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KSAZ-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is owned and operated by the Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside KUTP (channel 45), which airs MyNetworkTV programming. The two stations share studios on West Adams Street in Downtown Phoenix; KSAZ-TV's transmitter is located atop South Mountain.

Key Information

Channel 10 was the third television station established in the Phoenix area, making its first broadcast on October 24, 1953. It was originally allocated as a shared-time channel to stations run by the owners of Phoenix radio stations KOOL and KOY, though both KOOL-TV and KOY-TV operated from the same building. After a year as an independent, it became Phoenix's original ABC affiliate in early 1954. KOOL-TV bought out KOY-TV later in 1954 and absorbed its staff, becoming a full-time station. After switching affiliations to CBS in 1955, KOOL-TV rose to become Phoenix's highest-rated station under the ownership of Gene Autry and Tom Chauncey. A falling-out between Autry and Chauncey ended with the sale of KOOL-TV to the Gulf United Corporation in 1982; separated from its sister radio properties, channel 10 changed its call sign to KTSP-TV. Initially, the station remained the news leader in Phoenix; however, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the station lost ground in the news ratings to an ascendant KTVK, which had poached two key KTSP-TV executives as part of a successful effort to turn itself around. Channel 10's ratings decline was not helped by several visible personnel miscues.

In February 1994, KTSP-TV changed its call letters to KSAZ-TV. Three months later, as part of the first act in a national realignment of network affiliations initiated by then-owner New World Communications, the station announced it would switch from CBS to Fox. Phoenix was one of the most affected markets; the timing of affiliation contract expirations led to three changes in four months. KSAZ lost CBS in September 1994 but did not begin airing Fox programming until December. Coinciding with the switch to Fox was a major expansion of the station's news department, including new morning and prime time newscasts. However, the three months of forced independent status and miscalculations around syndicated programming and new competitors caused the station's ratings to fall dramatically, with some newscasts losing half their viewership.

Fox acquired the New World stations in 1996 and steadied the struggling operation, instituting a flashier style to bring it more in line with its target audience. From 1999 to 2021, future Arizona gubernatorial and senatorial candidate Kari Lake was one of the station's main anchors. By 2020, KSAZ-TV produced twelve hours a day on weekdays of local news programming.

History

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Shared-time era and early years

[edit]

While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) worked its way toward ending a years-long freeze on new television station grants initiated in 1948, it issued a near-final version of the table of allocations for Arizona in 1951 that gave Phoenix channels 4 (changed to 3 the next year), 5 (KPHO-TV, the only pre-freeze station in the state), 8, and 10. KOOL (960 AM), Phoenix's CBS radio affiliate, had previously expressed interest in filing for channel 7 prior to the amended table being released,[2] and on September 27, 1951, it applied for channel 10.[3]

KOOL was not alone in its interest. In July 1952, KOY (550 AM), the home of the Mutual Broadcasting System in Phoenix and one of the oldest stations in the state, filed its own bid.[4] The two bids portended what could have been years of comparative hearings over who got the construction permit. To avoid this, in May 1953, KOOL and KOY struck a deal that would result in both getting construction permits to share time on channel 10. The time-sharing proposal, first used by the FCC in television in grants for channel 10 in Rochester, New York, and suggested to KOOL and KOY by the commission,[5] was approved on May 27, 1953, with KOOL-TV and KOY-TV getting construction permits the same day.[6] Under the proposal, the stations would alternate daytime and evening telecasting.[5]

KOOL was the CBS radio affiliate in Phoenix, and KOOL expressed a desire to similarly align its new television station, but this would not be immediately possible. KPHO-TV, which held both CBS and ABC hookups after KTYL-TV signed on with NBC earlier in May, had just signed a renewal agreement with CBS a month and a half before the construction permits were granted.[6] Even though the two stations would have separate staffs and ownership, much of the physical plant would be shared, including a maximum-power transmitter site on South Mountain.[7] Originally proposing to build television studios behind the KOY radio studios near First Avenue and Roosevelt Street,[8] KOOL and KOY arranged instead in July to buy a former car dealership at Fifth Avenue and Adams Street; KOY wanted to continue using the other site for parking.[9] Studio construction started in August, with KOOL and KOY crews leading the way,[10] and a test pattern went out for the first time on October 19, 1953,[11] ahead of both stations' October 24 launch. The next day, channel 10 carried an opening program featuring KOY and KOOL management, including KOOL majority owner Gene Autry.[12]

As shared-time stations, KOOL-TV and KOY-TV were a conjoined unit: separate staffs, common facilities, and no network affiliation at all.[12] This changed in January 1954, when channel 10 picked up an ABC affiliation; now, each of the three major networks had their own outlet in Phoenix.[13] However, KOY-TV would not last much longer. In March 1954, KOOL reached a deal to buy out KOY's stake in channel 10. KOY general manager Albert D. Johnson believed that the station would do better under one operator instead of two and stated that the goal of the shared-time venture—to avoid lengthy comparative hearings—had been met.[14] The FCC approved of the deal—reported as $400,000 by newspapers and $200,000 to the FCC[15]—on May 5, allowing KOOL-TV to become the sole occupant of channel 10.[16] All staff were retained by the enlarged KOOL-TV.[17] It was the first time any of the post-freeze shared-time arrangements had been wound down.[17]

CBS affiliation and Autry-Chauncey ownership

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On December 29, 1954, KOOL-TV announced it had secured the CBS affiliation in Phoenix, to begin on June 15, 1955.[18] KPHO-TV, whose two-year affiliation agreement ended at that time, was blindsided by the move, but it was a natural fit. Not only was KOOL radio already CBS in Phoenix, but Gene Autry had deep ties to CBS radio and television, as well as Columbia Records. ABC soon found a new home: startup outlet KTVK (channel 3), which joined that network on March 1, 1955.[19]

Mr. Chauncey has always been a guy who has said, "We're going to be first class. We're going to be No. 1. And we're going to do it the right way."

Bob Davies, longtime KOOL radio-television employee, on Tom Chauncey's management philosophy[20]

As a full-time CBS affiliate, it was now able to feature Autry's show Gene Autry's Melody Ranch on its schedule. Tom Chauncey, who also owned the biggest Arabian horse ranch in Phoenix, was a minority partner with Autry. Over the years, KOOL-TV ran nearly the entire CBS schedule; Chauncey was a fierce loyalist to the network.[20] In addition to local news, channel 10 produced a series of other local programs, such as the bilingual children's program Niños Contentos and investigative and feature series Chapter 10 and Copperstate Cavalcade.[20]

Phoenix audiences' loyalty to KOOL-TV was proven in 1971. That September, a group of Valley business leaders led by Del Webb, organized as the Valley of the Sun Broadcasting Company, filed an application for a competing channel 10 proposal to KOOL-TV's license renewal; this group proposed to return the channel to Phoenix-based ownership.[21] However, the KOOL-TV license challenge was met with a decidedly cool reception by viewers and power brokers alike. Senators Barry Goldwater and Paul Fannin and governor Jack Williams threw their support behind KOOL; Goldwater noted he often cited KOOL as an example of a quality television station, Fannin was "amazed" to learn of the counterproposal, and Williams—a former broadcaster—lauded its "record of public service" and inclusion of minority groups.[22] Further, hundreds of phone calls and letters in support of KOOL were received by the station.[23] Ten days after the application was first made public, Valley of the Sun abandoned their channel 10 bid.[23] It was later revealed that the same Washington law firm had backed a string of similar license challenges to other stations across the country.[24] After the license challenge was rebuffed, Chauncey became the majority stakeholder as a result of a sale of shares by Autry.[3][25]

In 1978, KOOL AM was sold to Stauffer Communications of Topeka, Kansas, with the FM and television stations remaining under the Autry–Chauncey ownership.[26] However, cracks began to form in the longtime ownership partnership of KOOL-FM-TV. That same year, Autry allegedly began to try and induce Chauncey to reach an agreement with Signal Oil upon which the latter company would have the option to buy Chauncey's stake at his death. Chauncey then began negotiating to buy Autry out. These talks ended in April 1981 when Autry sold half of his 48.11-percent stake in the company to the Gulf United Corporation of Jacksonville, Florida. That May, Autry sued Chauncey, alleging that he had mismanaged the assets of KOOL Radio-Television, Inc., to the tune of millions of dollars and had diverted company funds to Arabian horses, cars, and airplanes.[25] Chauncey then filed a countersuit, accusing Autry and Gulf of racketeering and trying to pressure longtime manager Homer Lane, who owned a small but pivotal stake in the firm, to sell.[27] In the wake of the dueling lawsuits, and as early as November 1981, speculation began to circulate that Chauncey and Lane were nearing a sale of their stakes to Gulf.[28]

Gulf, Taft, and Great American

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On June 8, 1982, Tom Chauncey and Gulf United announced that the latter was buying out the remaining shares in KOOL-TV, with KOOL-FM to be retained by Chauncey and split from the firm; the dueling lawsuits would be dropped when the FCC approved the transaction.[29]

We told people for a long time that it stood for Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, but I don't know if anyone really believed it.

Tom Dolan, news director in 1994, when the KTSP-TV call sign was dropped[30]

The sale closed on October 1, 1982, a month after receiving FCC approval, and major changes followed at channel 10. The first was a change in call sign, as the FM retained the KOOL designation. The next morning, KOOL-TV became KTSP-TV; while Gulf claimed that it stood for "Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix", the more likely reason was that it mirrored another channel 10 station owned by Gulf, WTSP in St. Petersburg, Florida.[31] Homer Lane, the general manager and minority owner, was replaced by Jack Sander, hired from WTOL in Toledo, Ohio.[20] Gulf also invested in new production equipment to give KTSP a more high-tech look,[32] and it completed a project started under Chauncey to replace the transmitter and tower on South Mountain.[33]

A circle cut off at the bottom. Two horizontal lines sit above the cut out portion, and a white 10 appears against it set in the right corner.
Logo used by channel 10 under the KTSP call sign from 1982 to 1989. This logo was similar to that used by Gulf-owned WTSP.

In 1985, Taft Broadcasting acquired Gulf Broadcasting, which had been spun out of Gulf United two years prior. The deal included the entire chain, but so interested was Taft in Phoenix that it obtained an option to buy KTSP-TV alone for $250 million if the entire Gulf deal were to collapse, and KTSP-TV was the most expensive of the properties it purchased from Gulf.[34] Not long after Taft acquired Gulf, however, a major management change occurred that would have long-term ramifications in Phoenix television. KTVK, which had until that time been a perennial third-place finisher in local news, poached Bill Miller, channel 10's news director, to be its station manager and hired Phil Alvidrez, the KTSP-TV assistant news director, to run its newsroom.[35] The two hires by channel 3 were partly responsible for KTVK climbing to the top of the Phoenix television market in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[36] On October 12, 1987, Taft was restructured into Great American Broadcasting after the company went through a hostile takeover by investors led by Carl Lindner.[37] KTSP nearly lost its CBS affiliation in 1988; CBS was in negotiations to purchase KPHO from Meredith Corporation. Network officials were interested in buying a station in a fast-growing Sun Belt market. However, talks foundered when neither party could agree to a purchase price.[38]

Other subsidiaries of Great American Communications Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993, a move that did not affect the television and radio holdings.[39] The station changed its call sign to KSAZ-TV on February 12, 1994, to match its new slogan, "The Spirit of Arizona".[30]

As a Fox station

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After emerging from bankruptcy, Great American Broadcasting (renamed Citicasters soon after[40]) put four of its stations (including KSAZ-TV) up for sale, seeking to raise money to pay down debt and fund more acquisitions in radio.[41] KSAZ-TV, along with WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Missouri; WGHP in High Point, North Carolina; and WBRC in Birmingham, Alabama, were sold to New World Communications on May 5, 1994, for $360 million.[42]

Just 18 days later, New World announced that twelve of its 15 stations (those it already owned and those it was in the process of acquiring) would switch their varying Big Three network affiliations to Fox, which had been affiliated with KNXV-TV (channel 15).[43] A major catalyst for the Fox-New World deal was the network's newly signed contract with the National Football League's National Football Conference. New World's portfolio, dominated by CBS affiliates, included many stations that had long aired the home games of NFC teams in their home cities, such as KSAZ and the Phoenix Cardinals.[44]

The affiliation changes—three of them in all—played out in phases. CBS was the first to move, returning to KPHO-TV on September 10, 1994, after 39 years on channel 10.[45] However, KNXV's affiliation contract with Fox did not run out for another three months. In the interim, KSAZ-TV became an independent station, filling the holes once occupied by CBS programming with movies and additional syndicated shows[46] while also using the opportunity to debut a suite of new news programs. Fox programs moved to KSAZ on December 12.[47]

It's pretty much a flop in every category.

Dave Walker, television writer for The Arizona Republic, assessing the aftermath of KSAZ-TV's switch to Fox[48]

In the aftermath of the change, channel 10 management faced the task of melding the station's more mainstream image with the new Fox programming,[47] which proved difficult. Not only did the news programs rate poorly, but the station let go of valuable news lead-ins Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune as skewing too old in viewership, and the competition by KTVK and KNXV was more aggressive than KSAZ-TV had anticipated. In June 1995, general manager Ron Bergamo resigned after seven years and in the wake of sweeps figures showing the station's news ratings in some time slots had fallen by as much as 50 percent;[49] that same month, an article in The Dallas Morning News called what happened to KSAZ a "worst-case scenario".[48] Revenue reportedly dipped across the New World stations by 15 percent after their switches; New World management, however, also noted that the three months without network programming had led to the decline being more pronounced at KSAZ than elsewhere.[50] As with most other New World stations, KSAZ declined to run Fox Kids programming, which instead moved to KTVK; in September 1995, KASW (channel 61), a station programmed by KTVK, launched with The WB and Fox Kids programs.[51]

News Corporation purchased New World Communications, acquiring only its ten Fox-affiliated stations, in July 1996;[52] the merger was finalized on January 22, 1997, making KSAZ an owned-and-operated station of Fox. This status almost became short-lived: in February 1997, Fox nearly traded KSAZ and sister station KTBC in Austin, Texas, to the Belo Corporation in exchange for Seattle's KIRO-TV.[53] Fox began to upgrade the station's programming, adding some high-rated off-network sitcoms (such as M*A*S*H, Seinfeld and King of the Hill) as well as higher-rated syndicated court and reality shows. In the 2010s, Fox began to use KSAZ-TV and other stations on a regular basis to test new programs that later entered national syndication, such as TMZ Live—which KSAZ was the second station to air[54]—and The Real.[55]

Fox Television Stations purchased KUTP (channel 45) in 2001 as part of its acquisition of United Television;[56] this resulted in the creation of Phoenix's second television duopoly.[57]

In 2006, Jordin Sparks won an opportunity to audition for American Idol after winning KSAZ's own "Arizona Idol" competition; she ultimately went on to win the season.[58]

News operation

[edit]
Congressman Ruben Gallego on John Hook's Newsmaker Saturday in 2019

In 1964, Chauncey merged the KOOL radio and television news departments into a single division under the management of Bill Close, formerly of KOY radio. Close was an 18-year veteran of Phoenix radio and television at the time, and KOOL billed him as "the Dean of Arizona Newscasters".[59] The newsroom grew from six people when Close arrived to 23 by 1970, making it the largest among Phoenix's four news-producing stations;[60] a helicopter, the first of several, was also added to the KOOL arsenal at that time.[61] Under Close's watch, KOOL News 10 became the perennial news leader in Phoenix. At one point, channel 10's dominance was so absolute that its 6 p.m. newscast (anchored by Close) attracted 46 percent of all TV households in the market, the same share as the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.[20] The news department was largely a reflection of the bola tie-wearing Close. According to his longtime anchor desk partner, Mary Jo West—the second full-time female anchor in Phoenix—Close took a fatherly attitude toward his reporters and placed a high premium on accuracy and professionalism.[62]

The station's success produced people who went on to larger jobs, both in and out of Phoenix. In 1979, Kent Dana—who would become a fixture at KPNX and later KPHO—was hired from KOOL-TV, where he was anchoring the weekend news, by channel 12.[63] KOOL was also the first Phoenix television station to win a Peabody Award, doing so in 1980 for a documentary, The Long Eyes of Kitt Peak.[64]

On May 28, 1982, at about 5 pm, Joseph Billie Gwin, wanting to "prevent World War III", forced his way into the KOOL-TV studios and fired a shot from his gun. The butt of the gun struck Luis Villa in the back of the head; Gwin then held Villa in a chokehold, at gunpoint, for nearly five hours. Gwin took four people hostage and demanded nationwide airtime. Two of the hostages, Jack Webb and Bob Cimino, were released three hours later. At 9:30 pm, anchor Bill Close read a 25-minute statement as Gwin sat next to him holding a gun under the table; Close took Gwin's gun after the statement and set it on the table.[65] Gwin surrendered to the police following the broadcast of the statement; he was charged with kidnapping, assault, and burglary and was later declared insane.[66] Gwin was put on parole and placed in a halfway house but violated that parole after assaulting two convenience store clerks in 1984;[67] he was released from prison in 2006.[68]

Channel 10 remained at the top of the ratings for a time after becoming KTSP-TV. However, in the late 1980s, after KTVK poached Miller and Alvidrez, channel 10's news ratings began to decline, not helped by a series of unforced errors. In 1989, KTSP newscaster Shelly Jamison left the station after appearing as both a cover model and posing nude in a Playboy pictorial.[69] The most publicized move, however, was the 1991 dismissal of anchor Karen Carns, who found out she had been fired 15 minutes before the evening newscast when a newspaper reporter called to get her reaction.[70] In the February 1992 sweeps, KTSP-TV lost the lead at 6 p.m. in both the Arbitron and Nielsen ratings, the first time in memory that it had failed to win that timeslot.[71] That year, Close retired from channel 10 after a 28-year career,[72] having stepped down from the anchor desk four years earlier.[62]

With the Fox switch, KSAZ-TV added 30 news staffers and increased its news output from three hours a day to seven, with the addition of the two-hour morning newscast Arizona Morning, an additional early evening newscast at 5:30 pm, and a 9 p.m. news hour, Arizona Prime.[73] A simulcast of KTAR talk show McMahon Live with Pat McMahon was also added in late mornings. However, the switch proved to be very messy for the newsroom. Close, who said he felt "betrayed" by the affiliation switch, predicted that the station would lose its standing in local news.[72] Ratings for KSAZ-TV's other newscasts declined after the switch, prompting morale to fall. Arizona Morning was retooled just months after its debut, and Heidi Foglesong—the former KTVK anchor who was the show's centerpiece—left after just over a year.[74] The McMahon program was dropped in January 1996.[75]

After two years of a news product that was more staid and conservative than had become the norm for a Fox station, things began to change in 1996 under new news director Bill Berra, who promised to "bring up the intensity".[76] Presentation was revamped that fall; the sound of an emergency siren was incorporated into the opening of the 10 p.m. newscast.[77] One anchor, June Thomson, increased her delivery speed at the behest of the new management, but the relationship broke down, and Thomson took a job at KGO-TV in San Francisco. She told the San Francisco Examiner that the station practiced "crime and body-bag journalism, just like Miami" and that she "watched the destruction of a once-fine newsroom" at channel 10.[78] Arizona Prime was replaced in April 1997 with Fox 10 News at Nine.[79]

On April 1, 2009, Fox Television Stations and the E. W. Scripps Company, owner of KNXV-TV, announced the formation of Local News Service, a model for pooling newsgathering efforts for local news events in which each station provided employees to the pool service in exchange for the sharing of video.[80] KPHO-TV eventually joined the Phoenix LNS agreement shortly after the announcement.[81] By 2020, all four English-language television newsrooms in Phoenix shared a helicopter.[82]

In 2014, KSAZ debuted an expanded Saturday morning newscast and a new Sunday morning news hour.[83] KSAZ added a 4 p.m. weekday news hour, a second half-hour to its 10 p.m. newscast, and a 7 p.m. nightly hour of news for KUTP in 2018.[84] By 2020, KSAZ-TV's daily news output had reached twelve hours on weekdays.[82]

Phoenix was also the starting point for LiveNow from Fox, the over-the-top streaming news offering from the Fox television stations. It began as "Fox 10 News Now" in November 2014, streaming for seven hours a day on the station's website and YouTube channel.[85] In 2020, production of the service was spread between the Fox stations in Phoenix, Orlando, and Los Angeles.[86]

Notable former on-air staff

[edit]
Image of Kari Lake at a 2022 campaign event
Prior to running for Governor of Arizona in 2022, Kari Lake spent more than 20 years as a news anchor at KSAZ-TV.

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

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KSAZ-TV broadcasts from South Mountain.[1] Its signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KSAZ-TV[101]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
10.1 720p 16:9 KSAZ-TV Fox
10.3 480i Heroes Heroes & Icons
10.4 ROAR Roar[102]
10.5 FOX WX Fox Weather
61.4 480i 16:9 HSN HSN (KASW)
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

Virtual channel 10.2 is assigned to a KUTP simulcast of 10.1 for the convenience of UHF antenna viewers. Three subchannels on the multiplex are hosted for KASW, Phoenix's ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) station, which in turn broadcasts KSAZ in that format.[101]

Analog-to-digital conversion

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KSAZ-TV began broadcasting a digital signal, initially in standard definition only, on October 15, 2000.[103] KSAZ-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 10, at 8:30 a.m. on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 31 to VHF channel 10 for post-transition operations.[104]

Translators

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KSAZ-TV is broadcast on these translators in northern and northwestern Arizona:[105]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

KSAZ-TV

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
KSAZ-TV, branded as Fox 10 Phoenix, is a full-power television station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, United States, operating on virtual channel 10 and serving as the Fox owned-and-operated station for the Phoenix market. The station is owned by Fox Television Stations, a subsidiary of Fox Corporation, and forms a duopoly with sister station KUTP (channel 45), an MyNetworkTV outlet, with both sharing studios on West Adams Street in downtown Phoenix. KSAZ-TV broadcasts Fox network programming alongside extensive local content, including approximately 78.5 hours of local news programming each week, focusing on news, weather, traffic, politics, and sports relevant to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Originally signing on in 1953 as the third commercial television station in Phoenix under the call sign KOOL-TV with a CBS affiliation, it transitioned to its current Fox affiliation and call letters in the early 1990s amid broader industry shifts toward network realignments. The station has maintained a prominent role in local broadcasting, producing original programming such as morning shows and investigative reports, though it has occasionally drawn attention through associations with former on-air talent involved in high-profile political activities.

History

Inception and shared-time broadcasting (1953–1961)

Channel 10 in Phoenix was established through an agreement between the owners of radio stations KOOL-AM and KOY-AM, who had filed competing applications for the frequency with the (FCC). To resolve the dispute and enable operations, the parties amended their applications in March 1953 to propose a shared-time arrangement, allowing both entities to alternate on the channel. The FCC approved construction permits by mid-1953, following which the stations secured permission from the Phoenix Parks Board for a transmission tower site. Studio construction commenced in August 1953, with a test pattern transmitted on October 19 ahead of official launch. KOOL-TV and KOY-TV signed on jointly as separate stations sharing facilities and the transmitter on October 24, 1953, marking the third television outlet in the Phoenix market after (channel 5) and KTYL-TV (channel 12). Under the split-license setup, the stations alternated time slots—typically KOY-TV handling mornings and early afternoons, KOOL-TV evenings—operating without a primary network affiliation and relying on independent programming, local content, and limited syndicated material. This arrangement reflected FCC policies permitting shared channels in markets with limited frequencies to promote competition amid growing demand for television service. The shared operation proved short-lived due to operational complexities and market dynamics. In March 1954, KOOL reached an agreement to KOY-TV's , absorbing its staff and programming by mid-1954 to consolidate full-time control of channel 10 under KOOL-TV. Initially independent, channel 10 secured an ABC affiliation in early 1954, providing network programming during available slots. By 1955, with the launch of (channel 3) as a full-time ABC outlet, channel 10 transitioned toward CBS programming, supplementing KPHO-TV's primary affiliation and expanding local news and entertainment offerings through the late . Ownership under KOOL's parent company, including interests tied to entertainer , emphasized Western-themed content reflective of Arizona's cultural landscape. The station's early broadcasts from modest studios focused on community events, , and regional reports, building viewership amid Phoenix's postwar population boom.

CBS affiliation and early ownership transitions (1962–1980s)

In 1962, KOOL-TV continued its operation as Phoenix's CBS affiliate, a role it had assumed on June 15, 1955, following the affiliation shift from amid the market's expansion with new ABC coverage on . The station, fully controlled by KOOL Broadcasting Corporation—principals and Tom Chauncey—benefited from the era's growing television penetration in , delivering network programming alongside local content such as news, western-themed shows tied to Autry's persona, and community events. Ownership stability under Autry and Chauncey persisted through the 1960s and 1970s, with the duo maintaining the station as part of their broader media holdings, including KOOL-AM/FM, even as the AM outlet was divested to Stauffer Communications in 1978 while television and FM remained intact. This period saw KOOL-TV invest in facilities upgrades and on-air talent to compete in the maturing Phoenix market, though specific ratings dominance claims lack contemporaneous third-party verification beyond anecdotal broadcaster accounts. The CBS affiliation endured without interruption, providing reliable coverage of national events like the Vietnam War updates and Apollo missions, integrated with regional reporting from the station's downtown studios. The principal ownership transition occurred in 1982, when Autry's Golden West Broadcasters divested KOOL-TV to Gulf Broadcasting Group (also referenced as Gulf United Corporation) for roughly $78 million, marking the end of Autry's direct involvement in Phoenix television after nearly three decades. The buyers promptly rebranded the station as KTSP-TV—deriving calls from "Television Station Phoenix"—to distance from the legacy KOOL identity associated with the prior owners' radio properties, while retaining the affiliation and core operations. This sale reflected broader industry consolidation amid rising valuations for VHF stations, though Gulf maintained programming continuity into the mid-1980s.

Corporate acquisitions leading to Fox switch (1980s–1994)

In June 1982, Gulf United Corporation announced the acquisition of the remaining shares in KOOL-TV from local co-owner Tom Chauncey, assuming full control of the station on October 1 and changing its call letters to KTSP-TV to reflect its expanded coverage across the Phoenix metropolitan area, including Tempe and Scottsdale. Gulf Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Gulf United, operated KTSP-TV as a CBS affiliate, maintaining its focus on local news and programming while divesting the co-owned KOOL-FM radio station back to Chauncey to comply with FCC ownership limits. On February 2, 1985, Taft Broadcasting Company agreed to purchase KTSP-TV along with four other television stations and seven radio stations from Gulf Broadcasting for an undisclosed amount, with the deal closing later that year and integrating KTSP into Taft's growing portfolio of network affiliates. This acquisition strengthened Taft's presence in mid-sized markets, leveraging KTSP's established ratings in the competitive Phoenix market. In 1987, amid financial restructuring, Taft Broadcasting's assets were acquired by investor 's Great American Communications Company, which reorganized the entity into Great American Broadcasting and shifted strategic emphasis toward cost efficiencies and expanded syndication deals. Under Great American ownership, KTSP-TV continued as a solid performer but faced increasing pressure from and network shifts in the late 1980s. On February 12, 1994, the station adopted the KSAZ-TV call letters, signaling preparations for potential affiliation changes amid industry consolidation. Later that year, on May 4, Great American announced the sale of KSAZ-TV and three other stations—WBRC in Birmingham, WGHP in Greensboro, and WDAF-TV in Kansas City—to New World Communications Group Inc. for $360 million. This transaction, part of New World's aggressive expansion strategy, positioned the stations for affiliation switches, culminating in a landmark deal with Fox Broadcasting Company that prompted KSAZ-TV's transition from CBS to Fox effective January 1995.

Affiliation with Fox and subsequent ownership (1995–present)

Following its affiliation switch to Fox on December 15, 1994, KSAZ-TV operated under New World Communications ownership as a Fox affiliate, airing the network's primetime lineup, sports programming, and declining Fox Kids blocks, which shifted to KTVK. This change stemmed from a 1994 affiliation agreement between Fox and New World, part of a broader realignment that bolstered Fox's station portfolio ahead of NFL rights expansion. On July 17, 1996, , Fox's parent, announced the acquisition of New World's remaining shares for $2.48 billion in stock, a deal finalized on January 22, 1997, converting KSAZ-TV into a Fox . This integration aligned the station's operations more closely with Fox's national strategy, enhancing local news and programming synergies. The station retained its Fox affiliation uninterrupted thereafter. Ownership transitioned within the Fox corporate structure following the 2019 Disney acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets; KSAZ-TV, along with other Fox Television Stations, was divested to the newly formed Fox Corporation, ensuring continuity as a flagship O&O serving the Phoenix market. No further ownership changes have occurred, with Fox Television Stations maintaining control as of 2025.

Programming

Fox network and syndicated content

KSAZ-TV, as a Fox owned-and-operated station, clears the full Fox network schedule, including primetime scripted series, unscripted competitions, animated blocks, and sports programming. Primetime offerings feature dramas like 9-1-1 and comedies such as Animal Control, alongside reality formats including Hell's Kitchen and The Masked Singer. The network's Animation Domination block airs Sundays with long-running staples like The Simpsons and Bob's Burgers, supplemented by newer series such as Universal Basic Guys and Krapopolis. Sports content from Fox includes the NFL singleheader games, select MLB broadcasts, and occasional special events, broadcast in local time slots. Weekend mornings and late nights often feature Fox-produced or acquired programming like FOX NFL Sunday previews or encores of primetime shows. In non-network slots, KSAZ-TV airs syndicated fare such as TMZ in late mornings and afternoons, Judge Judy reruns during early afternoon, and lifestyle series like Raw Travel. These programs fill gaps between local news, morning shows, and primetime, with occasional paid programming or infomercials in off-peak hours.

Local original programming

KSAZ-TV produces a range of original local programming centered on lifestyle, community service, culinary exploration, and discussions, distinct from its news and syndicated content. These shows are typically aired or streamed via the station's website and digital platforms, emphasizing Arizona-specific topics and featuring station talent. One prominent series is AZ Eats, hosted by photojournalist Joe Tillman, which profiles restaurants and culinary offerings across the Phoenix metro area, highlighting diverse cuisines from Mexican heritage spots to modern gastropubs. Episodes showcase establishments like Elvira's DC Ranch for traditional Mexican fare and Industry Standard for elevated dining amid street art. The Balancing Act, a streaming lifestyle program launched in October 2025 and hosted by reporter Syleste Rodriguez, offers practical advice on managing life challenges, including , finances, and personal empowerment, with guest experts providing tips on topics like unleashing one's potential or community non-profit work. Care Force features segments on organizations aiding military veterans and families, covering nonprofits such as Guardian Garage for veteran safe spaces, Guitars 4 Vets for therapeutic music programs, and Legend Acres for animal-assisted support services. The series highlights military benefits, transitional challenges, and local trailblazers, often airing as short-form content. FOX 10 Talks consists of conversational segments with anchors like Ron Hoon, Syleste Rodriguez, and others, discussing issues, interviews with figures such as Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, and analyses of events like survivals or interstellar threats, drawing from station archives and current affairs.

News operation

Structure and format

KSAZ-TV's news department operates with distinct teams segmented by time of day to deliver extended local coverage across weekdays and weekends. The weekday morning block runs from 4:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., featuring co-anchors Ron Hoon and Syleste Rodriguez, alongside reporters Anita Roman and Desiree Fluellen, focusing on early headlines, traffic, weather, and community features. A midday newscast airs at noon, providing updates on breaking stories and Arizona-specific developments. Evening programming includes hour-long newscasts at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m., anchored by John Hook and Christina Carilla, emphasizing investigative reports, public safety, and political coverage relevant to the Phoenix metro area. Additional broadcasts at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. are helmed by Marc Martinez and Ellen McNamara, incorporating consumer alerts, health segments, and sports recaps. Weather is integrated throughout via chief meteorologist Cory McCloskey for weeknights, with on-air graphics and live radar displays standard in the format. Weekend newscasts maintain a similar structure, airing from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., anchored by Brian Webb, Ashlie Rodriguez, Dominique Newland, and Steve Nielsen, with extended slots for in-depth features and replays of key weekday stories. The overall format adheres to conventional local TV news conventions: opening with top headlines and teases, followed by reporter packages, live shots, anchor-read updates, and closing segments on weather and sports, supported by a roster of field reporters like Kenzie Beach, Nicole Krasean, and investigative specialist Justin Lum. Specialized elements include the AZAM morning program, a talk-oriented show blending news discussion with guest interviews, anchored by Brian Webb and Ashlie Rodriguez, which airs prior to primetime network content. Digital extensions, such as on the station's app and , mirror broadcast formats but allow for on-demand access to full newscasts and clips. This team-based approach enables approximately 12 hours of daily production on weekdays, prioritizing real-time reporting over syndicated filler.

Ratings performance and journalistic achievements

KSAZ-TV's evening newscasts have historically competed strongly in the Phoenix market, with its 6 p.m. program achieving up to 46 percent household share during periods of dominance in the pre-Fox era under affiliation. Following the 1995 switch to , the station maintained competitiveness; in the November 2020 sweeps period, its 6 a.m. newscast tied KTVK for household ratings leadership while leading among adults 25-54, and it ranked second overall in TV stations per AZ Big Media's 2024 assessment based on factors including viewership and community impact. Specific recent Nielsen figures for slots show variability, with KSAZ often trailing ABC affiliate KNXV in early evening households but excelling in key demographics during morning and late-night slots amid a fragmented market where no station consistently dominates all time periods. Journalistic achievements at KSAZ-TV include multiple regional from the Rocky Mountain/Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, earned by staff such as reporter Irene for her reporting contributions and anchor for overall excellence in anchoring and reporting. Reporter Ellen McNamara has received both a regional and an Award for her investigative work, while sports anchor Richard Saenz was inducted into the chapter's Silver Circle in 2025 for sustained contributions to spanning 25 years. Additional recognition includes awards for Martinez's reporting, reflecting the station's focus on local investigative and coverage, though it lacks major national honors like Peabodys compared to legacy network affiliates in the market. Independent assessments, such as /Fact Check's high factual reporting rating, underscore consistent adherence to verifiable sourcing in its output.

Criticisms and controversies in reporting

In October 2022, KSAZ-TV inadvertently broadcast mock election test results during a graphics system check, displaying fictional vote tallies favoring Democratic candidate over Republican in the Arizona gubernatorial race. The station clarified that the data was fabricated for internal testing purposes and not reflective of actual results, but the error sparked widespread claims of premeditated election interference or . Fact-checking organizations, including and , confirmed the incident as a routine technical unrelated to vote manipulation, rating related conspiracy assertions as false. The station's historical association with former evening anchor , who departed in March after 22 years amid personal controversies including on-air absences and public disputes with local media critics, has indirectly drawn scrutiny to its reporting. Lake's later embrace of election denialism and conservative activism prompted observers to question whether her tenure influenced coverage tones, though no verified instances of factual inaccuracies or ethical lapses tied to her role have been substantiated by journalistic watchdogs. KSAZ-TV notably minimized references to Lake's station history in its election reporting on her campaigns, a practice criticized by media analysts as a deliberate omission that obscured viewer context on her professional background. Despite its Fox network affiliation, KSAZ-TV's has faced limited formal complaints of or inaccuracy, with independent assessments rating it as least biased and high for factual reporting, including zero failed fact checks over the past five years. Anecdotal viewer critiques on platforms like have occasionally alleged left-leaning or insufficiently conservative slants in coverage, particularly post-Lake, but these lack corroboration from credentialed media monitors.

Notable current and former staff

Kari Lake anchored evening newscasts at KSAZ-TV from 1999 until her retirement in March 2021, spanning 22 years. She co-anchored the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. editions, as well as weekend broadcasts, establishing herself as a prominent figure in Phoenix television news prior to entering politics. John Hook serves as a weekday anchor for FOX 10 News at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m., while hosting the Emmy award-winning "Newsmaker Saturday" program. He has covered news for 36 years, beginning his broadcast career in Phoenix radio before transitioning to television. Troy Hayden anchored at KSAZ-TV from 1994 until his departure in June 2024, contributing to the station's news operations over three decades. Other current staff include Marc Martinez, who co-anchors weekday evenings at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 10 p.m., and Syleste Rodriguez, a morning show anchor.

Technical information

Digital transition and facilities

KSAZ-TV ceased analog broadcasting on VHF channel 10 at 8:30 a.m. local time on June 12, 2009, aligning with the federally mandated full-power transition to across the . Prior to this date, the station had operated a digital on UHF channel 31 while maintaining analog service; post-transition, its digital operations relocated to VHF channel 10 to align with the former analog allocation, broadcasting at an of approximately 48 kW. The station maintains primary studios at 511 W. Adams Street in , , a facility shared with sister station for news production, programming, and operations. This location supports KSAZ-TV's local content creation, including its news broadcasts under the Fox 10 brand. KSAZ-TV's transmitter and are positioned atop South Mountain, at coordinates approximately 33° 20' 56" N, 112° 2' 58" W, enabling over-the-air coverage of the and surrounding regions. The site, shared with other local broadcasters, utilizes directional antennas to optimize signal propagation while minimizing interference.

Subchannels

KSAZ-TV's digital signal, broadcasting over VHF channel 10 from its transmitter atop South Mountain in Phoenix, is multiplexed into five subchannels as of October 2025. The primary channel, 10.1, carries Fox network programming in 720p high definition with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
Virtual channelPhysical channelProgramming networkResolutionAudio formatNetwork affiliation/owner
10.110.3Fox720pDD 5.1Fox Corporation
10.310.4Heroes & Icons480iDD 2.0Weigel Broadcasting
10.410.5TheGrio (ROAR)480iDD 2.0TheGrio, Inc.
10.510.7Fox Weather480iDD 2.0Fox Corporation
Subchannel 10.3 features Heroes & Icons, a Weigel-owned digital multicast network launched in 2015 that airs classic television series and films from the 1950s through 1980s, including shows like Star Trek and Perry Mason. 10.4 broadcasts TheGrio, rebranded as ROAR, which provides news, entertainment, and lifestyle content targeted at African American audiences, operated by the digital media company TheGrio since its expansion to broadcast TV. 10.5 simulcasts Fox Weather, a 24-hour national weather service launched by Fox Corporation in October 2021, offering localized forecasts integrated with national coverage. These subchannels utilize standard definition formats to accommodate multiplexing on the limited VHF bandwidth. Programming on subchannels is subject to periodic changes by Fox Television Stations based on affiliation agreements and strategic decisions.

Signal distribution and translators

KSAZ-TV transmits its primary over-the-air signal on VHF digital channel 10 from a tower atop South Mountain in Phoenix, providing coverage to the and much of central . The station's operates at an of approximately 34.5 kW, enabling reception within a radius of about 60-70 miles under optimal conditions, though terrain and interference can affect this. To extend coverage to remote northern and northwestern communities beyond the primary signal's reach, KSAZ-TV relies on low-power television translators licensed by the FCC. These rebroadcast the station's programming to areas with challenging , such as mountainous regions. Notable translators include those serving Flagstaff, Prescott, and Williams, which retransmit the affiliate's content on local frequencies. In compliance with the FCC's 2017 broadcast incentive auction and spectrum repack, several KSAZ-TV above channel 36 migrated to lower RF channels between late 2017 and 2018 to free up spectrum for . For instance, the Williams translator shifted frequencies to maintain service continuity, with notifications issued to local viewers. Similar adjustments occurred in Prescott and Flagstaff, ensuring minimal disruption while adhering to federal mandates for UHF band reconfiguration. Additional , such as those in Mohave areas like Bullhead , also relay KSAZ-TV's signal for local distribution via county television districts.

References

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