KDKA-TV
| Company type | Television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | January 11, 1949 |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | Pittsburgh metropolitan area |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
| Owner | CBS News and Stations (Paramount Global) |
| Parent | CBS News and Stations |
KDKA-TV (channel 2), known on-air as CBS Pittsburgh, operates as a television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It functions as an owned and operated station under the CBS network, managed by its CBS News and Stations division, and maintains a sister station relationship with WPKD-TV (channel 19), which is an independent station. Both stations operate from shared facilities located at the Gateway Center in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, while KDKA-TV’s transmission equipment is situated in the city's Perry North area.
DuMont beginnings (1949–1954)
The station commenced broadcasting as WDTV on January 11, 1949, serving primarily as an affiliate of the now-defunct DuMont Television Network, while also carrying programming from CBS, NBC, and ABC on a secondary basis. Initially assigned to channel 3, WDTV was owned by DuMont’s parent company, Allen B. DuMont Laboratories. It was the 51st television station established in the United States, marking DuMont’s third owned-and-operated outlet following WABD (New York City) and WTTG (Washington, D.C.), and was Pennsylvania’s first station under direct network ownership. The station’s inaugural broadcast featured a live event from Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque, incorporating performances from talent affiliated with DuMont, CBS, NBC, and ABC.
WDTV played a crucial role in linking Midwestern and East Coast television markets by enabling live transmissions across 13 cities stretching from Boston to St. Louis for the first time. It was among the final stations licensed before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) imposed its four-year freeze on new television licenses.
After the FCC lifted its freeze with the Sixth Report and Order in 1952, DuMont transitioned WDTV from channel 3 to channel 2 on November 23 to minimize signal interference with nearby stations such as NBC-owned WNBK (Cleveland). This reassignment facilitated WPSU-TV’s subsequent use of channel 3 in the Johnstown–Altoona region. WDTV distinguished itself as the first U.S. television station to offer round-the-clock broadcasting, targeting overnight audiences with its Swing Shift Theatre program airing from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. The DuMont coaxial cable system connected stations between Boston and St. Louis, allowing for simultaneous live broadcasts; stations not yet linked received kinescope recordings instead.
Prior to the conclusion of the FCC's license freeze, WDTV faced competition only from distant signals originating in Johnstown, Altoona, Wheeling, and Youngstown. In 1953, Pittsburgh introduced two UHF broadcasters: ABC affiliate WENS (channel 16, later WINP-TV) and WKJF-TV (channel 53, later WPGH-TV), an independent outlet. However, UHF stations required viewers to use expensive set-top converters and generally produced inferior picture quality. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s challenging topography further impaired UHF signal reception, contributing to the brief lifespans of both WKJF and WENS.
Although Pittsburgh ranked as the sixth-largest television market in the United States, other VHF stations developed slowly due to nearby major cities within the Upper Ohio Valley sharing VHF frequencies. Following the FCC's lifting of the licensing freeze in 1952, new commercial VHF licenses for Pittsburgh were withheld to allocate opportunities for smaller markets. As a result, WDTV enjoyed a de facto monopoly over Pittsburgh’s television landscape. Similar to its sister stations WABD and WTTG, WDTV demonstrated greater strength than the DuMont network at large. According to network general manager Ted Bergmann, WDTV generated annual revenues of $4 million that helped sustain DuMont financially. Holding exclusive access to a major market provided DuMont leverage in securing program clearances elsewhere; CBS, NBC, and ABC maintained secondary affiliations with WDTV to ensure their programs reached Pittsburgh audiences and preserved advertising revenue.
NBC affiliates such as Johnstown’s (WJAC-TV, channel 6) and Wheeling’s (WTRF-TV, channel 7), along with Steubenville-based CBS affiliate WSTV-TV (now WTOV-TV), were receivable within Pittsburgh’s area. CBS sought to acquire WSTV-TV’s license to relocate its channel 9 allocation into Pittsburgh due to geographic proximity but was denied by the FCC. Despite overlapping coverage areas, Wheeling/Steubenville remains classified by the FCC as a distinct television market.
WDTV broadcast all DuMont network programming live while selectively airing top shows from other networks via kinescope recordings on alternate weeks. The station’s launch marked a significant milestone by enabling live program distribution between East Coast and Midwest markets through coaxial cable—the second such link activated between New York City and Chicago—thus paving the way for nationwide live network television broadcasts.
As KDKA-TV (1954–present)
By the mid-1950s, DuMont was facing financial difficulties. Paramount Pictures, a stakeholder in DuMont, blocked a potential merger with ABC due to FCC apprehensions about Paramount’s influence. Concurrently, Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Corporation pursued the channel 13 license to serve its local market. After establishing stations in other areas, Westinghouse was keen to enter the Pittsburgh market but encountered competition for the license and ultimately supported the establishment of the public broadcaster WQED.
In late 1954, Westinghouse proposed acquiring WDTV from DuMont for $9.75 million; DuMont agreed, securing immediate funds but relinquishing significant market presence. The transaction finalized in January 1955, with WDTV rebranded as KDKA-TV, reflecting Westinghouse’s historic radio station KDKA (1020 AM). Unusually for an eastern station, KDKA-TV retained a "K" prefix in its call sign.
While KDKA radio was linked to NBC’s Blue Network, network affiliations evolved through intricate exchanges involving Westinghouse and NBC properties in Philadelphia and Cleveland. By 1957, KDKA-TV had become primarily affiliated with CBS, maintaining secondary ties to NBC and ABC until the late 1950s launches of competitors WIIC-TV (now WPXI) and WTAE-TV. Serving as Westinghouse Broadcasting’s flagship outlet, KDKA-TV also briefly partnered with the NTA Film Network.
A notable moment in the station’s history was extensive live reporting by newscaster Bill Burns following President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.
During the 1994 industry-wide affiliation realignments prompted by Fox’s growth, Westinghouse negotiated with both NBC and CBS before committing to a long-term group-wide CBS affiliation agreement for its five-station Group W division. This decision ensured Pittsburgh remained one of the few major markets unaffected by the affiliation upheaval.
Westinghouse’s 1995 acquisition of CBS transformed KDKA-TV into a CBS owned-and-operated station after decades as an affiliate. The company rebranded as CBS Corporation in 1997 and merged with Viacom in 2000, linking KDKA-TV with Pittsburgh’s UPN affiliate WNPA-TV (currently independent WPKD-TV). Following Viacom’s later split and re-merger with CBS Corporation, KDKA-TV refreshed its branding to align with CBS corporate standards.
In August 2007, KDKA-TV launched its "Your Home" campaign featuring local musicians to deepen community engagement.
On February 2, 2017, CBS sold its radio division to Entercom (now Audacy), separating radio assets such as KDKA (AM) from the television station while preserving robust content-sharing partnerships.
CBS Corporation and Viacom reunited as ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global) on December 4, 2019.
On March 21, 2023, KDKA-TV unveiled a new logo and on-air presentation consistent with CBS’s "deconstructed eye" design but uniquely incorporated Pittsburgh’s black and gold colors—symbolic of local sports teams and city identity—setting it apart from sister stations like Philadelphia’s KYW-TV.
Programming
Following the 1995 CBS-Westinghouse affiliation agreement, KDKA-TV began broadcasting the complete CBS schedule without interruptions, except for urgent or local news coverage. Unlike other stations, it schedules the weekday CBS Evening News at 7 p.m. ET, accommodating its extended evening newscast from 4 to 7 p.m. Weekend broadcasts generally occur on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m.
Preempted programming
Prior to 1995, KDKA-TV occasionally preempted certain CBS shows, most notably opting not to air As the World Turns from the early 1960s until 1990, with a brief exception between 1976 and 1978. Other Pittsburgh stations carried this soap opera during that period. In the 1970s, the station also declined to air some daytime game shows and reruns. Additionally, it was among four CBS affiliates that chose not to broadcast the 1974 movie Death Wish due to concerns over violent content. Sporadic preemptions included syndicated films, special programs, or sports events tied to Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins broadcast rights. Weekend scheduling changes occasionally affected cartoons and Sunday religious programming. In 1993, the station replaced CBS This Morning with Disney's syndicated animated shows. Despite these selective preemptions, CBS regarded KDKA-TV as the dominant station in the Pittsburgh market.
Syndicated and local talk shows
During Westinghouse’s ownership, KDKA-TV aired syndicated talk programs produced by Group W Productions such as The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and also created a local talk show called Pittsburgh Talks. In the 1980s, it broadcast early seasons of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, though both later moved to WPXI in 1988. The station also carried The Oprah Winfrey Show during its initial nine seasons of syndication (1986–1995) in a 5 p.m. timeslot.
In 1989, KDKA-TV added The Sally Jessy Raphael Show at 9 a.m. and Donahue at 4 p.m., but due to low ratings for Donahue, there was growing interest in alternative talk programs. By 1993, both Sally and Donahue had shifted to WTAE-TV; concurrently, KDKA-TV introduced a new 5 p.m. newscast, prompting Oprah to move there as well. In 1997, The Ricki Lake Show transitioned to WPGH-TV; meanwhile, Sally returned to KDKA-TV until its cancellation in 2002, consistently outperforming rival shows locally before being succeeded by an updated version of Pittsburgh 2day Live.
KDKA-TV broadcasted The Rosie O'Donnell Show throughout its entire six-year run at 4 p.m., later becoming Pittsburgh’s first station to launch a newscast in that hour instead of airing its short-lived replacement.
From August 2020 until March 2023, Dr. Phil was KDKA-TV’s only syndicated daytime offering outside of late-night programming; most other daytime syndicated shows were carried by sister station WPKD. Following the conclusion of Dr. Phil, KDKA-TV debuted an afternoon talk show spin-off from PTL, titled Talk Pittsburgh, on March 20, 2023. Concurrently, Dr. Phil moved over to WPKD-TV.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Since CBS holds the broadcast rights for AFC contests, KDKA-TV has served as the primary broadcaster and flagship station for most Pittsburgh Steelers games since 1998, including preseason matchups not covered nationally. This relationship dates back to CBS's leaguewide television package beginning in 1962. As the Steelers predated the formation of the AFC, their away games were aired on KDKA-TV rather than WTAE-TV or WPXI since the AFL had contracts with ABC and later NBC.
After the AFL-NFL merger, NFL regulations prevented KDKA-TV from airing Steelers games from 1970 through 1972; those games were exclusively shown on WIIC-TV during that span. Starting in 1973, KDKA-TV resumed coverage of home games against National Football Conference opponents and broadcast two Super Bowl victories: Super Bowl X (1976) and Super Bowl XIV (1980). Local blackout rules have been lifted since consistent sellouts began in 1972. Between 1970 and 1997, channel 11 televised most Steelers contests.
When Fox acquired the NFC package in 1994, WPGH-TV took over broadcasting Steelers games previously aired by KDKA-TV for four years. Night games have typically been shown on WTAE-TV during Monday Night Football, originally on ABC and since 2006 on ESPN, as well as simulcasts of ESPN Sunday Night Football from 1987 through 2005. Since 2006, WPXI has aired Steelers games featured on NBC Sunday Night Football. NFL rules require cable games to be simulcast locally over-the-air; WTAE-TV has simulcast ESPN games partly because Hearst Corporation holds a stake in ESPN and ABC stations possess right-of-first-refusal privileges. Games broadcast on TNT and NFL Network have appeared on various local channels over time. Since implementation of 'cross-flex' rules in 2014, Steelers games involving AFC opponents or road NFC opponents scheduled for KDKA-TV may be aired instead on Fox affiliate WPGH-TV.
News operation
KDKA-TV currently delivers 43 hours of locally generated newscasts each week, consisting of seven hours on weekdays, 4½ hours on Saturdays, and 3½ hours on Sundays. Additionally, the station produces 2 hours and 35 minutes of local news content every weekday for its independent sister channel WPKD-TV. This includes a two-hour extension of the weekday morning show beginning at 7 a.m., as well as a nightly 35-minute newscast airing at 10 p.m.
During the period of Westinghouse ownership, KDKA-TV adopted the Eyewitness News branding, a concept originally developed by its sister station KYW-TV. This local ownership structure contributed to the station’s dominance in local news ratings for many years, although competition intensified in the 1970s when WTAE-TV introduced the Action News format backed by Hearst Communications' investments.
The 1990s ushered in major transformations after Westinghouse acquired CBS and relocated its headquarters to New York City, ending KDKA-TV's status as a locally owned station. In April 1996, the station retired the Eyewitness News brand in favor of KDKA-TV News. By this time, WPXI had gained momentum as a formidable rival due to Cox Media Group's financial backing, resulting in a competitive three-way race among Pittsburgh’s television news outlets.
In November 1997, KDKA-TV partnered with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to launch KD/PG Sunday Edition, a weekly public affairs program that replaced the newspaper’s previous show, The Editors.
KDKA-TV initiated production of a 10 p.m. newscast on WNPA (now WPKD-TV) in 2001, later expanding with a two-hour weekday morning newscast in 2005. This morning show was subsequently reduced to one hour before returning to two hours by 2019.
On June 16, 2009, KDKA-TV transitioned its newscasts to high-definition broadcasts.
In January 2019, the station dismissed an employee responsible for airing a graphic during Super Bowl LIII coverage that labeled New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a "known cheater".
KDKA-TV debuted its localized streaming news platform, CBSN Pittsburgh (now CBS News Pittsburgh), on March 5, 2020, aligning its digital strategy with other CBS-owned stations nationwide.
On August 17, 2020, KDKA introduced a weekday news broadcast at 7:30 p.m., replacing Extra. This move positioned the station against WTAE-TV's subchannel newscast and made it the only Pittsburgh station providing news during the Prime Time Access Hour on its primary channel. Subsequently, on January 8, 2024, KDKA launched an 8 p.m. newscast on WPKD that replaced CW programming following Paramount Global’s agreement with Nexstar Media Group. This newscast aired its final edition on July 25, 2025.
Notable current on-air staff
- Charlie Batch – analyst covering Steelers
- Arthur Moats – Steelers analyst
- John Shumway – anchor and reporter (1988–present)
Notable former on-air staff
- Susan Barnett – anchor (1999–2003)
- Bill Burns – anchor (1953–1989)
- Patti Burns – anchor and reporter (1974–1997)
- Don Cannon – anchor and reporter (1999–2008)
- Jon Delano – money and politics correspondent (1994–2024)
- Rehema Ellis – began her broadcasting career at KDKA-TV
- Marty Griffin – investigative and consumer reporter known for "Get Marty"
- Donna Hanover – host of Evening Magazine (1977–1980)
- Ron Klink – weekend anchor and reporter (1977–1991)
- Dennis Miller – contributor and guest host for Evening Magazine
- Josh Miller – football player and analyst
- Paul Moyer – anchor and reporter (1971)
- Ron Olsen – reporter and talk show host (1976–1979)
- Larry Richert – anchor and meteorologist (1988–2001)
- John Sanders – sports anchor
- Stacy Smith – anchor (1983–2021)
- John Steigerwald – sports anchor (1985–2007)
- Paul Steigerwald – sports reporter (1987–1998)
- Dick Stockton – sports reporter (1967–1971)
- Brian Sussman – meteorologist (1987)
- Marie Torre – anchor and reporter (1962–1977)
Digital subchannels
The broadcast signal of KDKA-TV is divided into multiple subchannels as outlined below:
| Channel | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Identifier | Content |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | KDKA-HD | CBS |
| 2.2 | 480i | StartTV | Start TV | |
| 2.3 | DABL | Dabl | ||
| 2.4 | FAVE | Fave TV | ||
| 2.5 | Catchy | Catchy Comedy |
Transition from analog to digital
On June 12, 2009, KDKA-TV discontinued its analog transmissions on VHF channel 2 in compliance with the federally mandated deadline for full-power U.S. stations to switch to digital broadcasting. The final analog broadcast featured a retrospective montage followed by "The Star-Spangled Banner," ending with the original DuMont test pattern and station identification. Pursuant to the SAFER Act, the analog signal remained active until July 12 to provide public service announcements regarding the digital switchover. During this "nightlight" interval, regular programming briefly resumed on June 17 to cover severe weather events. The station's digital broadcasts continue on UHF channel 25, utilizing virtual channel number 2.
In July 2009, KDKA-TV submitted applications to the FCC seeking permission to operate translator stations on channel 31 in Morgantown, West Virginia, and channel 40 in Johnstown.
External links
- CBSPittsburgh.com – Official website of KDKA-TV CBS 2
- The early years of Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV
- Pittsburgh Television history page