KCSO-LD

Telemundo TV station in Sacramento, California

KCSO LD (channel 33) is a low power television station in Sacramento, California, United States, serving as the local outlet for the Spanish language network Telemundo. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group, KCSO LD maintains studios on Media Place in the Woodlake neighborhood of Sacramento, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove, California. The station is also sister to regional sports networks NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California. Due to its low power status, KCSO LD simulcasts in widescreen standard definition on independent station KMAX TV's digital channel 31.6 (displayed as channel 33.2). KCSO LD also operates translator stations KMUM CD and KMMW LD in Sacramento and Stockton and also relies on cable and satellite to reach the entire market.

The station was founded by country western performer Chester Smith and his company Sainte Partners II, L. P. and first signed on the air in 1999. It was the last station to be owned by his company. On August 8, 2008, Chester Smith died of heart failure at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. The station continued operating under the Sainte banner until it was sold to Serestar Communications Group in 2013. Sainte folded shortly thereafter. In 2014, KCSO began simulcasting in widescreen standard definition on Ion owned and operated station KSPX TV digital channel 29.7 (displayed as channel 33.2) to reach the entire market due to KCSO's low power status. The simulcast was discontinued in October 2021. Serestar agreed to sell KCSO LD, KMUM CD, and KMMW LD to NBCUniversal on November 28, 2018, as part of a $21 million deal. The sale was completed on March 5, 2019. As a result, KCSO LD becomes the sixth television station in the Sacramento market (excluding translator stations) to be owned and operated by its affiliated network. In April 2022, CW owned and operated station KMAX TV (now an independent station) resumed the widescreen SD simulcast from KSPX TV on a new digital channel 31.6 (also displayed as channel 33.2).

KCSO launched a local news department (with newscasts branded as Noticiero 33) following its sign on. The half hour local evening news program was broadcast every Monday through Friday at 6 p. m. However, it had low ratings and was canceled after five years. Later, news briefs were aired online (branded as Telemundo 33 Al Día). In late 2014, it started airing morning news briefs called Noticias 33 por la mañana, which aired at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour from 7 to 9 a. m. during Telemundo's Un Nuevo Dia morning news program. On November 6, 2016, KCSO re launched a weekday half hour long newscast at 6 p. m. (initially branding as Noticiero Telemundo 33, later as Noticias Telemundo Sacramento, now as Noticias Telemundo California after the purchase by NBCUniversal), 11 years after its initial newscast was cancelled. It directly competes with Univision owned and operated KUVS's long established (and for several years, the Sacramento area's only) Spanish language newscast. In 2017, a weeknight 11 p. m. newscast (branded as Noticias Telemundo California) was launched, further competing with KUVS. Noticias Telemundo California is simulcast on Fresno sister station KNSO. On March 18, 2020, one year after the purchase by NBCUniversal, the station launched 5 and 5:30 p. m. newscasts, and began simulcasting all of their newscasts on KNSO. The station does not air any local newscasts on the weekends.