In the early 1980’s, a group of local investors, led by Medford
orchardist Dunbar Carpenter, formed Sunshine Television, Inc.  The
group secured a license from the Federal Communications Commission to
broadcast locally on VHF Channel 12.

Sunshine Television built its new station, KDRV-TV, on property just
off Biddle Road near the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport.

On February 26, 1984, KDRV-TV signed on as an affiliate of the ABC Television Network.

KDRV-TV soon launched local news.  NewsWatch 12 premiered September 16,
1985.  In a few short years, the station’s newscasts became the
most-watched in the region.  That tradition continues.  Today,
NewsWatch 12 produces 22 hours of local news programming a week, more
than any other station in the region.

NewsWatch 12 has earned honors for excellence in journalism from
numerous professional organizations, including the Oregon Associated
Press Award for Best Newscast during four out of five years.  The
Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts
and Sciences has twice nominated NewsWatch 12 for Outstanding Daily
Newscast.

KDRV-TV’s commitment to the communities it serves has made it an
innovator in local television news.  NewsWatch 12 produced the market’s
first late local weekend newscasts.  We introduced the region’s first
6:00 p.m.  weeknight newscast.  We were the first to bring Southern
Oregon a live early-morning newscast.  The addition of KDKF-TV in 1989
brought a powerful signal carrying KDRV-TV programs to viewers in the
Klamath Basin, in addition to a permanently staffed newsroom in Klamath
Falls.

KDRV/KDKF have been sold twice:  to Love Broadcasting, Inc. in 1987 and to Chambers Communications Corporation in 1994.