Have you ever wondered if it’s true when people say they only had three channels growing up? Do you have fond memories of the simple TV lineup you had as a child?
Here’s a look at how the Twin Cities TV dial evolved over the first 54 years of TV history in the metro.
Some of this information has been covered in earlier posts here, but it’s being reposted to convert it from decades-old HTML code.
1948
5 NBC KSTP-TV
1949
4 CBS/ABC WTCN-TV (new station)
5 NBC KSTP-TV
1952
4 CBS/ABC WCCO-TV (callsign change)
5 NBC KSTP-TV
1953
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
11 ABC WTCN-TV/WMIN-TV (new stations)
1955
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 Dumont KEYD-TV (new station)
11 ABC WTCN-TV (WMIN-TV ended operations)
1956
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KEYD-TV (network ended operations)
11 ABC WTCN-TV
1958
2 Educational KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMGM (callsign change)
11 ABC WTCN-TV
1959
2 Educational KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 Ind KMSP (callsign change)
11 ABC WTCN-TV
1961
2 Educational KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 ABC KMSP (affiliation change)
11 Independent WTCN-TV (affiliation change)
1965
2 Educational KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 ABC KMSP
11 Independent WTCN-TV
17 Educational KTCI (new station)
1970
2 PBS KTCA (new network)
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 NBC KSTP-TV
9 ABC KMSP
11 Independent WTCN-TV
17 PBS KTCI (new network)
1978
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP (affiliation change)
11 NBC WTCN-TV (affiliation change)
17 PBS KTCI
1982
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Ind KMSP
11 NBC WTCN-TV
17 PBS KTCI
23 Subscription KTMA (new station)
29 Christian WFBT
41 Independent KXLI
1984
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC WTCN-TV
17 PBS KTCI
23 Subscription KTMA
29 Independent KITN (programming, callsign change)
41 Independent KXLI
1985
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC WUSA (callsign change)
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA (programming change)
29 Independent KITN
41 Independent KXLI
1986
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Fox KMSP (new network)
11 NBC KARE (callsign change)
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA (programming change)
29 Independent KITN
41 Independent KXLI
1988
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP (affiliation change)
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA
29 Fox KITN (affiliation change)
41 Independent KXLI (programming change)
1989
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA
29 Fox KITN
41 was silent
1990
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA
29 Fox KITN
41 Independent KXLI (KTMA rebroadcast)
1991
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KTMA
29 Fox KITN
41 HSC KXLI (programming change)
1992
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KLGT-TV (programming, callsign change)
29 Fox KITN
41 HSC KXLI
1994
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 Independent KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 Independent KLGT-TV
29 Fox WFTC (callsign change)
41 Independent/Christian KXLI (affiliation change)
45 HSC KVBM (new station)
1995
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 UPN KMSP (new network)
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 WB KLGT-TV (new network)
29 Fox WFTC
41 Independent/Christian KXLI
45 HSC KVBM
1996
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 UPN KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 WB KLGT-TV
29 Fox WFTC
41 inTV KXLI (new network)
45 HSC KVBM
2000
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 UPN KMSP
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 WB KMWB (callsign change)
29 Fox WFTC
41 PAX KPXM (new network)
45 Independent KSTC-TV (callsign, programming change)
2002
2 PBS KTCA
4 CBS WCCO-TV
5 ABC KSTP-TV
9 FOX KMSP (affiliation change)
11 NBC KARE
17 PBS KTCI
23 WB KMWB
29 UPN WFTC (affiliation change)
41 PAX KPXM
45 Independent KSTC-TV
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