KDRV

In the early 1980’s, a group of local investors, led by Medford orchardist Dunbar Carpenter, formed Sunshine Television, Inc. The group secured a license from the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast locally on VHF Channel 12. Sunshine Television built its new station, KDRV-TV, on property just off Biddle Road near the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport. On February 26, 1984, KDRV-TV signed on as an affiliate of the ABC Television Network. KDRV-TV soon launched local news. NewsWatch 12 premiered September 16, 1985. In a few short years, the station’s newscasts became the most-watched in the region. That tradition continues. Today, NewsWatch 12 produces 36 hours of local news programming a week, more than any other station in the region. NewsWatch 12 has earned honors for excellence in journalism from numerous professional organizations, including the Oregon Associated Press Award for Best Newscast during four out of five years. NewsWatch 12 has received multiple regional Emmy nominations and been honored twice for Outstanding Daily Newscast. KDRV-TV’s commitment to the communities it serves has made it an innovator in local television news. NewsWatch 12 produced the market’s first late local weekend newscasts. We introduced the region’s first 6:00 p.m. weeknight newscast. We were the first to bring Southern Oregon a live early-morning newscast. The addition of KDKF-TV in 1989 brought a powerful signal carrying KDRV-TV programs to viewers throughout the Klamath Basin. NewsWatch 12 is owned by Allen Media Broadcasting. AMB is part of one of the nation’s largest privately owned media companies, Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios/Allen Media Group, which owns nine 24-hour HD television networks including The Weather Channel and produces, distributes, and sells advertising for 64 television programs, making it one of the largest independent producers/distributors of first-run syndicated television programming for broadcast television stations.