KATU
U.S. right-center
Background
KATU signed on in 1962 as Portland's fourth commercial TV station, built by Fisher Broadcasting Company, a Seattle-based media firm with Pacific Northwest roots. It launched as an independent station and affiliated with ABC in 1964, becoming a fixture in Portland-area local news. Fisher Communications held the station for over five decades, building a reputation as a conventional local broadcaster. In April 2013, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired Fisher Communications and all its stations, including KATU, as part of a broader national expansion strategy. Sinclair is one of the largest U.S. local TV station owners and is known for a right-of-center editorial orientation, having donated roughly 80 percent of its political contributions to Republican candidates since the 1990s. In 2018, KATU was among the Sinclair stations required to air a company-written on-air script warning viewers about 'fake news' — language that drew widespread criticism for echoing Trump administration talking points. In 2025, KATU was among Sinclair stations that preempted Jimmy Kimmel Live! during a period when the Trump administration was pressuring ABC over the program. Media Bias/Fact Check rates KATU's website as slightly right-center, while its factual reporting record is rated high; AllSides rates it center with low confidence.
Sources
- KATU – Wikipedia
- KATU2 – Portland News – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- Sinclair Broadcast Group – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- KATU Media Bias – AllSides
- Portland's KATU-TV Among the Stations That Read Sinclair's Scripted Attack on the 'Irresponsible, One-Sided' Media – Willamette Week
- Portland TV Stations Are in the Middle of Trump's Bid to Cancel Kimmel – Willamette Week
- Fisher Communications – Wikipedia
- KATU Station Information – FCC Public Inspection Files
Profile compiled 2026-08-03; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.