Iowa Television Stations

Complete guide to broadcast television stations across Iowa

29

Full-Power TV Stations

4

Major TV Markets

1M+

Combined TV Households

9

Iowa PBS Stations

Iowa Television Broadcasting Overview

Iowa features a diverse television broadcasting landscape with 29 full-power stations serving communities across the state. The state is divided into four major Designated Market Areas (DMAs): Des Moines-Ames (ranked 67th nationally), Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque (94th), Quad Cities (104th), and Sioux City (149th). Combined, these markets reach over 1 million television households.

Iowa's television history dates back to 1950 when WOI-TV in Des Moines became the state's first television station and the first TV station owned by an educational institution. Today, Iowa maintains a robust mix of network affiliates including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and The CW, alongside Iowa PBS, the state's only statewide public television network with nine full-power stations.

Major stations like WHO-TV (NBC Des Moines), KCCI (CBS Des Moines), WOI-TV (ABC Des Moines), KCRG-TV (ABC Cedar Rapids), and KWWL (NBC Waterloo) provide comprehensive local news coverage, weather forecasting, and emergency information to Iowa communities.

Iowa Television Markets (DMAs)

Iowa is served by four primary television markets, each providing local news, weather, and programming to distinct regions of the state.

Des Moines-Ames Market (DMA Rank: 67)

Market Size: 480,550 TV households (2024-2025 season)
Coverage: Central Iowa including Des Moines, Ames, and surrounding counties
Major Stations: WHO-TV 13 (NBC), KCCI 8 (CBS), WOI-DT 5 (ABC), KDSM 17 (Fox), KCWI 23 (CW)

As Iowa's largest television market, Des Moines-Ames serves central Iowa with comprehensive local news coverage. WHO-TV, which signed on April 15, 1954, produces 36 hours of locally produced newscasts each week, the largest newscast output in the state. KCCI, owned by Hearst Television, has won multiple National Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Newscast and Overall Excellence. WOI-TV, now branded as Local 5, was Iowa's second television station and first owned by an educational institution when it launched February 21, 1950.

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque Market (DMA Rank: 94)

Market Size: 364,130 TV households (2024-2025 season)
Coverage: Eastern Iowa including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Iowa City, and Dubuque
Major Stations: KCRG-TV 9 (ABC), KWWL 7 (NBC), KGAN 2 (CBS), KFXA 28 (Fox)

Eastern Iowa's largest market serves 21 counties across the region. KCRG-TV, which first signed on October 15, 1953, was the first television station in Cedar Rapids and currently broadcasts 36 hours of local newscasts each week with newsrooms in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. KWWL, based in Waterloo, maintains the only station with newsrooms in Waterloo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, providing comprehensive coverage throughout the market. KWWL became the first station in eastern Iowa to broadcast newscasts in high definition on April 11, 2010.

Quad Cities (Davenport-Rock Island-Moline) Market (DMA Rank: 104)

Market Size: 304,840 TV households (2024-2025 season)
Coverage: Southeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois (17 counties across 2 states)
Major Stations: KWQC-TV 6 (NBC), WQAD-TV 8 (ABC), WHBF-TV 4 (CBS), KGCW 26 (CW)

The Quad Cities market spans the Iowa-Illinois border along the Mississippi River. KWQC-TV first signed on October 31, 1949, as WOC-TV, making it both Iowa's and the Quad Cities' first television station. Founded by B.J. Palmer, founder of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, the station has maintained NBC affiliation since its inception. WQAD-TV began broadcasting August 1, 1963, as the market's ABC affiliate, while WHBF-TV launched July 1, 1950, as the fifth-oldest television station in Illinois outside Chicago.

Sioux City Market (DMA Rank: 149)

Market Size: 157,520 TV households (2024-2025 season)
Coverage: Northwestern Iowa, northeastern Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota (23 counties across 3 states)
Major Stations: KTIV 4 (NBC), KCAU-TV 9 (ABC), KMEG 14 (Roar), KPTH 44 (Fox/CBS)

Sioux City's television market serves the tri-state Siouxland region at the confluence of the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers. KCAU-TV 9 serves more than 400,000 people in the viewing area and began broadcasting in 1953 as KVTV before changing to its current call sign in 1967. KTIV broadcasts on multiple subchannels including NBC, The CW Plus, MeTV, Court TV, Ion, and Circle, providing diverse programming to the region.

Major Iowa Television Stations

Des Moines-Ames Stations

Call LettersChannelNetworkOwnerWebsite
WHO-DT13NBCNexstar Media Groupwho13.com
KCCI8CBSHearst Televisionkcci.com
WOI-DT5ABCTegnaweareiowa.com
KDSM-TV17FoxSinclair Broadcast Groupkdsm17.com
KCWI-TV23The CWTegnaweareiowa.com
KDIN11PBSIowa Public Broadcastingiowapbs.org

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque Stations

Call LettersChannelNetworkOwnerWebsite
KCRG-TV9ABC/MyNetworkTV/CWGray Mediakcrg.com
KWWL7NBCAllen Media Groupkwwl.com
KGAN2CBSSinclair Broadcast Groupcbs2iowa.com
KFXA28FoxSecond Generation of IowaN/A
KFXB40FoxChristian Television CorporationN/A
KIIN12PBSIowa Public Broadcastingiowapbs.org
KRIN32PBSIowa Public Broadcastingiowapbs.org

Quad Cities (Davenport) Stations

Call LettersChannelNetworkOwnerWebsite
KWQC-TV6NBCGray Mediakwqc.com
WQAD-TV8ABCTegnawqad.com
WHBF-TV4CBSNexstar Media Groupourquadcities.com
KLJB18FoxGrant BroadcastingN/A
KGCW26The CWNexstar Media GroupN/A
KQIN36PBSIowa Public Broadcastingiowapbs.org

Sioux City Stations

Call LettersChannelNetworkOwnerWebsite
KTIV4NBC/CW PlusGray Mediaktiv.com
KCAU-TV9ABCNexstar Media Groupsiouxlandproud.com
KMEG14RoarSinclair Broadcast GroupN/A
KPTH44Fox/CBSSinclair Broadcast GroupN/A

Other Iowa Market Stations

Call LettersChannelNetworkLocationOwner
KIMT3CBSMason CityAllen Media Broadcasting
KYOU15Fox/NBCOttumwaGray Media
KYIN24PBSMason CityIowa Public Broadcasting

Iowa PBS (Iowa Public Television)

Iowa PBS, formerly Iowa Public Television (IPTV), is Iowa's only statewide television network, operated by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department. The network's mission is to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans through quality, noncommercial programming.

Network History

Iowa Public Television began in 1967 when the State Educational Radio and Television Facility Board was created and charged with developing a state network to broadcast educational programs. By 1977, the newly renamed Iowa Public Broadcasting Network had eight full-power stations. The Iowa Public Television name was adopted in 1982 and began on-air January 1, 1983. The network rebranded as Iowa PBS in December 2019.

Network Structure

Nine full-power TV stations make up Iowa PBS, with all call signs beginning with K and ending in IN (standing for Iowa Network). The network's headquarters are located in Johnston, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines.

Iowa PBS Stations

Call LettersChannelCity of LicenseCoverage Area
KDIN-DT11Des MoinesCentral Iowa
KIIN-DT12Iowa CityEastern Iowa
KRIN-DT32WaterlooNortheast Iowa
KQIN36DavenportQuad Cities
KBIN-DT32Council BluffsSouthwest Iowa
KHIN36Red OakSouthwest Iowa
KTIN21Fort DodgeNorth Central Iowa
KYIN-DT24Mason CityNorth Iowa
KSIN-DT27OttumwaSoutheast Iowa

Programming and Support

Iowa PBS offers four statewide public channels with programs of lasting value. Friends of Iowa PBS, created in 1970, has grown to 65,000 member households across Iowa and bordering states, contributing nearly 90% of out-of-pocket costs for acquiring and producing general audience programming.

Website: iowapbs.org
Headquarters: 6450 Corporate Drive, Johnston, IA 50131

Iowa Television History

First Television Stations in Iowa

  • February 21, 1950 - WOI-TV (channel 5) in Des Moines became Iowa's first television station and the first TV station owned by an educational institution, built by Iowa State College (now Iowa State University)
  • October 15, 1953 - KCRG-TV (then KCRI-TV) became the first television station in Cedar Rapids
  • November 26, 1953 - KWWL-TV signed on in Waterloo, originally affiliated with NBC and DuMont network
  • April 15, 1954 - WHO-TV signed on as Des Moines' third television station and first NBC affiliate
  • July 31, 1955 - KCCI (originally KRNT-TV) signed on as Des Moines' CBS affiliate

Notable Achievements and Firsts

  • 1976 - WHO-TV won the George F. Peabody Award when a photographer captured the formation and patterns of two tornadoes on film, which had never been done before
  • 2009-2011 - KCCI won National Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Newscast and Overall Excellence
  • April 11, 2010 - KWWL became the first station in eastern Iowa to broadcast newscasts in high definition
  • May 19, 2010 - WHO-HD became the first commercial station in Des Moines to launch fully into high definition television
  • December 2019 - Iowa Public Television rebranded as Iowa PBS

Pioneering Broadcast Technology

Iowa television stations have been leaders in broadcast technology adoption. WHO-TV was the first area station to use videotape and the first to broadcast from news events live. It was also the first station to use live Doppler radar and the first to broadcast in high definition during the 2002 Winter Olympics. KCRG-TV had the first news helicopter in Iowa, "NewsCopter 9," and was the first to use satellite broadcasting for live local news on December 31, 1982.

Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa has four primary television markets (DMAs): Des Moines-Ames (ranked 67th nationally with 480,550 TV households), Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque (94th with 364,130 households), Quad Cities/Davenport-Rock Island-Moline (104th with 304,840 households), and Sioux City (149th with 157,520 households). Combined, these markets reach over 1 million television households across Iowa. Some smaller Iowa communities are also served by markets based in neighboring states, such as Omaha and Rochester-Mason City-Austin.

WOI-TV (channel 5) in Des Moines became Iowa's first television station when it signed on February 21, 1950. It was also the first television station owned by an educational institution, built by Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). The station moved from channel 4 to channel 5 in 1952 and is now known as Local 5, affiliated with ABC and owned by Tegna. The Quad Cities' KWQC (formerly WOC-TV) also claims to be Iowa's first station, having signed on October 31, 1949, though it is technically located in the bi-state Quad Cities market.

WHO-TV (channel 13) in Des Moines produces the most local news in Iowa, broadcasting 36 hours of locally produced newscasts each week with six hours each weekday and three hours each on Saturdays and Sundays. This represents the largest local newscast output among any television station in Des Moines and the entire state of Iowa. KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids and KWWL in Waterloo also each produce 36 hours of local newscasts weekly. KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa's most-watched station, produces over 34.5 hours of locally produced newscasts each week.

Iowa PBS (formerly Iowa Public Television or IPTV) is Iowa's only statewide television network, operated by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board. The network operates nine full-power PBS member stations across Iowa with call signs ending in "IN" (Iowa Network): KDIN (Des Moines), KIIN (Iowa City), KRIN (Waterloo), KQIN (Davenport), KBIN (Council Bluffs), KHIN (Red Oak), KTIN (Fort Dodge), KYIN (Mason City), and KSIN (Ottumwa). The network began in 1967 and has its headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. Friends of Iowa PBS includes 65,000 member households supporting the network.

Several major broadcast groups own multiple stations in Iowa. Iowa Public Broadcasting Board operates nine PBS stations statewide. Among commercial broadcasters, Nexstar Media Group owns WHO-TV (NBC Des Moines), KCAU-TV (ABC Sioux City), WHBF-TV (CBS Quad Cities), and KGCW (CW Quad Cities). Sinclair Broadcast Group owns KDSM (Fox Des Moines), KGAN (CBS Cedar Rapids), KMEG and KPTH in Sioux City. Gray Media owns KCRG-TV (Cedar Rapids), KWQC-TV (Quad Cities), KTIV (Sioux City), and KYOU (Ottumwa). Tegna owns WOI-DT and KCWI-TV, which share studios in West Des Moines. Allen Media Group owns KWWL (Waterloo) and KIMT (Mason City).

Yes, all Iowa full-power television stations broadcast free over-the-air digital signals that can be received with an antenna. Iowa has 29 full-power stations broadcasting across the state. The number of stations you can receive depends on your location, terrain, and antenna quality. Urban areas like Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and the Quad Cities typically receive 10-15+ stations with a good antenna. Many stations also offer multiple subchannels providing additional programming including MeTV, Heroes & Icons, Court TV, Ion, and other networks. Additionally, most Iowa stations offer live streaming and on-demand content through their websites and mobile apps.

Iowa television viewers have access to all major network affiliates. NBC affiliates include WHO-TV (Des Moines), KWWL (Waterloo), KWQC-TV (Quad Cities), and KTIV (Sioux City). CBS is represented by KCCI (Des Moines), KGAN (Cedar Rapids), WHBF-TV (Quad Cities), and KPTH (Sioux City). ABC affiliates are WOI-DT (Des Moines), KCRG-TV (Cedar Rapids), WQAD-TV (Quad Cities), and KCAU-TV (Sioux City). Fox affiliates include KDSM (Des Moines), KFXA and KFXB (Cedar Rapids/Dubuque), KLJB (Quad Cities), and KPTH (Sioux City). The CW network is available through KCWI (Des Moines), KGCW (Quad Cities), and KTIV subchannel (Sioux City). Iowa PBS provides public television statewide through nine stations.

Iowa television stations have earned numerous prestigious broadcasting awards. WHO-TV won the George F. Peabody Award in 1976 when a photographer captured tornado formation on film for the first time in history. KCCI has won multiple National Edward R. Murrow Awards for Best Newscast and Overall Excellence in 2009 and 2010, and won the Photography Station of the Year award from the National Press Photographers Association in 2009 and 2011 in the small market division. KCCI reaches a potential audience of over 1 million viewers in 60 counties and is carried by over 225 cable systems. These stations continue to be recognized for excellence in journalism, weather coverage, and community service.

Related Television Resources

Last updated on November 27, 2025