History of KSL-TV in Timeline
KSL-TV is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It serves as the flagship television property of Bonneville International, the broadcasting arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is sister to KSL radio stations. Operating from the Broadcast House in Salt Lake City, its signal is transmitted from Farnsworth Peak, covering Utah and parts of neighboring states via a network of translators.
May 26, 1948: Application for Construction Permit
On May 26, 1948, the Radio Service Corporation of Utah, the owner of KSL (1160 AM), filed an application to apply for a construction permit for KSL-TV.
September 30, 1951: First Live Network Programming
On September 30, 1951, KSL first broadcast live network programming with ABC's "Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue," following the completion of AT&T's coast-to-coast microwave relay network.
September 1954: KUTV Becomes Full Time ABC Affiliate
In September 1954, KUTV (channel 2) signed on as the market's full-time ABC affiliate, ending the shared ABC programming arrangement between KSL-TV and KDYL-TV.
1964: Bonneville International Formed
In 1964, Bonneville International was formed as the parent company for the LDS Church's broadcasting holdings, including the KSL stations. Soon after, channel 5 began broadcasting its programming in color.
1965: KSL poaches Paul James and Bob Welti, news ratings increase
In 1965, KSL poached sportscaster Paul James and weatherman Bob Welti from KCPX-TV, teaming them with anchor Dick Nourse. This led to a rapid increase in KSL's news ratings.
1977: "Match Game" Not Aired in Salt Lake City
In 1977, as a CBS affiliate, Gene Rayburn, host of "Match Game", mentioned that the then-CBS daytime game show was not being aired in Salt Lake City.
1979: KSL airs Utah Jazz games through CBS Sports
In 1979, KSL-TV began airing Utah Jazz games selected for national broadcast through CBS Sports, following the team's move to Salt Lake City.
1984: Move to Triad Center
In 1984, KSL-TV moved to its current facility at Triad Center, which was also named Broadcast House.
1987: Refusal to Air "Garbage Pail Kids"
In 1987, KSL was among several affiliates that announced it would not air the children's animated series "Garbage Pail Kids" due to concerns about violent content and humor.
1988: Preemption of "Dirty Dancing"
In 1988, KSL preempted the series "Dirty Dancing" due to its sexual content.
September 1989: Preemption of Saturday Morning Children's Program Lineup
Beginning in September 1989, KSL preempted the network's Saturday morning children's program lineup.
November 1990: Preemption of "Doctor Doctor"
In November 1990, KSL preempted the sitcom "Doctor Doctor".
1990: End of CBS Sports broadcasting of Utah Jazz games on KSL
In 1990, KSL-TV ceased airing Utah Jazz games through CBS Sports.
1991: End of Nourse, James, and Welti team
In 1991, the team of Dick Nourse, Paul James, and Bob Welti, who had been working together since 1965, ended their run together.
1992: Preemption of "2000 Malibu Road" and "Grapevine"
In 1992, KSL preempted the prime time soap opera "2000 Malibu Road" and the sitcom "Grapevine" because of their sexual content.
January 1993: Removal of "Picket Fences"
In January 1993, KSL removed "Picket Fences" midway through its first season due to objections over an episode about a teenage girl who becomes pregnant through an incestuous plural marriage.
April 1993: "Picket Fences" Returns
In April 1993, the drama series "Picket Fences" returned to KSL in its normal network time slot.
August 1993: Preemption of "Crimetime After Primetime" Ends
From September 1990 until August 1993 premiere of "Late Show with David Letterman", KSL refused CBS' late night "Crimetime After Primetime" block
September 1993: "Picket Fences" Moved to Late Night
In September 1993, "Picket Fences" was shifted to a one-day delay at 11 p.m. on Saturdays for its second season.
July 1994: CBS and Westinghouse Agreement
In July 1994, CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting (Group W) reached a long-term affiliation deal for the five Group W television stations.
September 1994: CBS This Morning Airs In-Pattern
In September 1994, KSL shifted "CBS This Morning" and its predecessors to air in-pattern (from 6 to 8 a.m.) to accommodate an expanded local morning newscast.
September 10, 1995: Affiliation Switch
On September 10, 1995, a complex ownership deal resulted in KSL-TV becoming an NBC affiliate, marking the first network affiliation switch in Salt Lake City since 1960.
1995: KSL Declines to Air "Saturday Night Live"
As an NBC affiliate, KSL declined to air "Saturday Night Live" from 1995 throughout its first 18 years with the network.
1995: KSL airs Utah Jazz games through NBC Sports
In 1995, KSL-TV began airing Utah Jazz games selected for national broadcast through NBC Sports.
January 1996: "Saturday Night Live" Moves to KOOG-TV
In January 1996, "Saturday Night Live" moved from KUTV to then-WB affiliate KOOG-TV (now KUCW).
1997: KSL-TV Does Not Air "Sunset Beach"
In 1997, KSL-TV did not air the NBC daytime soap opera "Sunset Beach"; the soap was seen locally on KOOG instead.
1997: Utah Jazz appearance in the NBA Finals
In 1997, the Utah Jazz appeared in the NBA Finals, ultimately losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The games were broadcast on KSL-TV.
1998: Utah Jazz appearance in the NBA Finals
In 1998, the Utah Jazz appeared in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, again losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The games were broadcast on KSL-TV.
January 14, 1999: Shooting at Broadcast House
On January 14, 1999, a shooting occurred at KSL-TV's Broadcast House facility. Anne Sleater, an employee of AT&T Wireless Services, was shot and later died from her injuries. De-Kieu Duy was arrested in connection with the shooting.
2002: Bruce Christensen Named President
In 2002, Bruce Christensen was named the president of KSL-TV. During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, KSL-TV was very influential in bringing coverage and technology to NBC.
2002: End of NBC Sports broadcasting of Utah Jazz games on KSL
In 2002, KSL-TV ceased airing Utah Jazz games through NBC Sports.
2002: KSL broadcasts 2002 Winter Olympics
In 2002, KSL-TV was the local broadcaster for the Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, owing to NBC's contract with the IOC. As the host city, KSL was not subject to NBC's tape delay mandate for West Coast stations.
2003: Channel 5 Declines "Coupling"
In 2003, Channel 5 declined the sitcom "Coupling" because of its sexual humor and content.
2007: KSL Preempts Poker Programming
Beginning in 2007, KSL preempted much of NBC's poker programming due to Church, ownership and LDS-member viewers' objections toward gambling.
2007: Dick Nourse leaves as top anchorman
In 2007, Dick Nourse stepped down as top anchorman at KSL-TV.
2008: KSL-TV begins broadcasting newscasts in high definition
In 2008, KSL-TV became the second television station in the Salt Lake City market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.
January 1, 2009: KSL ends affiliation with NBC Weather Plus, launches Live 5 Weather Channel
On January 1, 2009, KSL ended its affiliation with NBC Weather Plus and relaunched its 5.3 subchannel as the locally compiled automated Live 5 Weather Channel.
June 12, 2009: KSL-TV ends regular programming on its analog signal
On June 12, 2009, KSL-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on channel 38, using virtual channel 5.
2009: KSL scraps 'Eyewitness News' branding
In 2009, KSL-TV scrapped the 'Eyewitness News' branding for its newscasts, in favor of KSL 5 News; it is now known simply as KSL News.
July 2010: Local Marketing Agreement with KJZZ-TV
In July 2010, KSL-TV entered into a local marketing agreement (LMA) with independent station KJZZ-TV (channel 14).
November 2010: KUTV unseats KSL-TV in most timeslots
In November 2010, KUTV unseated KSL-TV in most timeslots, ending KSL's dominance.
February 2011: KSL-TV loses lead at 10 p.m.
In February 2011, KSL-TV lost the lead at 10 p.m. for the first time in almost half a century.
September 2011: KSL Preempts "The Playboy Club"
In September 2011, KSL-TV preempted "The Playboy Club", replacing it with "We Are Utah", due to its inconsistency with the station's mission and branding.
October 31, 2011: Premiere of "Rock Center with Brian Williams"
On October 31, 2011, KSL aired already-recorded episodes of "We Are Utah" until the premiere of "Rock Center with Brian Williams".
December 2011: KSL-TV restores lead in every time slot except one
In December 2011, KSL-TV restored its lead in every time slot in the Nielsen ratings except the early morning news slot on weekdays.
2011: Utah Utes Shift to the Pac-12 Conference
In 2011, the Utah Utes shifted to the Pac-12 Conference from the Mountain West Conference, which played most of its football games in the afternoon.
January 2012: KSL-TV replaces Universal Sports with Live Well Network
In January 2012, KSL-TV replaced Universal Sports on its 5.2 subchannel with Live Well Network after Universal Sports became exclusively distributed through cable and satellite television.
August 24, 2012: KSL Preempts "The New Normal"
On August 24, 2012, KSL-TV preempted "The New Normal", replacing it with "My Family Recipe Rocks!", due to objections to the sitcom's storyline surrounding gay parenting.
2012: Mark Willes fired from Deseret Management Corporation
In 2012, Mark Willes was fired from his position as president of Deseret Management Corporation after the station abandoned its focus on hard news for values-based reporting, leading to ratings slump.
April 29, 2013: KSL Pulls "Hannibal"
On April 29, 2013, KSL-TV pulled "Hannibal" after four episodes due to its graphic violent content, with KUCW airing the program on Saturday nights instead.
May 2013: "The New Normal" Cancelled
In May 2013, "The New Normal" was canceled after its first season, becoming the first NBC prime time show declined by KSL to last a full season since it joined the network in 1995.
June 2013: KSL to Air "SNL"
In June 2013, KSL announced that it would start airing "SNL" in its regular timeslot beginning that fall, citing declining viewership for "SportsBeat".
September 4, 2013: KSL moves Days of Our Lives to late night
On September 4, 2013, KSL announced it was moving "Days of Our Lives" to the 1:05 a.m. timeslot, effective September 9. A local lifestyle program replaced it in its former 2 p.m. slot. While no explicit reason was given, the move was speculated to be related to storylines involving gay characters, or to provide a more stable, DVR-friendly timeslot.
January 1, 2014: KSL replaces Live Well Network with Cozi TV
On January 1, 2014, KSL replaced Live Well Network with Cozi TV on digital subchannel 5.2.
August 2015: "Hannibal" Cancelled
In August 2015, "Hannibal" was cancelled after its last episode, and KSL cleared NBC's entire seasonal prime time schedule for the first time in the 2015–16 season.
2016: LMA with KJZZ-TV Terminated
In 2016, the local marketing agreement (LMA) between KSL-TV and KJZZ-TV was terminated after KUTV's owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group, purchased KJZZ.
September 17, 2018: KSL moves its digital signal
Effective September 17, 2018, KSL moved its digital signal from channel 38 to channel 23 as part of the broadcast spectrum repacking.
2020: Sonny and Will depart from Days of Our Lives
In the summer of 2020, Sonny and Will departed from the show Days of Our Lives.
September 2022: Days of Our Lives moves exclusively to Peacock
In September 2022, "Days of Our Lives" moved exclusively to the Peacock streaming service, owned by NBC parent company Comcast. KSL continued to air the show in late night until this transition. NBC News Daily replaced Days on NBC's schedule.
September 2023: KSL airs NBC News Daily
In September 2023, KSL began airing the NBC News Now-produced afternoon newscast "NBC News Daily" at 1 p.m. weekdays, after Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray ended their runs, fulfilling existing timeslot commitments.
2025: KSL to air Utah Jazz games again through NBC Sports
Starting in 2025, KSL-TV will once again air Utah Jazz games selected for national broadcast through NBC Sports.
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