KHOU

KHOU is a television station licensed to Houston, Texas, and operating on virtual channel 11. The station is affiliated with CBS and provides local news, weather, traffic, public-affairs programming, syndicated entertainment, network programming, and digital video for viewers across the Houston metropolitan area and nearby parts of Southeast Texas. It is one of the principal commercial television stations in the Houston market and has maintained its CBS affiliation since its launch. The station began broadcasting on March 22, 1953, under the call sign KGUL-TV. It was initially licensed to Galveston and became the second television station to sign on in the Houston market, following KPRC-TV. KGUL-TV took over CBS's primary local affiliation from KPRC-TV. The station's early ownership included Paul Taft and other Galveston investors, among them actor James Stewart. In 1956, the station was sold to the Whitney Corporation, which later became part of Corinthian Broadcasting and was subsequently acquired by Dun & Bradstreet. The call letters changed to KHOU-TV in 1959, and the station's city of license moved from Galveston to Houston. KHOU moved into Houston facilities on Allen Parkway in 1960. In 1984, Dun & Bradstreet sold its broadcasting properties to Belo Corporation. Belo invested substantially in the station during a period when it had been a relatively weak CBS affiliate. The company strengthened KHOU's syndicated programming, expanded and reworked its newsroom, and applied branding and operational practices associated with Belo's Dallas flagship, WFAA. The station acquired popular programs such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, helping it improve its competitive position in Houston. KHOU became the first Houston station to transmit a high-definition digital signal in 1998. KHOU's Allen Parkway location became a major operational vulnerability during severe weather. Tropical Storm Allison flooded the facility in 2001, damaging the newsroom and other operations and temporarily interrupting the station's ability to provide continuous coverage. During Hurricane Ike in 2008, the station's coverage was distributed beyond the local market through satellite and online platforms. Hurricane Harvey caused far more extensive damage in August 2017. Rising floodwaters entered the Allen Parkway building, destroyed the newsroom, weather center, master control, and news set, and forced staff to evacuate. The station temporarily operated with assistance from sister station WFAA, the University of Houston's KUHT facilities, and other Tegna stations before restoring its own broadcasts. Following Harvey, KHOU decided not to return to Allen Parkway. It opened a street-level studio at the George R. Brown Convention Center in 2018 and later moved its primary operations to a purpose-built facility on Westheimer Road near Houston's Uptown and Galleria areas. The new operation began broadcasting from the Westheimer site in February 2019. The facility includes studios, control rooms, newsroom and content-production areas, technical operations, sales offices, and executive space. KHOU's local programming includes the long-running weekday lifestyle program Great Day Houston, hosted by Deborah Duncan, as well as local newscasts and special-event coverage. The station broadcasts Houston's H-E-B Holiday Parade and has carried Wheel of Fortune for many years. Its programming history also includes a notable 1987 decision not to air the animated Garbage Pail Kids series because of concerns about its treatment of disability and its violent content; the controversy contributed to CBS removing the program from its planned schedule. Corporate ownership changed again when Gannett acquired Belo in 2013. After Gannett divided its publishing and broadcasting operations in 2015, KHOU became part of Tegna. Tegna later acquired Houston station KTBU, which moved into KHOU's Westheimer facility and became a sister operation. A proposed 20…

KHOU began broadcasting on March 22, 1953, as KGUL-TV. The station was founded by Paul Taft and a group of Galveston investors and was initially licensed to Galveston. It became the second television station in the Houston market and assumed CBS's primary affiliation from KPRC-TV. Actor James Stewart was among the original investors. The station operated from a Galveston studio on 45th Street during its first years. In 1956, the owners sold the station to the Whitney Corporation, an Indianapolis-based broadcaster that later became Corinthian Broadcasting. Dun & Bradstreet acquired Corinthian in 1971. In June 1959, the station adopted the KHOU-TV call sign and transferred its city of license to Houston. It moved to Houston facilities at 1945 Allen Parkway in April 1960, establishing a long-term base near Buffalo Bayou. Dun & Bradstreet sold its broadcasting division to Belo Corporation in 1984. Belo strengthened KHOU through investment in local news, syndicated programming, and branding. The station added or expanded programs including Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and drew on the experience and presentation style of WFAA, Belo's Dallas flagship. These changes helped KHOU move from a weak CBS affiliate in the 1980s to a more competitive station and, by the 1990s, one of CBS's stronger affiliates. KHOU began high-definition digital transmission in 1998. The Allen Parkway site repeatedly exposed the station to flood risk. Tropical Storm Allison inundated the facility on June 8, 2001, severely affecting the newsroom and interrupting live coverage. During Hurricane Ike in September 2008, KHOU's storm reporting was distributed nationally through satellite, radio-related services, and online streaming. Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 produced the station's most serious operational crisis. KHOU provided continuous storm coverage beginning before landfall, but floodwaters from Buffalo Bayou entered the building on August 27. The station evacuated, lost its main signal and critical infrastructure, and saw its newsroom, weather center, master control, and recently installed news set destroyed. WFAA temporarily carried KHOU-related coverage online and on social platforms, while KHOU staff relocated to the Houston branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. With assistance from KUHT at the University of Houston, WFAA, and other Tegna stations, KHOU resumed live broadcasting from temporary facilities later on August 27. CBS programming returned on August 31. Subchannels and normal graphics were restored progressively during October, while a temporary news set was established at Houston Public Media facilities. KHOU announced in November 2017 that it would not return to Allen Parkway. It opened a secondary street-level studio at the George R. Brown Convention Center in fall 2018 and announced a lease for new Westheimer Road facilities in March 2018. The station began operating from the Westheimer location during its February 17, 2019, 10 p.m. newscast. The site was designed to combine newsroom, production, technical, sales, and management functions in a more resilient and modern operation. Gannett completed its acquisition of Belo in December 2013. When Gannett separated its publishing and broadcasting businesses in 2015, KHOU became part of the broadcast-focused company later named Tegna. Tegna acquired KTBU in 2020, adding a Houston sister station that moved into the Westheimer complex. A proposed Tegna acquisition by Standard General and Apollo Global Management was canceled in 2023. The supplied reference material states that Nexstar acquired Tegna in 2026, although court proceedings temporarily limited integration. KHOU's continuing role is that of a major Houston CBS affiliate combining local reporting, weather and emergency information, community programming, network content, and digital distribution.

1. 2020KTBU becomes a sister station

   Tegna completes its acquisition of KTBU and relocates the station's operations into KHOU's facility.

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2. 2019Operations begin at Westheimer Road facility

   KHOU begins broadcasting from its new Westheimer Road headquarters.

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3. 2018Convention-center studio opens

   KHOU opens a street-facing studio at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

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4. 2017Hurricane Harvey destroys the main facility

   Catastrophic flooding forces evacuation and temporary relocation after major technical and newsroom areas are inundated.

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5. 2015KHOU becomes part of Tegna

   Gannett separates its broadcasting and publishing businesses; the broadcasting company is later named Tegna.

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6. 2013Belo becomes part of Gannett

   Gannett completes its acquisition of Belo, ending Belo's ownership of KHOU.

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7. 2001Tropical Storm Allison floods the studio

   Flooding damages the Allen Parkway newsroom and disrupts the station's live emergency coverage.

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8. 1998First Houston high-definition digital signal

   KHOU becomes the first television station in the Houston market to broadcast a high-definition digital signal.

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9. 1984Belo acquires the station

   Belo purchases KHOU as part of Dun & Bradstreet's broadcast divestiture.

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10. 1960Move to Allen Parkway

    KHOU moves into its first Houston facility at 1945 Allen Parkway.

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11. 1959Station adopts KHOU-TV call sign

    The station changes its call letters to KHOU-TV and transfers its city of license to Houston.

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12. 1953KGUL-TV begins broadcasting

    The station launches on March 22 as KGUL-TV, licensed to Galveston and affiliated with CBS.

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A Houston-focused CBS affiliate positioned around local journalism, weather expertise, emergency information, community programming, and broad cross-platform distribution.

• KHOU 11 NewsLocal television news

  KHOU's local news operation produces scheduled newscasts, breaking-news coverage, investigative reporting, traffic information, and community stories for the Houston market. Severe weather and emergency reporting are a central part of the service, reflecting the region's exposure to hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, and other hazards.

• Great Day HoustonLifestyle and talk programming2005

  Great Day Houston is a weekday local lifestyle and talk program hosted by Deborah Duncan. The show combines interviews, features, and locally oriented segments, including paid integrations with Houston-area businesses, and is produced at KHOU's Westheimer facilities.

• KHOU digital newsDigital media

  KHOU distributes articles, live coverage, video, weather information, alerts, and social content through its website and associated digital channels. Digital distribution has also served as a critical continuity tool during major disruptions to the station's broadcast facilities.

• CBS network serviceNetwork television affiliate service1953

  KHOU carries CBS network programming for Houston viewers and has retained the CBS affiliation since the station's 1953 launch, subject to local news, emergency, and other station programming requirements.

• 2017Hurricane Harvey wall-to-wall coverage

  Houston · Southeast Texas

  KHOU began extensive coverage before Hurricane Harvey's Texas landfall and continued with sustained reporting on flooding, evacuations, rescue activity, damage, and recovery. When the station's own building became unusable, coverage continued through temporary facilities and partner-station assistance.

  Outcome. The station restored live broadcasting after relocating operations and continued serving as a regional emergency-information outlet.

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• 2008Hurricane Ike coverage

  Houston · Texas Gulf Coast

  KHOU's Hurricane Ike reporting was distributed beyond the local Houston audience through satellite and online channels.

  Outcome. The coverage extended the station's severe-weather reporting reach beyond its terrestrial market.

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• 2019Launch of Westheimer Road operationsStrategy

  The station required a permanent replacement for its flood-damaged Allen Parkway headquarters.

  What changed. KHOU moved its production, newsroom, technical, sales, and management operations into a multi-floor facility near Uptown Houston.

  Aftermath. The facility became the station's principal base and later housed KTBU operations as well.

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• 2017Decision not to return to Allen ParkwayStrategy

  Hurricane Harvey flooding severely damaged KHOU's long-standing facility near Buffalo Bayou.

  What changed. KHOU chose to establish new operations at the George R. Brown Convention Center and later at a Westheimer Road facility.

  Aftermath. The station permanently left the Allen Parkway site and began operating from a newer, consolidated facility in 2019.

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• 1987Refusal to air Garbage Pail KidsOther

  KHOU objected to the animated adaptation's treatment of disability and its level of violence.

  What changed. The station declined to broadcast the Saturday-morning series.

  Aftermath. CBS removed the series from its planned United States schedule for the following television season, and it was not subsequently broadcast nationally in the United States.

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• 2023Proposed Tegna acquisition is canceled

  A proposed acquisition of Tegna by Standard General and Apollo Global Management was canceled after regulatory and transaction-related developments.

  M&ARegulation
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• 2020Tegna acquires KTBU

  Tegna acquired Houston station KTBU, which moved its operations into KHOU's Westheimer facility and became a sister station.

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• 2018KHOU signs lease for Westheimer Road headquarters

  The station announced a lease for approximately 43,000 square feet of new space near Houston's Uptown and Galleria areas.

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• 2017KHOU is evacuated during Hurricane Harvey flooding

  Floodwaters entered the Allen Parkway facility, destroyed major newsroom and technical areas, and forced KHOU to move its operations to temporary facilities.

  Other
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• 2017KHOU announces permanent move from Allen Parkway

  After the Harvey flooding, KHOU announced that it would not return to its former studio complex and began planning replacement facilities.

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• 2013Gannett announces acquisition of Belo

  Gannett announced an agreement to acquire Belo, bringing KHOU into Gannett's broadcasting portfolio after nearly three decades under Belo ownership.

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1. KHOU
2. KHOU official website