KOSA-TV

KOSA-TV, channel 7, is the CBS affiliate for the Permian Basin area of West Texas licensed to Odessa. KOSA's studios and transmitter are both located inside the Music City Mall on East 42nd Street in Odessa. A secondary studio and bureau are located in downtown Midland. The station is owned by Gray Television. KOSA also operates a MyNetworkTV affiliate on its second digital subchannel, known as MyTV 16, after its position on most area cable systems.

The station also operates a low-power translator, K10HH in Big Spring.

History

KOSA signed on the air January 1, 1956, and has been a CBS affiliate since its debut. KOSA is the only Big Three station in the Permian Basin to have never changed affiliation.

From 1956-1964, the first KOSA sports anchor was Jim Reese, who was elected mayor of Odessa in 1968 and served until 1974. Reese is now the owner of Penatek Industries of Odessa and has been involved in Republican political activities, particularly between 1964 and 1982.

On November 26, 1983, a chartered twin-engine Beechcraft B100 King Air turboprop was flying from Fort Worth back to Odessa when it fell nose first, crashed and burned on impact. It killed all eight on board, instantly, some burned beyond recognition. Six of the victims were KOSA station employees who had been away filming high school football playoffs. The plane burned for about four hours before firemen could extinguish the blaze. A charred and twisted heap of metal was all that remained.