KBBW-TV



KBBW-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Texas Big Bend. Licensed to Alpine, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 17 (or virtual channel 17.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in uptown Alpine. Owned by Bayou City Broadcasting, KBBW has sales and administrative offices in Alpine, Ft. Davis and Presidio, with a Mexican news bureau in neighboring Ojinaga, where it produces Spanish-language news.

Early History
The station was founded on June 4, 1973 and first hit the airwaves a few days later. Some of CBS's programming was available on Odessa-Midland's KOSA-TV (Channel 7), and El Paso's KDBC-TV (Channel 4), all of which are available on cable in most parts of the region. This is the Texas Big Bend's very own TV station. It was also the Big Bend's first VHF station.

UAB ownership
Channel 17 started up as a United Artists-owned station, making the first station in Texas owned by UAB since it failed to launch KUAB-TV (now KTXH) in Houston. In 1977, upon UA/Transamerica's exit from broadcasting, it sold KBBW to RKO General.

Acquirement by Belo/Kelly/Meredith
In February 1988, Local Media Partners LLC, a joint venture between Des Moines, Iowa-based Meredith Corporation, Sacremento, California-based Kelly Broadcasting and Dallas, Texas-based A.H. Belo (which was later renamed Belo Corporation in 2002), acquired the station from RKO General, making Channel 17 a sister station to KQHT-TV (Channel 14) in Keokuk, Iowa, KMOI-TV (Channel 23) in Kirksville, Missouri, KHOU-TV (Channel 11) in Houston, Texas, KCPQ (Channel 13) in Tacoma, Washington, Meredith flagship KPHO-TV (Channel 5) in Phoenix, Arizona, Kelly flagship KCRA-TV (Channel 3) and Belo flagship WFAA-TV (Channel 8).

50/50 Ownership
Local Media Partners LLC, acquired the rest of KBBW's share in August 1998, as part of Kelly Broadcasting's exit from the television business, making it a 50/50 joint venture between Belo and Meredith. Belo later sold its remaining share to Meredith on December 9, 2013 upon its merger with Gannett two weeks later in order to satisfy FCC regulations.

Sole ownership by Meredith
In late 2013, Belo announced its exit from broadcasting, selling almost all of its stations to Gannett. Meredith was proud to say that Belo would sell its share of the station's ventures to Meredith Corporation.

Bayou City era
On September 8, 2015, Media General announced that it would acquire Meredith by June 2016. But in January 2017, it decided to divest with The Woodlands-based Bayou City Broadcasting emerging as the top suitor for channel 17.

Newscasts titles

 * Your Big Bend Report (1970-1977)
 * Newswatch 17 (1977-1984)
 * News 17 (1984-1990)
 * First News
 * News 17 Tonight
 * Channel 17 News (1990-2005)
 * Channel 17 News First at 4
 * Channel 17 News Tonight
 * KBBW 17 News (2005-2013)
 * KBBW 17 News First @ 4:00
 * KBBW 17 News Tonight
 * CBS 17 News (2013-2017)
 * News 17 Big Bend (2017-present)

News themes

 * Theme from "Firepower" (1977-1983)
 * WJKS 1983 News Theme (1983-1984)
 * There's A New Day Dawning (1984-1986)
 * Look to the Leader - Tuesday Productions (1986-1987)
 * KCBS-WNEV-WVTM News Theme (1987-2005)
 * Overture - Stephen Arnold Music (2004-Present)

Slogans

 * "The Best is Right Here on 17 (1973-1974)
 * "See The Best... Channel 17." (1974-1975)
 * "Catch the Brightest Stars on 17" (1975-1976)
 * "17, We're the Hot Ones" (1976-1977)
 * "There's Something in the Air on 17." (1977-1978)
 * "Seventeen, Turn Us On, We'll Turn You On." (1978-1979)
 * "We're Looking Good on Seventeen." (1979-1981)
 * "Reach for the Stars on Seventeen." (1981-1982)
 * "Great Moments on Seventeen." (1982-1983)
 * "We've Got the Touch, You and 17." (1983-1984)
 * "You and 17, We've Got the Touch." (1984-1985)
 * "We've Got the Touch on 17." (1985-1986)
 * "Share the Spirit with 17." (1986-1987)
 * "17 Spirit, Oh Yes!" (1987-1988)
 * "You Can Feel It on TV-33." (1988-1989)
 * "Hey Big Bend, Get Ready for 17." (1989-1991)
 * "The Look of the Big Bend is 17!" (1991-1992)
 * "This is CBS, on 33." (1992-1994)
 * "17, It's All Right Here." (1993-1994)
 * "I am 33 People." (1994-1995)
 * "You're on 17" (1995-1996)
 * "Welcome Home to 17." (1996-1997)
 * "The Address is Channel 17, Welcome Home." (1997-1999)
 * "The Address is Channel 17. (1999-2001)
 * "Channel 17, It's All Here." (2001-2005)
 * "America's Most Watched Network is Channel 17." (2004-present)
 * "Everybody's Watching CBS 17." (2005-2006)
 * "We Are CBS 17!" (2006-2009)
 * "Only CBS 17, Only CBS." (2009-present)
 * "The Look of a Leader" (1977-1990)
 * "One of the Strongest CBS Stations in Texas" (1979-1993)
 * "Getting Answers" (1993-1997)
 * "Coverage You Can Count On" (1997-2006)
 * "First At Home" (2006-2011)
 * "Your Breaking News and Weather Authority" (2013-present)
 * "Serving the Big Bend for 40 Years...Since 1973...You're Watching CBS 17" (June 2013)