The two stations share studios on Southwest Freeway (I-69/US 59) in Houston; KRIV's transmitter is located near Missouri City, Texas.

On February 17, 1964, the Crest Broadcasting Company, headed by former KIKK owner Leroy J. Gloger, filed an application to build a new TV station on channel 29 in Houston.

Crest was selected over a competing application from radio station KXYZ,[4] as it got the nod on diversification grounds and superior financial qualifications.

[7] Construction got underway for KVRL in late 1970, with a mast being erected atop One Shell Plaza in downtown Houston and studios being built in the Schindler Center development at 3935 Westheimer Road[3] in the Highland Village section.

[8] Programming mostly consisted of syndicated reruns, Texas Rangers baseball,[9] and an affiliation with the Christian Broadcasting Network.

For Gloger, who had a penchant for memorable station brands (such as the moniker and call sign for KIKK), it was the spark of an idea.

[21] The Spanish-language entertainment programming, from the Spanish International Network, was moved out of prime time and reduced to make way for nightly movies and The Merv Griffin Show; the studios were expanded,[22] and a new transmitter facility was constructed in 1982.

[27] After having operated from the same quarters on Westheimer since its establishment, KRIV acquired a tract of land near the Southwest Freeway to build a new, 78,000-square-foot (7,200 m2) facility that would provide sufficient space and parking for the expanding station.

[25] When Fox began providing network programming in prime time, the newscast relocated to its present 9 p.m. position, which brought better ratings and a more loyal news audience.

[26] In 1989, the station began airing Sunday night news specials under the banner City Under Siege, focusing on drug-related issues in Houston.

[36] The program regularly featured drug busts, and what some viewers called an overemphasis on Black people being arrested led to rules being set by the Houston Police Department.

with SallyMac & Lina, with longtime KRIV reporter/anchor Sally MacDonald and new hire Lina De Florias (who would join the station from KTVK/KPHO-TV in Phoenix) serving as the namesake anchors, featuring a format similar to that of its 10 p.m. newscast; the remainder of the newscast was then rebranded months later as "Houston's Morning Show".