1948–1953 | 1953–1958 | 1958–1961 | 1961–1967 | 1967–1972 |
1972–1998 | 1976–1979 | 1979–1986 | 1986–1992 | 1989–1992 |
1992–1998 | 1998 | 1998–2012 | 2012–2014 | 2014–present |
WBAP-TV[]
1948–1953[]
KXAS-TV (Channel 5) informally signed on the air as WBAP-TV on September 27, 1948, to broadcast coverage of President Harry S. Truman's re-election campaign speech at the Texas & Pacific terminal building in downtown Fort Worth. WBAP-TV officially commenced regular programming two days later on September 29, 1948, with two 10-minute specials at 7:00 p.m. that evening, respectively featuring speeches from owner Amon G. Carter and general manager Harold Hough and a film from NBC dedicating the station's launch. Carter owned the television and radio properties through the Star-Telegram's corporate parent, Carter Publications. It is the first television station to established in the state of Texas, and the 35th in the United States. Originally serving as an affiliate, Channel 5 has carried programming from NBC since its sign-on—having inherited the affiliation through WBAP radio's longtime relationship with the television network's radio predecessor, the Blue Network (predecessor to ABC), with which it had been affiliated since 1927.
1953–1958[]
On August 17, 1953, WBAP-TV launched a new look.
1958–1961[]
1961–1967[]
1967–1972[]
1972–1974[]
This stylized "Star 5" logo has been used by WBAP-TV/KXAS-TV since March 1972 (with the rebranding as Area 5 and a italicized version used since 1998). It has survived a callsign change, and two changes in ownership.
KXAS-TV[]
1974–present[]
1974–1998[]
Channel 5 remained under the ownership of trusts held by the Carter family until 1974 when the FCC passed a measure prohibiting the common ownership of newspapers and broadcast outlets in the same market. In January 1973, Carter Publications announced it would sell WBAP-TV to LIN Broadcasting for $35 million; the Star-Telegram, WBAP and KSCS, meanwhile, were sold to Capital Cities Communications. The sales were finalized in early May 1974; due to FCC rules in place then that prohibited separately owned broadcast properties based in the same market from using the same callsign, channel 5's call letters were subsequently changed to the current KXAS-TV on May 16 of that year.
1976–1979[]
1979–1986[]
1986–1992[]
1989–1992[]
1992–1998[]
In February 1992, the "Star 5" began to be accompanied by a red, white and blue background based on the Texas state flag.
NBC acquired majority control (76%) of KXAS from LIN in October 1997, which in turn NBC sold a 24% ownership interest in KNSD (channel 39) to LIN. The deal closed on March 2, 1998, marking the official launch of the new NBC/LIN joint venture known as Station Venture Operations, LP (which was controlled by NBC). As it held 79.62% controlling equity in the partnership, NBC assumed control of KXAS' operations by way of its NBC Television Stations subsidiary, which continued to control KNSD through its continued majority ownership of that station. Although not a traditional arrangement, NBC's assumption of majority control over KXAS made it a de facto owned-and-operated station.
May–September 1998[]
1998–present[]
1998–2012[]
SVG NEEDED |
2012–2014[]
On February 12, 2013, LIN Media chose to withdraw its interest in the Station Venture Operations joint venture as part of a corporate reorganization. Through the dissolution of the arrangement, NBC gained full ownership of KXAS and regained exclusive ownership in KNSD. To this day, KXAS-TV remains the only station in the market to never change its primary affiliation.
2014–present[]
External links[]
Owned Television Stations: KNBC (Los Angeles, CA) | KNSD (San Diego, CA) | KNTV (San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA) | KXAS (Dallas–Fort Worth, TX) | WBTS (Boston, MA) | WCAU (Philadelphia, PA) | WMAQ (Chicago, IL) | WNBC (New York City, NY) | WRC-TV (Washington, D.C.) | WTVJ (Miami–Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | WVIT (New Britain-Hartford-New Haven, CT) | WKAQ-DT3 (San Juan, PR) Affiliates Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and territory, and based on the station's city of license or Designated Market Area. |