KOZL-TV

KOZL-TV, virtual channel 27 (UHF digital channel 28), is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station located in Springfield, Missouri, United States. The station is owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group; Nexstar also operates CBS affiliate KOLR (channel 10) under a shared services agreement with owner Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studio facilities located on East Division Street in Springfield; KOZL maintains transmitter facilities located on Switchgrass Road, north of Fordland.

History

Early history

The station first signed on the air in 1968 as KMTC; founded by Meyer Communications, it originally operated as the market's first full-time ABC affiliate. It originally operated from studios located on East Cherry Street in Springfield. Prior to its sign-on, ABC programming had been limited to off-hours clearances on KYTV (channel 3) and KTTS-TV (channel 10, now KOLR) from their respective sign-ons in October and March 1953. Although the Springfield market had a large enough population since the 1950s to support three full-time network affiliates, prospective station owners were skeptical about launching a UHF station in a market that stretched across a large and mostly mountainous swath of Missouri and Arkansas. In 1980, the station adopted the on-air brand "C-27". In 1985, the station was purchased by Woods Communications; after the sale was finalized, channel 27 changed its call letters to KDEB-TV (named after Deborah Woods, the daughter of the president of Woods Communications).