KMAX-TV

KMAX-TV

Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, California United States
City	Sacramento, California
Channels	Digital: 24 (UHF) Virtual: 31
Branding	KMAX 31
Programming
Affiliations	31.1: Independent for others, see § Subchannels
Ownership
Owner	CBS News and Stations (Sacramento Television Stations Inc.)
Sister stations	KOVR
History
First air date	October 5, 1974 (50 years ago) (1974-10-05)
Former call signs	KRAK-TV (CP, 1968–1969)[1] KRAQ (CP, 1969–1971)[1] KMUV-TV (1971–1981) KRBK-TV (1981–1995) KPWB-TV (1995–1998)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 31 (UHF, 1974–2009) Digital: 21 (UHF, 2003–2020)
Former affiliations	Independent (1974–1995) The WB (1995–1998) UPN (1998–2006) The CW (2006–2023)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	51499
ERP	1,000 kW
HAAT	591.1 m (1,939 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	38°14′24″N 121°30′7″W / 38.24000°N 121.50194°W / 38.24000; -121.50194
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	www.cbsnews.com/gooddaysacramento/

KMAX-TV (channel 31) is an independent television station in Sacramento, California, United States. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside Stockton-licensed KOVR (channel 13), the market's CBS owned-and-operated station. The two stations share studios on KOVR Drive in West Sacramento; KMAX-TV's transmitter is located in Walnut Grove, California.

Channel 31 began broadcasting on October 5, 1974, as KMUV-TV. It was built by the Grayson Television Company and originally featured a lineup heavy on movies. The station was not a financial success and, after filing for bankruptcy reorganization, became a primarily Spanish-language station. During this time, two groups looked at using channel 31 for over-the-air subscription television, but after Tandem Productions and Jerry Perenchio acquired it in 1980, they decided not to enter the competitive market and immediately sold. The new owners, Koplar Communications, relaunched the station in 1981 as KRBK-TV, a general-entertainment independent outlet. During the 1980s, KRBK-TV became more competitive with Sacramento's leading independent, KTXL, and established a local news presence. From 1988 to 2002, it was the broadcast home of Sacramento Kings basketball.

Facing a heavy debt load, Koplar sold KRBK-TV to Pappas Telecasting in 1993. In 1995, the station affiliated with The WB, changed its call sign to KPWB-TV, and launched a morning show that became Good Day Sacramento (now Good Day), a station fixture since. KPWB-TV was acquired by the Paramount Stations Group in 1997 and became an owned-and-operated station for UPN as KMAX-TV in January 1998; Paramount, which at the time was dismantling newscasts and news departments at many of its stations, discontinued channel 31's evening newscasts but retained and expanded Good Day Sacramento. KMAX-TV and KOVR became a duopoly in 2005, with channel 31 moving into KOVR's West Sacramento studios; the next year, the station became a charter outlet of The CW, an affiliation it retained until 2023. In addition to Good Day, KMAX-TV airs a prime time newscast at 8 p.m. as well as local sports.