Media in Seattle - Television

Television

The Seattle television market is the 13th largest in the United States; it includes the adjacent cities of Tacoma, Bellevue, Everett, and Bellingham; and additional viewers from British Columbia, Canada (Vancouver and its surrounding area on broadcast and cable).

Seattle is served by numerous television stations. The major network affiliates are KOMO 4 (ABC), KING 5 (NBC), KIRO 7 (CBS), KCTS 9 (PBS) and KCPQ 13 (Fox), which are also seen across Canada via digital cable and satellite providers. Also broadcasting in English are KSTW 11 (The CW), KONG 16 (Independent), KTBW 20 (TBN), KZJO 22 (MyNetworkTV), KBTC 28 (PBS), KVOS 12, KWPX 33 (ION). Most of these can be seen in Canada via digital cable or satellite. There are also two Spanish-language stations: KUNS 51 (Univision) and KFFV 45 (Azteca America).

Seattle's commercial TV stations distinguish themselves from one another in various ways. KING 5, owned by the Belo Corporation, has been nominated for 56 Regional Emmy Awards. The station allows viewers to submit their own photo and video content via its website and also highlights the work of average citizens in the community on-air in the recurring feature, "Home Team Heroes." The parent company of KOMO, Fisher Communications, launched a network of hyperlocal websites in 2009, which include blogs about issues related to community service, news of interest to families, crime news, and news about events occurring around the neighborhood. Finally, KIRO, owned by Cox Communications, maintains three reporters in a Washington, DC, bureau to cover news of interest to viewers back in Washington State.

Seattle also has three public television stations. The Seattle Channel, Government-access television (GATV) run by the city, airs public affairs, community service, and arts programming. The station is funded partly by Cable television franchise fees and partly by a $5 million grant from Comcast, which will be paid over 10 years to support arts programming. After first focusing on civic programming, the Seattle Channel has become known for its arts programming. As the station's on-air priorities have begun to emphasize arts programs, it has shifted much of the government accountability-oriented programming to live streaming on the Internet, best accessed by viewers with high-speed Internet access. KCTS 9 is Seattle's PBS affiliate and operates three strands: a primary, high-definition, general interest station; KCTS 9 V-ME, which serves that Spanish-speaking community; and KCTS 9 Create, which features DIY, cooking, arts and crafts, and travel programs. In 2009 KCTS aired 160 episodes in a regularly occurring series on local public affairs, personal finance, economic issues, and business affairs. While KCTS is a popular source for viewing nationally-produced PBS shows, it features less programming on local public affairs than the region's other two public TV stations. The third public station, SCAN, is Seattle's Public-access television cable TV network. A 501(c)3 nonprofit, it provides equipment, production facilities, and media instruction for residents of Seattle and other King County communities. Although its funding is limited, SCAN often airs more locally-produced public affairs programming each week than all the city's broadcast networks combined.

Cable networks based out of the area include FSN Northwest, NWCN, ResearchChannel, & UWTV. Seattle cable viewers also receive CBUT 2 (CBC) from Vancouver, British Columbia, often as cable channel 99.