KAIT
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| Channels | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
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| Programming | |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KJTB-LD, KJBW-LD | |
| History | |
First air date | July 15, 1963 |
Former call signs | KAIT-TV (1963–2003) |
Former channel numbers |
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| Independent (1963–1965) | |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 13988 |
| ERP | 1,000 kW |
| HAAT | 527.4 m (1,730 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°53′22″N 90°56′8″W / 35.88944°N 90.93556°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KAIT (channel 8) is a television station in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States, affiliated with ABC, NBC, and The CW Plus. It is owned by Gray Media alongside Telemundo affiliate KJTB-LD (channel 36) and KJBW-LD (channel 35). The three stations share studios on New Haven Church Road (County Road 766) north of Jonesboro; KAIT's transmitter is located north of Egypt, Arkansas.
KAIT began broadcasting in 1963 as an independent station before becoming an ABC affiliate in 1965. It was built by George Hernreich, a Fort Smith businessman. Hernreich paid bribes to an ABC representative in 1969, resulting in a years-long legal challenge that almost saw KAIT lose its broadcast license. After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reversed an earlier decision to revoke the KAIT license, the station was sold to Channel Communications in 1984, Cosmos Broadcasting in 1986, and Raycom Media in 2005. Under Raycom, KAIT added subchannels affiliated with NBC and The CW. Raycom merged with Gray Television in 2019. The station has traditionally dominated the Jonesboro media market in revenue and ratings, though its coverage area and viewership extends beyond the defined media market.