A few months after Gray TV quietly added the FOX affiliation to its ABC/NBC operation in Sioux Falls, the station has announced plans to move its 9 p.m. newscast to the FOX channel.
The half-hour 9 p.m. newscast launched last year on Gray CW affiliate KSFY-DT2/13.2. The station recently announced that on Jan. 18, the 9 p.m. newcast will move to Gray FOX affiliate KDLT-DT2/46.2 and expand to an hour. It is the only newscast in that timeslot in the market.
The announcement of the move appears to be the first time that KSFY/KDLT has publicly acknowledged that FOX is now part of the “Dakota News Now” operation. The network and other syndicated programming formerly carried by locally-owned KTTW/7.1 (Sioux Falls) moved to KDLT-DT2 in November.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan. 8, Gray received FCC approval to buy KTTW’s five translators for $1. KTTW and satellite KTTM/12.1 (Huron) remain owned by Independent Communications and are carrying ThisTV.
The launch of the 9 p.m. newscast had fulfilled one of many promises that Gray made in convincing the Ajit Pai FCC to grant the only-ever waiver allowing two top-four TV licenses, ABC affiliate KSFY and NBC affiliate KDLT, to be combined under common ownership. The company also committed to adding several other newscasts that have not yet launched, including a 7 to 9 a.m. show.
Gray TV’s stations compete with long-dominant CBS affiliate KELO-TV/11, which is owned by Nexstar.
This story was updated on Jan. 9 to reflect that the translator sales have been approved.