KLWT-TV

KLWT-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Texas Big Bend. Licensed to Marfa, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 (or virtual channel 35.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in midtown Marfa. This station can also be seen on Cox Cable Channel 12. Owned by Cox Media Group, KLWT has sales and administrative offices in Marfa and Ft. Davis, with a Mexican news bureau in Ojinaga, where it produces Spanish-language news.

Early History
The station was founded on March 5, 1979 and first hit the airwaves a few days later as a satellite of KMID (now an ABC affiliate). It was also the Big Bend's first UHF station. Some of NBC's programming was available on that station as well as El Paso's KTSM-TV (Channel 9), all of which are available on cable in most parts of the region. On Christmas Eve 1979, channel 35 was sold to Group W and became a separate station. Group W, in turn, would later sell the station to Telepictures in June 1986.

Westinghouse ownership
Channel 35 started up its time as a separate station as a Westinghouse-owned station, making the first station in Texas owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting, under the "Group W" name. In 1986, upon the sale of WPCQ (now WCNC-TV, Channel 36) in Charlotte two years before, it sold KLWT to the broadcasting division of television production company Telepictures, which later merged with motion picture company Lorimar into Lorimar-Telepictures.

Acquirement by Renaissance, then to Tribune
In 1988, Renaissance Broadcasting purchased KLWT from L-P, making it a sister station to WPCQ and Fox affiliate WPGH-TV (channel 53) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1997, Renaissance sold KLWT-TV and its entire television stations group to Tribune Broadcasting, making Tribune's first NBC affiliate until its sale to Cox in 2000. Tribune would later own two NBC affiliates in Des Moines, Iowa and Oklahoma City when it acquired Local TV LLC. Tribune would later re-enter the Alpine/Marfa/Fort Davis television market when it purchased ABC affiliate KAMD-TV (Channel 11) from SagamoreHill Broadcasting.

Cox era
In 2000, Tribune announced that it would sell KLWT to current owner Cox Enterprises, which promises the station more local news and advanced syndicated programming. This change of ownership made KLWT a sister station to fellow NBC affiliate WPXI (Channel 11) in Pittsburgh.

Programming
During the 1980's, KLWT provided the strongest syndicated programming for the Big Bend and became the #1 Kids station in town, providing TV shows like "Thundercats", "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", "She-Ra: Princess of Power", "Challenge of the Gobots", "SkySurfers Strike Force" and "Centurions" as well as the animated adaption of the hit TV series "ALF". It also began airing "The People's Court" in 1988 upon its ownership by Lorimar-Telepictures and continues to air the series since its revival in 1997. It also has shows like "Jerry Springer", "The Maury Povich Show", "Sally Jesse Rafael" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show". It also carried the first episodes of "Entertainment Tonight" and its weekend edition, "Entertainment This Week" until March 1982 when independent station KAMD-TV (channel 11) was launched.

News Titles

 * Channel 35 Eyewitness News (1979-1986)
 * Channel 35 Eyewitness News Nightcast
 * Newswatch 35 (1986-2000)
 * Nightwatch 35
 * NBC 35 News (2000-2008)
 * NBC 35 News Nightcast (2000-2004)
 * NBC Big Bend News (2008-present)

Station Slogans

 * KLWT-TV, Your New Full Power Station (1951-1960)
 * The Report Is For You! (1960-1965)
 * Now Broadcasting In Color (1965-1975)
 * The Big Bend's Number #1 Station! (1975-1990; general slogan)
 * The News People! (1975-1981; news slogan)
 * Keeping It Real in the Big Bend (1981-1990; news slogan)
 * The Spirit of the Big Bend (1986-present; general slogan)
 * We're The Team! (1990-1995; general slogan)
 * Where the News Comes First (1990-1995; news slogan)
 * The NBC Leader in the Area (1995-2000; general slogan)
 * Working for You (1995-2000; news slogan)
 * Your Choice For News and Weather (2000-2006; news slogan)
 * On Your Side. (2006-present; news slogan)