KPHO-TV originally signed on the air on December 4, 1949, the first in both Arizona and Phoenix; as a primary CBS affiliate. On June 25, 1952, the Des Moines-based Meredith Corporation purchased channel 5. In 1953, the CBS affiliation moved to KOOL-TV, in which KPHO remained a dual ABC/DuMont affiliate until 1955 when ABC moved to then-newly signed on (and future sister station) KTVK and in 1956, DuMont ceased operations, making KPHO an independent station for the next four decades.
1956–1958[]
1958–1963[]
1963–1969[]
1969–1977[]
1977–1993[]
This logo design was also used and shared by sister stations KCMO-TV (later KCTV since 1983) in Kansas City; KVVU-TV in Henderson/Las Vegas, Nevada; WNEM-TV in Bay City/Saginaw/Flint/Midland, Michigan; and until 1993, WTVH in Syracuse, New York.
1977–1980[]
BETTER LOGO NEEDED
1980–1993[]
1993–1995[]
On September 12, 1994, the CBS affiliation returned back to KPHO-TV as part of a greater deal between Meredith and CBS, where the former independent station moved to former ABC affiliate KTVK (VHF channel 3) for Arizona's market as part of a group affiliation deal with New World Communications who purchased KSAZ-TV and its Kansas City sister station, WDAF-TV. Initially, Meredith verbally agreed to affiliate KPHO with The WB, which was set to launch the following year in January 1995, though the affiliation was never solidified in a written contract.
