KSFY-TV

KSFY-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 13, is a dual ABC/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The station is owned by Gray Television, as part of a duopoly with NBC affiliate KDLT-TV (channel 46). The two stations share studios on Courthouse Square in Sioux Falls; KSFY-TV's transmitter is located near Rowena, South Dakota.

History
The station debuted on July 31, 1960 as KSOO-TV, the third station in Sioux Falls. It was owned by the South Dakota Broadcasting Company along with KSOO radio and was an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. From 1960 to 1969, it operated as the flagship of a regional network with separately-owned KORN-TV in Mitchell (channel 5, now KDLT-TV on channel 46). KSOO-TV served the eastern portion of the market, while KORN-TV served the western portion. In 1969, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) forced the breakup of this network, and KSOO-TV became the sole NBC affiliate. In 1970, it bought KXAB-TV in Aberdeen to boost its coverage in northeastern South Dakota. As part of the sale, KXAB's calls changed to KCOO-TV.

KSOO was liquidated in 1973; the television stations had not shown a profit since 1968. The television stations were bought by Forum Publishing Company of Fargo, North Dakota in 1974 and switched their call letters respectively to the current KSFY and KABY. KPRY-TV in Pierre was added a year later in 1976. In September 1983, KSFY swapped affiliations with channel 5, then recently renamed KDLT and became an ABC affiliate. ABC was the top-rated network at the time and wanted to be on a stronger station. Additionally, KSFY had three full-power transmitters to KDLT's one, and Forum's flagship stations WDAY and WDAZ in the eastern part of North Dakota were also converting to ABC affiliations at the same time.

Forum sold the KSFY stations to AFLAC in 1985. AFLAC sold its broadcasting division to Retirement Systems of Alabama in 1996, who merged it with Ellis Communications to form Raycom Media. In 2004, Raycom sold the KSFY stations to The Wicks Group of Companies.

Hoak Media bought KSFY and its satellite stations in July 2006, as well as KVLY-TV and KXJB-TV (LMA with Catamount Broadcasting) of Fargo and KFYR-TV of Bismarck, North Dakota and its satellite stations. The sale was approved by the FCC on November 17, 2006. On November 20, 2013, Hoak announced the sale of most of its stations, including KSFY and its satellites to Gray Television. The sale was completed on June 13, 2014.

On May 1, 2018; Gray announced it had agreed to buy KDLT from owner Red River Broadcasting for $32.5 million. The combined operation will presumably be based at KSFY's studios; in its announcement of the KDLT purchase, Gray noted that the KSFY studio has enough space to house a second station's news and sales department. Gray needed to obtain a waiver in order to complete the deal, since the FCC normally does not allow one person to own two of the four highest-rated stations in a market. However, in its filing requesting such a waiver, Gray argued that KDLT would be in a stronger position to compete in the market if its resources were combined with those of KSFY. Gray contended that a KSFY/KDLT duopoly would fulfill "a dire need for an effective competitor" in the Sioux Falls market, where KELO-TV has been the far-and-away leader for as long as records have been kept. The sale was approved by the FCC on September 24, 2019, and was completed the following day. Soon afterward, on January 13, 2020, KDLT moved its studios from South Westport Avenue to KSFY's studios on Courthouse Square.

News operation
Currently, KSFY broadcasts a total of 19½ hours of local newscasts each week with 3½ hours on weekdays and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays. KSFY has been nominated for numerous Midwest Emmy Awards.

On August 1, 2011, KSFY became the first television station in the Sioux Falls market and in the state of South Dakota to begin producing its local newscasts in high definition from their studio only and not from the field; the station unveiled a new HD-ready set, dropped Action News from its newscast and station branding, and renamed its newscasts as KSFY News (which the station used from 2004 to 2008).

With the purchase of KDLT, KSFY and KDLT merged their news operations on January 13, 2020, rebranding as Dakota News Now.

Newscast titles

 * Eyewitness News (?–1998)
 * KSFY Dakota First News (1998–2004)
 * KSFY News (2004–2008 & 2011–2020)
 * KSFY Action News (2008–2011)
 * Dakota News Now (2020–present)

Station slogans

 * KSFY is for You (2004–2008)
 * Expect More (2012–present)

Anchors

 * Brian Allen - weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 & 10:00 p.m.
 * Kelsie Passolt - weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 & 10:00 p.m.
 * Erik Thorstenson - weekday mornings
 * Carleen Wild -
 * Sam Wright - weekends; also reporter
 * Vanessa Gomez - weekday mornings

First Alert Weather team

 * Phil Schreck (AMS Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 & 10:00 p.m.
 * Tyler Roney - meteorologist;
 * Aaron Doudna - meteorologist;

Sports

 * Zach Borg

Reporters

 * Scott Engen
 * Miranda Page
 * Colton Molesky - morning reporter
 * Austin Goss - Pierre Bureau
 * Jenna Lemair
 * Jacob Cersosimo