KFDM history

Beaumont Broadcasting sold KFDM radio in 1969.

Original Chief Engineer Harold Bartlett, ham call sign W5KWA, oversaw all technical aspects of the station from its construction until his retirement in July 1980.

At the time, the FCC normally did not allow common ownership of two stations with overlapping signals, and would not even consider a waiver for a city-grade overlap. As a result, Belo sold KFDM-TV, along with WTVC in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Freedom Communications in 1984.

In 1998, KFDM launched a charter The WB 100+ Station Group cable channel identified as "KWBB" to mimic a regular station's call sign.

At the beginning of 2007, KFDM started broadcasting The CW on its second subchannel.

In 2008, KFDM agreed to provide Southland Conference Television Network programming on Time Warner Cable Channel 35 starting on September 13.

However, channel 6 retained the "-TV" suffix until 2009, long after the two former sister stations went their separate ways.

On April 7, 2010, the FCC issued a Report & Order, granting KFDM's channel change from channel 21 to channel 25.

On April 11, 2011, KFDM completed its move to channel 25 with higher power and a new omnidirectional antenna.

Sinclair already owned KABB and KMYS in San Antonio and completed its purchase of Austin's KEYE-TV on January 3, 2012.

The station began broadcasting Grit service on its .3 subchannel on December 29, 2014.