KPIX signed on the air on December 22, 1948, the first television station in Northern California as well as the 49th in the United States. It has been a CBS affiliate from the start, due to a deal KSFO's owners had worked out with the television network one year earlier. KSFO was CBS radio's Bay Area affiliate from 1937 to 1941, when Associated Broadcasters backed out of a deal for CBS to buy the station. When KSFO was still affiliated with CBS, it was originally slated to move to 740 AM, the frequency of San Jose's KQW (now KCBS). It also carried programming from DuMont until that network folded in 1956. It even carried a few NBC programs until KRON-TV (channel 4) signed on in November 1949, and programs from the short-lived Paramount Television Network.
1952–1954
Westinghouse Electric Corporation bought KPIX in 1954 and ran it as part of the company's Group W broadcasting unit. During Westinghouse's ownership, KPIX was the company's only television station on the West Coast.
1954–1956
1956–1963
1963–present
The logo design, especially the font (called "Westinghouse" or "Anklepants" (due to a similar typeface) by some people), was originally introduced when then-owner Group W introduced its design language in 1963. As of 2022, KPIX and WJZ-TV are the only two stations still using some form of the Group W typeface in their station logo.
1963–1996
1963–1985
1985–1996
The "5" became italicized in 1985, which then-sister stations WBZ-TV and KDKA-TV (except KYW-TV and WJZ-TV) would later follow suit in 1987 and 1991 respectively. In 1995, Westinghouse merged with CBS, making KPIX (and sister stations WBZ-TV, WJZ-TV, KYW-TV, and KDKA-TV, all switched to the network) an owned-and-operated station.
1992–1996
In late 1995, Westinghouse merged with CBS, making KPIX a CBS-owned station and bringing it into common ownership with KCBS radio. Prior to this, KPIX had been CBS' longest-tenured affiliate (a distinction that now belongs to Washington, D.C.'s WUSA, which signed on and affiliated with CBS approximately 4 weeks after KPIX's launch). KPIX was also one of two longtime CBS affiliates owned by Group W that became a CBS O&O, the other being KDKA-TV.
1996–2013
1996–2001
This logo was introduced on November 8, 1996, as a modified, more compact "5" used to replace the one previously used during the Westinghouse era; it has been used by the station since.
2001–2013
2001–2007
Around 2003, Channel 5 was rebranded as CBS 5 (which would later add "Bay Area" around the late 2000s), in line with other CBS owned-and-operated stations.
2007–2013
The 2001 logo was boxed in.
2013–present
2013–2018
This logo was slightly softened and modified, making it similar to the Westinghouse-era logo, albeit in a slightly dense stroke. It is also full by shade of blue. It was introduced when CBS 5 was rebranded into KPIX 5.
2018–present
The logo's color scheme was changed from a single color (i.e. blue) to silver with the "5" being in gold. However, the blue version with the gold "5" is used secondarily.
Notes: 1Owned by Universidad de Chile (former owners of CHV), operating as a secondary channel. 2Local stations until 1993. 3Local version of the game show The Alphabet Game. 4Local version of The Voice, previously made by competitor Canal 13, under current license of ITV Studios. 5Under license of Fremantle. 6Under license of Venevisión. 7Under license of Cartoon Network (WarnerMedia). 8Co-production with Iguana Producciones. 9Under the licence of TVE. 10Under licence of Telefe. 11Alongside all the members of Anatel.