KHOU History

KHOU has been one of the top-rated CBS affiliates in Texas for over two decades. From broadcasting the first live picture of radar screen during Hurricane Carla in 1961, to becoming the nation’s first digital television station, KHOU-TV has been a leader in local news, information and community involvement for over six decades.

KHOU-TV signed on the air March 22, 1953 as KGUL-TV in Galveston. KGUL was owned by a group of Galveston and Houston investors including actor Jimmy Stewart. In fact, it was Stewart’s voice that was first heard on the station. Walter Cronkite was among those presiding over groundbreaking ceremonies in May of 1959 for the new studio facilities. A month later, the station officially changed its call letters to KHOU-TV. On April 20, 1960, the station moved to its present location near downtown Houston. Dan Rather is just one of many former KHOU journalists who went on to work for a network. Rather was KHOU’s news director from 1960 to 1962. He anchored the 6 and 10 o’clock newscasts and hosted a Saturday morning news program.

KHOU has been the recipient of countless local, regional and national journalism awards. Over the last decade, the station has been honored with eight National Edward R. Murrow Awards, four duPont-Columbia Awards, four George Foster Peabody Awards, three Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Medals, three National Headliners Awards and has twice been recognized at the National News and Documentary Emmy Awards. In addition to KHOU’s strong leadership in news coverage, the station also has a long history of great community service and supports dozens of community projects and events each year. Among these, KHOU’s annual Food Drive, Blood Drive and Toy Drive are signature events that demonstrate the station’s commitment to the communities it serves.

On December 23, 2013, KHOU was purchased by Gannett, Co. Inc. To learn more about Gannett and its subsidiary brands, visit www.gannett.com.

Houston

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the 10th largest television DMA.

In 2014, twenty-six Fortune 500 companies call Houston home (ranked 3rd in US). Houston also has the largest Medical Center in the world with 57 institutions employing over 66,000 employees. Houston is a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Sports enthusiasts can easily attend games for several professional teams including the Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, Houston Astros and Houston Dynamo.

Houstonians are entertained year round with professional resident companies in ballet, opera, symphony and theater. The Houston Museum District is the country’s fourth largest and visitors can enjoy an entire weekend visiting eighteen cultural centers located in close proximity.

Our Brand Promise

KHOU Stands for Houston is our brand promise to celebrate everyday heroes, hold the powerful accountable and honor the core values of honesty and reliability. For us, 'Stands For Houston' has become more than a marketing slogan.

We stand up for people who do the right thing. We celebrate everyday heroes, and honor those who live by their word. We protect our families, neighbors and communities. We expose liars, cheats and villains for what they are. We believe tough times can be overcome by even tougher people. When the chips are down, character and tenacity carry us through. We never give up.

Houston is a community of ethnically diverse neighborhoods and a place we’re proud to call home.