KPIX-TV

KPIX-TV
Company type	Television station
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	1948-12-22
Headquarters	San Francisco, California, United States
Area served	San Francisco Bay Area
Owner	CBS News and Stations (Paramount Global)
Website	https://www.cbsnews.com/bayarea/

KPIX-TV (channel 5), known on-air as CBS Bay Area, is a television station licensed in San Francisco, California, serving viewers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. It operates under the ownership and management of CBS via its CBS News and Stations division and is affiliated with sister station KPYX (channel 44), an independent station. Both stations operate out of shared facilities located at Broadway and Battery Street in San Francisco’s North Waterfront neighborhood. KPIX’s broadcast transmitter is positioned atop Sutro Tower. The same building also accommodates former radio stations once under common ownership, now controlled by Audacy, Inc..

History

Launching on December 22, 1948, KPIX holds the distinction of being Northern California’s inaugural television station and the 49th nationwide. Initially owned by Associated Broadcasters—the proprietors of KSFO (560 AM)—the station’s first transmitter was installed atop the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. Subsequently, it relocated to a shared tower with KGO-TV near Sutro Mansion before settling at the Sutro Tower in 1973. KPIX aligned with CBS from its inception due to a pre-existing affiliation agreement tied to KSFO.

KSFO had served as CBS radio’s Bay Area affiliate between 1937 and 1941 but ended that partnership prior to CBS acquiring KQW (740 AM), which later became KCBS. In return for securing the CBS television affiliation in the Bay Area, KSFO relinquished rights to the 740 AM frequency. Additionally, KPIX aired programming from the DuMont Network until 1956 and briefly carried shows from NBC and Paramount Television Network until local competitors launched.

When rival KGO-TV began broadcasting in 1949, KPIX responded with welcoming programming and quickly earned acclaim for its news operations under General Manager Phil Lasky. The station produced national CBS coverage of major events such as the 1951 Japanese Peace Conference held in San Francisco and reported on local occurrences like the 1953 crash of an Australian airliner near San Francisco International Airport. In 1948, KPIX televised the Bay Area’s first sports broadcast and served as flagship station for the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals until 1954.

In 1952, both KPIX and KSFO transitioned to a new facility at 2655 Van Ness Avenue. Later, in 1979, KPIX moved into a refurbished warehouse designed by Gensler at Battery and Broadway Streets, where it continues to operate. The Van Ness Avenue building was notable as San Francisco’s first structure purpose-built for television production.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation purchased KPIX in 1954, incorporating it into its Group W broadcasting division as the company’s only West Coast TV outlet. Unlike most VHF stations, KPIX did not possess a traditional three-letter call sign.

During the affiliation upheavals of 1994 triggered by Fox’s agreements with New World Communications, Westinghouse negotiated group-wide affiliations. Despite more lucrative offers from NBC, Westinghouse opted to maintain ties with CBS due to strategic programming advantages and prospects for radio network integration. This decision ensured KPIX retained a long-term CBS affiliation, preserving stability in the San Francisco market amid widespread network realignments.

Following Westinghouse’s merger with CBS in late 1995, KPIX became a CBS-owned-and-operated station alongside KCBS radio. Prior to this consolidation, KPIX was CBS’s longest-standing affiliate. When Viacom acquired Westinghouse/CBS in 2000, it created a duopoly with UPN affiliate KBHK-TV; after Viacom’s split in 2005, KPIX became part of CBS Corporation. Since May 2003, both KPIX and WJZ-TV have been among the few former Group W stations continuing to use the classic Group W typeface.

In May 2006, KPIX relocated its San Jose news bureau to Fairmont Tower at 50 W. San Fernando Street—the historic site of Charles Herrold’s early radio broadcasts—highlighting its connection to pioneering moments in broadcast history.

On December 4, 2019, CBS Corporation and Viacom reunited as ViacomCBS (now known as Paramount Global), consolidating ownership of KPIX within a leading media conglomerate.

Branding

The iconic "5" emblem used by KPIX dates back to its time under Westinghouse ownership, featuring the "Group W font" that was consistently applied across the company's stations starting around 1965. Following the Westinghouse-CBS merger, most former Group W outlets discontinued this font; however, KPIX along with Baltimore's WJZ-TV remained the sole CBS-owned stations to keep it.

Distinct from other CBS-owned stations on the West Coast, KPIX did not adopt the "CBS (channel number)" branding after the merger, instead identifying itself as "KPIX-TV Channel 5." Between 1993 and 1996, the station operated under the brand "KPIX 5," replacing the Eyewitness News label with KPIX 5 News before reverting back. In 2003, it synchronized branding with its sister stations as "CBS 5," later evolving to "CBS 5 Bay Area." On February 3, 2013, KPIX reverted to "KPIX 5," permanently discontinuing use of the Eyewitness News name.

On December 19, 2022, KPIX unveiled a new brand identity as "KPIX CBS News Bay Area," becoming the first CBS-owned station to embrace the network’s refreshed corporate look. This update introduced new visuals inspired by CBS's "deconstructed eye" motif and featured new music by Antfood incorporating CBS's signature audio branding.

Entertainment programs

KPIX was a trailblazer in entertainment and lifestyle television with the launch of Evening Magazine in August 1976. Within a year, this format expanded to other Group W stations and by Fall 1978 had been syndicated nationwide under the title PM Magazine. Although cancelled by the late 1980s, Evening Magazine was revived locally on KPIX in 1998. In 2005, it was renamed Eye on the Bay to highlight local San Francisco Bay Area stories. During the early 2000s, KBCW broadcast reruns of this program one day after their original airings. Eye on the Bay transitioned to high-definition broadcasts in 2007 and ceased weekday episodes on September 7, 2012, continuing thereafter as a weekly Saturday feature.

Preempted programs

Before Westinghouse acquired CBS, KPIX was regarded as the network’s largest affiliate for much of that era. Nonetheless, from the mid-1970s until 1994, KPIX frequently preempted CBS daytime shows—for example, during the first season of Tattletales, it was replaced with reruns of Perry Mason, and The Price Is Right was only accessible in the Bay Area through Sacramento’s KXTV. Even though CBS edited over thirty violent scenes from Death Wish, both KPIX and sister station KDKA-TV chose not to air it in 1976 due to concerns about its violent and vigilante content. Despite these preemptions, CBS continued to regard KPIX as one of its top-rated affiliates. Following a long-term affiliation agreement signed in September 1994 between CBS and Westinghouse—prior to their merger—KPIX began carrying CBS’s full programming lineup without preemptions except for local news emergencies. However, it maintained an early prime time schedule from 7 to 10 pm Pacific Time—a practice initiated in 1992—until discontinuing it in 1998. Since then, KPIX has adhered strictly to CBS’s scheduled programming. Similarly, KOVR in Sacramento adopted this early prime time format after becoming a CBS affiliate in 1995 and has continued it following CBS’s acquisition in 2004. Any programs preempted by KPIX are broadcast on its independent sister station KPYX.

Talk and court programs

KPIX earned acclaim for its in-house morning talk show, People are Talking, which aired from 1978 until 1991 with hosts Ann Fraser and Ross MacGowan. This program was also distributed to other Group W stations during that era. On KPIX, People are Talking replaced The Price Is Right for a number of years; meanwhile, that game show was broadcast on Bay Area independent stations such as KOFY-TV. Additionally, a celebrity-oriented variant titled People Are Talking in the Afternoon was broadcast, featuring a small live band. Prior to this series, Ann Fraser hosted a brief half-hour program called The Morning Show, which served as a precursor to People are Talking and took over from The Kathryn Crosby Show, hosted by Bing Crosby's spouse, Kathryn. Earlier programming included The Bentley Affair with Helen Bentley during the late 1960s through the early 1970s. In the 1987–88 season, KPIX dedicated a 90-minute segment from 4:30 to 6 p.m. to court-themed shows: Superior Court, The People's Court, and The Judge.

Sports

Throughout the 1980s, KPIX functioned as the flagship broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics, occasionally preempting CBS programming to air live games before the team transitioned to KRON-TV in the early 1990s. Between 1990 and 1993, select games involving the A's and San Francisco Giants were televised on KPIX under CBS' Major League Baseball contract, including coverage of the A's 1990 World Series run. The station also served as the television home for the Golden State Warriors during the 1990s and was the exclusive broadcaster of the Bay to Breakers race until its rights moved to KRON.

From 1956 through 1993, KPIX aired most local San Francisco 49ers games via CBS’ NFL rights, covering both pre-merger leagues and National Football Conference matchups. The station broadcast two of the 49ers’ Super Bowl victories (XVI and XXIV) as well as their appearances in Super Bowls XLVII and LVIII, along with local coverage of Super Bowl 50 held at Levi's Stadium.

Following CBS losing NFL rights to Fox in 1994, most Sunday broadcasts of 49ers games shifted to KTVU. CBS later reclaimed NFL rights in 1998 with its AFC Sunday package, which included most locally televised Las Vegas Raiders contests and occasional 49ers games. Since 2014, Sunday NFL matchups may be aired on either CBS (KPIX) or Fox (KTVU), regardless of conference affiliation.

KPIX continues a longstanding collaboration with the 49ers by airing preseason games not covered nationally and also broadcasts certain pay-television games involving the team, such as those on ESPN's Monday Night Football or streaming services.

In 2025, KPIX became the first broadcast partner for the Golden State Valkyries of the WNBA, sharing coverage duties with KPYX.

Captain Fortune

During the 1950s, KPIX produced Captain Fortune, a children’s show featuring live studio audiences alongside animated segments of Crusader Rabbit. A memorable feature was Brother Buzz by the Latham Foundation, utilizing puppets crafted by Ralph Chesse. The program also included interactive drawing sessions led by artist Peter Abenheim, who authored Captain Impossible at Sea (1959) and wrote the screenplay for the science fiction film This Is Not a Test. Born in England in 1912, Abenheim relocated to San Francisco in 1932 where he attended the California School of Fine Arts, worked as an educational filmmaker, and passed away there in 1988.

Dick Stewart

Between 1956 and 1959, Davenport, Iowa native Dick Stewart (born 1927) served as the host of a weekday variety show on KPIX. Leveraging the 1959 craze surrounding Gidget, the station organized a "Miss Gidget" contest on Stewart’s program, which was won by Barbara Bouchet. She later became a regular participant on his show Dance Party and went on to establish a successful career in film.

From 1959 until 1963, Stewart led Dance Party, a program showcasing local teenagers dancing to pre-recorded tracks inside the KPIX studios. Occasionally, popular recording artists appeared to lip-sync their latest hits, mirroring the style of American Bandstand. Additionally, Stewart hosted High School Salute specials that highlighted area schools through interviews and filmed features.

News operation

As of April 2020, KPIX-TV airs 35 hours of locally produced news weekly, including six hours each weekday and 2.5 hours per day on weekends. For over thirty years, KPIX has consistently ranked second in Bay Area news viewership behind KGO-TV. The station’s weather coverage employs "Hi-Def Doppler" radar positioned on Mount Vaca.

KPIX was a trailblazer in Bay Area local television news, initially offering 15-minute evening newscasts before extending to a 30-minute format in 1963. Under program director Ray Hubbard’s leadership, The Noon News was launched with anchors John Weston and Wanda Ramey—one of the earliest female news anchors on U.S. television. Between 1965–1994 and again from 1995–2013, KPIX adopted the Eyewitness News format from its sister station KYW-TV, predating similar approaches at rival KGO-TV. In 1966, the station broke new ground by hiring Ben Williams and Belva Davis, San Francisco TV’s first African-American reporters, marking important strides in diversity.

In February 1992, KPIX shifted its late newscast from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m., extending it to a full hour as part of an early prime time trial that advanced CBS’s prime lineup. Although competitor KRON-TV briefly experimented with a similar schedule under NBC’s influence, KPIX reverted to the standard Pacific Time prime schedule in 1998 after facing stiff competition from KTVU’s dominant 10 p.m. newscast.

KPIX created 30 Minutes Bay Area, a half-hour news magazine developed with 60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt; this program was distinctive among CBS affiliates but discontinued in early 2007. The station also pioneered dedicated environmental reporting with "The Greenbeat" (2007–2010), focusing on sustainability and eco-friendly technology.

In 2007, former anchor Wendy Tokuda returned to present "Students Rising Above," a scholarship segment she founded in 1998. On January 28, 2008, KPIX became the third station in the Bay Area to deliver local newscasts in high definition; by September 2010, field reporting transitioned to HD cameras, although some footage remained non-HD.

September 2010 introduced updated graphics and the adoption of "The Enforcer" music package used across CBS-owned stations. In January 2011, weekday morning newscasts were extended by thirty minutes to begin at 4:30 a.m., and starting January 8, 2012, KPIX began producing Sunday morning news for sister station KBCW.

On January 14, 2019, several scheduling changes occurred: the half-hour CBS Evening News moved from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; the local newscast at 5 p.m. expanded to an hour; the 6 p.m. local news was reduced to thirty minutes; and a new half-hour local newscast debuted at 7 p.m.

KPIX launched its streaming news platform CBSN Bay Area (now CBS News Bay Area) on November 18, 2019—part of CBS’s initiative to roll out localized versions of its national CBSN service.

On September 27, 2021, KPIX introduced a half-hour newscast at 3 p.m., followed by the live East Coast broadcast of the CBS Evening News. On September 12, 2022, it debuted a half-hour morning newscast at 9 a.m., with the latter half-hour exclusively streamed on CBS News Bay Area.

Distinguished Former On-Air Personnel

Jim Avila – weekend anchor and San Jose Bureau chief (1976–1980)
Ken Bastida – anchor (1990–2021)
Renel Brooks-Moon – entertainment correspondent (2003–2006)
Christine Craft – anchor and reporter (1975–1977)
David Cruz – anchor and reporter (1979)
Veronica de la Cruz – anchor (2014–2021)
Paul Deanno – chief meteorologist (2012–2019)
Jami Floyd – legal analyst and reporter (1994–1997)
Bob Fouts – sports anchor (1965–1968)
Dan Fouts – sports anchor (1994–1997)
Bambi Francisco – technology correspondent (1999–2003)
Wayne Freedman – reporter (1989–1991)
Cynthia Gouw – reporter
Harold Greene – anchor (1977)
Jonathan Karsh – host and contributor for Evening Magazine (1998–2001)
Dana King – anchor (1997–2012)
Ron Magers – anchor and reporter (1968–1974)
Michael Marsh
Dave McElhatton – anchor (1976–2000)
Lee Mendelson – producer (1961–1963)
Hank Plante – reporter, anchor, and political editor (1985–2010)
Wanda Ramey – co-anchor and reporter; first female anchor in Western U.S. television (1957–1967)
Trish Regan – reporter and substitute Early Edition anchor (2002–2003)
Mike Rowe – co-host of Evening Magazine (2001–2005)
Nancy Snyderman – medical correspondent (1988–2004)
Brian Sussman – meteorologist (1989–2000)
Wendy Tokuda – co-anchor (1977–1991, 2007–2016)
Kaity Tong – reporter (1976–1979)
Thuy Vu – reporter (1994–1998)
Wayne Walker – sports anchor (1974–1994)
Colleen Williams – anchor and reporter (1981–1983)
Jan Yanehiro – co-host of Evening Magazine (1976–1990)

Subchannels

The broadcast signal of KPIX-TV is multiplexed as follows:

KPIX-TV Subchannel Lineup
Channel	Resolution	Aspect Ratio	Identifier	Content
5.1	1080i	16:9	KPIX-TV	CBS Network
5.2	480i		StartTV	Start TV Network
5.3			Dabl	Dabl Network
5.4			FAVE TV	Fave TV Network
5.5			COMET	Comet Network

Transition from Analog to Digital

In adherence to the federally mandated digital transition, KPIX-TV discontinued its analog transmission on VHF channel 5 as of June 12, 2009. The station's digital broadcast continued on its original pre-transition UHF channel 29 while maintaining virtual channel designation as 5.

Translator Station

K27EE-D located in Ukiah, California

External links