Oklahoma Television Stations

Comprehensive directory of broadcast television stations serving Oklahoma's two major markets

29

Full-Power Stations

2

Major DMA Markets

#47

OKC Market Rank

1949

First Station Launched

Oklahoma Broadcasting Overview

Oklahoma features 29 full-power television stations serving communities across the state through two major designated market areas (DMAs): Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The state's television history began on June 6, 1949, when WKY-TV (now KFOR-TV) became Oklahoma's first television station and the 65th station in the United States to sign on.

The Oklahoma City DMA ranks as the 47th largest market in the United States with 762,700 television households as of the 2024-2025 season, serving 34 counties across central Oklahoma. The Tulsa DMA ranks 61st nationally with 575,780 TV households, providing coverage across northeastern Oklahoma.

Oklahoma stations pioneered several broadcasting innovations, including the nation's first television station to issue a tornado warning in 1954, the first weather radar for television in 1973, and early adoption of color broadcasting technology in the 1950s.

Oklahoma City DMA Market (#47)

Market Rank: #47 (2024-2025 season)

TV Households: 762,700 (+3% from 2023-2024)

Coverage Area: 34 counties in central Oklahoma

Full-Power Stations: 12

Market Share: 0.608% of U.S. households

Primary Cities: Oklahoma City, Norman, Shawnee

Major Network Affiliates

ChannelCall LettersNetworkOwnerWebsite
4KFOR-TVNBCNexstar Media Groupkfor.com
5KOCO-TVABCHearst Televisionkoco.com
9KWTV-DTCBSGriffin Communicationsnews9.com
13KETA-TVPBSOETAoeta.tv
25KOKH-TVFOXSinclair Broadcast Groupokcfox.com
34KOCBIndependentSinclair Broadcast Groupokcfox.com
43KAUT-TVThe CWNexstar Media Groupkfor.com
46KOCMDaystarDaystar Television Networkdaystar.com
52KSBIMyNetworkTVGriffin Communicationsnews9.com/ksbi
62KOPX-TVIon TelevisionIon Media Networksiontelevision.com

Tulsa DMA Market (#61)

Market Rank: #61 (2024-2025 season)

TV Households: 575,780

Coverage Area: Northeastern Oklahoma

Full-Power Stations: 13

Primary Cities: Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Muskogee

First Station: KOTV (October 15, 1949)

Major Network Affiliates

ChannelCall LettersNetworkOwnerWebsite
2KJRH-TVNBCE. W. Scripps Companykjrh.com
3KOETPBSOETAoeta.tv
6KOTV-DTCBSGriffin Communicationsnewson6.com
8KTULABCSinclair Broadcast Groupktul.com
11KOED-TVPBSOETAoeta.tv
17KDORTBNTrinity Broadcasting Networktbn.org
19KQCW-DTThe CWGriffin Communicationsnewson6.com
23KOKI-TVFOXRincon Broadcasting Groupfox23.com
41KMYT-TVMyNetworkTVRincon Broadcasting Groupfox23.com
44KTPX-TVIon TelevisionE. W. Scripps Companyiontelevision.com
47KWHBReligious IndependentFamily Broadcasting CorporationN/A
53KGEBReligiousOral Roberts Universityoru.edu

Featured Television Stations

KFOR-TV (NBC 4) - Oklahoma City

NBC Affiliate First in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's first television station, signing on June 6, 1949 as WKY-TV. The station became the 65th television station in the United States and pioneered numerous broadcasting innovations. In 1954, KFOR became the first station in the country to issue a tornado warning, defying government regulations to protect viewers during severe weather.

KFOR was the first local station to broadcast in color and introduced color Doppler weather radar. The station began digital television transmission on June 1, 1999, becoming the first in Oklahoma to operate a digital signal. In 2017, KFOR moved into a state-of-the-art facility with 200 mph projectile-resistant windows rated to withstand EF3/EF4 tornadoes.

Owner: Nexstar Media Group | Power: 790 kW | Website: kfor.com

KOCO-TV (ABC 5) - Oklahoma City

ABC Affiliate

KOCO-TV has operated as an ABC affiliate since its debut and was the fifth television station to sign on in the Oklahoma City market. The station moved its transmitter facilities to a 1,563-foot tower on East Britton Road in March 1964, located at an antenna farm housing transmission towers of other local television and radio stations.

One of KOCO's most popular programs was a children's show hosted by Ed Birchall for 29 years from March 1959 until shortly before his death in July 1988. The station provides comprehensive news, weather, and sports coverage for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Owner: Hearst Television | Power: 65.7 kW | Channel: Virtual 5 (RF 7) | Website: koco.com

KWTV-DT (CBS 9) - Oklahoma City

CBS Affiliate Griffin Flagship

Known locally as News 9, KWTV-DT officially signed on December 20, 1953, as the third and last commercial television station in the Oklahoma City market during 1953. The station chose the call letters KWTV standing for "World's Tallest Video" in reference to the transmission tower constructed behind its studio facility.

In 1973, KWTV installed the first weather radar in the country for television. Chief Meteorologist Gary England utilized the radar on May 24, 1973 during a televised severe weather alert of a tornado warning for Canadian County. The station serves as the flagship property of Griffin Communications, a family-owned media company that has continuously operated KWTV since 1953.

Owner: Griffin Communications | Power: 1000 kW | Channel: Virtual 9 (RF 39) | Website: news9.com

KOTV-DT (CBS 6) - Tulsa

CBS Affiliate First in Tulsa

Known as News On 6, KOTV signed on October 15, 1949 as Tulsa's first television station. Originally broadcasting for 11½ hours daily from 12:30 p.m. to midnight, the station has been a primary CBS affiliate since launch. Cameron Television Corporation submitted the original application to the FCC on March 24, 1948.

The station operates from the Griffin Media Center on North Boston Avenue in Tulsa's downtown Arts District. News On 6 KOTV provides comprehensive news, weather, and sports coverage for eastern Oklahoma with strong social media presence including 550,000+ Facebook followers and 163,000+ X followers.

Owner: Griffin Communications | Power: 840 kW | Website: newson6.com

KJRH-TV (NBC 2) - Tulsa

NBC Affiliate

KJRH-TV traces its roots to December 5, 1954, when it first went on air as KVOO-TV, an NBC affiliate from inception. The E. W. Scripps Company acquired the station in 1971 and changed call letters to KJRH in July 1980 to honor Jack R. Howard, former chairman of Scripps Howard Broadcasting.

Under Scripps ownership, KJRH-TV became the first Tulsa station to broadcast in stereo in July 1975. In April 1992, KJRH became the first Tulsa-area television station to relay its signal directly to cable television systems by fiber optics. The station operates as 2 News Oklahoma, serving the Tulsa area for seven decades.

Owner: E. W. Scripps Company | Power: 15.9 kW | Channel: Virtual 2 (RF 8) | Website: kjrh.com

OETA - Oklahoma Educational Television Authority

PBS Network America's Most-Watched PBS

On May 18, 1953, Oklahoma became the first state to pass legislation developing a statewide educational television service when the legislature passed House Bill #1033, creating the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority as an independent statutory corporation.

KETA first aired on April 13, 1956, becoming the nation's twentieth educational television station and the Southwest's second. In 1970, KETA and KOED became member stations of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Today, OETA operates America's most-watched PBS network with a statewide network of 4 transmitting stations and 14 translator stations reaching more than 650,000 viewers weekly.

OETA Station Network

  • KETA-TV (Channel 13) - Oklahoma City (50 kW)
  • KOET (Channel 3) - Eufaula, serving Tulsa (1000 kW)
  • KOED-TV (Channel 11) - Tulsa (47 kW)
  • 14 Translator Stations - Statewide coverage

Programming & Services

OETA offers programs supplied by PBS and independent distributors, plus locally-produced news, public affairs, cultural, and documentary programming. The network distributes online education programs for classroom use and teacher professional development. OETA maintains Oklahoma's Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) infrastructure to disseminate emergency alerts statewide.

Structure: Licensed to the State of Oklahoma | Funding: Public/private partnership | Website: oeta.tv

Oklahoma Broadcasting History

Pioneering Achievements

1939 - First Television Demonstration

On November 10, 1939, OPUBCO sponsored a six-day demonstration of telecasts and broadcast equipment at Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium, showcasing television technology to Oklahoma residents years before commercial service.

1949 - WKY-TV Launches

June 6, 1949: WKY-TV (now KFOR) became Oklahoma's first television station and the 65th in the United States. Owned by Oklahoma Publishing Company, it pioneered broadcasting in the Southwest.

1954 - First Tornado Warning

WKY-TV became the first station in the country to issue a tornado warning on television, going against government regulations to save lives in the viewing area during severe weather.

1954 - Color Broadcasting Pioneer

KFOR became the first station in Oklahoma to transmit in color and received color cameras soon after NBC purchased RCA's first color cameras, pioneering color television for the nation.

1973 - First Weather Radar

KWTV installed the first weather radar in the country for television. Chief Meteorologist Gary England utilized it on May 24, 1973 during a tornado warning for Canadian County.

1999 - Digital Television

KFOR-TV began digital transmission on June 1, 1999, becoming the first television station in Oklahoma City and Oklahoma to operate a digital signal.

Timeline of Station Launches

  • 1949: WKY-TV (Channel 4, now KFOR) - Oklahoma City, June 6
  • 1949: KOTV (Channel 6) - Tulsa, October 15
  • 1953: KSWO (Channel 7) - Lawton
  • 1953: KWTV (Channel 9) - Oklahoma City, December 20
  • 1954: KTEN (Channel 10) - Ada
  • 1954: KJRH (Channel 2, as KVOO-TV) - Tulsa, December 5
  • 1956: KETA (Channel 13) - Oklahoma City, April 13 (PBS)

Frequently Asked Questions

WKY-TV (now KFOR-TV) was Oklahoma's first television station, signing on June 6, 1949. Owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company, it became the 65th television station in the United States. The station pioneered numerous broadcasting innovations including the first tornado warning on television in 1954 and early color broadcasting. Tulsa's KOTV followed as the state's second station, launching on October 15, 1949.

Oklahoma has two major designated market areas (DMAs): Oklahoma City (ranked #47 nationally with 762,700 TV households) and Tulsa (ranked #61 with 575,780 TV households). These two markets contain 29 full-power television stations. Smaller markets like Wichita Falls-Lawton and Sherman-Ada also serve portions of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City DMA covers 34 counties in central Oklahoma, while Tulsa serves northeastern Oklahoma including Broken Arrow and Muskogee.

Oklahoma City's major network affiliates include: KFOR-TV (Channel 4, NBC) owned by Nexstar Media Group; KOCO-TV (Channel 5, ABC) owned by Hearst Television; KWTV-DT (Channel 9, CBS) owned by Griffin Communications; KOKH-TV (Channel 25, FOX) owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group; and KETA-TV (Channel 13, PBS) operated by Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. Additional stations include KAUT-TV (Channel 43, The CW), KSBI (Channel 52, MyNetworkTV), and specialty networks including religious and independent stations.

The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) is America's most-watched PBS network, established by Oklahoma legislation on May 18, 1953, making Oklahoma the first state to develop statewide educational television. OETA operates 4 full-power transmitting stations and 14 translator stations, reaching more than 650,000 viewers weekly. Main stations include KETA-TV (Channel 13) in Oklahoma City, KOET (Channel 3) serving Tulsa, and KOED-TV (Channel 11) in Tulsa. OETA provides PBS programming, local productions, educational content, and maintains Oklahoma's emergency alert infrastructure.

KWTV (Channel 9) installed the first weather radar in the country for television in 1973. Chief Meteorologist Gary England utilized the radar on May 24, 1973 during a televised severe weather alert of a tornado warning for Canadian County. This innovation was particularly important for Oklahoma, located in Tornado Alley. The station continues to emphasize severe weather coverage with advanced meteorological technology. KFOR also pioneered weather technology by introducing color Doppler weather radar in the 1990s and broadcasting weather pictures via cell phones.

Griffin Communications is the largest television station owner in Oklahoma, operating as a family-owned media company. Griffin owns KWTV-DT (CBS Channel 9) and KSBI (MyNetworkTV Channel 52) in Oklahoma City, plus KOTV-DT (CBS Channel 6) and KQCW-DT (The CW Channel 19) in Tulsa. KWTV serves as Griffin's flagship property, continuously operated by the company since signing on in 1953. The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) operates the most stations statewide with 4 full-power transmitters and 14 translators serving both markets and rural areas.

Major streaming services offering Oklahoma local channels include fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV, which provide access to KFOR (NBC), KOCO (ABC), KWTV (CBS), and KOKH (FOX) in Oklahoma City, plus KJRH (NBC), KOTV (CBS), and KTUL (ABC) in Tulsa. These services allow streaming on Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android/iOS devices, and web browsers. Many stations also offer their own streaming apps and websites for local news coverage. Antenna users can receive all full-power stations free over-the-air with proper equipment.

Yes, Oklahoma City is served by TelevisaUnivision with Spanish-language programming available on digital subchannel 36.2 (UniMás), offering sports, movies, reality series, and dramas. KUTU-CD (virtual channel 25) in Tulsa is a Class A low-power station that airs Univision and Telemax programming, serving Spanish-speaking viewers in northeastern Oklahoma. Spanish-language programming is also available through cable and satellite providers including DIRECTV, which offers Latino TV packages with 60+ channels including Univision, Telemundo, and additional Spanish-language networks. Many streaming services also provide access to Spanish-language channels.

Related Resources

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Last updated on November 27, 2025