KGWN-TV

KGWN-TV is a commercial television station serving Cheyenne, Wyoming, and surrounding communities. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 5 and is primarily affiliated with CBS, while its third digital subchannel carries The CW Plus. Its NBC service is presented through a second digital subchannel that simulcasts programming from sister station KNEP in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The station's network and local programming are also extended through KSTF, a semi-satellite in Scottsbluff, and K19FX-D, a low-power translator serving portions of Laramie that are difficult to reach because of the Laramie Mountains. The station began broadcasting on March 22, 1954, as KFBC-TV, making it Wyoming's oldest television station. It was launched by the McCracken family, which also controlled local newspaper and radio properties. During its first decades, channel 5 had an unusually broad network role. It initially operated as a primary ABC affiliate while also carrying programming from CBS, NBC and DuMont. In 1965, it adopted a joint primary affiliation with ABC and CBS, with ABC receiving a slight programming preference. Regulatory restrictions on cross-ownership led the McCrackens to sell the television operation in 1972. Wyneco Communications acquired the station and changed its call letters to KYCU-TV. The new ownership made CBS the primary affiliation and moved ABC to secondary status. In 1976, the station shifted its primary affiliation back to ABC and dropped NBC programming, partly because the Scottsbluff market needed an ABC outlet after changes involving stations in Rapid City and Scottsbluff. The station returned to primary CBS service in 1984, with ABC and NBC initially remaining available on a secondary basis. NBC was gradually removed and disappeared entirely after KKTU, now KQCK, began carrying Casper-based programming in 1987; ABC was also gone from the schedule by 1988. Burke Broadcasting sold the station to Stauffer Communications in 1986. Stauffer changed the call sign to KGWN-TV on January 1, 1987. Subsequent ownership changes connected the station with Morris Communications, Benedek Broadcasting, Chelsey Broadcasting and SagamoreHill Broadcasting. Benedek's bankruptcy and later merger with Gray Television formed part of a wider restructuring of the station's ownership history. KGWN was later acquired by Yellowstone Holdings, a subsidiary of Frontier Radio Management, before Gray Television acquired Yellowstone Holdings in 2013. KGWN has repeatedly expanded its reach beyond Cheyenne. It operated a Northern Colorado-focused service called Northern Colorado 5, or NoCo 5, beginning in the mid-2000s, using cable distribution, a Fort Collins bureau and a separate digital-subchannel feed. The service produced local news and weather for Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley and attempted to build a presence in parts of the Denver television market. The operation was discontinued in December 2013 after the station concluded that it could not become financially viable over the long term. In 2019, Gray consolidated KGWN's news operation with that of KCWY-DT in Casper under the Wyoming News Now banner. The arrangement retained one Cheyenne-specific early-evening newscast while other broadcasts were produced in Cheyenne and shared across the two markets. In 2024, Gray announced and completed a transaction transferring KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT to Marquee Broadcasting in exchange for Marquee's construction permit for KCBU in Salt Lake City. KGWN remains an active local broadcast operation with CBS, CW and NBC-related services, local news, weather, sports and community coverage.

KGWN-TV signed on March 22, 1954, as KFBC-TV on VHF channel 5. The station was established by the McCracken family, owners of the Wyoming State Leader-Tribune, the Wyoming Eagle and KFBC radio. Those newspaper titles later combined as the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Because Cheyenne was a small and geographically distinctive market, the new station carried material from all four major television networks then available, including CBS, NBC, ABC and DuMont. It began with ABC as its primary affiliation, a relationship influenced in part by the family's long-standing ABC radio connection. In 1965, KFBC-TV entered a joint primary relationship with ABC and CBS, while continuing to favor ABC slightly. The station's ownership structure changed in 1972 when federal cross-ownership rules forced the McCrackens to separate their newspaper, radio and television holdings in Cheyenne. Wyneco Communications, controlled by attorney Edward Lamb, purchased the television station and renamed it KYCU-TV. Wyneco made CBS primary and left ABC as a secondary service. The affiliation pattern changed again on July 11, 1976. KYCU and its Scottsbluff semi-satellite KSTF moved ABC into the primary position and stopped carrying NBC. The change reflected broader affiliation developments in the surrounding region and the need to provide ABC programming in Scottsbluff. After KOTA-TV and KDUH-TV changed their network roles in 1984, KYCU and KSTF returned to primary CBS service, with ABC and NBC temporarily remaining on secondary schedules. NBC was phased out as KKTU, now KQCK, began operating as a satellite of KTWO-TV in 1987, and ABC disappeared from the schedule by the following year. Burke Broadcasting sold the station to Stauffer Communications in 1986. The call sign became KGWN-TV on January 1, 1987. Stauffer later merged with Morris Communications in 1996, and the television properties were transferred to Benedek Broadcasting. Benedek entered bankruptcy in 2001 and merged into Gray Television the following year. KGWN was sold to Chelsey Broadcasting and was acquired by SagamoreHill Broadcasting in 2003. Related ownership and operating arrangements also involved stations in Casper, Rock Springs, Lander and Scottsbluff. The station pursued an expansion into Northern Colorado during the 2000s. Its transmitter offered substantial over-the-air reach into Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley, and the station sought additional cable carriage in an area otherwise associated with the Denver market. KGWN opened a Fort Collins bureau in 2005, produced a Northern Colorado newscast in 2006 and later operated a separate Northern Colorado 5 feed on a digital subchannel. A 10 p.m. news program was initially produced with assistance from the Independent News Network before production moved to KGWN facilities. Northern Colorado 5 ended on December 19, 2013. Digital broadcasting brought further changes. KGWN ended analog broadcasting on VHF channel 5 and moved its digital transmission to UHF channel 30 on June 12, 2009. The CW returned to a digital subchannel in 2011, and the service was subsequently carried on 5.3. The station also provides an NBC-related service through a subchannel simulcast of KNEP, while KSTF carries KGWN programming in Scottsbluff. K19FX-D extends the station's signal into difficult-to-reach portions of Laramie. In 2013, SagamoreHill agreed to sell KGWN, KSTF and KGNS-TV to Yellowstone Holdings. Gray Television announced the acquisition of Yellowstone Holdings in November 2013 and completed it on December 31 of that year. Gray later consolidated KGWN's news operation with KCWY-DT in Casper. Announced in January 2019, the Wyoming News Now structure placed production in Cheyenne and combined coverage resources while retaining a Cheyenne-specific newscast. On February 1, 2024, Gray announced an exchange under which KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT would move to Marquee Broadcasting in return for Marquee's construction permit for KCBU in Salt Lake City. The transaction closed July 1, 2024. KGWN continues to operate as a CBS-affiliated Cheyenne station with CW and NBC-related digital services and a regional news footprint.

1. 2024Marquee Broadcasting becomes owner

   Gray's exchange with Marquee Broadcasting closed July 1, transferring KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT to Marquee.

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2. 2019Wyoming News Now launches consolidated news structure

   KGWN and KCWY news operations were combined under the Wyoming News Now banner, with shared production and market coverage.

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3. 2013Gray Television acquires Yellowstone Holdings

   Gray announced the acquisition of Yellowstone Holdings and completed the transaction on December 31, bringing KGWN into Gray's station group.

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4. 2013Northern Colorado 5 ends

   The Northern Colorado 5 service was discontinued on December 19 after the station determined it was not viable as a long-term operation.

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5. 2011CW returns to digital subchannel 5.3

   CW programming was added to the station's third digital subchannel, while the second subchannel carried the Northern Colorado-oriented service.

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6. 2009Digital transition completed

   KGWN ended its analog transmission and moved its digital signal to UHF channel 30 on June 12.

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7. 2006CW programming launches on a digital subchannel

   KGWN began carrying The CW on a new second digital subchannel on September 18.

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8. 2005Northern Colorado expansion begins

   The station opened a Fort Collins bureau and pursued expanded cable carriage and local coverage in Northern Colorado.

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9. 1987KGWN-TV call sign adopted

   Stauffer Communications changed the station's call letters from KYCU-TV to KGWN-TV on January 1.

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10. 1984Station returns to primary CBS service

    Following regional network changes, KYCU/KSTF made CBS primary again, with ABC and NBC initially remaining secondary services.

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11. 1976Primary affiliation changes to ABC

    KYCU-TV and KSTF moved ABC into the primary position and dropped NBC programming.

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12. 1972Wyneco acquires the station

    Cross-ownership regulation led the McCracken family to sell the television operation to Wyneco Communications, which changed the call sign to KYCU-TV.

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13. 1965Joint ABC-CBS primary affiliation begins

    KFBC-TV adopted a joint primary affiliation with ABC and CBS while slightly favoring ABC.

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14. 1954KFBC-TV begins broadcasting

    The station signed on March 22 as KFBC-TV on VHF channel 5, becoming Wyoming's oldest television station.

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A regional network-affiliated television station positioned around local news, weather, sports and community coverage for southeastern Wyoming and adjacent parts of Nebraska and Colorado.

• KGWN-TV main channelCBS-affiliated television service1954

  The station's primary broadcast service for Cheyenne and southeastern Wyoming. It carries CBS network programming alongside locally produced news, weather, sports and community coverage. The main signal is transmitted from a site in unincorporated Laramie County west of Cheyenne.

• CW Plus on 5.3Digital broadcast subchannel2011

  KGWN's third digital subchannel carries The CW Plus, providing CW network programming and associated syndicated content to the Cheyenne-area market. The over-the-air feed was upgraded to 720p HD by 2020.

• NBC service through KNEP simulcastDigital broadcast subchannel

  A KGWN digital subchannel provides NBC programming through a simulcast of sister station KNEP in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, extending the availability of NBC programming within the regional station footprint.

• Wyoming News NowLocal news operation2019

  The shared news brand used for KGWN's Cheyenne operation and KCWY-DT's Casper operation. The structure combines production and reporting resources while retaining market-specific coverage, including a Cheyenne-focused early-evening newscast.

• Northern Colorado 5Former digital and cable television service2008

  A former KGWN service aimed at Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley and nearby Northern Colorado communities. It used a separate digital feed, a Fort Collins bureau, local weather segments and a recorded evening newscast. The service ended in December 2013.

• 2005Northern Colorado carriage and coverage expansion

  Fort Collins · Loveland · Greeley · Northern Colorado

  KGWN pursued cable carriage and local relevance in Northern Colorado, opened a Fort Collins bureau and developed coverage intended to compete for viewers in a region otherwise associated with the Denver market.

  Outcome. The effort produced a separate Northern Colorado service and local newscast but was discontinued in 2013 because the operation was not considered viable long term.

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• 2024Transfer to Marquee BroadcastingM&A

  Gray Television and Marquee Broadcasting agreed to exchange broadcast assets, including KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT.

  What changed. Gray transferred the two Wyoming stations to Marquee in exchange for Marquee's construction permit for KCBU in Salt Lake City.

  Aftermath. The transaction closed on July 1, 2024, making Marquee Broadcasting the owner of KGWN-TV.

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• 2019Consolidation of Wyoming news operationsStrategy

  Gray Television sought to combine resources for KGWN-TV in Cheyenne and KCWY-DT in Casper after regulatory circumstances affected its plans involving Casper-area CBS programming.

  What changed. The stations' news operations were merged under Wyoming News Now, with shared production from KGWN and limited market-specific broadcasts.

  Aftermath. KGWN's 5:30 p.m. newscast remained Cheyenne-specific while other broadcasts served both Cheyenne and Casper.

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• 2013End of Northern Colorado 5Strategy

  The Northern Colorado-focused digital and cable operation had added a bureau, local reporting and a separate news feed but faced difficulty becoming commercially sustainable.

  What changed. KGWN discontinued Northern Colorado 5 on December 19.

  Aftermath. The station returned its digital-subchannel strategy to other programming, including network and CW-related services.

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• 2009Response to Bresnan carriage disputeOther

  A carriage agreement covering KGWN and the Cheyenne CW service expired while the station and Bresnan Cable disagreed over distribution fees.

  What changed. KGWN publicly urged affected viewers to consider Dish Network and pressed for restoration of carriage. The dispute temporarily removed the services from Bresnan systems.

  Aftermath. The stations returned to Bresnan Cable on May 8, 2009, restoring service to approximately 30,000 reported customers.

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• 2024Gray Television agrees to transfer KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT to Marquee Broadcasting

  Gray announced an exchange involving KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT, with Marquee Broadcasting receiving the stations and Gray receiving Marquee's construction permit for KCBU in Salt Lake City. The transaction closed on July 1, 2024.

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• 2019KGWN-TV and KCWY-DT news operations consolidated under Wyoming News Now

  Gray Television announced that the Cheyenne and Casper news operations would be combined under the Wyoming News Now brand. KGWN retained a Cheyenne-specific 5:30 p.m. newscast, while other programs were produced in Cheyenne and simulcast or adapted for both markets.

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• 2013Northern Colorado 5 service discontinued

  KGWN ended its Northern Colorado-focused service after determining that the operation was not a viable long-term business. The service had included a Fort Collins bureau, a separate digital feed and locally oriented news programming.

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• 2009KGWN and Bresnan Cable resolve carriage dispute

  A carriage disagreement over the amount to be paid for station distribution temporarily removed KGWN and the Cheyenne CW service from Bresnan Cable systems. The channels were restored on May 8, 2009.

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1. KGWN-TV
2. Official KGWN-TV / Wyoming News Now website