KEYT-TV

KEYT-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, California. Licensed to Santa Barbara, the station broadcasts a high definition digital on UHF channel 27 (virtual channel 3.1 via PSIP) with its transmitter located atop Broadcast Peak, between Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Owned by News-Press & Gazette Company, it is the sister station to Fox affiliate KKFX-CD. It also operates CBS affiliate KCOY-TV (owned by VistaWest Media, LLC). KEYT's studios are located at 730 Miramonte Drive on TV Hill, overlooking downtown Santa Barbara. Syndicated programming featured on this station includes Live! with Kelly and Michael, OK TV, The Dr. Oz Show, Extra, TMZ and Access Hollywood.

History

KEYT-TV first signed on the air on July 24, 1953. During the 1950s, the station ran programming from all four TV networks: ABC, CBS, DuMont, and NBC. It would lose NBC in 1964 when KCOY in adjacent Santa Maria signed on, then shared CBS with KCOY until 1969, when the inclusion of San Luis Obispo County into the Santa Barbara-Santa Maria market resulted in KEYT becoming exclusively affiliated with ABC, with KCOY becoming the CBS affiliate and KSBY in San Luis Obispo also becoming Santa Barbara's NBC affiliate. KEYT operates morning, evening and nighttime newscasts. KEYT channel 3 has identified its local newscasts as KEY News since the 1980s.