KCWY-DT


KCWY-DT is a dual NBC/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Casper, Wyoming, United States. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter atop Casper Mountain. The station maintains studios on Progress Circle in Mills, Wyoming.
KCWY serves as the NBC affiliate for most of Wyoming through four low-powered translators: KSWY-LP in Sheridan, KCHY-LP in Cheyenne, KWYM-LP in Laramie and K28HL-D in Riverton. KCWY's programming is also simulcast on the second digital subchannel of KSGW-TV in Sheridan. All stations, except K28HL-D, are owned by Gray Television.

History

KCWY signed on the air in February 2001 as an affiliate of the Pax TV network. On September 1, 2003, KCWY became the new NBC affiliate in the Casper market after NBC severed its affiliation with longtime affiliate KTWO-TV. KCWY launched its first newscast on September 22, 2003.
In 2008, 2011 and 2012, the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters named KCWY its Television Station of the Year. In June 2013, Intermountain West Communications Company filed to sell KCWY to Frontier Radio Management, through subsidiary Yellowstone Holdings; the deal made it a sister station with KGWN-TV, which SagamoreHill Broadcasting was also selling to Yellowstone through a separate deal. On November 4, 2013, Gray Television announced a deal to acquire Yellowstone Holdings for $23 million. As a result of the acquisition, KCHY-LP was consolidated with KGWN-TV. The sale was completed on December 31.
Gray launched The CW Plus on a subchannel of KCWY on January 26, 2015.
On January 24, 2019, Gray announced that KCWY-DT would merge its news operation with KGWN-TV by April 9, under the Wyoming News Now banner, a banner similar to those used by some sister stations that were recently acquired from Raycom Media. Under this arrangement, KCWY's 5 p.m. newscast will be the only Casper-specific newscast, with Jeopardy! replacing the 6 p.m. newscast, and all other newscasts being simulcast from KGWN in Cheyenne and covering both markets. Four of KCWY's 15 news staffers will be retained in Casper following the merger, with the remainder being offered positions at other Gray stations. The consolidation came after the Department of Justice blocked Gray's acquisition of the CBS affiliation of KGWC-TV, which would have given Gray a second revenue stream to cover KCWY's financial losses.

Digital channels