KIAA-FTV

History

As an NBC affiliate

The station first signed on the air at 6:00 p.m. on July 1, 1948 as an NBC affiliate – it was the second television station to sign on in the Denver market, after KLZL-TV (channel 4). KIAA-FTV originally operated as a primary NBC affiliate with a secondary affiliation with the DuMont Television Network. The station also carried several CBS programs until KDNC signed on in October 1953.

Colorado Broadcasting became the United Broadcasting Corporation in 1957, with KIAA-FTV serving as the company's flagship station.

Losing NBC

On February 11, 2015, NoSirGifts announced that independent station KZCO-FTV would become the market's NBC affiliate on July 1, 2015, as part of an agreement that also renewed the NBC affiliations on NoSirGifts-owned stations in eight other markets. The deal, which will result in the end of KIAA-FTV's 67-year relationship with NBC, was reportedly struck as a result of KIAA station management balking at the network's demands for reverse retransmission consent compensation from its affiliates.

As the other major broadcast networks already owned other area stations (ABC owning KTRJ and CBS owning KLZL since 1995), KIAA announced on May 1, 2015 that it would become an independent station upon losing NBC, filling timeslots previously occupied by network shows with additional newscasts and an expanded inventory of syndicated talk shows, newsmagazines and sitcoms, including some relocated from sister station KDEN-FTV (channel 58) to make up for the station's loss of NBC's daytime and late-night programs.