KSAN-TV began broadcasting on February 8, 1962, as KACB-TV. It operated strictly as a satellite station of KRBC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Abilene, until 1998, when it was split off and a local news operation set up in San Angelo. The station changed its call sign to KSAN-TV in 2003 after Mission purchased the station and merged operations with KLST on June 1, 2004.
Channel 3 was assigned to San Angelo in August 1952 as a replacement for channel 6, an original assignment that was given to Temple.[2] San Angelo radio station KGKL applied for[3] and received a construction permit for the channel, but the station was soon sold. New owner Lewis O. Seibert decided against building KGKL-TV, believing San Angelo was unable to support two stations. In justifying his decision to surrender the permit, Seibert was skeptical that the San Angelo trading area, as large as Ohio, could be adequately reached by a TV station.[4] Two applicants again sought the channel in 1956. Jane Roberts, wife of KOSA-TV owner Cecil Roberts, pulled out in October 1956,[5] while the San Angelo Television Company (partly owned by a founder of KTXL radio) had its permit withdrawn in January 1957 for failure to build the station in a timely manner.[6]
In January 1961, the Ackers family, owners of Abilene's KRBC-TV, filed for channel 3.[7] They proposed to build a satellite with no San Angelo programming. Two other groups, E. C. Gunter and Dornita Enterprises, also sought the channel; to help relieve congestion, the Ackers recommended the reassignment of channel 6.[8] Dornita and Gunter soon withdrew,[9][10] Construction began by October 1961,[11] and the station signed on February 8, 1962, as KACB-TV. It originated from a facility north of San Angelo.[12]
In 1997, the Ackers family agreed to sell KRBC-TV and KACB-TV to Sunrise Television Corporation, a firm backed by the private equity firm of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst; this was the first transfer of ownership in either station's history.[13] Shortly after the ownership change took effect on March 31, 1998, Sunrise began planning to split KACB-TV off as a separate station with local news for San Angelo and facilities on Southwest Boulevard.[14] This was part of an overall investment in both stations by the new owner.[15] The first San Angelo–based newscasts aired on October 1, 1998.[16] In 2002, Sunrise merged with another firm in which Hicks, Muse had ownership interests, LIN Television.[17]
LIN TV sold KRBC-TV and KACB-TV to Mission Broadcasting in 2003; channel 3 changed its call sign to KSAN-TV. Mission typically contracted with Nexstar Broadcasting Group for shared services and did so in Abilene, where that company owned CBS affiliate KTAB-TV.[18] Nexstar did not yet own a station in San Angelo, but the Mission purchase of KACB-TV accelerated its years-long pursuit of CBS affiliate KLST, which it agreed to purchase from Jewell Television Corporation.[19] On June 1, 2004, Nexstar assumed control of KLST;[20] KLST's news director assumed responsibility for KSAN-TV's newscasts,[19] and Nexstar consolidated traffic—the scheduling and logging for commercials—for the San Angelo stations in Abilene at KTAB–KRBC, leading to layoffs at KLST.[21] On February 17, 2009, both stations converted to exclusively digital broadcasts.[22]
^"Angelo Gets Better TV Channel Spot". San Angelo Evening Standard. San Angelo, Texas. Associated Press. August 1, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"TV Permit In City Okayed". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. November 27, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"San Angelo TV Request Halted". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. October 31, 1956. p. 20. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Channel Permit Here Cancelled". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. Associated Press. February 1, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"For Angelo: New TV Service Is Asked". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. February 20, 1961. p. 1B. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Firm Withdraws TV Application". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. March 1, 1961. p. 2A. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"E. C. Gunter Withdraws TV Request". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. May 4, 1961. p. 13B. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"TV Station Gets Ready For Tower". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. October 16, 1961. p. 5B. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Taylor, William (April 21, 1998). "KACB to become 'full-fledged' station". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. p. 8A. Retrieved February 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Kerschbaumer, Ken (May 18, 2003). "'Duopoly' in Terre Haute". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved April 18, 2010. [T]he group is buying KRBC-TV Abilene-Sweetwater, Texas, and KACB-TV San Angelo, Texas, from LIN Television.
^"TV station KLST gets new owner". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. May 22, 2004. pp. 1A, 11A. Retrieved February 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Boyle, Jayna (February 14, 2009). "Local stations switching to digital". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. pp. A1, A5. Retrieved February 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
