 Several months later than expected, the station first signed on the air on January 9, 2001, under Program Test Authority; it was the fourth full-power television station to sign on in the Abilene market and the first full-power network-affiliated station to sign on in the market since CBS affiliate KTAB (channel 32) debuted in October 1979.KXVA has been a Fox station since its debut, taking over the affiliation from KIDZ-LP (channel 42), which (along with its five translator stations) were also owned by Sage Broadcasting.The station obtained its initial broadcast license on February 13, 2002, more than a year after applying for the license to the FCC.