KTIV
KTIV is an American television station licensed to Sioux City, Iowa, United States, broadcasting on virtual channel 4 (UHF digital channel 14).[1] It serves as the NBC and The CW Plus affiliate for the Siouxland region, encompassing northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, and southeast South Dakota. Owned by Gray Local Media, a subsidiary of Gray Media,[2] KTIV maintains studios on Signal Hill Drive in Sioux City and a transmitter near Hinton, Iowa. The station signed on the air on October 10, 1954, as the second commercial TV outlet in the market, initially affiliated with NBC and featuring early programming such as People Are Funny and The Loretta Young Show.[3] KTIV traces its roots to the Perkins family's media legacy in Sioux City, dating back to the founding of the Sioux City Journal in 1869 by George D. Perkins, which evolved into radio station KSCJ in 1927 before expanding to television. The station was established through a joint venture between the Perkins Brothers Company and the KCOM Broadcasting Company, with the FCC granting the construction permit in January 1954 after a competitive application process. Over the decades, KTIV has been a key source of local news, weather, and sports coverage for Siouxland, known for its First Alert Weather team and SportsFource segments, while adapting to technological shifts like digital broadcasting and live streaming.[3] In 2021, Gray Television acquired KTIV's previous owner, Quincy Media, solidifying its position as part of Gray Media, a nationwide network of television stations across 113 markets focused on local content.[4] The station emphasizes community engagement through initiatives like the Hometown History series, which explores Sioux City's past, and annual events such as the Night of Hope fundraiser supporting STEM education. KTIV's mobile app and 24/7 weather channel further extend its reach, providing breaking news and interactive radar to viewers across the region.[5][6]History
Early years
KTIV signed on the air on October 10, 1954, as the second television station in Sioux City, Iowa, operating on VHF channel 4. The station was established as a joint venture between KSCJ-AM, owned by Perkins Bros. Co., and KCOM-AM, with William R. Perkins and Dietrich Dirks leading the effort after their joint application was approved by the FCC in January 1954. Initial operations began from a basement studio at 10th and Grandview Boulevard, utilizing RCA equipment including two black-and-white studio cameras and broadcasting approximately 6.5 hours daily.[7][3] From its debut, KTIV carried programming from NBC as its primary affiliate, along with secondary affiliations to ABC and the DuMont Television Network, reflecting common practices among early UHF and VHF stations sharing limited network content. DuMont's affiliation ended in 1955 following the network's collapse, while ABC programming continued as secondary until 1967, after which KTIV focused exclusively on NBC. Local news programming commenced in 1955, with early evening newscasts appearing in station schedules by April of that year.[8][9] In March 1955, KSCJ exercised an option to purchase half ownership of KTIV, approved by the FCC, increasing Perkins Bros. Co.'s stake in the venture. The station's news operation gained prominence in 1961 when Tom Brokaw, a University of South Dakota student and future NBC Nightly News anchor, joined as a news reporter, weatherman, and staff announcer, marking an early step in his career from 1960 to 1962. By 1965, Perkins Bros. Co. acquired the remaining interest from KCOM's owners, achieving full ownership of KTIV for $2.2 million. That same year, the station constructed and activated a new 2,000-foot transmission tower near Hinton, Iowa, in partnership with KVTV, significantly enhancing signal coverage across western Iowa, eastern Nebraska, and southeastern South Dakota.[10]Black Hawk Broadcasting and American Family ownership
In 1974, Black Hawk Broadcasting acquired KTIV from Perkins Brothers Company, marking a significant transition in the station's ownership as the new owners, based in Waterloo, Iowa, expanded their portfolio of television and radio stations across the region.[11] Under Black Hawk's stewardship, KTIV invested in modern infrastructure, breaking ground in 1976 on a new studio facility within the Stonesthrow Office Complex atop Signal Hill in Sioux City. The station commenced broadcasting from this purpose-built structure on June 5, 1977, enhancing production capabilities and operational efficiency in a facility designed specifically for television operations.[12] By 1980, Black Hawk Broadcasting merged with American Family Corporation, an insurer whose broadcast division became known as American Family Broadcasting Group, transferring ownership of KTIV to this larger entity on March 28 of that year.[11] This merger integrated KTIV into a broader network of stations, providing resources for continued development during the decade. Throughout the 1980s under American Family ownership, KTIV focused on strengthening its local news operations, culminating in prominent coverage of major regional events. Notably, on July 19, 1989, the station provided extensive on-scene reporting of the United Airlines Flight 232 crash at Sioux Gateway Airport, where reporter Dave Boxum captured key moments of the emergency response to the DC-10's uncontrolled landing, which resulted in 111 fatalities but also highlighted heroic survival efforts.[13][14]Quincy and Gray ownership
In 1989, Quincy Newspapers Inc. acquired KTIV from the AFLAC Broadcast Group, marking the station's entry into the portfolio of the Illinois-based media company, which at the time owned no other stations in Iowa but held broadcast properties in neighboring states.[15][16] Under Quincy ownership, KTIV launched its digital signal on September 16, 2002, operating on UHF channel 41 while maintaining analog broadcasts on VHF channel 4.[17] The station completed its full transition to digital-only broadcasting following the national analog shutdown in 2009 and later relocated its digital signal to UHF channel 14 in 2018 as part of the FCC's broadcast spectrum incentive auction repack, which reallocated channels to free up spectrum for wireless broadband use.[18] This change allowed KTIV to continue operations with enhanced digital capabilities, including multiple subchannels, while preserving its virtual channel 4 mapping for viewers.[19] In February 2021, Gray Television announced its acquisition of Quincy Media, Inc., for $925 million in cash, a deal that closed in August 2021 and integrated KTIV into Gray's extensive portfolio of over 140 stations across 102 markets, emphasizing expanded local news and digital content distribution.[20][21] In 2024, KTIV celebrated its 70th anniversary on air.[7] In 2025, the parent company rebranded from Gray Television to Gray Media. As part of this corporate shift, KTIV benefited from Gray's resources for technological upgrades and content synergies. In 2023, amid the closure of the local newsroom at rival station KPTH (owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group), KTIV expanded its news department by hiring key personnel from the former operation, including news director Diana Castillo, anchor Katie Copple, and multimedia journalist Taylor Deckert, to bolster local coverage and programming depth in the Siouxland region.[22][23] This expansion aligned with Gray's strategy to strengthen KTIV's role as a primary news source, incorporating additional staff to support extended newscasts and community-focused reporting.[24]Programming
Network affiliations
KTIV signed on the air on October 10, 1954, as the primary affiliate of the NBC network for the Sioux City market, broadcasting initial programming such as "People Are Funny" and "The Loretta Young Show."[3] From its launch, the station also maintained secondary affiliations with ABC and the DuMont Television Network, sharing available programming with fellow station KVTV amid limited network options in the small market.[8][25] The DuMont affiliation ended with the network's decline and shutdown in 1955, while ABC programming continued on a secondary basis until 1967, when KVTV (later KCAU-TV) transitioned to become the market's full-time ABC affiliate.[25] As the NBC affiliate, KTIV serves the Sioux City designated market area (DMA), which spans 23 counties across northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska, and southeast South Dakota, providing network coverage to a regional audience known as Siouxland.[26] In 2006, following the merger of The WB and UPN into The CW, KTIV added a secondary affiliation with The CW Plus on its digital subchannel 4.2, branded as Siouxland CW, expanding its multicast offerings while maintaining NBC as the primary service on 4.1.[27]Digital subchannels
KTIV broadcasts its programming on virtual channel 4, with the main NBC affiliation serving as the primary feed on subchannel 4.1 in 1080i high definition. The station's digital subchannels provide a mix of network and syndicated content, expanding viewing options for audiences in the Siouxland market.[28] The current lineup includes:| Virtual Channel | Resolution | Programming | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | 1080i | NBC | Main channel |
| 4.2 | 720p | The CW Plus (Siouxland CW) | Launched September 2006 |
| 4.3 | 480i | MeTV | Classic television |
| 4.4 | 480i | Court TV | True crime trials |
| 4.5 | 480i | Ion Television | Syndicated entertainment |
| 4.6 | 480i | Outlaw | Western films and series |