KTLE-LD

KTLE-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, and serving viewers in the Midland–Odessa market and the wider Permian Basin. The station carries programming from Telemundo, the Spanish-language television network, while also airing locally produced Spanish-language newscasts prepared by the market’s Gray Media stations. Its programming identity is therefore built around a combination of national Telemundo entertainment, news, sports, and public-affairs content with local coverage for Spanish-speaking audiences in West Texas. The station’s roots extend to a construction permit granted to Telemundo in 1989. It was licensed in 1991 under the call sign K60EE and initially operated on UHF channel 60. A related Midland low-power station, originally developed under a separate permit and later known as KTLD-LP, supplemented the Odessa signal for many years. Both stations experienced ownership and call-sign changes during the 1990s and early 2000s, a period in which Telemundo faced financial difficulties and entered bankruptcy proceedings. In 2001, Telemundo sold the stations to Drewry Communications, the Lawton, Oklahoma-based broadcaster that also owned NBC affiliate KWES-TV in the Midland–Odessa market. The Odessa station adopted the KTLE-LP call sign in January 2002. KTLE moved from channel 60 to channel 20 in April 2004 as part of the broader reassignment of channels in the high 700 MHz band. The station later transitioned from analog low-power broadcasting to digital operation. Because its own low-power signal has limited reach, KTLE-LD is also carried as a widescreen standard-definition simulcast on a digital subchannel of KOSA-TV, a full-power CBS affiliate serving the same market. This arrangement extends the Telemundo service beyond the immediate coverage area of KTLE’s transmitter near the Music City Mall in Odessa. The former Midland companion station, KTLD-LP, was ultimately removed from the air and had its license canceled by the Federal Communications Commission in 2014. Ownership changed again through the acquisition of Drewry Communications by Raycom Media in 2015. Gray Television, now known as Gray Media, subsequently agreed in 2018 to combine its broadcasting operations with Raycom’s stations. Because federal ownership rules restricted common ownership of multiple highly rated stations in the same market, KWES was divested during the transaction while KTLE was retained. The Gray–Raycom transaction was approved in December 2018 and completed in January 2019, placing KTLE within Gray’s West Texas station group alongside KOSA-TV and other market outlets. KTLE’s local programming includes Spanish-language newscasts produced by KOSA. These broadcasts have aired on weekday mornings and at several daytime and evening times, including 11 a.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. In 2022 the station added Noticias Telemundo Texas, a weekday morning program produced from the studios of Telemundo-owned KXTX-TV in Fort Worth. That program ended in November 2024. KTLE remains a local Telemundo affiliate whose principal role is to provide Spanish-language network and local television service to the Midland–Odessa area.

KTLE-LD originated with a Telemundo construction permit granted on August 23, 1989. The Odessa station received a license on April 19, 1991, using the call sign K60EE and operating on UHF channel 60. A separate Midland low-power station began with a construction permit issued to Brooks Broadcasting in 1988. Its permit changed hands before being transferred to Telemundo in 1991, and the station was licensed as K49CD in 1992. The two facilities eventually operated as complementary Telemundo outlets for the Midland–Odessa market. Telemundo’s financial problems during the 1990s contributed to instability in the stations’ ownership history. In May 2001, Telemundo sold the Odessa and Midland facilities, along with an Amarillo-area station, to Drewry Communications. Drewry already owned KWES-TV, the NBC affiliate in the Midland–Odessa market. In January 2002, K60EE adopted the call sign KTLE-LP, while K49CD became KTLD-LP. KTLE changed frequency from channel 60 to channel 20 in April 2004 after broadcasters were required to vacate the high 700 MHz channels. Drewry was acquired by Raycom Media in a transaction announced in August 2015 and completed on December 1 of that year. In 2018, Gray Television announced an agreement to combine with Raycom. The transaction created ownership conflicts in the Midland–Odessa market because Gray already owned KOSA-TV, while Raycom owned KWES and related stations. To comply with Federal Communications Commission ownership rules, KWES was divested and KTLE was retained. The Gray–Raycom transaction received approval in December 2018 and closed on January 2, 2019. After the ownership transition, KTLE continued as a low-power digital station and its programming was made available more broadly through a simulcast on KOSA-TV’s third digital subchannel. The local KTLE transmitter is situated near the Music City Mall in Odessa, while the KOSA relay originates from a transmitter west of Odessa along FM 866. The low-power signal itself primarily covers the immediate Midland–Odessa area. KTLD-LP’s license was canceled by the FCC on March 12, 2014, ending the former Midland companion service. The station carries Telemundo’s Spanish-language network schedule and also broadcasts local news produced by KOSA. Weekday local newscasts have been scheduled at 11 a.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. KTLE added the centrally produced Noticias Telemundo Texas morning program in 2022, but that program was discontinued on November 1, 2024. KTLE remains part of Gray Media’s West Texas broadcasting portfolio and serves as the market’s low-power Telemundo outlet.

1. 2024Noticias Telemundo Texas ends

   The centrally produced morning newscast was discontinued on November 1, 2024.

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2. 2022Morning news programming launches

   KTLE began carrying Noticias Telemundo Texas on weekday mornings.

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3. 2019KTLE enters Gray Media ownership

   Gray completed its combination with Raycom on January 2, 2019, retaining KTLE while divesting KWES for regulatory reasons.

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4. 2015Raycom acquires Drewry Communications

   Raycom announced the acquisition of Drewry in August 2015 and completed the transaction on December 1.

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5. 2014KTLD-LP license is canceled

   The FCC canceled the license of the former Midland companion station on March 12, 2014.

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6. 2004KTLE moves to channel 20

   The station moved from channel 60 to channel 20 in April 2004 after the high 700 MHz television channels were cleared.

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7. 2002Station adopts KTLE call sign

   K60EE became KTLE-LP in January 2002, while the associated Midland station became KTLD-LP.

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8. 2001Drewry Communications acquires the Telemundo stations

   Telemundo sold the Odessa and Midland facilities to Drewry Communications in May 2001.

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9. 1991Odessa station is licensed as K60EE

   The station received its license on April 19, 1991, and began operation on UHF channel 60 under the K60EE call sign.

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10. 1989Telemundo receives Odessa construction permit

    A construction permit for the future Odessa low-power station was granted to Telemundo on August 23, 1989.

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Local Spanish-language television broadcaster combining Telemundo network content with news and community coverage for the Midland–Odessa and Permian Basin markets.

• KTLE-LD broadcast serviceLow-power television station1991

  KTLE-LD is the station’s primary digital terrestrial broadcast service, licensed to Odessa and focused on the immediate Midland–Odessa area. It carries Telemundo’s Spanish-language network schedule together with local news and other station programming. Its low-power status limits its direct over-the-air reach compared with a full-power station.

• KOSA-TV digital simulcastDigital subchannel distribution

  KTLE programming is also distributed in widescreen standard definition through the third digital subchannel of KOSA-TV. The simulcast extends the Telemundo service beyond the footprint of KTLE’s own low-power signal and uses KOSA’s transmitter west of Odessa.

• Local Spanish-language newscastsTelevision news

  KOSA produces Spanish-language local newscasts for KTLE. The broadcasts have included weekday editions scheduled at 11 a.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 10 p.m., giving the Telemundo outlet local reporting in addition to national network programming.

• Noticias Telemundo TexasMorning television news2022

  Noticias Telemundo Texas was a weekday morning newscast carried by KTLE. It was produced from the studios of KXTX-TV in Fort Worth and was introduced to provide a broader Texas-focused Spanish-language morning service. The program was discontinued in November 2024.

• 2022Launch of Noticias Telemundo TexasProduct launch

  KTLE sought to expand its weekday morning Spanish-language news offering beyond its existing local newscast schedule.

  What changed. The station began carrying Noticias Telemundo Texas, produced from KXTX-TV’s Fort Worth facilities.

  Aftermath. The program remained part of the station’s morning schedule until it was discontinued on November 1, 2024.

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• 2019Retention of KTLE during the Gray–Raycom transactionM&A

  The Gray–Raycom combination created overlapping station ownership in the Midland–Odessa market and required action under FCC ownership rules.

  What changed. Gray retained KTLE and moved its broader simulcast distribution to a KOSA-TV digital subchannel, while KWES was divested.

  Aftermath. KTLE became part of Gray’s West Texas station group alongside KOSA-TV and continued as a Telemundo affiliate.

  Announced transaction value. $3.6 billion (2018 announced Gray–Raycom merger)

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• 2004Move from channel 60 to channel 20Other

  Federal spectrum changes required the station to leave its former position in the high 700 MHz band.

  What changed. KTLE moved its broadcast operation to UHF channel 20 in April 2004.

  Aftermath. The move allowed the station to continue operating after channels 60 through 69 were removed from television use.

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• 2024Noticias Telemundo Texas discontinued

  The weekday morning program Noticias Telemundo Texas was discontinued on November 1, 2024.

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• 2022KTLE adds Noticias Telemundo Texas morning newscast

  The station began carrying Noticias Telemundo Texas on weekday mornings. The program was produced from Telemundo’s KXTX-TV facilities in Fort Worth and was intended to expand morning Spanish-language news coverage.

  Product launch
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• 2019KTLE-LD begins digital operation after analog transition

  Following the Gray–Raycom transaction, KTLE ended its analog operation and continued as a digital low-power station, with its broader market distribution supported by a simulcast on a KOSA-TV digital subchannel.

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• 2019Gray Television completes acquisition of Raycom Media assets

  Gray completed its combination with Raycom after regulatory review. KTLE was retained in the Midland–Odessa station group while KWES was divested to address federal ownership limits.

  M&ARegulation
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1. KTLE-LD
2. KTLE-LD official website