KSL
U.S. center-right / institutional (LDS Church-owned)
Background
KSL traces to a Salt Lake City radio station founded in 1922 that became one of the first licensed stations in the Mountain West; the LDS Church acquired full ownership by the 1940s-1960s. In 1964, the church's First Presidency approved consolidating its broadcast properties into Bonneville International Corporation, which has run KSL radio and television ever since. KSL-TV became Utah's NBC affiliate and built a reputation as the state's dominant local news operation, while KSL Newsradio grew into a leading talk and news station. The church separately operates Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media as sister outlets under Deseret Management Corporation, giving the church a substantial footprint across Utah media. KSL has generally avoided overt religious or partisan editorializing in its news product, distinguishing its journalism from the church's explicitly faith-based publications, though critics note its ownership creates an inherent institutional alignment with LDS Church interests and a generally cautious, establishment-friendly editorial tone. It has not been a focal point of national political controversy the way some other outlets have, and it is widely regarded in Utah as a credible, if institutionally conservative-adjacent, local news source.
Sources
Profile compiled 2026-09-24; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.