KTXL

Television Channels

UHF 40, Digital 55, Cable 8

Callsign

KTXL

On-Air Name

FOX 40

Location

Studio:

4655 Fruitridge Rd

Sacramento, CA 95820-5201

Transmitter:

N 38° 16' 18.0", W 121° 30' 18.0"

Just east of Walnut Grove

Transmitter Power

KTXL-TV (Analog): 5000 kW ERP

KTXL-DT (Digital): 1000 kW ERP

Phone

General (916) 454-4422

News Tip Line (916) 454-4548

Program Line (916) 658-0400

Parent Company

Tribune Broadcasting

Web Site

http://fox40.trb.com/

A local Sacramento television station, and an affiliate of Rupert Murdoch's Fox network.

In the 1970s, KTXL became the first station to air a daily 10PM primetime newscast. Now, KTXL, KQCA and KOVR air a 10PM newscast.

In 1986, KTXL made the decision (way in advance of its Bay Area counterpart KTVU 2) to leave the Independent station scene and join the FOX television network, where it continues its operations as a FOX affiliate serving Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto metro areas.

In the summer of 2005, KTXL broke away from its reputation of being the only station in the Sacramento metro area not to have a morning news program. It's currently in competition with KMAX leading program "Good Day Sacramento". The station airs a one-hour news program at 7AM weekdays (quite small compared to rival KMAX, which airs GDS from 5AM to 10AM weekdays and 7AM to 10AM on the weekends).

The station's current owner is Tribune Broadcasting. The station represents a small oddity, as Tribune owns a sizable portion of The WB network. For the time being, that affiliation will stay with WB 58 until KQCA becomes the affiliate of MyNetwork in Fall 2006. When KTXL came under the ownership of Tribune Broadcasting in 1995, the station threw away many copies of its own locally-produced programming, including all of its 16mm films. Collectors rescued many of these films from the dumpster.

In 2006, KTXL announced plans to air a television music service through its DT channel, 40.2. Known as The Tube, its programming is made entirely of music videos. (Remember when there used to be music on MTV? It's about like that.) The channel will also be picked up on Comcast Digital Cable in select cities, but has not yet been picked up by Comcast in Davis.