The FCC granted an original construction permit to Charles R. Meeker on January 24, 1996, to build a low-power television station on UHF channel 45 to serve Cathedral City and Palm Springs, California. It was given the call sign K45ET and began broadcasting October 18, 1997,[2] under the operation of Sun Holding Corporation as "KPSP" Sun TV an independent station.[3]
Sun TV struggled. It lacked cable carriage on the main Time Warner Cable system until 1998, when it was added from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. 24-hour carriage commenced in January 1999, too late for the station. Sun TV folded on February 11, 1999; channel 58 then exchanged call letters with KDPX-LP (channel 45),[4] also picking up KDPX-LP's Pax programming. As a Pax station, the station was operated by JB Broadcasting.[5]
In 2008, the call letters for the station were changed to KRET-CA; that May, it added Retro Television Network.[6] In 2011, KRET added MeTV to its main channel. From late July to late September 2013, due to a retransmission consent dispute between Time Warner Cable and Journal Broadcast Group's NBC affiliate KMIR-TV, that station subcontracted with KRET-CA to carry their evening newscasts during the dispute due to KRET's channel 14 position on TWC systems.[7]
The station was issued its license for digital operation on October 8, 2014, and simultaneously changed its call sign to KRET-CD.
In August 2023, it was announced that Bridge Media Network would acquire the station for $800,000.[8]
^Fessier, Bruce (September 30, 1997). "Local fiddler gets taste of real show biz". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. C1. Retrieved March 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Michaels, Pat (February 28, 1999). "Whatever happened to charm?". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. E1. Retrieved March 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Fullam, Peter (June 18, 1999). "PAX sponsors can promote family values". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. p. E1. Retrieved March 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
