Early years
On November 12, 1976, the KLOC Broadcasting Corporation filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to build a new television station on channel 35 in Salinas.[1] The firm proposed to operate the station primarily as a Spanish-language outlet with additional English-language religious programming on weekday mornings.[2] Another group, Leejon Broadcasting, also sought channel 35 for Spanish-language programming, but it opted to withdraw from the contest that June.[3] The construction permit was granted on September 20, 1979, conditional on the sale of one of the two broadcasting properties it owned in Modesto, KLOC radio and television; the radio station was chosen to be sold.[4] The new station launched on November 1, 1981,[5] bringing the Spanish International Network to over-the-air viewers on the Central Coast; in 1979, the network's San Francisco station, KDTV, was added to local cable systems.[6]
In March 1986, Sainte reached a deal to sell KCBA to Ackerley Communications of Seattle.[7] The sale created immediate questions about the station's future format, and rumors persisted that Ackerley planned on switching to English-language programming; as a result, the League of United Latin American Citizens objected to the transaction. The FCC approved of the sale in May 1986,[8] and in June, Ackerley unveiled its programming plans, which included no Spanish-language output; however, a new station, KSMS-TV (channel 67), would launch with SIN programming using some of KCBA's facilities, and channel 35 would not change formats until that station went into service.[9]
KCBA switched to English-language programming on September 1, 1986,[10] broadcasting a mix of children's programs, sitcoms, movies, and sports events.[11] KCBA joined the Fox network in the fall of 1987 and relocated to quarters on Moffett Avenue in Salinas in 1990, facilities large enough to house a news department.[12]
Joint management with KION-TV
In April 1996, Ackerley Group entered into an agreement with the Harron Corporation, owner of CBS affiliate KCCN-TV, to take over its operations under a local marketing agreement (LMA).[13] KCCN's newscasts at 5, 6, and 11 p.m. attracted roughly half as many viewers as KCBA's 10 p.m. program.[14] Operations of channel 46 moved from Monterey to Salinas, and local news on the CBS affiliate was suspended for a month before resuming in early June, with many—though not all—KCCN staffers rehired by Ackerley.[15]
Late in 1998, Ackerley bought KION outright from Harron and sold KCBA to Seal Rock Broadcasters, though Ackerley would continue to operate that station on Seal Rock's behalf; the deal closed in 2000.[16] Ackerley merged with Clear Channel Communications in 2002;[17] when Clear Channel spun off its television stations to Newport Television
Switch to The CW
After Entravision opted not to exercise an existing option to purchase KCBA's non-license assets from Seal Rock, the company entered into a new shared services agreement (not including sales) with NPG in September 2021 and moved its operations back to Salinas from Entravision's studio center in Monterey. NPG purchased the Fox affiliation and program stream, which moved to KION's 46.2 subchannel on January 1, 2022; simultaneously, the CW affiliation agreement was assigned to Seal Rock for use on KCBA. There was no change for cable or satellite viewers.[20]
On June 21, 2022, Seal Rock Broadcasters filed to sell KCBA for $1 million to VistaWest of Monterey, a company managed by Lyle Leimkuhler, NPG's president and chief executive officer. VistaWest owns KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, stations that—like KCBA—have shared services agreements with NPG stations in their markets and whose historic network affiliations were transferred to subchannels of those stations. NPG also holds an option to acquire KCBA from VistaWest.[21] The sale was completed on June 5, 2023.[22]
