History of KSDK in Timeline
KSDK is an NBC-affiliated television station located in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Tegna, a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, it shares ownership with KTVI (Fox) and KPLR-TV (CW). KSDK's studios are situated on Highlands Plaza Drive in St. Louis, while its transmitter is located in Shrewsbury, Missouri.
1922: Pulitzer Invests in KSD Radio
In 1922, Pulitzer made an original investment in KSD radio.
February 8, 1947: KSD-TV Signs On
On February 8, 1947, KSD-TV signed on the air, marking its debut as the ninth television station in the United States and the first in Missouri. Owned by the Pulitzer Publishing Company, the station was originally located adjacent to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch building on Olive Street.
1947: KSD-TV Begins Association with the St. Louis Cardinals
In 1947, when KSD-TV signed on, it began a longtime association with the St. Louis Cardinals as the team's flagship station.
1950: The Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce Begins
In 1950, KSDK began airing the Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce.
1958: KSD-TV Loses Rights to Cardinals Games
In 1958, KSD-TV lost the rights to St. Louis Cardinals games to KPLR-TV for the next four seasons.
1963: The Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce Ends and Corky's Colorama Begins
In 1963, KSDK ended The Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce and began airing Corky's Colorama with Clif St. James playing Corky the Clown.
1963: Cardinals Games Return to Channel 5
In 1963, the St. Louis Cardinals returned to channel 5 and remained on the channel until 1987.
1964: Cardinals Win the World Series
The Cardinals won the World Series in 1964. The game was aired on KSDK.
May 8, 1966: Bill Houska Sr. Flies Home Plate to Busch Stadium
On May 8, 1966, during the opening ceremonies for Busch Memorial Stadium, Bill Houska Sr. flew home plate from Sportsman's Park to the new downtown stadium in "Chopper 5".
1967: Cardinals Win the World Series
The Cardinals won the World Series in 1967. The game was aired on KSDK.
1970: Airing of Cardinals' Home Interconference Contests
In 1970, KSDK began airing home interconference contests of the St. Louis Cardinals.
1976: Newsbeat Hosted by Dick Ford and John Auble Begins
In 1976, KSDK began airing Newsbeat hosted by Dick Ford and John Auble.
September 10, 1979: KSD-TV Changes Call Sign to KSDK
On September 10, 1979, KSD-TV changed its call sign to KSDK to comply with FCC regulations after Pulitzer sold KSD radio to Combined Communications Corporation. The regulation stated that TV and radio stations in the same market, but different ownership had to use different call signs.
1982: KSDK Relocates Studios
In 1982, KSDK relocated its studios from Olive Street to Market Street in Downtown St. Louis.
1982: Cardinals Win the World Series
The Cardinals won the World Series in 1982. The game was aired on KSDK.
1983: Pulitzer Trades KSDK to Multimedia, Inc.
In 1983, Pulitzer traded KSDK to Multimedia, Inc. in exchange for WFBC in Greenville, South Carolina, and WXII-TV in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
1987: KSDK Loses Rights to Cardinals Games Again
In 1987, KSDK lost the rights to the Cardinals games to KPLR again after the season.
1987: End of Cardinals' Home Interconference Contests Airing
In 1987, KSDK stopped airing home interconference contests of the St. Louis Cardinals when the team relocated to Phoenix.
1989: NBC's Broadcast Contract with Major League Baseball Ends
In 1989, NBC's broadcast contract with Major League Baseball ended. KSDK aired any Cardinals games as part of NBC's broadcast contract with Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1989.
1990: KSDK Rebrands Newscasts as NewsChannel 5
In 1990, KSDK dropped the Eyewitness News branding and rebranded its newscasts as NewsChannel 5. The station also began operating on a 24-hour-a-day schedule.
July 24, 1995: Gannett Company Purchases Multimedia
On July 24, 1995, Multimedia was purchased by the Gannett Company.
September 5, 1995: Show Me St. Louis Premiere
On September 5, 1995, KSDK premiered Show Me St. Louis, a program highlighting local entertainment and attractions around the St. Louis area.
1995: Beginning of Rams' Games Airing
In 1995, KSDK began airing games of the St. Louis Rams after their arrival in St. Louis.
1995: Multimedia Merger with Gannett
In 1995, Multimedia, Inc., former owner of KSDK, merged with Gannett. Multimedia Entertainment, a subsidiary of Multimedia, Inc., distributed the talk show "Sally (hosted by Sally Jessy Raphael)" nationally until the merger.
1998: KSDK Debuts "Window on St. Louis"
In 1998, KSDK debuted the "Window on St. Louis", a street-side studio in downtown St. Louis, modeled on Today's "Window on the World".
October 2001: KDNL Shut Down its News Department
In October 2001, KDNL shut down its news department prior to the agreement
2002: "Sally" Cancellation
In 2002, the syndicated daytime talk show "Sally (hosted by Sally Jessy Raphael)", which originated from KSDK's studios, was cancelled.
2004: KSDK Loses First-Place Position at 10 P.M.
During the spring 2004 sweeps, KSDK lost its first-place position at 10 p.m. to KMOV. Since then, the two stations have traded the ratings crown in that timeslot several times.
2004: KSDK Partners with KETC for Election Coverage
In 2004, KSDK partnered with KETC to simulcast local and national election results.
2004: Mike Bush Moves from Sports Director to News Anchor
In 2004, Mike Bush moved from sports director to news anchor for the sports wrap-up program Sports Plus on KSDK.
September 12, 2005: KSDK Debuts 10 a.m. Weekday Newscast
On September 12, 2005, KSDK debuted a half-hour weekday newscast at 10 a.m., following the third hour of NBC's Today.
September 2005: KSDK and Partners Simulcast Telethon for Hurricane Katrina Relief
In September 2005, KSDK, along with radio partners KYKY and KEZK, simulcast a telethon for Hurricane Katrina relief.
November 24, 2005: KSDK Broadcasts Thanksgiving Day Parade in High Definition
On November 24, 2005, KSDK produced the first broadcast of a local program in St. Louis in high definition, broadcasting the St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade.
February 6, 2006: KSDK Broadcasts All Newscasts in High Definition
On February 6, 2006, KSDK became the first television station in St. Louis, and the seventh in the United States, to broadcast all newscasts and locally produced programming in high definition.
December 7, 2006: KSDK Re-obtains Television Rights to Cardinals Games
On December 7, 2006, KSDK re-obtained the television rights to Cardinals games, effective with the 2007 season, ending a 19-year run on KPLR.
2006: Broadcast of St. Louis Blues Games Begins
In 2006, KSDK began broadcasting St. Louis Blues games that aired via the NHL on NBC.
2006: Thanksgiving Day Parade Moves to KMOV
In 2006, the St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade moved to CBS affiliate KMOV, ending its run on KSDK.
August 13, 2007: KSDK Debuts Online @ 9
On August 13, 2007, KSDK debuted Online @ 9, a 10-minute news webcast on the station's website that was tailored to an online audience.
2007: KSDK Aired Cardinals Games
In 2007, KSDK began airing an average of 20 locally produced Cardinals games each year.
December 2008: Affiliation with The Local AccuWeather Channel
In December 2008, KSDK subchannel 5.2 affiliated with The Local AccuWeather Channel after NBC Weather Plus discontinued operations.
June 12, 2009: End of Analog Signal Programming
On June 12, 2009, KSDK ended regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 5, as part of the U.S. transition from analog to digital broadcasts.
September 2009: KSDK Discontinues 10 a.m. Newscast
In September 2009, KSDK discontinued its 10 a.m. newscast.
2009: KSDK Ratings Begin to Slip
In 2009, KSDK's ratings dominance began to slip dramatically, first losing late news to KMOV, and then morning news to KTVI.
July 15, 2010: KSDK Loses Broadcast Rights to Cardinals Games
On July 15, 2010, KSDK lost the broadcast rights to Cardinals games when Fox Sports Midwest signed an exclusive contract with the team, beginning with the 2011 season.
October 3, 2010: Final Cardinals Telecast on Channel 5
On October 3, 2010, the final Cardinals telecast on channel 5 aired, featuring a game against the Colorado Rockies.
November 11, 2010: KSDK Enters News Share Agreement with KDNL-TV
On November 11, 2010, KSDK entered into a news share agreement with KDNL-TV to produce pre-recorded newscasts for the station.
2010: KSDK Pays KMOV to Use Video from Their Chopper
In 2010, KSDK began paying KMOV to use video from its chopper for breaking news and severe weather coverage to save money.
January 3, 2011: KSDK and KDNL Enter News Share Agreement
On January 3, 2011, KSDK entered into a news share agreement with KDNL-TV, to produce two pre-recorded half-hour newscasts at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. weeknights for that station.
September 12, 2011: New 4 p.m. Newscast Debuts
On September 12, 2011, Art Holliday and Kay Quinn debuted a new half-hour 4 p.m. newscast.
September 2011: Holliday Reassigned, Blome Paired with McGonigle
In September 2011, Art Holliday was reassigned to co-anchor a new 4 p.m. newscast alongside Kay Quinn. Jennifer Blome was paired with Pat McGonigle on the morning newscast.
2011: Fox Sports Midwest Exclusive Contract with Cardinals
In 2011, Fox Sports Midwest signed an exclusive contract with the Cardinals, ending the Cardinals' over-the-air telecasts.
August 28, 2013: Subchannel 5.2 Starts Carrying Bounce TV
On August 28, 2013, KSDK subchannel 5.2 started carrying Bounce TV.
November 2013: KSDK Tumbles to Last Place in Ratings
In the November 2013 ratings book, KSDK tumbled into last place for the first time in its history.
2013: Discontinuation of NewsChannel 5 Weather Plus
In 2013, NewsChannel 5 Weather Plus was discontinued, marking a pause in KSDK's carriage of a local weather channel over-the-air.
December 31, 2013: Original End Date of Agreement with KDNL
December 31, 2013, was the original end date for KSDK's news sharing agreement with KDNL.
January 2014: KSDK Faces Criticism for Undercover School Security Piece
In January 2014, KSDK faced criticism for an undercover piece on school security at Kirkwood High School using a hidden camera. The incident led to a lockdown and questions about journalistic ethics, resulting in on-air apologies.
January 31, 2014: KSDK Ends News Share Agreement with KDNL-TV
On January 31, 2014, KSDK ended its news share agreement with KDNL-TV, after a one-month extension.
2014: KSDK Cancels 10 a.m. Newscast
By 2014, KSDK had canceled its 10 a.m. newscast, with a now hour-long Show Me St. Louis taking up the 10 a.m. hour, with the noon newscast also expanding back to 60 minutes in length.
January 20, 2015: Launch of Subchannel 5.3 with True Crime Network
On January 20, 2015, KSDK launched subchannel 5.3, carrying True Crime Network, which launched the same day.
June 29, 2015: Gannett Company Splits, KSDK Retained by Tegna
On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split into print media and broadcast/digital media divisions. KSDK was retained by Tegna.
2015: Airing of Rams' Games Ends
In 2015, KSDK's airing of Rams' games ended when the team returned to Los Angeles after the 2015 season.
2017: KSDK Re-brands as "5 On Your Side"
In 2017, KSDK re-branded as "5 On Your Side".
2017: KSDK Discontinues Noon News
In 2017, KSDK's noon news was discontinued and replaced with a second run of Jeopardy!
2017: Rene Knott Becomes News Co-Anchor
In 2017, Rene Knott, who hosted Sports Plus, became the news co-anchor of Today in St. Louis, KSDK's weekday morning newscast.
January 17, 2018: Launch of Digital Subchannel 5.4
On January 17, 2018, KSDK launched digital subchannel 5.4, which carried clips promoting Quest.
January 29, 2018: Debut of Quest Network
On January 29, 2018, Quest, a new multicast network, made its debut.
2018: Today in St. Louis Reduced to Two Hours
In 2018, Today in St. Louis was reduced to two hours on weekday mornings, running from 5 to 7 a.m.
2019: Broadcast of Stanley Cup Final Victory
In 2019, KSDK broadcast the St. Louis Blues' victory in the Stanley Cup Final.
2020: Today in St. Louis Expanded and 10 a.m. Newscast Revived
In 2020, KSDK expanded Today in St. Louis back to 2+1⁄2 hours, running from 4:30 to 7 a.m. In addition, KSDK revived its 10 a.m. newscast for a third time and has moved Show Me St. Louis to 10:30 a.m.
October 2021: KSDK Revives Noon Newscast
In October 2021, KSDK revived its noon newscast and moved their first of 2 Jeopardy! slots to 12:30.
2021: Subchannel 5.5 Launches with Twist
In 2021, KSDK launched subchannel 5.5 to carry Twist.
2021: Broadcast of St. Louis Blues Games Ends
In 2021, KSDK stopped broadcasting St. Louis Blues games that aired via the NHL on NBC.
May 2022: Programming Changes Following End of The Ellen DeGeneres Show
In May 2022, after The Ellen DeGeneres Show ended, Inside Edition moved to 3 p.m. on KSDK from 4:30 on KMOV, and Jeopardy! reruns moved to 3:30 while new episodes continued to air at 4:30.
December 31, 2023: Twist Shuts Down, Subchannel Duplicates 5.3 Program Feed
On December 31, 2023, Twist shut down, and KSDK subchannel 5.5 switched to duplicating the 5.3 program feed (True Crime Network).
2024: This TV Shuts Down
In 2024, This TV network shut down on KSDK subchannel 5.6, and the subchannel remained blank for a few months.
2024: Nosey Launches on Subchannel 5.5
Sometime in 2024, Nosey launched on KSDK subchannel 5.5.
August 2025: Nexstar Media Group to Acquire Tegna
In August 2025, Nexstar Media Group, owner of KTVI and KPLR-TV in St. Louis, announced it will acquire Tegna.
January 2026: KSDK Moves Studios to Cheltenham Section
In January 2026, KSDK moved its studios to Highland Park Drive in the city's Cheltenham section.
February 2026: Launch of 5 On Your Side Weather Impact 24/7
Since February 2026, KSDK subchannel 5.6 has been the home of the station's 24-hour local streaming weather channel, 5 On Your Side Weather Impact 24/7.
March 19, 2026: Nexstar Acquires Tegna
On March 19, 2026, Nexstar Media Group completed its acquisition of Tegna. Nexstar was permitted by the FCC to hold three TV station licenses in markets such as St. Louis.
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