KWGN-TV

KWGN-TV is a television station licensed to Denver, Colorado, serving the Denver metropolitan area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by the Nexstar Media Group, which provides services through a shared services agreement with sister Fox station KDVR. The station's studios are located on East Speer Boulevard in Denver, and its transmitter is based atop Lookout Mountain.

History

The station signed on the air on July 31, 1966, as KWGN, an independent station owned by the General Tire and Rubber Company through its RKO General broadcasting division. Its calls were derived from the owner's initials. For nearly three decades, it operated as a general-entertainment independent, competing with other stations like KTVD. In 1983, it added the "-TV" suffix to its callsign. Following the financial and legal troubles of RKO General, the station was sold in 1987 to Tribune Broadcasting. Under Tribune's ownership, it became a charter affiliate of The WB when that network launched in 1995. After The WB and UPN merged, the station joined The CW at its inception in 2006. Tribune Media sold its stake to Nexstar Media Group in 2019, making it part of the largest television station owner in the United States.

Programming

As a CW affiliate, the station carries the network's lineup of primetime series, such as *All American* and *Walker*, along with daytime programming like The People's Court. Historically, as an independent, it featured a mix of syndicated programming, classic television series, movies, and local sports, including broadcasts of the Colorado Rockies and Denver Nuggets. It also aired children's programming blocks like Club CW. In addition to network content, the station broadcasts syndicated shows such as The Big Bang Theory and *Last Man Standing*, acquired by its parent company.

Technical information

The station broadcasts a digital signal on VHF channel 2, using virtual channel 2.1. Its transmitter is located on Lookout Mountain, near Golden, Colorado. KWGN-TV is multiplexed to carry several subchannels: 2.2 for Antenna TV, 2.3 for Court TV, and 2.4 for TBD. The station signed on its digital signal in 1999 and ended analog television broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the national transition. It shares technical facilities and a license with sister station KDVR under a digital channel sharing agreement.

News operation

KWGN-TV presently does not produce its own separate newscasts. Instead, its schedule features news programming produced by its Fox sister station, branded as *FOX31 Denver News*. This includes a nightly prime-time newscast at 9 p.m. that airs on this station. Historically, it operated a notable news department under the *News 2* brand throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The current shared news operation is based at the East Speer Boulevard studios, with reporters and anchors serving both outlets. The station's weather coverage utilizes the FOX Weather graphics system.

Category:Television stations in Denver Category:The CW affiliates Category:Nexstar Media Group