2002. Hoak Media bought KFYR-TV, KMOT, KUMV, and KQCD in July 2006, as well as KVLY-TV in Fargo and KSFY in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and its satellite stations. On November 17, 2006, the sale was approved by the FCC. On January 19, 2009, KMOT began operation as a digital-only station on its existing channel frequency. KMOT picked up MeTV in April 2013, with an official launch date of May 1, 2013. On November 20, 2013, Hoak announced the sale of most of its stations, including KMOT, to Gray Television. Gray initially planned, through Excalibur Broadcasting, to also acquire Fox affiliate KXND from Prime Cities Broadcasting and operate it under a shared services agreement, which would have made it a sister station to KMOT. On March 25, 2014, Prime Cities Broadcasting requested that the FCC dismiss the sale of KXND to Excalibur; Gray would instead acquire the non-license assets of KXND, as well as the license of Williston repeater KXND-LP. The sale of the Hoak stations was completed on June 13; at that time, Gray shut down KXND's full-power signal and moved Fox programming to the second digital subchannel of KMOT. Programming Syndicated programming Syndicated programming on KMOT includes Rachael Ray, Dateline, and Wheel of Fortune, among others. Newscasts KMOT produces its own newscasts from Monday through Friday weekdays at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and rebroadcasts KFYR-TV's other newscasts. KUMV airs its own newscasts from Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The first 10 minutes (which includes regional news and weather) originate at KMOT. KUMV has its own news and sports anchor who fill the remaining 20 minutes. It simulcasts KMOT/KFYR's other newscasts. From 2002 to 2007, KMOT was forced to cut its newscasts to 20 minutes while simulcasting the first 10 minutes of KFYR-TV's 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, much as KUMV does now. In January 2007, KMOT began broadcasting a full half-hour of news at 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m once again. It also added a weatherman and photographer/reporter to the staff. The stations occasionally share stories with co-owned KVLY-TV. The five stations simulcast major North Dakota sporting events and statewide political debates under the NBC North Dakota brand name and share certain equipment, such as remote broadcasting vehicles. On April 30, 2012, NBC North Dakota began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition. NBC North Dakota has long dominated the ratings in