KDAF

About KDAF

KDAF is a television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, broadcasting on channel 33 and serving as the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex's outlet for The CW. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, which acquired the station through its 2019 purchase of Tribune Media, KDAF has one of the most varied histories of any Dallas station: it launched in 1980 as a specialty-programming outlet, became an English-language independent under Metromedia, served as the market's original Fox affiliate from 1986 to 1995, thrived as one of The WB's most successful affiliates, and has carried The CW since the network's 2006 launch. Branded as CW33, the station's studios are located off the John W. Carpenter Freeway in northwest Dallas, with its transmitter in Cedar Hill, Texas.

Early years: KNBN and KRLD

KDAF launched on September 29, 1980, as KNBN-TV, airing a mix of specialty programming including business news, subscription television, and Spanish-language programming. In 1984, Metromedia acquired the station, converted it to an English-language independent as KRLD-TV, and made the first of several efforts at producing local news.

The Metromedia era established channel 33 as a full-market independent competitor, with the resources of one of the country's largest independent station groups behind it. That stability proved short-lived, as Metromedia's television stations were sold in 1986.

Dallas's original Fox affiliate

When Metromedia's stations were purchased in 1986, KRLD-TV became KDAF, and the station became the Dallas-Fort Worth outlet of the fledgling Fox network when it launched on October 9, 1986. The call letters stand for Dallas and Fort Worth. As a Fox affiliate, channel 33 carried the network's early primetime programming as Fox grew from a weekend-only service into a full network.

The Fox affiliation lasted until 1995, when a major realignment of network affiliations saw Fox partner with KDFW, the former CBS affiliate, and sell channel 33. KDAF's years as a Fox station coincided with the network's rise to major-network status, giving the station a front-row seat to one of broadcasting's most dramatic transformations.

The WB years

On July 5, 1995, KDAF took the WB affiliation, becoming one of the charter affiliates of the new network aimed at younger viewers. Tribune Broadcasting owned the station from 1996 to 2019, acquiring it from Renaissance Broadcasting, and during the Tribune years channel 33 became one of the most successful affiliates of The WB in the late 1990s, thriving on the network's popular primetime lineup.

As part of Tribune's directive to establish in-house newscasts on its WB affiliates, KDAF debuted the half-hour primetime newscast WB33 News @ Nine in January 1999, competing against the established hour-long 9 p.m. newscast on KDFW. Weekend editions were added in January 2000, and the weeknight editions expanded to an hour in January 2001, with weekend newscasts following by 2003. Local news production continued in various forms for nearly two decades.

The CW era

When The WB and UPN merged to form The CW in 2006, KDAF became the network's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate on September 18, 2006, rebranding as CW33. The station has carried The CW's primetime lineup ever since, airing the network's series alongside syndicated programming.

In 2019, Nexstar Media Group acquired Tribune Media, bringing KDAF into the nation's largest station group. Nexstar subsequently acquired a controlling stake in The CW Network itself, making KDAF an effectively owned-and-operated affiliate of a network its parent company controls.

News innovation: NewsFix

Under Tribune ownership, KDAF experimented with alternative news formats, most notably NewsFix, an anchor-less evening newscast with a fast-paced, commentary-driven style. The format earned critical recognition: at the 13th Annual Lone Star Emmy Awards in 2015, CW33 won three Emmys for NewsFix, with news director Steve Simon winning twice for his "Simon Says" franchise and video journalist Nathan Bickell winning for the "Ruff Life" series.

The station also aired Eye Opener, a morning program, as part of its alternative approach to local news. These experiments reflected Tribune's willingness to try unconventional formats on its CW affiliates.

Newscasts return

In 2026, Nexstar announced it would launch nightly 9 p.m. newscasts on its CW-affiliated stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix beginning in mid-August, airing seven days a week following The CW's primetime programming. With KDAF lacking its own newsroom, production of the Dallas newscasts was to be handled by WFAA, the Tegna-owned ABC affiliate, under a cooperative arrangement.

The launch expanded Nexstar's local news operations into two of the country's largest television markets, giving CW33 a nightly news presence for the first time in years.

Studios and technical operations

KDAF's studios are located off the John W. Carpenter Freeway, State Highway 183, in northwest Dallas, and its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas, the antenna farm serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The station broadcasts five video streams, including its primary CW programming and digital subchannels.

John Trevino, a 30-year media veteran, was appointed vice president and general manager of KDAF following Nexstar's acquisition, tasked with the strategic direction of the station and its digital operations serving the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and North Texas.

Community and recognition

CW33 has been recognized for its community-based efforts throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, winning multiple awards for its local initiatives. The station's history of experimentation with news formats and its deep roots in the market, dating to 1980, have made it a distinctive presence in North Texas broadcasting.

The station's evolution from specialty programmer to Fox affiliate to WB powerhouse to CW outlet mirrors the broader transformation of independent television over four decades.

Digital presence

KDAF's digital home is cw33.com, which offers live streaming, on-demand video, and coverage of Dallas-Fort Worth news, weather, and entertainment. The station maintains mobile apps and active social media accounts under the CW33 brand.

As part of Nexstar Media Group, the station's digital operations benefit from the company's scale while serving the nation's fifth-largest television market with locally focused content. Its official website is https://cw33.com.

Dallas's original Fox affiliate

The station signed on July 30, 1984, as independent KRLD, using call letters previously associated with KDFW channel 4. In May 1985, it was acquired by News Corporation along with sister stations including KRIV in Houston, WNEW (now WNYW) in New York, KTTV in Los Angeles, WFLD in Chicago, and WTTG in Washington, and changed its call sign to KDAF in 1986, the same year News Corp created Fox Television Stations. KDAF became Dallas-Fort Worth's original Fox affiliate on October 9, 1986, when the network launched, holding the affiliation until July 1995. Fox Television Stations sold KDAF to Renaissance Communications in November 1994, shortly after the announcement that New World Communications' deal would move Fox programming to KDFW. The sale was finalized on July 3, 1995, and KDAF took The WB affiliation on July 5, 1995; KXTX-TV channel 39 had carried The WB temporarily during the network's first six months until KDAF was available.

Building a news department

Renaissance sold its stations to Tribune Broadcasting in 1996, and as part of Tribune's directive to establish in-house newscasts on its WB affiliates, KDAF debuted a half-hour primetime newscast, WB33 News at Nine, in January 1999, competing with the established hour-long 9 p.m. newscast KDFW had aired since becoming a Fox station in July 1995. Weekend editions were added in January 2000, weeknight editions expanded to an hour in January 2001, and weekend newscasts followed suit by 2003. The station became a CW affiliate on September 18, 2006, branding as CW 33. On September 19, 2019, Nexstar Media Group acquired the Tribune assets including KDAF. The station currently broadcasts 32 hours of locally produced news each week, with five hours on weekdays and four hours on weekends, and operates the website cw33.com.