View source for KSTW

{{Short description|Television station in Tacoma, Washington}}
{{distinguish|text=KSWT (now [[KYMA-DT]]) in Yuma, Arizona}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = KSTW
| city = Tacoma, Washington
| logo = KSTW Seattle11 2023.svg
| logo_upright = 1
| branding = Seattle 11
| digital = 11 ([[VHF]])
| virtual = 11
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''11.1:''' [[Independent station|Independent]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[CBS News and Stations]]
| licensee = The CW Television Stations Inc.
| location = [[Tacoma]]–[[Seattle]], Washington
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1953|3|1|p=y|br=y}}
| callsign_meaning = Seattle–Tacoma, Washington
| former_callsigns = KTNT-TV (1953–1974)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 11 (VHF, 1953–2009)|'''Digital:''' 36 ([[UHF]], 2002–2009)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[CBS]] (1953–1958, 1960–1962, 1995–1997)|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1953–1955)|Independent (1958–1960, 1962–1995)|[[NBC]] (secondary, 1967–1969)|[[UPN]] (1997–2006)|[[The CW]] (2006–2023)}}
| erp = 100 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|275.7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 23428
| coordinates = {{Coord|47|36|55|N|122|18|33|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.seattle11.com/}}
}}

'''KSTW''' (channel 11), branded as '''Seattle 11''', is an [[independent television station]] licensed to [[Tacoma, Washington]], United States, serving the [[Seattle]] area. Owned by the [[CBS News and Stations]] group, the station maintains its transmitter on East Madison Street in Seattle's [[Cherry Hill, Seattle|Cherry Hill]] neighborhood, and its offices are located in the [[Westlake, Seattle|Westlake]] neighborhood, just north of downtown.

As the first station to sign on in Tacoma (and second in the [[Seattle metropolitan area]] overall), KSTW initially signed on in March 1953 as KTNT-TV, the area's CBS affiliate under the ownership of the ''[[Tacoma News Tribune]]''. The station lost the affiliation when Seattle-licensed [[KIRO-TV]] signed on in 1958; both stations shared the affiliation for two years after their owners agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit over the switch. The station became KSTW in 1974 when it was acquired by a forerunner of [[Gaylord Broadcasting]]; it subsequently became one of the strongest independent stations in the country over two decades, reaching regional [[superstation]] status with widespread carriage on [[cable television]] systems in Washington and neighboring states/provinces. KSTW rejoined CBS in 1995 during a [[1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment|nationwide affiliation shuffle]]; two years later, the station became a [[UPN]] affiliate via a three-way deal involving it and KIRO-TV, which led it to join [[The CW]] when UPN shut down in 2006, carrying the network's programming until 2023, when CBS withdrew its eight affiliates from the network after selling its ownership stake to [[Nexstar Media Group]].

KSTW is available on cable television to Canadian customers in [[Lower Mainland|southwestern]] [[British Columbia]] on numerous cable providers such as [[Shaw Cable]] and [[TELUS Optik TV]] in [[Vancouver]], [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[Nanaimo]], [[Kamloops]], [[Penticton]] and [[Kelowna]].

==History==

===Early history===
The construction permit for the station was issued by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) on December 10, 1952. Chief Engineer Max Bice immediately ordered equipment through [[General Electric]], and the equipment was delivered within 45 days. The antenna was in [[Milan]], [[Italy]] and it was shipped by rail car to Tacoma.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}} The transmitter arrived in Tacoma from [[Syracuse, New York]], on February 9, 1953. It was installed on the next day, and work progressed rapidly. The original studios and transmitter house were located at South 11th Street and South Grant Avenue. The station tested with a 30,000-[[watt]] signal and received reports of reception from up to {{convert|150|mi|km}} away.

The station began broadcasting March 1, 1953, in Tacoma as KTNT-TV, named after its founder, the ''[[Tacoma News Tribune]]''. At the time, it was a primary [[CBS]] affiliate and sister station to KTNT radio (AM 1400, now [[KITZ]], and FM 97.3, now [[KIRO-FM]]). During the late 1950s, the station was briefly affiliated with the [[NTA Film Network]].<ref name="Boxoffice7">{{Cite journal|title=Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films |journal=Boxoffice |pages=13 |date=November 10, 1956 |url=http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_111056-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614204506/http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_111056-1 |archive-date=June 14, 2009 }}</ref> On February 21, 1954, KTNT received permission from the FCC to increase the transmitter's power to 316,000 watts, and to move the transmitter to a new {{convert|1,000|ft|m|adj=on}} tower near [[Port Orchard, Washington|View Park, Washington]] just south of Harper on the Fragaria Access Road. Parts of the old transmitting equipment were loaned to [[Portland, Oregon]]'s [[KGW-TV]], due to the damage from the [[Columbus Day Storm of 1962]].

In February 1958, [[KIRO-TV]] (channel 7) took to the air as the Seattle–Tacoma market's exclusive CBS affiliate.<ref>"KIRO-TV operating in Seattle
after winning court, FCC bouts." ''Broadcasting'', February 17, 1958, pg. 86. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-02-17-BC.pdf]</ref> After being informed by CBS that its affiliation would be discontinued, KTNT-TV filed an [[antitrust]] lawsuit against CBS and KIRO-TV, on claims the network had a pre-existing agreement to affiliate with KIRO-TV when and if it ever went on the air.<ref>"KTNT antitrust suit asks $15 million of CBS, KIRO, affiliation switch hit." ''Broadcasting'', June 2, 1958, pg. 9. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-06-02-BC.pdf]</ref> CBS agreed to settle the suit in 1960 by taking on both KIRO-TV and KTNT-TV as primary affiliates.<ref>"CBS' own Northwest compromise." ''Broadcasting'', May 30, 1960, pg. 34. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1960/BC-1960-05-30.pdf]</ref> This arrangement lasted until September 1962, when channel 7 became the sole CBS station for western Washington.<ref>"KTNT-TV, CBS to part; KIRO-TV to be primary." ''Broadcasting'', April 30, 1962, pg. 9. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1962/1962-04-30-BC.pdf]</ref> Channel 11 was left to once again become an independent station, the second in the market after KTVW (channel 13, now [[KCPQ]]).

During the late 1960s, the station also occasionally carried [[NBC]] prime time programs preempted by [[Seattle SuperSonics]] games on [[KING-TV]] (channel 5). For one month, in May 1967, the station was also an affiliate of the United Network (also known as the [[Overmyer Network]]), a short-lived attempt to create a fourth commercial television network nationally. During the decade, KTNT also presented [[horror movies]] under the ''Nightmare!'' banner in the early 1960s on Saturday nights, airing around 10:30&nbsp;p.m. before sign-off.

===New ownership===
Due to new [[Media cross-ownership in the United States#Cross-ownership rules of 1975|newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership]] restrictions enacted by the FCC in the early 1970s, the ''Tacoma News Tribune''{{'}}s ownership of the KTNT stations were under threat of potential FCC divestiture. As a result, KTNT-TV was sold to the [[KFOR-TV|WKY Television System]], forerunner of Gaylord Broadcasting (now [[Ryman Hospitality Properties]]), in 1974;<ref>"Oklahoma Publishing buys KTNT-TV for $4.5 million." ''Broadcasting'', March 19, 1973, pg. 8. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1973/1973-03-19-BC.pdf]</ref><ref>"FCC okays [[Post-Newsweek Stations|Post]] buy in [[Hartford]]; Okla. Publishing purchase in Tacoma." ''Broadcasting'', February 4, 1974, pp. 26-27. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1974/1974-02-04-BC.pdf]</ref> the new ownership changed the station's [[call letters]] to KSTW (standing for Seattle–Tacoma, Washington) on March 1.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1974/1974-03-25-BC.pdf|title="For the record." ''Broadcasting'', March 25, 1974, pg. 82}}</ref> With the new ownership and call letters came a new slogan, "Good Lookin' 11", as well as a new logo—a stylized "circle 11" with the circle modified to accommodate the "11". Later in the decade, KSTW became a regional [[superstation]]. At its height, it was available on nearly every cable system in Washington, as well as parts of [[Oregon]], [[northern Idaho]], and much of [[British Columbia]]. The station also carried many daytime CBS programs preempted by KIRO-TV (including game shows such as ''[[The Joker's Wild]]'' and ''[[The Price Is Right]]'') during the 1970s. From 1976 to 1979, [[John Lippman]] worked at KSTW, building a news department.<ref name="auto5a">{{Cite web|url=https://archive.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/article/1980/4/1/1971|title= April 1980|first=Thomas G.|last=Jackson|website=Dartmouth Alumni Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/article/1977/10/1/1971|title= October 1977|first=Thomas G.|last=Jackson|website=Dartmouth Alumni Magazine}}</ref>

During the late 1980s, KSTW branded on-air as "KSTWashington" and, as it did in the 1960s and 1970s, ran the traditional fare of [[animated cartoon|cartoons]], off-network [[sitcom]]s, [[westerns]], old [[feature film|movies]], and a local 10 p.m. newscast. It was also the over-the-air home of the [[Seattle Mariners]] and SuperSonics. Although it was one of the strongest independent stations in the country, it passed on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliation when that network launched in 1986; that affiliation was picked up by KCPQ. This was mainly because most of the smaller markets in KSTW's cable footprint had enough stations to provide a local Fox affiliate, making the prospect of KSTW as a multi-market Fox affiliate unattractive to Gaylord.

In 1993, Gaylord agreed to affiliate KSTW, and its sister stations [[KTVT]] in [[Fort Worth]], [[WVTV]] in [[Milwaukee]] and [[KIAH|KHTV]] in [[Houston]], with the new [[WB Television Network]], at that time projected to launch late in the summer of 1994.<ref name=tst-kstwwb>{{cite news|title=KSTW-TV Will Join New WB Network|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19931104/1729799/kstw-tv-will-join-new-wb-network|access-date=March 30, 2013|newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=November 4, 1993}}</ref> However, delays in the network's launch led to Gaylord suing to void the affiliation agreements in July 1994, which was followed a month later by a [[breach of contract]] countersuit by The WB.<ref name=tst-kstwnowb>{{cite news|agency=[[Knight-Ridder News Service]]|title=KSTW In Middle In Network Battles|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940827/1927399/kstw-in-middle-in-network-battles|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=August 27, 1994}}</ref> In the meantime, CBS found itself without an affiliate in [[Dallas–Fort Worth]] when its longtime affiliate there, [[KDFW]], switched to Fox (it was later purchased outright by that network). CBS approached Gaylord for an affiliation with KTVT. Gaylord agreed, on condition that KSTW be included as part of the deal.<ref name="tst-kstwcbs?">{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=CBS Dropping KIRO-TV, May Pick Up KSTW -- Industrywide Shake-Up Finally Hits Seattle Area|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940913/1930463/cbs-dropping-kiro-tv-may-pick-up-kstw----industrywide-shake-up-finally-hits-seattle-area|access-date=March 30, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=September 13, 1994}}</ref> CBS agreed, partly because at the time, KSTW was the only non-[[Big Three (American television)|Big Three]] station in Seattle with a fully functioning news department.

As a result, CBS returned to channel 11 on March 13, 1995, in what was to have been a ten-year affiliation agreement.<ref>"In Seattle, suddenly, 'For sale' signs pop up." - ''Electronic Media'' (Jon Lafayette), October 21, 1996</ref> (Some CBS shows that were preempted by KIRO, such as ''[[The Bold and the Beautiful]]'', had already been shown on KSTW starting in the fall of 1994, which was already occurring with KTVT.) The WB ultimately signed with KTZZ-TV (channel 22, now [[KZJO]]) weeks before its eventual January 1995 launch.<ref name=tst-ktzzwb>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=KTZZ To Join New WB Television Network|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950104/2097765/ktzz-to-join-new-wb-television-network|access-date=March 30, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=January 4, 1995}}</ref> With the CBS affiliation, KSTW was dropped from cable systems in areas of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, due to the presence of [[Spokane]]'s [[KREM-TV]]. Even as a CBS affiliate, KSTW still ran a number of off-network sitcoms, and initially only programmed two half-hour newscasts, at 6 and 11 p.m.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts1>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=The CBS Switch -- KSTW Gears Up -- With A Big-Time Makeover, Channel 11 Gets Set To Be The New CBS Affiliate|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950303/2108087/the-cbs-switch----kstw-gears-up----with-a-big-time-makeover-channel-11-gets-set-to-be-the-new-cbs-affiliate|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=March 3, 1995}}</ref> Although it carried an 11 p.m. newscast throughout its run with the network, daytime newscasts aired in various timeslots during KSTW's third tenure with CBS, eventually settling at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. KSTW used the same vertically parallelogrammed "11" logo and on-air branding as its Dallas sister station KTVT during this time.

The station was put up for sale in October 1996, with Gaylord stating in its earnings report that "its financial results have not met expectations."<ref name=tst-kstwgaylordsale>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=KSTW Joins KIRO-TV On Sale Block -- Parent Unhappy With CBS Affiliate's Results|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961016/2354587/kstw-joins-kiro-tv-on-sale-block----parent-unhappy-with-cbs-affiliates-results|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=October 16, 1996}}</ref> On January 20, 1997, Gaylord announced that KSTW would be purchased by [[Cox Broadcasting]], a subsidiary of [[Cox Enterprises]], for $160 million.<ref name=tst-saletocox>{{cite news|last=Seven|first=Richard|title=CBS Link Likely To Stay With KSTW -- Buyer Experienced In Broadcast News|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970121/2519839/cbs-link-likely-to-stay-with-kstw----buyer-experienced-in-broadcast-news|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=January 21, 1997}}</ref> The deal was finalized on May 30, 1997 (Gaylord held on to KTVT until 1999, when it was sold to CBS outright). Cox had plans to expand the news department at KSTW and make it more competitive with the other stations in the market.<ref name=tst-kstwcoxparamount>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=Deals Shuffle 3 TV Stations -- KIRO, KSTW To Get New Owners, Networks; KING Still NBC|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970221/2525084/deals-shuffle-3-tv-stations|access-date=October 23, 2012|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=February 21, 1997}}</ref> However, rival KIRO-TV had been put up for sale just weeks before KSTW, as the [[Belo Corporation]]'s merger with [[The Providence Journal|the Providence Journal Company]] gave it ownership of KING-TV (Belo could not hold on to both KING-TV and KIRO per FCC ownership rules at the time).<ref name=tst-kstwgaylordsale/>

[[Paramount Stations Group]], meanwhile, was in the process of selling off the non-[[UPN]] stations it had inherited from [[Viacom (1952–2005)|Viacom]], including [[KMOV]] in [[St. Louis]]—Paramount and [[Chris-Craft Industries]] launched UPN in January 1995, the same month The WB went on the air. As a result, on February 20, 1997, a three-way station trade was arranged, in which Paramount/Viacom would swap KMOV to Belo for KIRO-TV, which would then be dealt to Cox in exchange for KSTW and $70 million—a deal that came as a shock to KSTW employees. The two Seattle stations retained their respective syndicated programming, but exchanged network affiliations once again, with KSTW becoming a UPN affiliate, and KIRO returning to CBS.<ref name=tst-kstwcoxparamount/> The deal was finalized on June 2, 1997.<ref name=tst-salescompleted>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=Seattle TV: In Transition|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970603/2542525/seattle-tv-in-transition|access-date=October 23, 2012|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=June 3, 1997}}</ref> About 50 people would lose their jobs at the station.<ref>{{cite news |last=Porterfield |first=Elaine |title=About 50 lose jobs at KSTW: Massive layoffs follow sale of station, loss of CBS affiliation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-about-50-lose-jobs-at-k/174613951/ |access-date=June 16, 2025 |newspaper=The News Tribune |date=May 20, 1997 |location=Tacoma, Washington |pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-kstw/174614027/ A12] |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

KSTW began to air UPN programming on June 30, 1997, along with sitcoms, movies, cartoons, a few first-run syndicated shows, and the return of the 10 p.m. newscast it had prior to the CBS switch.<ref name=tst-kstwupn>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=The CBS Switch Is On - Again -- Change Is Nothing New For Seattle Television|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970629/2546921/the-cbs-switch-is-on---again|access-date=October 23, 2012|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=June 29, 1997}}</ref> The station canceled the 10 p.m. newscast in December 1998.<ref name=tst-newsend>{{cite news|last=Mcfadden|first=Kay|title=KSTW-TV's Evening News Team Gets The Ax|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19981202/2786773/kstw-tvs-evening-news-team-gets-the-ax|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=December 2, 1998}}</ref> Viacom acquired CBS (its former parent) in 2000, bringing CBS and KSTW under common ownership, and making KSTW and the aforementioned KTVT sister stations once again. The cartoons on KSTW had disappeared (as a result of UPN ending the ''[[Disney's One Too]]'' block in August 2003), and more first-run syndicated talk and reality shows moved to KSTW. In July 2001, KSTW moved their studios from Tacoma to Renton;<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.djc.com/co/pow.html?id=11139297 |title = Seattle DJC.com local business news and data - Construction - KSTW-TV}}</ref> despite the move, KSTW remains licensed to Tacoma to this day.

===CW affiliation===
On January 24, 2006, [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]] and KSTW parent [[CBS Corporation]] (which [[Viacom (1952–2005)#2005 split and re-merger of CBS and Viacom|split]] from [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] the previous month; the two would [[Paramount Global|remerge]] in December 2019) announced they would shut down The WB and UPN, and launch [[The CW Television Network]], which would largely feature programming from both networks; KSTW was announced as the Seattle station for the new network;<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/business/media/24cnd-network.html?bl UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network], ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 24, 2006.</ref> the station rebranded as "CW 11" on August 11, ahead of the network's launch on September 18, 2006. [[Tribune Company]]-owned WB station KTWB-TV (later KMYQ, now KZJO) became an affiliate of [[MyNetworkTV]].

In November 2006, after cost-cutting measures were put in place by CBS, it was announced that KSTW would become a "hosting station", with [[master control]] located at the facilities of the company's [[San Francisco]] [[duopoly]] of [[KPIX]] and [[KPYX|KBCW]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://m.seattlepi.com/entertainment/tv/article/Longtime-Seattle-station-KSTW-s-reorganization-1219418.php |title = Longtime Seattle station KSTW's reorganization means layoffs| date=November 10, 2006 }}</ref>

===Return to independence===
On October 3, 2022, [[Nexstar Media Group]] acquired majority ownership of The CW.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=October 3, 2022 |title=New Day Dawns For Broadcast TV As Nexstar Closes Deal For Control Of The CW |url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/nexstar-closes-deal-for-control-of-the-cw-mark-pedowitz-exits-top-job-1235133428/ |access-date=January 17, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US |archive-date=October 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014023432/https://deadline.com/2022/10/nexstar-closes-deal-for-control-of-the-cw-mark-pedowitz-exits-top-job-1235133428/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Under the agreement, CBS was given the right to pull its affiliations from KSTW and its seven other CW stations. On May 5, 2023, CBS announced that it would exercise that right and KSTW would cease airing The CW's programming at the end of August and become an independent station.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/cbs-stations-eight-drop-cw-go-independent-this-fall-1235357388/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 5, 2023|access-date=May 5, 2023|title=Eight CBS Stations To Ditch CW And Go Independent This Fall}}</ref> The CW affiliation in Seattle went first to the 4.2 subchannel of [[KOMO-TV]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lafayette |first=Jon |date=August 31, 2023 |title=The CW Adds Sinclair Stations as Affiliates in Seattle and Pittsburgh |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/cw-adds-sinclair-stations-as-affiliates-in-seattle-and-pittsburgh |access-date=August 31, 2023 |website=Broadcasting Cable |language=en}}</ref> then to [[KUNS-TV]] on January 1, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2023 |title=This Lynnwood-born star will appear on two reality dating shows at once |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/tv/katie-thurston-fboy-island-a-different-experience-than-the-bachelor/ |access-date=November 12, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Programming==
===Sports===
The station was the on-air home for the [[NBA]]'s Seattle SuperSonics in the early 1970s, and again from the early 1990s until [[1998–99 Seattle SuperSonics season|1999]]. It also aired Seattle Mariners games for most of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The station also carried [[TVS Television Network|TVS]]' [[World Football League]] telecasts in 1974. The station also carried the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|NASL]] [[Seattle Sounders (1974–1983)|Seattle Sounders]] from 1974 to 1981 and the [[Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992)|MISL]] [[Tacoma Stars (1983–1992)|Tacoma Stars]] from 1984 to 1986.

===Children's programming===
From 1954 to 1974, KTNT's local children's programs featured a personable host named "Brakeman Bill" McLain. From 1988 to 1994, the station carried ''Ranger Charlie's Kids Club'', the last children's show in the region to be filmed before a live audience. The show featured a [[forest ranger]] accompanied by a [[puppet]] [[raccoon]] named Rosco; the show won an [[Emmy Award]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://q13.trb.com/news/kcpq-bio-mjmcd,0,1135516.htmlstory?coll=kcpq-newsstaff-1|title=Q13.com &#124; KCPQ TV &#124; Q13 FOX News &#124; M.J. McDermott|date=November 5, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105151206/http://q13.trb.com/news/kcpq-bio-mjmcd,0,1135516.htmlstory?coll=kcpq-newsstaff-1 |archive-date=November 5, 2005 }}</ref> ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' and ''[[Woody Woodpecker]]'' cartoons were incorporated into the show.

===Newscasts===
KTNT/KSTW has offered local newscasts throughout most of its history. Its news department began when the station signed on in 1953 as a CBS affiliate. In 1976, KSTW moved its 11 p.m. newscast to a prime time slot at 10 p.m. In May 1990, the station debuted an 11:30&nbsp;a.m. newscast, which was ended on July 23, 1991, due to low ratings.<ref name=tst-kstwmiddaynews>{{cite news|last=Boss|first=Kit|title=KSTW Turns Off Midday News|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910724/1296041/kstw-turns-off-midday-news|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=July 24, 1991}}</ref> After KSTW rejoined CBS in March 1995, the station made extensive changes to its news schedule: the 10 p.m. newscast moved back to 11 p.m., and newscasts were added in various other timeslots: besides the 11 p.m. news, it initially only ran one other half-hour newscast, at 6 p.m.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts1/> On July 31, 1995, the station debuted an hour-long 6 a.m. newscast; in early August, the 6 p.m. newscast was dropped due to low ratings in favor of an hour-long 5 p.m. newscast (the ''[[CBS Evening News]]'', which originally aired at 5:30, then moved to the 6 p.m. timeslot Seattle stations have traditionally scheduled the network newscasts).<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts2>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=Porter Out As KSTW Anchor|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19950608/2125190/porter-out-as-kstw-anchor|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=June 8, 1995}}</ref>

Both newscasts were removed on March 11, 1996, in favor of newscasts at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. emphasizing health and consumer features.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts3>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=A Year After CBS' Move, Changes Can Be Seen In Local News|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960310/2318142/a-year-after-cbs-move-changes-can-be-seen-in-local-news|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=March 10, 1996}}</ref> During this time, KSTW was among the first stations to use the ''11 at 11'' branding on its 11 p.m. newscast (as did Gaylord's station in Dallas–Fort Worth, KTVT, using a modified ''11 on 11'' branding on its 10 p.m. newscast); this format included the top stories and a weather forecast in an 11-minute first segment, with the next segment serving as an in-depth "Northwest News Extra" report.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts1/> After being sold to Paramount Stations Group, the station's 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. newscasts were immediately cut. Initial plans for June 9, 1997, included expanding the 11 p.m. newscast (the only newscast to have remained largely unchanged from March 1995) to an hour (pushing the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' to midnight) in preparation for its return to the 10 p.m. timeslot, but those plans were retracted and the 11 p.m. newscast remained unchanged with no change to the ''Late Show'' start time.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts4>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Chuck|title=KSTW Intrigue Includes Letterman At Midnight|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970523/2540711/kstw-intrigue-includes-letterman-at-midnight|access-date=April 28, 2013|newspaper=The Seattle Times|date=May 23, 1997}}</ref> The late evening newscast reverted to the 10 p.m. timeslot after the switch to UPN on June 30.<ref name=tst-kstwnewscasts4/>

KSTW's news department was shut down on December 4, 1998, as a result of cost-cutting measures mandated by then-parent company Viacom; the move came after the company canceled newscasts on its UPN stations in [[WTOG|Tampa–St. Petersburg]] and [[WSBK-TV|Boston]].<ref name=tst-newsend/> News returned to the station in March 2003, as it began to carry a 10 p.m. newscast produced by KIRO-TV under a news share agreement.<ref name=psbj-kiroonkstwend1>{{cite news|title=KSTW drops 10 p.m. KIRO newscast|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2003/12/01/daily18.html|access-date=April 29, 2013|newspaper=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]]|date=December 3, 2003}}</ref> The newscast was dropped on December 19, 2003,<ref name=psbj-kiroonkstwend1/> but returned on June 28, 2004,<ref name=spi-kiroonkstwreturn>{{cite news|title=KIRO to resume its news partnership with KSTW|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/KIRO-to-resume-its-news-partnership-with-KSTW-1148027.php|access-date=April 29, 2013|newspaper=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|date=June 25, 2004}}</ref> before being canceled again, this time permanently, in June 2005; from then on until July 2022, the time slot was filled with syndicated programming.

After dropping traditional newscasts, KSTW aired two specially focused news programs on Sunday mornings: the business-focused program, ''South Sound Business Report'' (produced by Business Examiner and also broadcast by Tacoma [[PBS]] [[network affiliate#Member stations|member station]] [[KBTC-TV]]), as well as ''Northwest Indian News'' (produced by local cable channel KANU TV-99), which focuses on the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in the Northwest. In 2013, KSTW debuted a [[Public affairs (broadcasting)|public affairs]] program on Sunday mornings called ''The Impact'', produced by Washington state's public affairs channel [[TVW (Washington)|TVW]]. All of these programs have since gone off the air.

Local newscasts returned to KSTW after 17 years on July 18, 2022, with the debut of ''[[CBS News Now|Seattle Now News at 10:00 on CW 11]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=CBS launching "Now"-branded newscasts at owned-stations July 18|url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2022/07/13/cbs-news-now-local-newscasts/|access-date=July 13, 2022|work=NewscastStudio.com|date=July 13, 2022}}</ref> The newscast was produced through [[CBS News and Stations]], and ended on August 31, 2023.

==In popular culture==
The callsign and channel number for KSTW were co-opted by The CW to create a fictional representation of the station with a news department for the Seattle-set ''[[iZombie (TV series)|iZombie]]'' (which aired from 2015 to 2019), though not with "CW 11" branding, but retaining the station's callsign font, and a completely different image from that of the real KSTW.

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (television)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of KSTW<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KSTW|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KSTW|website=[[RabbitEars]]|accessdate=January 6, 2025}}</ref>
! scope="col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope="col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope="col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope="col" | Short name
! scope="col" | Programming
|-
! scope="row" | 11.1 
| [[1080i]] || rowspan="2" | [[16:9]] || KSTW-HD || Main KSTW programming
|-
! scope="row" | 11.2 
| rowspan="5" | [[480i]] || START || [[Start TV]]
|-
! scope="row" | 11.3 
| [[4:3]] || FAVE || [[Fave TV]]
|-
! scope="row" | 11.4 
| rowspan="3" | 16:9 || DABL || [[Dabl]]
|-
! scope="row" | 11.5 
| MSGOLD || [[MovieSphere Gold]]
|-
! scope="row" | 11.6 
| HSN || [[HSN]]
|}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
KSTW shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 11, on June 12, 2009, as part of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090207/news/302079996 |title=What digital TV delay means to North Olympic Peninsula viewers |access-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Analog to Digital">[http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf List of Digital Full-Power Stations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref> The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition [[UHF]] channel 36 to VHF channel 11.<ref name="FCCForm387">{{Cite web|url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101257506&formid=387&fac_num=23428|title=CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>

===Former translators===
KSTW no longer has any over-the-air translators. KSTW's last remaining translator, [[analog television|analog]] translator K62FS (channel 62) in [[Port Townsend]], was permanently shut down on December 29, 2011. The FCC required that all television transmitters occupying channels 52 to 69 to vacate those channels by [[New Year's Eve|December 31]], 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/document/rules-digital-lptv-tv-translator-and-class-television-stations|title=Rules for Digital LPTV, TV Translator, and Class A Television Stations &#124; FCC.gov|date=July 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724055025/http://www.fcc.gov/document/rules-digital-lptv-tv-translator-and-class-television-stations |archive-date=July 24, 2011 }}</ref> KSTW had already applied to change the broadcast channel and to broadcast in digital so as to use channel 51; however, on August 21, 2011, the FCC issued a freeze on processing applications to use channel 51; that channel would eventually be removed for TV use as part of the [[Spectrum reallocation#Broadcast incentive auction|spectrum incentive auction]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0822/DA-11-1428A1.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021163613/http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0822/DA-11-1428A1.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2011 }}</ref> According to an online posting by KSTW, there are no other channels on which this translator can broadcast in digital, resulting in the permanent shutdown of the transmitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avsforum.com/threads/seattle-wa-ota.254620/|title=Seattle, WA - OTA|date=August 6, 2023|website=AVS Forum}}</ref> KSTW also had low-power translators serving certain areas of Seattle, all of which have been shut down.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.seattle11.com/}}

{{Seattle TV}}
{{Washington (state) TV}}
{{CBSTVS}}
{{Superstations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kstw}}
[[Category:1953 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:CBS News and Stations]]
[[Category:Dabl affiliates]]
[[Category:Independent television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Paramount Stations Group]]
[[Category:Ryman Hospitality Properties]]
[[Category:Start TV affiliates]]
[[Category:Superstations in the United States]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1953]]
[[Category:Television stations in Seattle|STW]]