KAAL-TV
 
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Austin/Albert Lea/Rochester, Minnesota-Mason City, Iowa United States |
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| City | Austin |
| Branding | ABC 6 (general) ABC 6 News |
| Channels |
Digital: 36 (UHF) Virtual: 6 () |
| Subchannels | (see article) |
| Translators | 33 Mason City |
| Affiliations | ABC |
| Owner |
Hubbard Broadcasting (KAAL-TV, LLC) |
| First air date | August 17, 1953 |
| Call letters' meaning | Austin/Albert Lea |
| Sister station(s) | KSTP-TV, KSTC-TV, KSAX/KRWF, WDIO-DT/WIRT-DT |
| Former callsigns | KMMT (1953–1968) KAUS-TV (1968–1975) KAAL-TV (1975–1998) |
| Former channel number(s) | 6 (VHF analog, 1953–2009) 33 (UHF digital, 2001–2009) |
| Former affiliations |
CBS (1953–1954) DuMont (secondary, 1953–1955) NTA (secondary, 1956–1961) |
| Transmitter power | 620 kW |
| Height | 326 m (1,070 ft) |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 18285 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 43°38′34″N 92°31′36.0″W / 43.64278°N 92.526667°W |
| Website | kaaltv.com |
KAAL is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota and Northeastern Iowa. Licensed to Austin, Minnesota, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 (or virtual channel 6.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Grand Meadow Township, Minnesota. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, KAAL has studios on 1320 Salem RD SW in Rochester MN. Syndicated programming on the station includes Entertainment Tonight, Hot Bench, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Harry and Rachael Ray among others. In addition to its main signal, KAAL operates a low-powered translator licensed to Mason City, Iowa. This airs a digital signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter in Garner, Iowa along U.S. 18.
The station signed on the air on August 17, 1953 as KMMT and aired an analog signal on VHF channel 6. Its first owners were local businessmen Martin Busted, Harry Smith, and Palmer Ulland, who also owned KAUS radio (AM 1480 and FM 99.9). Originally, the station was a primary CBS affiliate with secondary ABC and DuMont relations. After KGLO-TV (now KIMT) launched from Mason City in late 1954, KMMT switched its primary affiliation to ABC. DuMont would eventually be dropped in 1956 after that network shut down operations. This station is the longest-tenured ABC affiliate in the Upper Midwest.
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