KXMB-TV is the local CBS affiliate television broadcast station, broadcasting on Channel 12. KXMB-TV operates jointly with stations KXMC-TV (Minot), KXMA-TV (Dickinson), and KXMD-TV (Williston).
Launched by John Boler in 1955 and sold to Chester Reiten in 1971, KXMB-TV remained under Reiten family ownership until its acquisition by Nexstar in 2016, who since acquired the local CW affiliate as well.
History
KXMB signed on the air under the callsign KBMB on November 19, 19555. KBMY operated at 39,000 watts with its first live broadcast originated from Valley City’s KXJB-TV at 8:15 p.m.
It was the third television station launched by John W. Boler, president of North Dakota Broadcasting Company. The “MB” portion of its callsign are an homage to John’s wife, Mary Boler.
At launch, KBMB originated local broadcasts from a studio located on the 17th floor of the state Capitol and held administrative offices on the sixth floor of the Provident Life Building.
In April 1956, KBMB opened new studios inside the Rusco Window Building at 1322 Front Avenue. Construction began on today’s presenting facility on North 15th Street in June 1957, where it featured a studio measuring 40×60 feet in its lower level. KBMB completed its relocation there in May 1958.
Boler began a partnership with Chester Reiten of Minot the following year, when the duo purchased Minot’s KCJB-TV. Its call letters where then changed to KXMC-TV, with “MC” referencing Minot’s Magic City nickname.
Upon merging the Bismarck and Minot operations, KBMB’s call letters were changed on December 31, 1960 to KXMB, starting the group’s shared “KX” moniker. KXMD, in Williston, launched in 1969. The Reitens purchased Dickinson’s KNDX in 1985. At first, the call letters were to be changed to KXME, but after objection from Prairie Public Television the call letters instead became KXMA.
Boler sold his interest in the western North Dakota stations to Reiten in 1970 (closed in 1971 after FCC approval).
Later History
The KX station group adopted the umbrella brand of KX News in or around 2004. About this same time, KX started using the slogan “Your Eye on Dakota” in reference to the CBS eye logo. Further embracing its shared “KX” call letters, the station group launched new umbrella branding “We Are KX” beginning in 2012, which has since been dropped to again favor KX News.
Through a partnership with Midkota Solutions, developer of the popular hyperlocal classifieds website Bismanonline, KX launched the KXNet web portal in 2006.
In 2008, Reiten Television formed a Joint Sales Agreement (JSA) with Forum Communications for their ABC affiliate operations in western North Dakota, KBMY and KMCY. Forum previously had a JSA with the local FOX affiliate. The partnership was dissolved after Nexstar’s acquisition.
After sixty years of family ownership, Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced that it intended to acquire Reiten Television for $44 million. The sale was concluded in February 2016 after regulatory approval.
