KDAF
{{Infobox broadcast}} may refer to:
- Template:Infobox broadcasting network
- Template:Infobox television channel
- Template:Infobox television station
{{Template disambiguation}} should never be transcluded in the main namespace.
KDAF (WB 33) is a WB Television Network affiliate for the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. The station is currently owned by the Tribune Company with its transmitter along highway 67 in Cedar Hill.
History
Channel 33 began operation in the late 1960s with a religious format and some general entertainment. Its call letters were KXTX. CBN owned the station, but when Doubleday wanted to get rid of Channel 39, the company donated its license and assets to CBN. CBN then turned Channel 33's license to the FCC and moved its programming to Channel 39.
Channel 33 signed on a few years later with business news during the day and Spanish entertainment programming from Spanish International Network (later rebranded as Univision in the 1980s) at night. The station was owned by Hill Broadcasting and the calls were KNBN. By 1982, the station was broadcasting in Spanish full time.
A low power station signed on in 1983 and took Univision programming. At that point, KNBN was sold to Metromedia and renamed KRLD-TV, since Metromedia owned KRLD radio at the time. In early 1984, KRLD-TV switched to a general entertainment format featuring first run syndicated talk shows, game shows, drama shows, and newsmagazines. Late in 1985, cartoons and sitcoms were added. This resulted in the market's fourth independent station.
KRLD-TV was unprofitable, yet Metromedia invested in the station. In 1986, in a group deal, Channel 33 was sold to Fox. The station changed call letters to KDAF on March 6, 1986, and it joined the Fox Network. Though KDAF remained unprofitable into the early 1990s, by 1994 the station was turning modest profits.
KDAF remained as the area's FOX television owned & operated affiliate until 1995, when Fox made a group deal with New World Communications, the owner of then-CBS affiliate KDFW. Fox moved its prime time and sports programming to that station in July of 1995. Fox Kids would remain on KDAF. KDAF also picked up WB programming.
Fox sold KDAF to Renaissance in the Fall of 1995. In a group deal, KDAF became a Tribune station in 1997. In the fall of 1997, Fox Kids moved to KDFI, which was managed by Fox.
Today, KDAF runs a lineup of off network sitcoms, the religious show In Touch with Charles Stanley, cartoons from Kids WB, WB prime time first run shows, local news, syndicated talk and reality shows, and a few movies. Starting in January 2006, the weekday Monday–Friday Kids' WB block will be discontinued.
However, they are the largest Tribune-owned station (in terms of market-size) not to yet offer an early evening nor a midday newscast.
References
- Shannon, Mike (January, 2004). Dallas-Fort Worth TV Station History. The History of Dallas-Fort Worth Radio and Television.