KBMT

ABC/NBC affiliate in Beaumont, Texas
the airport in Beaumont, Texas assigned the ICAO code KBMT

KBMT's owners subsequently applied for the later allocation on channel 12 and, after winning the allocation from the FCC, began broadcasting on its new assigned channel using the KBMT callsign on June 18, 1961. The new KBMT took over the ABC affiliation which it retains today, after being relegated to limited clearances on KPAC TV (now KBTV TV) and KFDM TV. This gave the Golden Triangle full time affiliations for all three networks on the VHF dial in six years. The original owners were N. D. "Doug" Williams and Randolph Reed. The original tower site for the transmitter and antenna was Sabine Pass, south of Port Arthur (this to prevent co channel interference with KSLA TV in Shreveport). The transmitter and antenna were later moved to its current site near Mauriceville in the early 1960s with the antenna modified for a "directional" signal to prevent interference to KSLA's coverage area. The station was later sold to Cowles Broadcasting in 1965, the Channel 2 Television Company in 1970 and McKinnon Broadcasting in 1977. On January 1, 2009, KBMT added NBC programming on digital subchannel 12.2. This came after KBTV, which previously held the affiliation, switched to Fox. This in turn caused former Fox affiliate KUIL LP (now KUIL LD) to go independent, although they pursued the NBC affiliation. The NBC subchannel is branded as K JAC NBC, a nod to channel 4's former calls from 1965 to 1999. In a ten year deal with London Broadcasting, KBMT began to manage KUIL's programming as well. KBMT shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 12, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre transition UHF channel 50 to VHF channel 12 for post transition operations. Texas Telecasting, Inc. sold the station to London Broadcasting in August 2009. That channel was dropped in early 2013 in favor of MundoFox (now MundoMax). Due to a realignment, four digital channels are carried on the main 12 signal while the other two (12.5 and 12.6) are carried via the low power stations, KBMT LD on 43 SW of Beaumont and K36ID D on 36 in Orange. In Jasper, KVHP LD on 34 and in Warren, K27JJ D on 27 carries the main RF12 signal with ABC, NBC, COZI and MeTV. In May 2010, London Broadcasting revealed that the company was developing a state network, MYTX, using subchannels like KUIL's .2 (now KBMT LD2) operated by KBMT. MYTX would share Texas news and sports and productions from 41 Entertainment, which is owned by London. On May 14, 2014, Gannett announced its intent to purchase KBMT and five other stations from London Broadcasting. The sale was completed on July 8. By the middle of September 2014, Gannett had also purchased the four low power digital signals mentioned above. On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. KBMT and the low power digital signals were retained by the latter company, named Tegna.

KBMT launched its news operation in 1962. On September 16, 2009, several changes occurred in the newscast lineup. The weekday morning show, Good Morning Southeast Texas, began simulcasting on both the ABC and NBC channels while becoming a full two hour broadcast. There began to be a half hour newscast weekday mornings at 11:30 on KBMT DT2. The NBC channel also launched a weeknight show at 6:30 and begin to simulcast the main channel's weeknight 10 p. m. news. Originally, there was only a separate short news and weather update at that time. KBMT DT2 does not offer local newscasts on weekends unlike the main channel. On April 28, 2010, KBMT became the first in the market to air local news in high definition.