KXII began in 1956 at Ardmore, Oklahoma as KVSO-TV, in common ownership with local radio station KVSO and a local newspaper, The Daily Ardmoreite. In its early years, Channel 12 was an NBC affiliate. Unable to afford a network feed, station engineers switched to and from the signal of WKY-TV (now KFOR-TV) in Oklahoma City whenever NBC programming was shown. The station often carried some of WKY-TV's non-network programming as well. It broadcast its own local newscast and advertising from its Ardmore studio to its viewing audience across Southern Oklahoma and North Texas.
In late 1958, the station was sold to Texoma Broadcasting and call letters changed to KXII (signifying the Roman numeral 12). In 1959, the transmitter was moved from its original location north of Ardmore to a point near Madill, Oklahoma about 25 miles southeast of Ardmore in order to provide better reception to viewers in Durant, Oklahoma and across the Red River to the Sherman-Denison, Texas area. In 1960, KXII-TV opened a new studio facility along U.S. Highway 75 halfway between Sherman and Denison, which later became the station's main studio. KXII retained the original Ardmore studio which is still in use today in conjunction with the Sherman-Denison facility.
During the 1960s and into the 1970s, KXII-TV was a primary NBC affiliate but also held a secondary affiliation with CBS which began in 1960.
By 1975, KXII-TV's program schedule included a larger proportion of CBS programming, making Channel 12 sort of a hybrid station with almost half the programming of both NBC and CBS for a few years. By 1977, KXII Channel 12 shifted its primary network affiliation to CBS and became an exclusive CBS affiliate in 1985 when the last NBC program on KXII's schedule, the Today show, was replaced by CBS This Morning.
Throughout 2006, the station celebrated being on the air for 50 years. In September, KXII debuted an all-new set for its "First News" broadcast with new colors and graphics to replace the previous set which had been in use since 1995.
KXII broadcasts FOX and MyNetworkTV on both of its digital subchannels.
The First News Team is:
FIRST NEWS ANCHORS
Charlie Haldeman, Weekday Evening Anchor/News Director
Maureen Kane, Weekday Evening Anchor
Nicole Holt, Weekday Morning Anchor
FIRST NEWS REPORTERS
Rashi Vats, General Assignment Reporter
Rita Kotey, General Assignment Reporter
Shelby Levins, Ardmore Bureau Chief
Daniel Armbruster, Reporter, Ardmore Bureau
Tom Johnson, Reporter, Ardmore Bureau
FIRST WEATHER METEOROLOGISTS
Steve LaNore, Chief Meteorologist
Aimee Wilmoth, Weekend Meteorologist
Tom Miller, Weekday Morning and Noon Meteorologist
SPORTS ANCHORS/REPORTERS
David Reed, Sports Director/Weekday Sports Anchor
Daniel Gotera, Weekend Sports Anchor, Sports Reporter
