KXDF-CD

KXDF-CD is a low-power, Class A television station serving Fairbanks, Alaska, and the surrounding Interior Alaska market. The station broadcasts on channel 13 and is affiliated with CBS. It operates alongside Gray Media-owned sister stations KFXF-CD, a Fox affiliate, and KTVF, an NBC affiliate. The three stations share studios on Braddock Street in downtown Fairbanks, while KXDF-CD's transmitter is located northeast of the city on Cranberry Ridge. The station began broadcasting on August 7, 1996, under the call sign K13XD. Its launch followed KTVF's change from CBS to NBC four months earlier and gave Fairbanks a dedicated local outlet for CBS programming. Before K13XD signed on, selected CBS programs had been carried by KFXF. The new station was established by Tanana Valley Television Company, which also owned KFXF, and became the market's sixth television station. Its arrival completed the principal commercial network lineup in Fairbanks alongside KATN, KFXF, KTVF and the new CBS outlet, while KJNP-TV and KUAC-TV represented religious and public television service. K13XD received a Class A license upgrade in 2000. Although it retained a translator-style call sign, the station later promoted itself on air using the shortened brand KXD. In 2012, it completed a digital flash-cut and changed its call sign to K13XD-D. Further call sign changes followed: K13XD-D became KXDD-CD on November 7, 2016, and KXDF-CD on December 16, 2016. Ownership changed during the same period. On November 8, 2016, Northern Lights Media, a Gray Television subsidiary operating Anchorage stations KTUU-TV and KYES-TV, announced an $8 million cash acquisition of KXDD-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF. The transaction closed on January 13, 2017. Gray Media subsequently operated the Fairbanks stations as a group, allowing KXDF-CD to remain the CBS service while sharing infrastructure and some operational resources with KTVF and KFXF-CD. Although KXDF-CD has its own digital transmission facility, much of the Fairbanks market can also receive its programming through a high-definition simulcast on KTVF's digital subchannel 11.3. The simulcast is transmitted from Ester Dome and provides broader over-the-air availability than the station's low-power primary signal alone. This arrangement followed changes involving KFYF, a former full-market over-the-air distributor associated with the Fairbanks station group. Tanana Valley Television surrendered KFYF's license to the Federal Communications Commission in March 2017, and the license was subsequently cancelled. For many years, KXDF-CD maintained a small local news operation separate from KTVF despite common ownership. Its weekday schedule included half-hour newscasts at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. The station's local news production ceased in November 2024. After that change, KXDF-CD and KTVF moved to carrying newscasts produced by Gray's Anchorage station KTUU-TV. KXDF-CD therefore continues primarily as a CBS-affiliated broadcast service, supported by shared group facilities, a digital simulcast arrangement and network programming rather than a standalone full-scale news department.

KXDF-CD signed on the air in Fairbanks on August 7, 1996, as K13XD. It was launched by Tanana Valley Television Company, which also owned Fox affiliate KFXF. The station's creation followed KTVF's conversion from CBS to NBC earlier that year. Before the launch, some CBS programming was carried by KFXF, but K13XD gave Fairbanks a dedicated CBS affiliate. It became the sixth television station in the market and completed the principal lineup of ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS affiliates, alongside religious station KJNP-TV and PBS station KUAC-TV. In 2000, K13XD obtained a Class A license upgrade. Despite the upgrade, it kept its translator-style call sign and later used the shortened on-air identity KXD. The station completed a digital flash-cut in 2012 and adopted the call sign K13XD-D. Its call letters changed again to KXDD-CD on November 7, 2016, and then to KXDF-CD on December 16, 2016. A significant ownership transition occurred in 2016. Northern Lights Media, a subsidiary of Gray Television that operated KTUU-TV and KYES-TV in Anchorage, announced on November 8 that it would purchase KXDD-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF for $8 million in cash. The deal closed on January 13, 2017, bringing the Fairbanks stations into Gray's broader Alaska television portfolio. KXDF-CD, KFXF-CD and KTVF share studios on Braddock Street in downtown Fairbanks. KXDF-CD's primary transmitter is located northeast of the city on Cranberry Ridge. The station's low-power signal is supplemented by a high-definition simulcast on KTVF's third digital subchannel, 11.3, transmitted from Ester Dome. This gives KXDF-CD broader full-market over-the-air reach. The arrangement is associated with the surrender of the KFYF license by Tanana Valley Television in March 2017. KFYF had previously served as a full-market over-the-air distributor for programming connected with the Fairbanks station group; the Federal Communications Commission cancelled its license on March 10, 2017. KXDF-CD historically maintained a small local news department even after coming under common ownership with KTVF. It aired half-hour weekday newscasts at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., separate from KTVF's news operation. The local newscast ended in November 2024. Since then, KXDF-CD and KTVF have carried newscasts produced by KTUU-TV in Anchorage. The station remains an active CBS affiliate serving Fairbanks through its primary digital signal and the KTVF subchannel simulcast.

1. 2024Separate local news operation ends

   KXDF-CD discontinued its own local newscasts and moved to KTUU-produced newscasts shared with KTVF.

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2. 2017Gray completes Fairbanks station acquisition

   Northern Lights Media completed its acquisition of KXDF-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF on January 13.

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3. 2017KTVF subchannel simulcast expands reach

   KXDF-CD programming became available through an HD simulcast on KTVF digital subchannel 11.3.

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4. 2016Call sign changes

   The call sign changed to KXDD-CD in November and to KXDF-CD in December.

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5. 2012Digital flash-cut

   The station converted from analog transmission to digital operation and adopted the call sign K13XD-D.

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6. 2000Class A license upgrade

   K13XD received a Class A license while retaining its translator-style call sign.

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7. 1996K13XD signs on

   The station began broadcasting on August 7 as Fairbanks's dedicated CBS affiliate.

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A local CBS broadcast outlet for Fairbanks and Interior Alaska, positioned within Gray Media's shared-station portfolio and supported by a market-wide digital simulcast.

• CBS programmingBroadcast television network affiliation1996

  KXDF-CD's principal service is the distribution of CBS network programming to viewers in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska. The affiliation has defined the station since its 1996 launch, when it was created to provide the market with a dedicated CBS outlet after KTVF moved to NBC.

• KXDF-CD digital broadcast serviceOver-the-air television2012

  The station operates as a low-power, Class A digital television service on channel 13. Its transmitter is located northeast of Fairbanks on Cranberry Ridge, and its programming is also distributed through a high-definition simulcast on KTVF's digital subchannel 11.3 for wider market coverage.

• Local news serviceTelevision news

  KXDF-CD formerly produced separate weekday half-hour newscasts at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. That local news operation ended in November 2024. The station now carries newscasts produced by KTUU-TV, shared with KTVF.

• 2024End of standalone local news productionStrategy

  KXDF-CD had maintained a small news department with weekday evening newscasts despite common ownership with KTVF.

  What changed. The station ended its separate local newscasts in November 2024 and shifted to KTUU-TV-produced newscasts carried by both KXDF-CD and KTVF.

  Aftermath. KXDF-CD remained a CBS affiliate but no longer operated a standalone local news production unit.

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• 2016Sale to Northern Lights MediaM&A

  Tanana Valley Television Company owned KXDF-CD alongside other Fairbanks stations. Gray Television's Northern Lights Media subsidiary sought to consolidate the local station portfolio.

  What changed. Northern Lights Media announced an $8 million cash acquisition of KXDD-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF on November 8, 2016. The transaction closed on January 13, 2017.

  Aftermath. KXDF-CD became part of Gray's Alaska television group and continued sharing facilities and operational resources with KFXF-CD and KTVF.

  Cash acquisition price. $8 million (Announced November 2016; completed January 2017)

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• 2024KXDF-CD local newscasts cease

  KXDF-CD ended its separate local newscasts in November 2024. The station and KTVF subsequently began carrying newscasts produced by KTUU-TV.

  Leadership change
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• 2016Northern Lights Media announces acquisition of KXDF-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF

  Northern Lights Media, a Gray Television subsidiary, announced an $8 million cash agreement to acquire the Fairbanks stations KXDD-CD, KFXF-LD and KTVF. The transaction was completed in January 2017.

  M&A
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1. KXDF-CD
2. KXDF-CD official programming website