KXTV

KXTV
Callsign	KXTV
City	Sacramento, California
Digital	10 (VHF)
Virtual	10
Country	United States
Founded	1955
Owner	Hearst Television
Sister stations	KCRA-TV, KOVR
Licensing authority	Federal Communications Commission

KXTV is a television station serving the Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto market in California. Affiliated with the ABC (American TV network), the station is owned by Hearst Communications through its subsidiary Hearst Television and operates alongside other regional outlets such as KCRA-TV and KOVR. KXTV has been a major local broadcaster since the mid-20th century, carrying national programming from American Broadcasting Company while producing local news, public affairs, and community programming.

History

KXTV began operations in the 1950s during the rapid expansion of commercial television after the Federal Communications Commission lifted its 1948–1952 freeze on station licenses. Early ownership included local entrepreneurs and regional media firms that also held interests in outlets like The Sacramento Bee and Sacramento Union. In the 1960s and 1970s the station competed directly with rivals such as KOVR, KCRA-TV, and KXTV (radio)-era contemporaries for audience share across the Central Valley and foothills near Sierra Nevada.

During the 1980s and 1990s KXTV underwent corporate consolidation trends shared by stations across the United States, aligning with groups such as Hearst Corporation and participating in retransmission consent negotiations with major cable operators including Comcast, Charter Communications, and AT&T U-verse. Technological transitions in the 2000s—driven by mandates from the Federal Communications Commission and industry standards bodies like the Advanced Television Systems Committee—prompted upgrades to KXTV's transmission and master control facilities. The station completed its federally mandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting concurrent with other California stations in 2009 and later converted to high-definition news production during the 2010s, in parallel with investments by contemporaries including KPIX-TV and KTVU.

Technical Information

KXTV broadcasts on VHF channel 10 with a virtual channel assignment used by digital television receivers. The station's transmitter is positioned to cover the Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto market including urban centers like Sacramento, California, Stockton, California, and Modesto, California. Technical facilities comply with rules of the Federal Communications Commission and employ standards from the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The station has operated multiple digital subchannels, carrying multicast networks similar to those distributed by groups such as Ion Television, MeTV, This TV, and Comet (TV network), while negotiating carriage with distributors like DirecTV and Dish Network.

KXTV maintains studio operations and news production infrastructure that utilize equipment from vendors such as Grass Valley Group, Ross Video, and Grass Valley (company), and uses transmission hardware from manufacturers like Rohde & Schwarz and Hitachi Kokusai Electric. The station has participated in the nationwide repack process following the Spectrum auction, reallocating UHF and VHF assignments across markets including stations owned by Gray Television and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Programming

As an affiliate of ABC (American TV network), KXTV airs national prime-time programming including series distributed by Walt Disney Television and sporting telecasts from ESPN, owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications-partnered entities. The station carries morning programs such as Good Morning America and evening news output from the network, along with daytime syndicated offerings that have included series produced by syndicators like Disney–ABC Domestic Television, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, and CBS Television Distribution.

Local programming has included regional public affairs shows, locally produced lifestyle segments, and special broadcasts tied to events like the California State Fair, Sacramento Music Festival, and regional elections related to California gubernatorial elections and California State Legislature contests. KXTV has also carried national special events such as the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and presidential debates produced by national networks and organizations including The Commission on Presidential Debates.

News Operation

KXTV operates a news department that produces multiple hours of local newscasts daily, competing for viewers with other area newsrooms like KCRA-TV and KOVR. The newsroom covers municipal issues in cities such as Sacramento, California, Carmichael, California, and Roseville, California, regional public safety events involving agencies like the California Highway Patrol, and statewide developments in the California Supreme Court and California Department of Public Health. Weather coverage uses meteorological data from sources including the National Weather Service and modeling vendors like The Weather Company.

The station has deployed mobile newsgathering assets such as ENG vans and helicopter resources comparable to those used by competitors like KTVU and KRON-TV, attending regional sports events for teams including the Sacramento Kings, San Francisco 49ers, and college programs in the Pac-12 Conference. KXTV's investigative teams have produced enterprise reporting on topics impacting the Central Valley, echoing investigative work historically associated with outlets like ProPublica and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Community Involvement and Awards

KXTV participates in community outreach initiatives including partnerships with local nonprofits such as United Way, Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, and cultural institutions like the California State Railroad Museum and Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. The station sponsors civic events, voter education drives in collaboration with League of Women Voters, and public service campaigns addressing public health alongside California Department of Public Health efforts.

Over the years KXTV journalists and production teams have received recognition from organizations such as the Associated Press (US) Television-Radio Association, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (regional Emmy Awards), and the Society of Professional Journalists for reporting and technical excellence. Awards often cite coverage of regional emergencies, investigative series, and community service projects similar to honors bestowed on peers at stations like KPIX-TV and KCRA-TV.

Category:Television stations in California