareness of UHF reception, high syndicated-program costs, and weak ratings contributed to layoffs, financial pressure, and a Chapter 11 reorganization in the early 1990s. KTZZ expanded its local profile through a KIRO-produced 10 p.m. newscast beginning in 1991, though the broadcast generated labor disputes and ended in 1993. The station also became known for unusual late-night local programs, including The Spud Goodman Show and several music-oriented programs. In 1995, KTZZ joined The WB, giving the station a major network affiliation after Seattle's earlier WB arrangement shifted to another outlet. Ownership changed during the late 1990s, moving from the Dudley family's US-TV interests to Emmis Communications and then Tribune Broadcasting. Tribune initially placed the station in a divestiture trust after agreeing to acquire KCPQ, but regulatory changes permitting television duopolies eventually allowed Tribune to retain both stations. In 1999, the station became KTWB-TV and received technical improvements, including a new transmitter and antenna. When The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW in 2006, KTWB was not selected as Seattle's CW affiliate. It instead joined MyNetworkTV and adopted the KMYQ call sign, later using the MyQ² identity. Tribune rebranded the station as JoeTV in 2010 and changed its call sign to KZJO. The JoeTV period emphasized syndicated entertainment and a younger, male-oriented identity while MyNetworkTV programming became less central to the schedule. KZJO began carrying a KCPQ-produced 9 p.m. newscast in 2008 and has continued to share news resources and selected programming with its sister station. Sports have become an important part of the station's local role. KZJO carried Seattle Sounders FC matches and related programming, became a principal local television outlet for Seattle Storm basketball from 2016 through 2024, and has also aired selected soccer, hockey, rugby, college basketball, and junior hockey events. In 2020, Fox acquired KCPQ and KZJO from Nexstar following a broader series of ownership transactions involving Tribune Media. KZJO subsequently dropped the JoeTV identity and adopted the Fox 13+ brand in September 2021. The current brand positions channel 22 as a complementary Fox-owned local service, with KCPQ's news operation and Fox-market identity providing much of its infrastructure.
History
The origins of channel 22 date to the 1960s, when King's Garden applied for the UHF allocation but did not construct a station. A later proposal by Maharishi International University also failed to produce an operating outlet. In the early 1980s, competing applicants sought the license through an FCC comparative process. After Trinity Broadcasting withdrew, the remaining applicants combined their efforts into Seattle Broadcasting Corporation, which received the construction permit. The resulting station adopted the KTZZ-TV call sign and began broadcasting on June 22, 1985. It operated from studios on Dexter Avenue North and used a transmitter near Seattle's Capitol Hill area. KTZZ was the first full-service commercial UHF station in Seattle. Its programming centered on classic reruns, children's shows, syndicated entertainment, and limited local production. It was unable to secure the market's initial Fox affiliation, which went to KCPQ, and faced intense competition from established independents KSTW and KCPQ. KTZZ supplemented its entertainment schedule with sports and news partnerships. KIRO-TV supplied portions of Seattle SuperSonics basketball coverage in 1986 and Mariners baseball coverage beginning in 1987. A KIRO-produced 10 p.m. newscast launched in 1991, using prominent KIRO personnel, but the arrangement created workload and labor concerns. AFTRA brought an unfair-labor-practices case in 1992, and the newscast was discontinued in 1993 after weak ratings. KTZZ also experimented with local late-night programming, most notably The Spud Goodman Show and several music programs. The station's early ownership was financially unstable. US-TV Network, controlled by the Dudley family and supported by outside investment, acquired a minority interest in 1987 and the remainder in 1990. KTZZ entered involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 1992, largely because of inherited programming obligations and the high cost of syndicated content purchased during the 1980s. The station continued operating and later secured a major affiliation when it joined The WB on January 11, 1995. The Dudleys placed their stations on the market in the mid-1990s. KTZZ and WXMI were sold to Emmis Communications in 1998 and then transferred to Tribune Broadcasting in a station exchange. Tribune soon agreed to acquire KCPQ, creating an ownership conflict under the rules then in force. KTZZ was temporarily placed in a divestiture trust, but the FCC's authorization of television duopolies made it possible for Tribune to retain the station alongside KCPQ. In 1999, the station changed its call sign to KTWB-TV, upgraded its transmission facilities, and moved its operations into the KCPQ facility. When CBS and Warner Bros. replaced UPN and The WB with The CW in 2006, KTWB was excluded from the Seattle CW arrangement. Tribune instead reached an agreement for the station to affiliate with MyNetworkTV, a service created by Fox Television Stations. The outlet became KMYQ and used the MyQ² identity. In 2008, it began airing a KCPQ-produced 9 p.m. newscast. Tribune rebranded the station JoeTV in 2010 and changed its call sign to KZJO. The new identity focused on syndicated programming and a younger demographic, while MyNetworkTV remained a secondary component. KZJO increasingly served as a platform for locally relevant sports. It carried Seattle Sounders FC matches and associated studio coverage, and from 2016 through 2024 it was a major local broadcast outlet for Seattle Storm games. It also carried selected Seattle-area soccer, college basketball, junior hockey, rugby, and other sporting events. Tribune Media's proposed sale to Sinclair in 2017 included complex plans for the Seattle properties, but regulatory objections and the collapse of the transaction prevented the transfer. Nexstar acquired Tribune in 2019 and subsequently sold KCPQ and KZJO to Fox Television Stations. The Fox purchase closed in March 2020. In September 2021, KZJO retired the JoeTV name and became Fox 13+, presenting the station as a complementary service to Fox 13/KCPQ while continuing its independent-style programming and secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
- 2021
Fox 13+ launch
[1]KZJO replaced the JoeTV identity with Fox 13+.
- 2020
Fox ownership begins
[1]Fox Television Stations completed its acquisition of KZJO and KCPQ.
- 2016
Seattle Storm coverage begins
[1]KZJO and KCPQ began carrying locally televised Seattle Storm games.
- 2010
JoeTV rebrand
[1]KMYQ became KZJO and adopted the JoeTV brand.
- 2006
MyNetworkTV affiliation
[1]The station became a MyNetworkTV affiliate after The WB was replaced by The CW.
- 1999
KTWB-TV identity and technical upgrade
[1]The station changed its call sign to KTWB-TV and launched improved transmission facilities.
- 1995
WB affiliation begins
[1]KTZZ became the Seattle affiliate of The WB.
- 1992
Chapter 11 reorganization
[1]Creditors forced the station into bankruptcy reorganization amid inherited programming debts.
- 1991
KIRO-produced evening news begins
[1]KTZZ introduced a 10 p.m. local newscast produced through a partnership with KIRO-TV.
- 1985
KTZZ-TV launches
[1]The station began broadcasting on June 22 as Seattle's first full-service commercial UHF station.
Products and positioning
A Fox-owned independent and secondary-network television station serving the Seattle market, positioned as the Fox 13+ companion to KCPQ.
Television station brand · 2021
Fox 13+
Fox 13+ is KZJO's current on-air identity. It presents channel 22 as a companion to Fox-owned KCPQ, using shared local-news resources while maintaining a primarily independent schedule. The brand replaced JoeTV in 2021 and supports a mix of syndicated entertainment, local programming, sports, and selected MyNetworkTV content.
Broadcast news · 2008
Local news programming
KZJO carries locally produced news content supplied by KCPQ, including a 9 p.m. newscast launched in 2008 and selected editions of KCPQ's morning programming. The service extends the reach of the Fox 13 newsroom and gives channel 22 a local-information role beyond syndicated entertainment.
Sports broadcasting · 1986
Regional sports programming
KZJO has carried a broad range of regional sports, including Seattle Storm basketball, Seattle Sounders FC soccer, Gonzaga men's basketball, OL Reign matches, Seattle Thunderbirds hockey, and Seattle Seawolves rugby. Rights and schedules have changed over time, making sports a rotating but important part of the station's local offering.
Brand decisions
2021
Fox 13+ rebrandStrategyBackground
After acquiring KZJO and KCPQ, Fox aligned the secondary station more closely with the established Fox 13 identity.
Action taken
KZJO retired JoeTV and adopted the Fox 13+ brand.
Aftermath
The station continued as a primarily independent outlet while presenting itself as an extension of the Fox 13 local television operation.
2010
JoeTV repositioningStrategyBackground
Tribune was developing distinct identities for several secondary stations and sought a less network-centered presentation for the Seattle outlet.
Action taken
The station changed its call sign to KZJO and rebranded as JoeTV, emphasizing syndicated programming and a younger male audience.
Aftermath
JoeTV remained the station's public identity until Fox ownership led to the Fox 13+ rebrand.
2006
Switch from The WB to MyNetworkTVStrategyBackground
The planned merger of The WB and UPN into The CW left the Seattle station without the expected successor affiliation.
Action taken
Tribune affiliated the station with MyNetworkTV and changed its call sign from KTWB-TV to KMYQ.
Aftermath
The station continued operating as a secondary-network and independent-style outlet, later adopting the MyQ² and JoeTV identities.
Recent events
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