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KCPQ (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, serving the Seattle area. It is owned and operated by the Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside KZJO (channel 22), which broadcasts MyNetworkTV. The two stations share studios on Westlake Avenue in Seattle's Westlake neighborhood; KCPQ's main transmitter is located on Gold Mountain in Bremerton.

Key Information

The station signed on in August 1953 as KMO-TV, the television outgrowth of Tacoma radio station KMO. It was briefly an NBC network affiliate until another Seattle station signed on; the next year, KMO radio and television were sold to separate owners. The Seattle broadcaster J. Elroy McCaw bought channel 13, changed the call sign to KTVW, and ran it as an independent station. While KTVW produced a number of local programs, McCaw, a famously parsimonious owner, never converted the station to broadcast in color, and its syndicated programming inventory was considered meager. McCaw died in August 1969; three years later, his estate sold the station to the Blaidon Mutual Investors Corporation. While Blaidon tried several new programs and began color telecasting, the station continued to underperform financially. Two attempts to sell KTVW to out-of-state buyers failed because of its high liabilities. After a walkout by employees in January and the appointment of a receiver in July, KTVW was ordered closed on December 12, 1974.

The Clover Park School District in Lakewood purchased KTVW at bankruptcy auction in 1975. The station returned to the air on a non-commercial basis as KCPQ in January 1976, serving as an effective replacement for Clover Park's UHF station, KPEC-TV (channel 56). Changes to the structure of school financing in Washington and the refusal of voters to approve bonds to rebuild Clover Park High School forced the school district to sell KCPQ back into commercial use. After being off the air for most of 1980 to relocate its transmitter, KCPQ returned under new owner Kelly Broadcasting, who rebuilt it as a more competitive independent station. During Kelly's 19-year ownership of KCPQ, the station became a Fox affiliate, relocated its studios from Lakewood to Seattle, and established its present local news department.

KCPQ was sold to Tribune Broadcasting in 1999 as part of Kelly's exit from the broadcasting industry. As Tribune expanded the station's news output, it also had to fend off overtures by Fox, which had sought to own KCPQ on several occasions since the 1990s and at one point threatened to buy another station to broadcast Fox programming. Tribune was purchased by Nexstar Media Group in 2019; Nexstar then traded KCPQ to Fox as part of an exchange of Fox affiliates in three cities.

History

[edit]

As KMO-TV/KTVW

[edit]

In December 1952, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) simultaneously granted applications to broadcast on very high frequency (VHF) channels 11 and 13 in Tacoma; channel 13 was awarded to radio station KMO (1360 AM).[2] The station began broadcasting as KMO-TV on August 2, 1953, from studios in Tacoma and a transmitter near Ruston.[3]

KMO-TV briefly carried NBC programs until Seattle's KOMO-TV began broadcasting on December 11.[4] After that, KMO-TV's output primarily consisted of local and syndicated programs.[5] Within a year of starting the TV station, owner Carl E. Haymond—who had built KMO radio in 1926—sought to exit the broadcasting business, having already sold stakes in radio stations in California and Arizona. He first attempted to sell KMO radio and television together to the owners of Seattle radio station KAYO (1150 AM) for $350,000 (equivalent to $3.23 million in 2024[6]); the unusually low purchase price was attributed to the station's lack of network affiliation and its financial losses.[7] The FCC indicated the necessity of a hearing to approve the sale due to the then-impermissible overlap of the Seattle and Tacoma radio stations' coverage areas;[8] the deal was then scrapped several weeks later.[9][10] In July, Haymond sold KMO-TV for $300,000 (equivalent to $2.77 million in 2024[6]) to J. Elroy McCaw, a Seattle-based radio station owner.[11]

With KMO-TV separated from KMO radio, the television station changed its call sign to KTVW in October 1954[9] and announced plans to open auxiliary offices in Seattle.[12] The station also began airing Seattle Americans minor-league hockey, which was connected to KTVW in several ways. For two months, KTVW's general manager served as the team's president; when he resigned for a television job in Los Angeles, McCaw became the team's sole owner.[13] At this time, the Americans were the only professional hockey club to televise all their home games.[14] Between 1955 and 1958, the station operated Seattle studios at 230 8th Avenue North; at one point, while the station relocated its Tacoma facility, all of channel 13's live shows temporarily originated from Seattle.[15][16][17]

McCaw tried to make several moves to improve channel 13's positioning in the late 1950s. In an unusual arrangement, the station briefly aired the CBS network news in late 1957 when Tacoma's then-CBS affiliate, KTNT-TV (channel 11), dropped the CBS Evening News with Douglas Edwards to make way for an expanded local news program. CBS, which wanted the newscast to continue to air in the Seattle market until KIRO-TV could sign on as the market's CBS station (which it would do on February 8, 1958), arranged for the network hookup to bring the program to KTVW on an interim basis.[18] In 1957, McCaw filed to move the transmitter from Tacoma to Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, which would have come with an upgrade to the maximum 316,000 watts;[9] local residents objected to the erection of another TV tower in the area[19] and to McCaw's proposal to create a "tower park" that would have required the demolition of 75 to 80 homes.[20] This proposal had stalled by 1958,[9] when it was reported that the owners of Los Angeles station KCOP-TV, including Bing Crosby, were negotiating to buy KTVW and another independent station McCaw owned, Denver's KTVR.[21] Ultimately, the station increased its effective radiated power from the Ruston transmitter from 100,000 to 214,000 watts in 1960.[9]

A view of the Northern Life Tower, a 27-story Art Deco skyscraper
From 1967 to 1970, KTVW aired a daily stock market program produced from studios in the Northern Life Tower in Seattle.

McCaw was regarded as frugal. Of his Denver station, it was remarked by Edwin James of Broadcasting that "McCaw's saving ways had been reflected in the station's programming";[22] in the 1950s, he owned WINS in New York and was an aggressive cost-cutter there.[23] Local programs from KTVW during its 20-year run included a movie block hosted by Stu Martin; the afternoon children's show Penny and Her Pals, hosted by LeMoyne Hreha;[24] and, for one year, coverage of the Seafair hydroplane races. In 1967, when an engineer's strike kept most of the other Seattle stations from broadcasting the event, KTVW stepped in to fill the void on short notice.[25] In 1967, channel 13 began airing a six-hour stock market show, the first such program to broadcast on a VHF station.[26] It originated, unlike KTVW's other programming, from Seattle in studios in the Northern Life Tower.[27] These shows, along with most of channel 13's local programming, were temporarily suspended at the end of March 1970 as part of cutbacks it attributed to "the economic slowdown". The cutbacks left Bob Corcoran, a talk show host, as KTVW's sole on-air personality.[28] KTVW was left airing, in the words of the television editor of The Seattle Times, "scratchy old movies and ... Neanderthal reruns from the violence-action era of television".[29] The business news programming briefly left the air that April before closing for good at the end of October 1970 along with the Northern Life Tower studio in Seattle.[30]

In early 1969, plans were floated to convert KTVW to color, move the transmitter to Port Orchard, and relocate the studios to Seattle. The television editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer hailed the proposed changes as heralding the end of "the funny station way over at the end of your television dial ... with the fuzzy picture and the funny, fuzzy programs and the fuzzy, old, awful movies".[31] However, any hopes of an upgrade were dashed when McCaw died of a stroke that August.[32] His indebted businesses struggled after his death; creditors made more than $12 million (equivalent to $74.6 million in 2024[6]) in claims, after which the bank declared his estate insolvent, requiring the family to sell off his various holdings, including the family mansion and yachts.[33]

Blaidon ownership, financial woes, and the end of KTVW

[edit]

After nearly three years, on March 27, 1972, McCaw's estate sold KTVW to the Seattle-based Blaidon Mutual Investors Corporation, named for co-owners Blaine Sampson and Don Wolfstone,[34] for $1.1 million (equivalent to $6.24 million in 2024[6]).[35] During the sale process, the stock market program—which had returned in 1971 after it reorganized under a new production company[36]—stopped airing after channel 13 asked for more money for its air time in contract negotiations.[37]

Wolfstone recognized that the station needed help if it were to become viable, telling a writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that "there's not much of a worse [station] in the country".[38] Blaidon tried to turn KTVW around by boosting the station's signal strength, acquiring first-run syndicated programming, and installing color-capable broadcast equipment (the station had broadcast exclusively in black-and-white until Blaidon bought it).[39] Channel 13 premiered its new programming lineup with The Tony Visco Show, its flagship effort. This talk/entertainment show was hosted by Tony Visco, a Las Vegas lounge entertainer and singer, attempted to recreate a Tonight Show-style program. Don Wolfstone—the "Don" in "Blaidon"—brought in a Los Angeles producer/director to develop the show, which featured a live band on-set, and had hopes of flying in show-business guests from Los Angeles and later syndicating the program nationwide.[40] After two months on-air, rising production costs forced Blaidon to relocate the program from a Tacoma restaurant to the station's studios; channel 13 canceled The Tony Visco Show before the year ended.[41] Another new program launched under Blaidon was an afternoon cartoon show hosted by local actor Mike Lynch, playing a "superhero" character for whom viewers were asked to suggest a name; the winning entry was "Flash Blaidon".[42] Despite KTVW's improved programming and ratings that at times were competitive with KTNT-TV, national advertisers failed to materialize.[43] The News Tribune described the station, in retrospect, as "a down-at-the-heels purveyor of old movies and used-car commercials".[44]

[KTVW] used to be worse than no TV at all, so we pretended it wasn't there.

By Fish, in a 1974 column in The Seattle Times[45]

At the end of 1973,[9] Blaidon filed to sell channel 13 to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) of Portsmouth, Virginia; the filing alone signaled trouble, given that at the time, the FCC barred selling a station in less than three years of ownership unless the buyer demonstrated it was facing financial hardship.[46] The station's remaining live programming, such as Flash Blaidon, was canceled.[42] Over the course of 1974, KTVW's financial position deteriorated. On January 15, 40 employees staged a walk-out, forcing the station to go off the air, complaining about not having been paid in nearly four weeks. After they were paid by cashier's check, channel 13 resumed operations the next day, but employees remained skeptical of Blaidon's financial condition.[46] By the end of January, Blaidon had pleaded with the FCC to expedite approval of the CBN transfer; Wolfstone expected the Internal Revenue Service to lock up his Seattle office for failing to pay withholding taxes in the second half of 1973.[47]

The FCC approved the CBN transaction, but the buyer had second thoughts about the $5.1 million (equivalent to $25.2 million in 2024[6]) purchase price of channel 13 and asked for several time extensions to consummate the purchase.[48] In July, MCA Television, among KTVW's largest creditors, successfully petitioned for the appointment of a receiver to manage the station's affairs.[49] Despite a brief improvement in financial position when the receiver separated KTVW from Blaidon,[50] the CBN sale fell apart over its refusal to assume all of the television station's liabilities.[51] The bankruptcy court approved a second offer from the Suburban Broadcasting Company, which owned WSNL in Patchogue, New York, but this deal collapsed, as Suburban also refused to assume the station's liabilities.[51] On December 12, 1974, at 5:10 p.m., KTVW was airing a rerun of Batman[52] when Bruce Clements, a court-appointed trustee in charge of its affairs, ordered the station to go off the air at 5:30 upon that program completing its airing.[53]

By the end of January 1975, the bankruptcy court was entertaining two "very firm offers" for the station.[51] In 1976, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Blaidon, alleging that they had sold stock to non-Washington residents without SEC approval and issued misleading financial reports to prospective investors in the company.[54]

KCPQ: The Clover Park years

[edit]
Further information: KPEC-TV

When the bankruptcy court revealed the identity of the winning bidder for channel 13's transmission site—the studio equipment having been sold at a sheriff's sale—the local television community was shocked to learn that the buyer would be the Clover Park School District.[44] Clover Park had operated KPEC-TV, an educational station on ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 56, since April 1960; it was one of the South Sound's two educational TV stations, alongside KTPS-TV (channel 62), owned by Tacoma Public Schools. By 1975, KPEC-TV's UHF equipment, which had been in service for more than a decade, was aging and needed replacement. It was more cost-effective to replace the channel 56 physical plant with KTVW, a high-power VHF station that could reach more western Washington homes and schools.[55][56] A booster group for KTPS, the fledgling Trinity Broadcasting Network, and a commercial group headed by Stan Naccarato, manager of the Tacoma Twins, also bid.[57]

Clover Park won the station for a final cost of $378,000 (equivalent to $1.62 million in 2024[6]),[58] with KSTW (the former KTNT-TV) owner Gaylord Broadcasting providing $250,000 of that total in what was viewed as a move to make KSTW the only independent in the market.[59] Transmitter testing took place in November 1975, with channel 13 repeating the KPEC-TV signal;[60] eventually, a new microwave link would be used to feed programming from channel 56's existing studios to the channel 13 transmitter near Ruston.[61] The call letters were changed to KCPQ-TV and the license modified to noncommercial before channel 13 returned to the air on January 4, 1976; the microwave link was not ready, so KPEC-TV remained in service until it was.[62] The new KCPQ also aired some programming produced by KTPS.[63]

Programming in the Clover Park era, which included PBS material, represented a continuation of KPEC-TV's former service and originated from its existing Lakewood studios. The transmitter upgrade also attracted a high-profile name: Jim Harriott, who had been the highest-paid anchor in local TV news at KING-TV and who took a pay cut to come to channel 13 and helm public affairs programming.[61] Harriott soon left when KIRO-TV offered him a job.[64]

From Clover Park to Kelly

[edit]

KPEC-TV had turned a profit prior to the channel 13 move, a rarity among educational TV stations.[65] Two simultaneous events in 1978 prompted the district to reconsider its ownership of a television station. The Washington State Legislature—which KPEC-TV and later KCPQ covered for the state's public television stations—approved plans to fully fund basic education at the state level, which would change channel 13 into a financial drain on the school system. For instance, Clover Park would stop receiving $3.5 million a year in federal funds for educating military dependents; this money would instead go to the state, making the $600,000 in annual station maintenance costs (equivalent to $2.26 million in 2024[6]) a "luxury".[66] Meanwhile, portions of Clover Park High School were condemned, but voters rejected four separate bond initiatives that would have funded the reconstruction of the high school and taken students out of portable classrooms.[67] The school board stated that annual losses from operating KCPQ reached $500,000.[68]

In late 1978, the Clover Park School District received a $6 million offer from two investors from Tucson, Arizona: Gene Adelstein and Edward Berger, owners of that city's independent KZAZ-TV.[58] Adelstein and Berger were looking to expand; already in the early stages of a bid to build a new station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the pair saw the Seattle–Tacoma market as having recovered from the market conditions that claimed KTVW four years prior and as being overserved by educational stations.[68] They also felt that the Tacoma area alone represented a market of similar size to Tucson.[68] Channel 13 then attracted another buyer who topped the Adelstein–Berger bid. In January 1979, the school board accepted an offer from Kelly Broadcasting, owners of KCRA-TV in Sacramento, California, to buy KCPQ from the Clover Park School District for $6.25 million (equivalent to $21.7 million in 2024[6]).[69] This purchase price was financed by Kelly Broadcasting's sale, earlier that year, of two radio stations in Sacramento.[70][71]

The sale was met with stiff protests and a petition to deny led by members of the station's advisory board, organized as "Save our Station 13".[67] After the approval of a settlement between this group and Kelly that included a $450,000 gift (equivalent to $1.43 million in 2024[6]) from the buyer for public television and the donation of the Ruston tower to KTPS,[72] KCPQ ceased educational broadcasting on February 29, 1980, and the station went silent for a major technical overhaul.[73] While KCPQ would continue to use Clover Park's studio space, the transmitter was relocated to Gold Mountain, a peak located west of Bremerton, where the station erected a new tower; this enabled channel 13 to increase its signal footprint across western Washington.[74]

After more than eight months and several delays, KCPQ returned to the air—and to commercial operation as the Seattle market's second independent station—on November 4, 1980, when it adopted the Q13 moniker (it was also called "The New 13" early on); on opening night, it counterprogrammed election returns on the network affiliates with the movie The Deer Hunter.[75] Channel 13 represented a challenge that brought Bob Kelly, who with his brother had owned KCRA, out of semiretirement; disenchanted with network television, he had turned his attention to other Kelly family ventures.[76][77] Among the new KCPQ's launch programs were a nightly 8 p.m. movie, game shows, and a local children's show, Captain Sea-Tac.[78] John Komen, a political reporter, was the only holdover from the public station's programming.[79]

KCPQ grew quickly in its first five years. What started as a station heavy on movies and branded as "The Northwest Movie Channel" expanded to include college sports (including Washington and Washington State football) and, for a time, a full local newscast.[80] When KSTW opted not to join the new Fox network in 1986,[81] the affiliation went to KCPQ that June ahead of its launch on October 9;[82] of the first 79 stations to affiliate with Fox, it was among the 13 on the VHF dial.[83] In February 1990, KCPQ signed a three-year deal with Buena Vista Television to carry The Disney Afternoon, spurning Fox's own children's lineup which launched that fall.[84] This led to a threat from Fox to strip KCPQ of its affiliation if it did not commit to running Fox Kids in sequence beginning in 1992,[85] as well as an antitrust lawsuit between Buena Vista and Fox, which Buena Vista alleged was coercing affiliates to air its children's programming in a restraint of trade. Fox ultimately relented on its pressure,[86] but KCPQ dropped the Disney Afternoon block in the fall of 1993.[87]

Later Kelly ownership and sale to Tribune

[edit]

The second half of the 1990s was a time of major changes at channel 13. In 1995, Kelly Broadcasting bought a former candy factory on Westlake Avenue along Lake Union in Seattle which would be renovated and expanded[88] to house KCPQ's operations. Even though Bob Kelly lived in Tacoma, the company made the decision to move out of the South Sound and into a space more than twice the size of the prior studio and closer to the bulk of market activity.[89] On September 13, 1997, KCPQ moved its studios to the new, $30 million[90] Seattle facility, retaining only a small sales office in the city of license of Tacoma.[91] This marked the end of television broadcasting from the Clover Park studios after more than 20 years on channel 13 and more than 35 since the founding of KPEC-TV.[89]

There were also changes in ownership. In 1997, Kelly Broadcasting experienced an internal changing of the guard, as Bob Kelly and his son Chris sold their stakes in Kelly to family members Jon and Greg Kelly and KCPQ general manager Roger Ottenbach.[92] Not long after, the family company decided to exit an increasingly consolidated television business.[90] In August 1998, Kelly Broadcasting announced the sale of its Sacramento television business to Hearst-Argyle Television; the next day, it sold KCPQ to the Meredith Corporation, which immediately traded it to the Tribune Company in exchange for Tribune's Atlanta station, WGNX.[93] The swap made sense for both companies; WGNX was the only CBS affiliate owned by Tribune, whose portfolio otherwise consisted of Fox and The WB affiliates, while Meredith owned several CBS outlets in top-25 markets.[94][95] Meanwhile, Hearst had been interested in KCPQ but could not, under newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership limits, own that station and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.[96] Following the purchase of channel 13, Tribune merged KCPQ's operations with those of KTWB-TV (channel 22, now KZJO), which Tribune had acquired the year prior; the two stations became co-owned in 1999, after the FCC began to allow same-market duopolies.[97]

On August 1, 2001, KCPQ began digital broadcasting on channel 18.[98] KCPQ shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 13, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.[99][100] The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 18 to VHF channel 13 for post-transition operations.[101]

Fox seeks a station in Seattle

[edit]
A white box with a royal blue underline. In a bold sans serif, the letters "Q13" with a stylized Q atop the Fox network logo, all in navy blue.
The final Q13 logo, used from 2020 to 2021

The size of the Seattle market and its status as an NFL football city led Fox to covet owning a station there. By 1997, it had already made two rejected offers to buy KCPQ.[88]

KCPQ first came in danger of losing its Fox affiliation in February 1997, when Fox Television Stations was reported to be in negotiations to acquire then-UPN affiliate KIRO-TV from Belo Corporation. Belo had just acquired the Providence Journal Company and KING-TV, requiring it to dispose of KIRO.[102] Fox was reportedly dissatisfied with KCPQ, which was described by one observer as being "recalcitrant".[103] The trade with Belo never materialized; KIRO was ultimately sold to Cox Broadcasting.[104] The Seattle Seahawks moved in 2002 from the American Football Conference to the National Football Conference, to which Fox holds the rights for most games. In June 2014, Fox reached a deal with Cox to trade its stations in Boston and Memphis for Cox's Fox affiliate, KTVU, and associated independent KICU in San Francisco; Fox was also reportedly considering a deal to acquire KIRO, which would have displaced the Fox affiliation from KCPQ.[105] In 2013, Fox had made a similar move in Charlotte, North Carolina (home market of the Carolina Panthers), exercising an option to buy WJZY and move its affiliation there.[106]

In September 2014, the New York Post reported that Fox was planning to acquire KCPQ from Tribune in exchange for its Chicago MyNetworkTV station WPWR-TV—which would have created a duopoly with WGN-TV in that city.[107][108] On September 23, Tribune revealed that Fox had sent a notice terminating its affiliation with KCPQ effective January 17, 2015; in a statement, Tribune noted that discussions between the two companies were still ongoing.[109] Days earlier, on September 19, Fox had struck a deal to buy KBCB, a station in Bellingham, for $10 million;[110] the purchase, submitted for FCC approval on October 3,[111][112] was described as a "strategic option" for Fox by an insider. Naming KBCB as Fox's Seattle affiliate would have had immediate complications for Fox's distribution in the market, as the Bellingham station provides a marginal signal to Seattle proper.[113] By the time the KBCB purchase was disclosed, talks between Tribune and Fox had deteriorated; a Wall Street Journal report on October 7 stated that Fox no longer planned to include WPWR in a potential swap for KCPQ.[114]

Fox announced on October 17, 2014, that Tribune had agreed to extend its affiliation agreement for KCPQ through July 2018 and pay increased reverse compensation fees to Fox for the broadcasting of its programming beginning in January 2015.[115] Shortly thereafter, Fox's purchase of KBCB was abandoned and was dismissed by the FCC on November 20, 2014.[116]

Sinclair sale attempt; acquisition by Nexstar and Fox

[edit]
Further information: Attempted acquisition of Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcast Group

Tribune Media agreed to be sold to Sinclair Broadcast Group on May 8, 2017, for $3.9 billion and the assumption of $2.9 billion in debt held by Tribune.[117][118] As Sinclair already owned KOMO-TV and KUNS-TV,[119] KCPQ was among 23 stations identified for divestment in order to meet regulatory compliance for the merger.[120] Sinclair agreed to purchase KZJO and sell KCPQ to Fox Television Stations as part of a $910 million deal;[121] Howard Stirk Holdings additionally agreed to purchase KUNS-TV.[122] Lead FCC commissioner Ajit Pai publicly rejected the deal in July 2018 after details of Sinclair's proposed divestitures came to light;[123] weeks later, Tribune terminated the merger agreement with Sinclair, nullifying both transactions.[124]

Tribune Media agreed to be acquired by Nexstar Media Group for $6.9 billion in cash and debt on December 3, 2018.[125] Following the merger's completion on September 19, 2019,[126] Fox Television Stations purchased KCPQ and KZJO as part of a $350 million deal, with Fox citing KCPQ's status as the broadcaster of most Seahawks home games as the impetus for the transaction.[127][128] The sale was completed on March 2, 2020.[129] After its acquisition by Fox, KCPQ dropped the Q13 moniker and rebranded to "Fox 13" on September 26, 2021, conforming with the branding of other Fox-owned stations.[130]

Local programming

[edit]

Newscasts

[edit]
A three-story building with KCPQ and KZJO logos on a sign outside
The KCPQ and KZJO studios in Seattle

The first local news service on channel 13 operated when the station was KMO-TV in 1953;[131] the next time channel 13 attempted a regular local newscast was in 1981, when the station aired regular news updates, expanding briefly by running a half-hour 10 p.m. newscast by the mid-1980s. This news operation could not compete with the more established 10 p.m. news on then-independent KSTW and was axed in June 1986 as part of economic cutbacks by the station.[132]

In 1991, KIRO-TV pitched KCPQ management on the idea of producing a 10 p.m. newscast for the station; channel 13 "wasn't ready" for the venture, per KIRO-TV news director John Lippman, and KTZZ aired it instead, lasting until 1993.[133][134] By 1997—as the Fox network had added a national news service and more of its affiliated stations were adding newscasts, and after KCPQ had relocated to the larger Seattle studios—KCPQ began planning to start up a newscast of its own. As a potential stopgap, KCPQ considered airing a 10 p.m. newscast from KIRO-TV, which at that time was preparing to switch back from UPN to CBS and was shopping the 10 p.m. hour to other local stations.[88] While KCPQ reached an initial agreement to air the KIRO newscast for three years,[135] minutes from signing the contract, an impasse was reached over a "deep philosophical issue":[136] the length of the contract, because KCPQ wanted a term of no more than 18 months before it would start up its own newscast.[137]

After no agreement could be reached with KIRO, Kelly decided to re-launch the station's news division (and newscast) independently and hired Todd Mokhtari, producer of KCRA-TV's morning and evening newscasts, to be the news director for a new 10 p.m. newscast.[138] Q13 Reports began airing on January 18, 1998, initially running as a half-hour from Sunday to Thursday nights; the broadcast debuted without its lead anchor, Leslie Miller, a Canadian who was still awaiting a work permit[139][140] and wound up not debuting until April.[141] The station benefited from the decision of Paramount Stations Group to drop KSTW's competing newscast after 21 years on air in December 1998.[142]

By early 1999, the station was beginning to contemplate an expansion into morning news.[143] In January 2000, the morning show debuted, with Christine Chen—a former KSTW anchor who worked at KCPQ on a freelance basis for nearly a year—selected as its first anchor.[144][145]

After adding a 9 p.m. newscast on KMYQ (now KZJO) in 2008,[146] KCPQ expanded into early evening news in the 2010s with 4 and 5 p.m. programs added. A half-hour 11 p.m. newscast followed in 2014 when the revival of The Arsenio Hall Show was canceled.[147][148] By 2021, KCPQ was producing 54 hours of locally produced newscasts weekly, with 11 hours each weekday.[130] This was further expanded by the addition of a 6 p.m. news hour in January 2022.[149] In April 2022, KCPQ relaunched its morning show as Good Day Seattle, adopting the Good Day title used by other Fox-owned stations.[150]

In June 2025, KCPQ rebranded its newscasts, with the 4, 5, and 10 p.m. newscasts becoming Seattle News Tonight and the 6 p.m. news hour split between Washington News Wrap (focused on state headlines) and Washington Sports Wrap. The Seattle News Tonight branding also encompasses the 8 and 9 p.m. newscasts on KZJO. It was also announced that Good Day Seattle would add a 10 a.m. hour later in the year.[151]

Non-news programming

[edit]

The station produces a local program on law enforcement and crime news, The Spotlight with David Rose, which airs every Friday at 11:00 p.m. The program began production in 2008 as Washington's Most Wanted, a local version of America's Most Wanted.[152][153]

KCPQ has two regular sports programs: the Sunday night Seattle Sports Live and the weeknight Washington Sports Wrap, the latter of which debuted in 2024.[154]

KCPQ became the local broadcast partner of the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, airing preseason games and team features; KING-TV, which lost the partnership to KCPQ, regained it in 2022.[155][156] In 2016, KCPQ and KZJO began broadcasting locally televised games of the Seattle Storm of the WNBA; initially starting with 15 home games on channel 22 in 2016,[157] KZJO was slated to carry 29 games in the 2023 season plus six more on KCPQ.[158] In 2023, KCPQ and KZJO entered into a content partnership with the Seattle Kraken hockey team which included a weekly show on the team, titled What's Kraken?.[159]

Beginning in 2014, KCPQ and KZJO became the broadcast home for locally televised Seattle Sounders FC matches;[160] while all the matches were carried on KZJO, KCPQ aired two specials on the team each year.[161] All Major League Soccer local television rights agreements ended after 2022 to make way for MLS's 10-year deal with Apple,[162] but the Sounders entered into a new deal for team-related programming in 2025. The Sounders's sister women's club, Seattle Reign FC, was included in the agreement, with 11 Reign matches to be televised on KCPQ in 2025.[163]

Notable former on-air staff

[edit]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

KCPQ's main transmitter is on Gold Mountain in Bremerton.[1] The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KCPQ[167]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
13.1 720p 16:9 FOX13 Fox
13.2 480i GRIT Grit
13.3 Mystery Ion Mystery
13.4 BUZZR Buzzr
13.5 Weather Fox Weather
16.3 480i 16:9 Confess Confess (KONG)
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

KCPQ carries a subchannel belonging to KONG, one of Seattle's two ATSC 3.0 television stations. In exchange, KCPQ is carried in ATSC 3.0 on the KONG multiplex.[168]

Three radio towers in the middle of midrise apartment buildings.
The rightmost of the three towers along East Madison Street, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, broadcasts KZJO and KCPQ's digital replacement translator.

KCPQ's main channel is also simulcast on KZJO's transmitter as channel 22.2, which together with the digital replacement translator at that site makes the signal more accessible to viewers using UHF-only antennas and to viewers who receive a stronger signal from its transmitter in the Capitol Hill area.[169]

Translators

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KCPQ is rebroadcast on three translators outside of the Seattle metropolitan area as well as a digital replacement translator co-sited with KZJO in Seattle:[167]

Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

KCPQ

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KCPQ, branded on-air as FOX 13 Seattle, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, serving the Seattle–Tacoma designated market area. The station broadcasts a high-definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter atop Gold Mountain near Bremerton. As part of a duopoly with affiliate (channel 22), KCPQ shares studios on Westlake Avenue in and produces over 60 hours of original weekly, emphasizing news, weather, and sports coverage. It has served as a affiliate since 1986, following an earlier history as an after signing on in 1953, and became a Fox owned-and-operated property in 2020 through a swap with . Notable achievements include launching a 10 p.m. newscast in 1998, extending morning news to 5.5 hours, and securing rights as the official broadcaster for the starting in 2012. In September 2021, KCPQ rebranded from its long-standing Q13 identity—adopted in 1980—to align with other owned-and-operated stations, coinciding with expansions in production and the introduction of programs like Studio 13 Live. The station continues to prioritize comprehensive regional coverage, including enhancements and additional newscasts as of 2025.

History

Origins as KMO-TV and transition to KTVW

Channel 13 in , signed on the air on August 2, 1953, as KMO-TV, marking the launch of the area's first television station licensed to Tacoma. The station was established as an extension of KMO radio (AM 1360), with initial ownership held by Carl E. Haymond, a veteran broadcaster who had founded and operated the radio station since 1926. KMO-TV initially operated as an affiliate, airing network programming alongside local content from studios in Tacoma. This affiliation lasted only four months, ending in December 1953 when Seattle-based (channel 4) commenced broadcasting on December 10 and claimed primary NBC status in the market due to its stronger signal coverage and location. Without a major network anchor, KMO-TV faced immediate financial strain, prompting Haymond—who was seeking to exit broadcasting—to divest the television outlet while retaining the radio station. In 1954, Seattle radio magnate J. Elroy McCaw acquired the station, severing its ties to KMO radio and prompting a call sign change to KTVW in to reflect its independent path forward. Under McCaw's frugal management, KTVW transitioned to full independent status, relying on a limited broadcast schedule—typically from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.—and a mix of syndicated fare, local programming, and movies to sustain operations amid ongoing budget constraints. The station maintained its Tacoma transmitter and studios, serving the with programming tailored to avoid direct competition with established outlets.

Early ownership challenges under Blaidon and end of KTVW

In March 1972, the estate of J. Elroy McCaw sold KTVW, the Tacoma-licensed on channel 13, to Seattle-based Blaidon Mutual Investors Corporation for approximately $1.1 million. The new owners, named after co-owners Blaine and , sought to revitalize operations by investing in color-capable cameras and launching local programs such as The Tony Visco Show and Flash Blaidon, a hosted movie segment. Despite these efforts and signal improvements, the station's viewership remained limited in the competitive Seattle-Tacoma market, dominated by established VHF outlets, leading to persistent revenue shortfalls. By early 1974, KTVW's finances had deteriorated significantly, prompting management to petition the Federal Communications Commission on January 30 for expedited approval of a proposed $5.2 million sale to the Christian Broadcasting Network, citing the need to avert collapse. The deal ultimately failed amid regulatory scrutiny and Blaidon's mounting debts from other ventures. Later that year, on July 29, KTVW legally separated from its debt-ridden parent company after Blaidon entered receivership, with a court-appointed receiver assuming control of the station's operations to facilitate creditor recovery. Blaidon Mutual Investors Corporation filed for in late 1974, resulting in a judge-ordered shutdown of KTVW on ; the station went dark, marking the end of its commercial independent era under the KTVW call letters. Assets were auctioned in in 1975 to the Clover Park School District for $378,000, which repurposed channel 13 for educational programming and changed the callsign to KCPQ. This transition reflected broader challenges for UHF independents in the , including high operational costs and audience fragmentation, though Blaidon's mismanagement exacerbated KTVW's vulnerabilities.

Clover Park Technical College acquisition and independent operations

In 1975, the Clover Park School District, which operated vocational technical programs now associated with Clover Park Technical College, acquired the assets of the bankrupt KTVW (channel 13) at auction for $378,000. The purchase aimed to repurpose the VHF facilities to bolster the district's educational broadcasting efforts, replacing the shuttered UHF educational outlet KPEC-TV (channel 56). KCPQ signed on January 4, 1976, as a non-commercial public under the call letters denoting "Clover Park," initially airing instructional programming, community content, and PBS-style fare to serve the Tacoma-Lakewood area. Operations remained limited, leveraging the stronger VHF signal for broader reach compared to the prior KPEC-TV, but funding constraints from the district's educational mandate restricted expansion. By late 1978, amid economic recovery and pressure to generate revenue for district priorities—including challenges from Clover Park High School—the board opted to transition KCPQ to a commercial independent station, introducing syndicated programming, local shows, and while retaining some educational elements. This shift enabled modest profitability through low-cost operations, though viewership competed against established independents. The district's independent run ended in early 1980 when Kelly Broadcasting purchased KCPQ for $6.25 million, with the station going silent on before relaunching under new ownership later that year. The sale reflected the district's recognition that commercial viability exceeded its educational scope, marking the end of public-sector control over channel 13.

Kelly Broadcasting ownership and growth

Sacramento-based Kelly Broadcasting Company acquired the station from the Clover Park School District in 1979, shifting it from limited educational programming to full-time commercial independent operations under the revived call letters. The purchase, led by broadcaster Bob Kelly, revitalized channel 13 after years of financial and operational instability under prior ownerships. In 1980, KCPQ adopted its enduring "Q13" branding, emphasizing regional entertainment and syndicated content to build audience share in the Seattle-Tacoma market. The station joined as a affiliate when launched on October 9, 1986, providing a mix of prime-time programming that differentiated it from established network competitors and spurred viewership growth. Under Kelly's stewardship, infrastructure investments accelerated as Fox's national expansion boosted affiliate revenues; this included launching a dedicated news department in 1997, with initial broadcasts focusing on local coverage. On September 13, 1997, the station relocated its primary operations from Tacoma to a new $30 million studio complex in Seattle's Westlake neighborhood, enhancing production capabilities and market proximity while maintaining a sales office in Tacoma. Kelly Broadcasting divested its television holdings in 1998 amid industry consolidation, transferring KCPQ to Tribune Broadcasting via a three-way deal announced on August 25, 1998, in which Meredith Corporation intermediated the $370 million exchange for another station. This era transformed KCPQ from a marginal UHF independent into a competitive Fox outlet with robust local presence.

Tribune acquisition, news expansion, and Fox affiliation

The Tribune Company acquired KCPQ in August 1998 from Kelly Broadcasting Corporation, marking Kelly's complete exit from the television industry. This purchase allowed Tribune to enter the Seattle–Tacoma market with an established Fox affiliate. In 1999, following approval of same-market duopolies, merged KCPQ's operations with those of KTWB-TV (channel 22, later rebranded as ), creating a local duopoly that facilitated shared resources for news production and other programming. significantly expanded KCPQ's news department during its ownership. The station debuted a morning newscast, Q13 Fox News This Morning, on January 17, 2000, initially airing for four hours and later extended to 5.5 hours on weekdays. Further growth included the launch of a 9 p.m. newscast on on March 31, 2008, and an 11 p.m. newscast on KCPQ from August 17, 2014, to Sunday through Thursday. In September 2016, weekend editions of the morning news aired on from 8 to 11 a.m. KCPQ had joined the as one of its charter affiliates in October 1986, prior to 's acquisition. Under , the affiliation continued uninterrupted, with renewals including a 2012 multi-year extension covering KCPQ among other stations. In September 2014, amid a dispute involving reverse compensation demands, Fox initially planned to terminate the affiliation effective January 2015, but the parties reached an agreement in October 2014 to extend it through at least July 2018.

Post-Tribune developments: Sinclair merger attempt and regulatory hurdles

In May 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced a $3.9 billion agreement to acquire Tribune Media, which owned KCPQ and sister station KZJO in Seattle, potentially creating the largest U.S. broadcaster by reaching 72% of households. This deal raised concerns over market concentration, as Sinclair already operated ABC affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle, necessitating divestitures to comply with FCC ownership limits prohibiting common control of the top four stations in a market. For the Seattle market, Sinclair planned to divest KCPQ/KZJO while potentially retaining operational influence through local marketing agreements, though such arrangements faced scrutiny for allowing de facto control. Regulatory approval stalled amid FCC reviews of Sinclair's proposed divestitures, which included side deals criticized for circumventing caps by transferring nominal but retaining programming and control. In April 2018, Sinclair agreed to sell stations in several markets, but the FCC designated the transaction for hearing in July 2018, citing evidence that Sinclair had misled regulators on the scope of these arrangements and violated disclosure rules. Tribune Media expressed frustration with Sinclair's approach, arguing it prolonged uncertainty and risked FCC denial, while Sinclair maintained the divestitures met legal standards. The merger collapsed on August 9, 2018, when Tribune terminated the agreement, alleging Sinclair's "aggressive and protracted regulatory approach" breached contract terms by refusing adequate divestitures and escalating FCC scrutiny, leading to a $1 billion breakup fee payment to and subsequent litigation settled out of court. The FCC later investigated Sinclair's conduct, resulting in a $48 million fine in May 2020 for failing to disclose full details of proposed deals and misrepresenting operational control. For KCPQ, the failed merger preserved temporarily but highlighted vulnerabilities in Seattle's competitive TV landscape, where duopoly concerns and national consolidation trends amplified regulatory resistance to further concentration.

Nexstar interim ownership and direct Fox acquisition

Following the collapse of Sinclair Broadcast Group's proposed acquisition of Tribune Media in August 2018 due to Federal Communications Commission scrutiny over regulatory compliance and market concentration concerns, Nexstar Media Group pursued and completed its $6.4 billion purchase of Tribune on September 19, 2019, thereby assuming ownership of KCPQ and its sister station KZJO, which together formed a duopoly serving the Seattle–Tacoma market. This interim stewardship by Nexstar lasted approximately four months, during which the company managed operations amid broader portfolio divestitures mandated by antitrust regulators to address overlaps in local media markets. On November 5, 2019, Nexstar announced an agreement to divest KCPQ (channel 13) and KZJO (channel 22) to for $350 million, part of a reciprocal transaction where Nexstar acquired Fox's , stations and to offset debt from the deal and optimize its national footprint. The sale positioned Fox to expand its owned-and-operated stations portfolio, converting KCPQ from an affiliate to a directly owned Fox outlet and enhancing network control over programming and in the competitive market. The transaction received regulatory approval without significant delays, reflecting Fox's established compliance history compared to prior merger controversies, and closed on March 2, 2020, integrating KCPQ and into ' operations alongside the Milwaukee duopoly of WITI and WCWF acquired in the same deal. Under Fox ownership, KCPQ retained its Fox primary affiliation while benefiting from corporate synergies in content distribution and , marking the station's ownership by its network since its affiliation began in 1996. This shift concluded Nexstar's brief interim role and stabilized KCPQ's position amid industry consolidation pressures.

Ownership and affiliations

Evolution of primary affiliations

KCPQ signed on the air as KMO-TV on August 2, 1953, initially affiliated with , carrying network programming during its early months of operation. This affiliation lasted less than a year, ending when in assumed primary duties upon its launch on December 11, 1953, prompting KMO-TV to transition to independent status amid limited network options in the nascent Seattle-Tacoma market. The station operated independently for over three decades, filling its schedule with syndicated content, movies, and through periods of instability, including a shutdown in the late and relaunch as KCPQ on November 4, 1980, under new management that adopted the "Q13" branding. As an independent, KCPQ competed in a market dominated by the major networks (ABC on , on , and on KTNT-TV after initial shifts), relying on strong local viewership for viability despite its Tacoma license and secondary signal in proper. In 1986, KCPQ joined the newly launched Fox Broadcasting Company as one of its inaugural affiliates, marking a shift from full independence to a network-aligned model with prime-time programming from the upstart network. This affiliation, secured during Fox's expansion to 79 initial stations, leveraged KCPQ's established infrastructure and audience, boosting its ratings as Fox grew through NFL rights and edgier content. The partnership endured through ownership changes, including a 2014 contract dispute resolved with an extension to 2018, and KCPQ has remained Fox's primary Seattle-Tacoma outlet continuously since, now as an owned-and-operated station.

Key ownership transitions and their impacts

In 1998, acquired KCPQ from Kelly Broadcasting System through a structured transaction involving , which purchased the station for $370 million before trading it to in exchange for WGNA-TV in . This shift enabled to form a duopoly with KTWB (channel 22, later ), consolidating operations and expanding KCPQ's local news production, which grew from limited evening broadcasts to a fuller weekday schedule including morning and weekend segments. Tribune's ownership faced disruption in May 2017 when Sinclair Broadcast Group announced a $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media, prompting plans to divest KCPQ to comply with FCC ownership limits, particularly given Sinclair's existing control of KOMO-TV (ABC affiliate) in the Seattle market. The deal collapsed in August 2018 amid regulatory scrutiny over Sinclair's divestiture proposals and potential market dominance, averting a merger that would have concentrated over 70% of U.S. local TV households under fewer owners but highlighting antitrust concerns in broadcast consolidation. Following the Sinclair failure, acquired in December 2018 for $4.1 billion, with FCC approval granted in September 2019, briefly placing KCPQ under Nexstar's interim control as part of required divestitures to address overlap limits. In November 2019, Nexstar sold KCPQ and duopoly partner to for approximately $350 million (part of a broader package including Milwaukee's WITI), with the transaction closing on March 2, 2020. This direct integrated KCPQ more tightly with the network's sports programming strategy, leveraging Seattle's NFL and MLB rights for enhanced local coverage, while prompting a 2021 rebranding from "Q13" to "Fox 13 Seattle" to standardize with other owned-and-operated stations. The transitions underscored how regulatory interventions preserved competitive diversity in the market, ranked 14th nationally, by blocking excessive concentration.

Regulatory environment and merger blocks

The regulatory environment for broadcast stations like KCPQ is governed by (FCC) rules limiting ownership concentration to promote competition and viewpoint diversity, including local market caps (generally no more than two of the top four stations) and national audience reach thresholds (initially 39% post-2004 reforms, adjusted by the UHF discount). These rules complicated mergers involving KCPQ, a affiliate in the Seattle-Tacoma market, where (its owner since 2013) held a duopoly with low-power . In May 2017, announced a $3.9 billion acquisition of , including KCPQ, prompting FCC scrutiny over potential exceedance of ownership limits in multiple markets, such as where Sinclair owned ABC affiliate . To comply, Sinclair proposed divesting 23 stations, including selling KCPQ to for $910 million alongside acquiring from , but FCC Chairman reinstated then revoked the UHF discount amid concerns, inflating Sinclair's projected reach to over 72% nationally. On July 16, 2018, the FCC designated the merger for an administrative hearing, citing "serious concerns" that Sinclair misrepresented divestiture plans—such as "sham" transactions to loyal third parties—to evade rules, effectively blocking the deal despite initial Republican-led support. The blockage stemmed from bipartisan regulatory skepticism: Democrats highlighted Sinclair's conservative-leaning must-run segments as risking homogenization, while antitrust reviews by the Department of Justice focused on reduced competition in advertising markets. Sinclair terminated the agreement on August 9, 2018, paying a $60 million breakup fee, after which filed for in July 2019. Nexstar Media Group's $6.4 billion acquisition of was approved by the FCC on September 16, 2019, but required Nexstar to divest assets—including KCPQ and —to for $350 million—to address national cap exceedances from combining portfolios (Nexstar's pre-merger reach neared 39%, plus 's adding over 10%). The deal closed smoothly on March 20, 2020, without further blocks, reflecting FCC deference to affiliation stability in major markets.

Programming

News operations and expansions

KCPQ established its current news department on , 1998, launching a 35-minute newscast at 10 p.m. airing Sunday through Thursday. The operation marked the station's entry into full-scale production after prior limited efforts ended in 1986. On January 17, 2000, KCPQ debuted its morning newscast, which later expanded to 5.5 hours of weekday programming. introduced a 9 p.m. newscast on March 31, 2008, extending the duopoly's news footprint. Further growth occurred under ownership, with KCPQ launching an 11 p.m. newscast on August 17, 2014, weekdays except Fridays. In September 2016, weekend editions of Q13 News This Morning began airing on from 8 to 11 a.m. The news operation rebranded as FOX 13 News in September 2021 alongside the station's shift to FOX 13 branding. KCPQ added a one-hour 6 p.m. newscast in January 2022, broadcast daily. KZJO's late news extended to 8 p.m. in June 2019. In June 2025, FOX 13 significantly expanded its lineup starting June 16, introducing new time slots, lengthening the morning show, and adding 31 hours of weekly live-streamed content on the FOX Local platform to enhance local and regional coverage. These developments reflect investments in both broadcast and digital distribution amid ownership transitions to .

Non-news local content

KCPQ airs limited original non-news local programming, centered on its weekday lifestyle and entertainment show Studio 13 Live, which debuted on January 4, 2023. Broadcast at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the program emphasizes pop culture updates, celebrity news, lifestyle hacks, DIY tutorials, emerging trends, motivational content, and cooking segments featuring regional recipes, hosted by Mireya Garcia and Carly Henderson. This format targets audience engagement through uplifting, practical topics rather than hard news, differentiating it from the station's morning Good Day Seattle hybrid. A key recurring feature within Studio 13 Live is Passport to the Northwest, which spotlights locales through experiential segments on hiking trails like the Centennial Trail, challenges at venues such as Sure Lock Escapes, bridge restoration projects at Wallace Falls State Park, and community initiatives including food drives. Often produced in partnership with local sponsors like Honda Dealers, these pieces promote regional and outdoor recreation, airing periodically to showcase Washington's natural and cultural assets. The station supplements this with occasional standalone lifestyle clips under banners like Emerald Eats for food-focused content and Seattle Sips for beverage reviews, though these integrate into broader digital and on-air feeds rather than forming dedicated series. Outside Studio 13 Live, KCPQ fills non-news slots predominantly with national syndicated fare such as dramas (Chicago Fire) and game shows, alongside Fox network sports broadcasts, with minimal additional original local production in genres like talk or variety. This approach reflects resource allocation toward news expansion since Fox's 2020 acquisition, prioritizing cost-effective syndication over expansive local entertainment development.

Notable personnel and staff changes

In May 2010, KCPQ news director Tom LaMasters resigned amid accusations that the station delayed broadcasting exclusive video footage of a Seattle police officer beating a deaf woodcarver, John T. Williams, during a traffic stop on March 5, 2010. The station had obtained the video from a witness but did not air it until after national media coverage began, prompting internal and public scrutiny over editorial decisions and potential deference to law enforcement sources. In January 2019, KCPQ terminated video editor David Rose following the broadcast of a manipulated clip from President Donald Trump's Oval Office address on border security and , where audio desynchronization made portions appear edited to alter Trump's phrasing. The incident, affecting about 90 seconds of the speech, stemmed from a error during preparation for the 6 p.m. newscast, leading to an on-air apology and FCC review, though no fines were imposed. In June 2025, eliminated the assistant news director position at KCPQ, resulting in the of Kelly Hatmaker, who had held the role and contributed to news operations expansions. This change coincided with broader programming adjustments at the station, including extended morning and evening newscasts announced earlier that month. As of 2026, key news leadership at KCPQ includes Jake Wiederrich as Vice President and News Director and Kristina Moy as Managing Editor.

Technical information

Digital subchannels and multicast services

KCPQ transmits a digital signal on VHF channel 13, utilizing its multiplex to broadcast multiple subchannels simultaneously. The primary channel, 13.1, airs Fox network programming in 720p high definition with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
Virtual ChannelProgrammingResolution/Audio
13.1Fox720p / DD 5.1
13.2Grit480i / DD 2.0
13.3Ion Mystery480i / DD 2.0
13.4Buzzr480i / DD 2.0
13.5Fox Weather480i / DD 2.0
Subchannels 13.2 through 13.5 carry national digital multicast networks focused on niche genres: Grit features classic Western films and series; Ion Mystery airs true crime and mystery programming; Buzzr broadcasts vintage game shows; and Fox Weather provides continuous national weather coverage and forecasts. These services enable KCPQ to deliver specialized content to viewers with digital tuners, expanding beyond its main Fox affiliation without requiring additional spectrum allocation. In addition to its own subchannels, KCPQ hosts multicast services for co-owned station KONG-TV, including 16.3 carrying Confess, a network of confessional and reality-style programming, broadcast in resolution. This arrangement optimizes spectrum use within the market, allowing shared transmission infrastructure under ' ownership. KCPQ's digital multiplex supports ATSC 1.0 standards, with its primary Fox feed available via (NextGen TV) hosting in the market, though subchannels remain in legacy ATSC 1.0 format.

Broadcast facilities, signal strength, and translators

KCPQ maintains studios at 1813 Westlake Avenue North in Seattle's Westlake neighborhood, shared with sister station KZJO. The primary transmitter facility is located on Gold Mountain near Bremerton, Washington, at coordinates 47°32′52″N 122°48′27″W, a site in use since 1980 to improve coverage across Puget Sound and Western Washington. The station broadcasts its primary digital signal on VHF channel 13 with an of 30 kW from a non-directional antenna at a of 610 meters (2,001 feet). This configuration yields a 75.9-mile contour covering approximately 18,107 square miles and an estimated of 4.4 million, encompassing the Seattle-Tacoma designated market area. KCPQ employs a digital replacement translator on UHF channel 22 from a tower in Seattle's neighborhood at 47°36′56.3″N 122°18′30.4″W, operating at 7.5 kW and 271 meters HAAT to bolster reception in dense urban zones. This translator simulcasts the main feed, including subchannels, on KZJO's as 22.2. No additional low-power translators or are operated by the station beyond this setup.

Market role and controversies

Ratings performance and competitive positioning

In the Seattle-Tacoma designated market area (DMA), ranked 12th nationally with approximately 2.098 million television households as of the 2024-2025 season, KCPQ competes closely with established affiliates KING (NBC), KOMO (ABC), and KIRO () across key news dayparts. Nielsen data from December sweeps illustrate a fragmented landscape, where no single station dominates all metrics: KCPQ secured the lead among adults 25-54 (A25-54) in the 6 a.m. slot, reflecting strength in its Good Day Seattle morning program, while trailing in later evening segments. At 11 p.m., KCPQ recorded 8,932 household impressions and 2,602 A25-54 impressions, placing fourth behind KOMO (28,719 HH impressions), KIRO (23,116 HH; 6,392 A25-54), and KING (22,172 HH; 4,662 A25-54). Its exclusive 10 p.m. newscast fared better relatively, with 15,419 household impressions and 4,509 A25-54 impressions, capitalizing on the network's primetime lead-in. KCPQ's ratings performance has benefited from Fox Corporation's 2020 acquisition, which provided resources for expanded production, including new slots added in June 2025 such as extended morning coverage and enhanced streaming via Fox Local . This followed a 2021 from Q13 to Fox 13, aligning with other owned-and-operated stations and leveraging national Fox synergies for promotional muscle. Despite these investments, KCPQ typically ranks behind the Big Three in overall household shares for evening news, where KOMO leads households and KIRO excels in demos, underscoring a market where affiliates vie intensely without decisive supremacy. Competitively, KCPQ positions itself as a scrappy challenger emphasizing live, local content and Fox's national sports rights, including games that boost weekend viewership in a sports-oriented region. The station's morning demo wins help attract younger viewers amid trends, while streaming expansions aim to capture digital audiences fragmented by platforms like and services. In a market defined by tight races among the Big Four, KCPQ's O&O status under enhances its bargaining power for and content deals, though it remains subordinate to legacy incumbents in late-news loyalty.

Criticisms of bias and sensationalism claims

KCPQ, branded as Fox 13 Seattle, has occasionally faced claims of in its reporting, though such accusations have been sporadic and often tied to specific stories rather than systemic patterns. Independent media evaluators, including and , have rated the station's news output as least biased or center-leaning, citing balanced story selection, minimal editorializing, and high factual accuracy based on analyses of content up to 2023. Despite its network affiliation, which nationally draws criticism for conservative tilt, KCPQ's local operations have not been broadly associated with partisan slant by these assessors. One notable claim of left-leaning bias emerged in July 2024, when conservative commentator Jason Rantz accused Fox 13 of producing an uncritical "glorified press release" in coverage of activists blocking Interstate 5 to protest fossil fuels, omitting context on traffic disruptions and public safety risks. Rantz argued this reflected broader Seattle media tendencies to favor progressive activism without scrutiny, even from a Fox affiliate. Conversely, some viewers perceived a rightward shift after the station's 2021 rebranding from Q13 to Fox 13 Seattle, following Fox Corporation's acquisition of the outlet, with complaints on public forums describing heightened emphasis on national Fox-style narratives over local independence. These anecdotal reports, however, lack empirical backing and contrast with bias ratings. Sensationalism claims against KCPQ have centered on its emphasis on crime, disasters, and high-impact events, a staple of competitive local TV news but occasionally criticized for prioritizing drama over depth. In 2015 coverage of the Waco biker shootout, an advocacy group faulted Q13 for "perpetuating fear through sensationalism" by focusing on unsubstantiated narratives of gang violence rather than awaiting full facts from the ongoing investigation. Earlier critiques, such as a 2005 Seattle Weekly column, highlighted the station's 10 p.m. newscast for a "parade of crime and disaster stories" that dominated airtime, potentially amplifying public anxiety without proportional context on broader trends. Such practices align with industry-wide pressures for ratings in the Seattle-Tacoma market, where KCPQ competes aggressively, but no regulatory actions or widespread viewer boycotts have resulted from these specific allegations.

Regulatory controversies and defenses of ownership changes

In May 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced a $3.9 billion agreement to acquire Tribune Media, the owner of KCPQ, which would have resulted in Sinclair controlling both KCPQ and its existing station KOMO-TV in the Seattle market, both ranking among the top four stations by audience share and thus prohibited under FCC rules barring common ownership of such stations in the same designated market area. To address this and similar conflicts in other markets, Sinclair proposed divesting KCPQ and approximately 23 other stations, including sales to entities like Fox Corporation for certain Fox affiliates. Regulatory scrutiny intensified in April 2018 when the FCC questioned the independence of Sinclair's proposed buyers, citing evidence that some divestitures involved "" agreements or sales to parties with close ties to Sinclair, potentially allowing control in violation of ownership limits. On July 16, 2018, FCC Chairman designated the merger for an administrative hearing, expressing "serious concerns" that the divestitures would leave Sinclair in effective control "in practice, even if not in name," prompting to terminate the deal on August 9, 2018, and file a $1 billion breach-of-contract against Sinclair. The FCC later fined Sinclair a record $48 million in May 2020 for attempting to deceive regulators regarding these arrangements. Sinclair defended its divestiture proposals as compliant with FCC standards, arguing that the transactions ensured genuine third-party ownership while enabling operational efficiencies and enhanced programming across its expanded footprint, which would benefit viewers without reducing competition. initially supported the merger for its strategic value but later contended that Sinclair's modifications to divestiture plans breached the agreement by failing to secure timely regulatory approval and undermining deal certainty. Following the failed merger, Nexstar Media Group agreed to purchase Tribune Media for $4.1 billion on December 3, 2018, gaining control of KCPQ; the FCC approved the transaction on September 16, 2019, after Nexstar committed to divesting stations in overlapping markets to adhere to ownership caps. As part of post-acquisition adjustments, Nexstar sold KCPQ and sister station KZJO to Fox Corporation for an undisclosed amount on November 5, 2019, with the deal closing on March 2, 2020, following routine FCC and Department of Justice review without reported disputes. Nexstar described the sale as a de-leveraging measure to optimize its portfolio amid regulatory requirements, while Fox positioned the acquisition as strengthening its owned-and-operated station group in key markets.

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  31. https://www.foxcorporation.com/news/business/2019/fox-corporation-to-acquire-stations-in-seattle-and-milwaukee-from-nexstar-media-group/
  32. https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/fox-nexstar-tv-stations-divest-seattle-milwaukee-1203394582/
  33. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fox-corporation-completes-acquisition-of-seattle-duopoly-and-milwaukee-stations-301014695.html
  34. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/KCPQ
  35. https://tvstations.fandom.com/wiki/KCPQ
  36. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/sale-of-tribune-to-sinclair-could-put-komo-kcpq-under-same-broadcast-giant/
  37. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/fcc-approves-nexstar-media-groups-acquisition-of-tribune-media
  38. https://www.foxcorporation.com/news/archives/2020/fox-corporation-completes-acquisition-of-seattle-duopoly-and-milwaukee-stations/
  39. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/fox-corp-acquires-two-seattle-tv-stations-in-its-pursuit-of-sports-content/
  40. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/fox-corporation-completes-acquisition-of-q13-fox-and-joetv
  41. https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-issues-hdo-tribune-media-company-and-sinclair-broadcast-group
  42. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/current-fcc-rules-bar-sinclair-from-owning-both-komo-and-kcpq-but-that-could-change/
  43. https://www.npr.org/2018/07/16/629588443/fcc-blocks-sinclair-tribune-deal
  44. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/wapofcc-chairman-has-serious-concerns-about-sinclair-tribune-merger-could-seek-to-block-deal/
  45. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/fcc-head-has-serious-concerns-with-sinclair-tribune-deal
  46. https://sbgi.net/sinclair-tribune-merger-agreement-terminated-sinclair-files-with-the-fcc-to-withdraw-the-merger-application-and-files-a-motion-to-terminate-the-hearing-before-the-administrative-law-judge/
  47. https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-19-89A1.pdf
  48. https://logos.fandom.com/wiki/KCPQ/News
  49. https://tvnewscheck.com/journalism/article/fox-13-seattle-expands-news-lineup/
  50. https://www.fox13seattle.com/shows/studio-13-live
  51. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrO7j_CW5o
  52. https://www.fox13seattle.com/tag-series-studio-13-live-passport-to-the-northwest
  53. https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/1238636
  54. https://www.fox13seattle.com/
  55. https://www.fox13seattle.com/whats-on-fox
  56. https://www.ontvtonight.com/guide/listings/channel/69029062/kcpq-q13-fox.html
  57. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/05/14/seattle.police.video/
  58. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/blakemontgomery/seattle-news-station-fake-video-editor-fired
  59. https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/has-fox-eliminated-the-assistant-news-director-position-in-seattle/
  60. https://www.fox13seattle.com/person/w/jake-wiederrich
  61. https://www.fox13seattle.com/person/m/kristina-moy
  62. https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KCPQ
  63. https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=atsc3
  64. https://www.mapquest.com/us/washington/q13-fox-439073062
  65. https://www.rabbitears.info/tvq.php?request=items&call=KCPQ
  66. https://www.avsforum.com/threads/seattle-wa-ota.254620/page-542
  67. https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=print_station&facility_id=33894
  68. https://ustvdb.com/seasons/2024-25/markets/
  69. https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-news-close-up-seattle-tacoma-wash
  70. https://nwbroadcasters.com/2024/01/31/solid-snapshot-of-tv-news-ratings-for-seattle/
  71. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/kcpq-fox-13-tacoma-bias/
  72. https://www.allsides.com/news-source/fox-13-seattle-media-bias
  73. https://mynorthwest.com/seattle-red/rantz-opinion/rantz-seattle-media-bias-blocking-traffic-fox13/3965020
  74. https://www.motorcycleprofilingproject.com/law-enforcement/unethical-journalism-q13/
  75. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2018/04/25/sinclair-kcpq-q13-fox-tribune-takeover-fcc.html
  76. https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/fox-sinclair-tribune-media-deal-1202804273/
  77. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-chairman-has-serious-concerns-with-sinclair-tribune-deal-1531755740?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd6hYt_JJppHF0bKBHXXAznMWbwq_pq2aVQ9c9esRYhgkjTesgLFOdg&gaa_ts=68fecb5e&gaa_sig=WUyl-8NuBzmou1LKyiWA8KlX0lSw85H7EWmX1A37-xbBq23WlWGCpWA3WolvFDc7CzgYwj00e6-sYCi0TTlL8Q%253D%253D
  78. https://www.kuow.org/stories/fcc-fines-sinclair-record-48-million-for-deceptive-bid-for-tribune-stations
  79. https://sbgi.net/sinclair-provides-additional-information-about-agreements-to-sell-tv-stations-related-to-closing-tribune-media-acquisition/
  80. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/nexstar-offers-just-over-4b-for-tribune-media/
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