KFOX-TV (channel 14) is a television station in El Paso, Texas, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside dual CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate KDBC-TV (channel 4). Both stations share studios on South Alto Mesa Drive in northwest El Paso, while KFOX-TV's transmitter is located atop the Franklin Mountains on the El Paso city limits. Established as El Paso's first non-network TV station in 1979 after years of telecasting Christian programs on cable, the station as KCIK struggled financially and introduced secular entertainment programs. While it was owned in turn by two Christian groups, it continued this orientation and affiliated with Fox in 1986. It prospered with the new affiliation and introduced local news in 1997 after being sold to Cox Television. Sinclair acquired KFOX and KDBC in separate transactions in 2013, combining their operations. History Launch and early years Six years before a signal was broadcast on channel 14 in El Paso, the foundation was laid for the station that would occupy it with the launch of a Christian television station, known as International Christian Television (ICT), on El Paso's cable system in 1973. The station was operated by a company known as Missionary Radio Evangelism, Inc. (MRE), led by Pete Warren and Alex Blomerth, and began to telecast seven days a week on cable channel 8 in 1974. That year, it purchased its first mobile production van. As early as mid-1974, the group had its sights set on building UHF channel 14 in El Paso: its club of donors was the "1400 Club", and it was soliciting donations with an eye to building capacity to make the leap. Pledge drives were also held to raise funds. On May 24, 1976, Missionary Radio Evangelism filed a formal application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a channel 14 construction permit, which was granted on December 23. While ICT/MRE promised an Easter 1977 launch after getting the permit, viewers would have to wait longer than that. In March 1978, the station signed a lease for a tower in the Franklin Mountains owned by John Walton, who had recently sold off KELP-TV (renamed KVIA-TV) without the transmitter site. This tower, already in use for two-way radio communications, had to be accessed by a tramway. After dealing with a six-week setback due to an antenna that, once installed, was found to be damaged and had to be