KESQ-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Coachella Valley of California. Licensed to Palm Springs, the station broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 42 and a digital signal on UHF channel 52. KESQ's transmitter is located northeast of Cathedral City. The station is owned by Gulf-California Broadcast Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of News-Press & Gazette Company. KESQ is a sister station to FOX affiliate KDFX-CA, CW affiliate KCWQ-LP, and Telemundo affiliate KUNA-LP. The four stations share studios located on Melanie Place in Palm Desert. Gulf-California also owns two area radio stations: KUNA-FM and KESQ-AM.

KESQ operates an outlying translator in Yucca Valley, K27DS, on channel 27.

Along with other major Coachella Valley television stations, KESQ identifies itself on-air using its cable designation (NewsChannel 3 HD) rather than its over-the-air channel position. The unusual practice, also common in the Fort Myers / Naples, Florida market, stems in part from the area's exceptionally high cable penetration rate of 80.5% -- one of the highest in the United States.

KESQ is currently the #1 rated station in the Palm Springs market. In addition to its newscasts, the station features many of the most popular syndicated programs including: Live with Regis and Kelly, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. Weekend syndicated programming on KESQ includes 24 and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Digital Broadcasting

Along with its main digital signal on DT1, KESQ offers three additional channels on its digital service.

RF	PSIP	Programming	Aspect ratio
52.1	42.1	main KESQ programming (ABC)	16:9
52.2	33.2	KDFX-CA (FOX)	16:9
52.3	2.3	KCWQ-LP (The CW)	4:3
52.4	42.2	First Alert Weather Channel (AccuWeather)	4:3

KDFX and KCWQ are offered on KESQ's digital signal because they do not broadcast digital signals of their own. While all four stations broadcast on KESQ-DT (UHF 52), the company labels KDFX and KCWQ with their analog channel through PSIP.

On-Air Personalities

Anchors

• Jeff Stahl - weekday mornings and Noon (also reporter)
• John White - weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30, and 11 PM
• Tamara Damante - weeknights at 6 and 11 PM (also at 10 PM on KDFX)
• Elizabeth Beaubien - weeknights at 5 and 6:30 PM
• Jason Sloss - weekends (also reporter)

Weather

• Ginger Jeffries - weeknights
• Dave Spahr - weekday mornings and Noon
• Peter Cannella - weekends
• Ashley Brown - Weekend Morning Meteorologist and noon

Sports

• Paul Cicala - weeknights at 6 and 11 PM (also at 10 PM on KDFX)
• Chris Miller

Reporters

• Nathan Baca
• Gil Diaz
• Elyse Webb
• Rodney Wardle
• Eddie Quezada

External links

• Station Website