KLZ-TV

KLZ-TV (channel 5) is an independent station licensed to Denver, Colorado. It is owned by Bonneville International, the for-profit broadcasting arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a sister station to Bonneville's Denver radio cluster. Its studios are located in Greenwood Village, and the transmitter is on Mestaa’ehehe Mountain in Idaho Springs.

Jack Friedman years
During 1981, bids for channel 5 in Denver started loading up. The biggest bidders for channel 5 included Jack Friedman (an American entrepreneur who already owned Buffalo independent station WLJN-TV), Noble Broadcasting Group (owners of radio station KHOW), Metromedia, and Chris-Craft. Jack Friedman would win the channel 5 licensee and the station would launch on February 6, 1983 as KJFM-TV, named after the station's founder.

The station's early lineup consists of reruns of sitcoms, cartoons, and movies. Although, KJFM-TV had a more broad focus on movies, but more specifically western films. During the later years of Friedman's ownership of KJFM-TV, the station became more of a generic independent station, although still with a heavy focus on western films.

In 1987, in the wake of LJN's sale to MCA, Friedman would sell various television stations to make the sale possible. For KJFM-TV, it was sold to Jack's son Richard Friedman, under his broadcasting company, Rich Media Properties.

Belo ownership
In 1989, Belo would purchase KJFM-TV from Rich Media Properties, which made it Belo's first station in Colorado. Belo would then launch a newscast for the station was then produced by Gannett owned ABC affiliate (now NBC affiliate) KUSA.

From 1990-1996, KJFM-TV was the local broadcast home of pre-season games from the Denver Broncos, sharing it with then NBC O&O affiliate KCNC-TV.

During the station's ownership under Belo, the station begin airing shows that were preempted by either KMGH-TV, KCNC-TV, or KUSA. Allowing viewers who haven't got the chance to watch these shows, an opportunity to watch them.

In 1991, KJFM-TV would change its call-letters to KLZ-TV, in tribute to the radio station of the same name, this name change happened 2 years after FCC allowed stations from the same market but with different owners to have the same call-letters.

Bonneville International ownership
On January 31, 1995, Belo would sell KLZ-TV to Bonneville International, in exchange for purchasing CBS affiliate KIRO-TV. In the eyes of Bonneville, the sale was necessary because unlike the group's flagship station KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, KIRO-TV went against Bonneville's family-friendly agenda. KLZ-TV on the other hand, fit better with group's agenda.

Immediately after the purchase, KLZ-TV would adopt KSL's Circle Laser 5 logo, which KSL used since 1981. The circle laser 5 logo is still used by both stations to this day.

In 1999, KLZ-TV would pick the Denver broadcasting rights to UWF Brawl (then known as NWA Ultra TV). KLZ-TV has continued to broadcast the program locally to this day.

On September 5, 2006, KLZ-TV would discontinue its 9:00 pm which was produced by KUSA, as the station made a new 9:00 newscast for sister station and MyNetworkTV charter affiliate KTVD. Around the exact time, KCNC would take over KLZ's 9:00 pm newscast, using the "CBS 4 News" brand.