NBC 5 KXAS Fort Worth - Dallas marks its 75th anniversary on September 27, 2023.
On September 27, 1948, channel 5 WBAP-TV, became the first TV station to go on the air in Texas and the entire Southwest according to the station.
It was the first facility in the nation specifically designed for television production and broadcasting.
President Harry S. Truman, who was campaigning in Fort Worth, was featured in the new station's first broadcast.
Here are select NBC 5 firsts and milestones:
First television station to go on the air in the State of Texas and the Southwest
First facility in the nation to be specifically designed for television production and broadcasting
First live local news report in 1948
First live local sports in 1948
First local station weather center in the United States in 1949
First color broadcast in Texas in 1954
First color tape recorder in Texas in 1959
First all-color news film in 1966
First 30-minute local TV news magazine program “Texas ‘70s” in 1970
First live intercontinental satellite report in 1977
First Texas station to debut closed-captioning newscast for deaf and hearing-impaired viewers in 1989
First commercial TV station to offer full online computer access in 1995
First Southwest station to offer viewers news delivered via email in 1997
First Texas station to air a live sporting event via High-Definition Television (HDTV) in 1997
First TV station in Texas to have its own S-Band radar in 2016
First TV station in Texas to use geographic overlay technology with the news helicopter in 2018
“NBC 5 continues to empower our audience using the highest journalistic ethics and standards,” said Tony Canales, President and General Manager of NBC 5 and Telemundo 39. “The station remains a broadcasting leader in delivering to our viewers the very best in programming and local, national and international news coverage, highlighted by an unwavering commitment to community service.”
Every Friday this month, NBC 5 News at 4 pm will air stories looking back at different aspects of the station’s history, including the evolution of news, news technology, weather forecasting, investigative journalism, community impact efforts, and a conversation with the first female general talk show host in the Southwest, Bobbie Wygant. These stories can also be found on the station’s streaming platforms.
KXAS is now co-located in NBCUniversal Local’s state-of-the-art facility in Fort Worth alongside its sister station Telemundo 39/KXTX.
