Channel 12 first signed on the air on July 1, 1953 as KTVH, the first television station based in the state of Kansas. The station has been a primary CBS affiliate from the start, with secondary affiliations with NBC (until 1954), DuMont (until 1955), and ABC (until 1956). The Wichita-Hutchinson Company, Inc. was the station's original owners; they would sell 80 percent of the station to Des Moines-based Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company (owned by the Cowles family and later rechristened Cowles Media) for $1.07 million.
1957–1964[]
LOGO MISSING
1964–1976[]
SVG NEEDED
During this logo's use, Cowles proposed a sale KTVH to the WKY Television System of Oklahoma City for $4.4 million in December 1968; the sale essentially fell apart, however, when the Federal Communications Commission designated the sale for hearing in August 1969.
Newspaper Ad for KTVH (19??)
Logo for KAYS-TV #1
Logo for KAYS-TV #2
Kansas Broadcasting System logo (1960s)
Print banner for the statewide Kansas Broadcasting System (of which KTVH was the flagship)
1976–1981[]
SVG NEEDED
News 12 logo
1981–1983[]
SVG NEEDED
In 1982, Cowles Media would sell KWCH to Kansas Broadcasting System Inc., a Hays, Kansas-based business that already owned two KBS stations, KAYS and KLOE. The sale would be approved in January 1983.
News 12 open (1982)
KWCH (-TV/-DT)[]
1983–2002[]
The goal of the KTVH's new ownership and its newly-hired general manager, Ron Bergamo, was to transform the station from a ratings laggard with a staid reputation into a first-place outlet. The revamp included improved equipment; new graphics packages; and, on July 4, 1983, the adoption of a new logo, a new motto ("The Look of a Leader"), and a new call sign, KWCH-TV (the station's calls would retain the "-DT" suffix after the 2009 DTV transition).
1983–1989[]
The Kansas Broadcasting System was able to turn the station into a market leader by 1986, displacing KAKE-TV. They then in 1988, aquired KTVC in Ensign–Dodge City. The same year, Michigan–based Smith Broadcasting aquired the Kansas Broadcasting System.
Original version (1983–1984); the logo was initially structured so that the "1" and the bottom swash of the "2" in the numerical "12" logo formed the "L" in "Leader", but was modified likely due to viewer confusion as this was not readily apparent outside of station IDs rendering the slogan in this manner
Eyewitness News logo (1983–1989)
Kansas Broadcasting System logo (1983–1987)
Kansas Broadcasting System logo (1987–1989)
Station ID (1983–1984)
Station ID (1985) #1
Station ID (1985) #2
1986 shared ID with other KBS stations
Slogan variant, as seen in station IDs (1985–1989)
Station ID; used for KTVC (1986)
1989–1992[]
The satellite stations of the Kansas Broadcasting System changed their callsigns in 1989 to bolster the KBS network; KTVC became KBSD-TV, KLOE-TV became KBSL-TV, and KAYS-TV became KBSH-TV.
Sandy DiPasquale, part-owner, and president of the Kansas Broadcasting System, became the majority owner in 1992.
Horizontal variant (1989–1992); used primarily in station promos
Eyewitness News logo (1989–1994)
KBSD logo (1989–1992)
KBSH logo (1989–1992)
KBSL logo (1989–1992)
Daytime ID (1989–1992)
Nighttime ID (1989–1992)
Station ID (1989)
January 28, 1990 KWCH ID (sports anchor Bruce Haertl). This and the next two images were taken from a KWCH recording of Super Bowl XXIV.
January 28, 1990 KWCH promo (sports anchors Bruce Haertl and Malcolm Briggs)
January 28, 1990 KWCH Sports Sunday promo with sports anchor Malcolm Briggs
Eyewitness News Live at Five open (1989–1992)
Eyewitness News at 6 open (1989–1992)
Eyewitness News Nightcast open (1989–1992)
Station ID (1991) #1
Station ID (1991) #2
KBSD Station ID (1989–1992)
1992–1997[]
Spartan Communications of Spartanburg, South Carolina, purchased KBS from DiPasquale in 1994 for $58 million. Spartan would merge with Media General in 2000.
Alternate version, used in newscast opens (1992–1994)
Channel 12 Eyewitness News logo (1994–1997)
Station ID #1
Station ID #2
1997–2002[]
Primary logo (1997–2000)
Channel 12 Eyewitness News logo (1997–2000)
Channel 12 Eyewitness News horizontal logo (1997–2000)
Channel 12 Eyewitness News standalone logo (1997–2000)
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News logo (2000–2002)
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News alternate logo (2000–2002)
Kansas Broadcasting System logo (1997–2002)
Kansas Broadcasting System primary logo (1997–2000)
KBSL logo (1997–2002)
KBSL primary logo (1997–2000)
KBSH logo (1997–2002)
KBSH primary logo (1997–2000)
KBSD logo (1997–2002)
KBSD primary logo (1997–2000)
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News 5:00 p.m. open (2000–2002)
On April 6, 2006, Media General announced that it would sell KWCH, its satellites, and four other stations as a result of its purchase of four former NBC owned-and-operated stations (WVTM-TV/Birmingham WCMH-TV/Columbus, WNCN/Goldsboro, NC, and WJAR/Providence). South Bend, Indiana-based Schurz Communications eventually emerged as the winner and took over on September 25.
Schurz announced on September 14, 2015, that it would exit from broadcasting and sell its entire broadcasting division, including KWCH (and its satellites), KSCW-DT, and the JSA with KDCU-DT, to Gray Television for approximately $442.5 million. Gray already owned KAKE, which it divested to Lockwood Broadcast Group in order to retain the higher-rated KWCH. The FCC approved the sale on February 12, 2016, and the sale was completed on February 16.