KTBU

===Lakewood Church and Humanity Interested Media's "The Tube" (1998–2006)===
[[File:Channel_55_The_Tube_logo.png|100px|thumb|left|"The Tube" logo, used in 1998.]]
The station first signed on the air on July 15, 1998, from facilities located on Old Katy Road near [[Memorial Park, Houston|Memorial Park]] in northwest Houston. It was established as a for-profit corporation jointly owned by Charles Dowen Johnson's Humanity Interested Media, Inc. (later Shepherds for the Savior) and [[John Osteen]]'s [[Lakewood Church]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ownership Reports, KTBU |url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/tv-profile/ktbu/ownership-reports |website=Licensing and Database Public Inspection File |publisher=United States Federal Communications Commission |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=THE CHANNEL 55 PRODUCTION COMPANY, INC. |url=https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0147199300 |website=OpenCorporates: The Open Database of the Corporate World |access-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225203955/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0147199300 |archive-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> Lakewood Church bought a 49% share in the station for $2 million. [[Joel Osteen]] ran the station until his father's death in 1999, when Joel began preaching at their church.<ref name="Dawson2006">{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Jennifer |title=Church sells The Tube to network |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2006/11/27/story1.html |access-date=February 25, 2024 |work=Houston Business Journal |date=November 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202171821/https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2006/11/27/story1.html |archive-date=December 2, 2008}}</ref>

KTBU launched as an [[independent station]] with a general entertainment format including classic and syndicated television series, movies and sports, plus a slate of locally produced shows focusing on sports, history and other topics of interest to Houstonians.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Other Stuff & Forum |journal=VHF-UHF Digest |volume=September 1998 |page=21 |url=https://archive.org/details/VHF-UHF_Digest_1998-09/ |publisher=Worldwide TV-FM DX Association}}</ref> However, Shepherds for the Savior later stated,<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://shepherdsforthesavior.com/about-us |website=Shepherds for the Savior |access-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507152648/https://shepherdsforthesavior.com/about-us |archive-date=May 7, 2021}}</ref> {{blockquote
|text=The idea behind the acquisition of the TV license was to have a local Christian-based TV station that would generate enough income to support his ministry of spreading the message of Jesus by supporting ministries worldwide.}}

The station started its first broadcast with a religious devotional. Lakewood Church, which previously broadcast their church services on the local CBS affiliate [[KHOU]], began broadcasting them on KTBU, and KTBU added religious programming from 6 a.m. to noon and 10 p.m. to midnight on Sundays, and from 6 to 7 a.m. every weekday from [[Joyce Meyer]] and Walter Hallam's megachurch in Texas.<ref name="McDaniel1998" />

When interviewed in 1998, the Vice President of Marketing (and Joel Osteen's brother-in-law) Don Iloff said they would "reluctantly" broadcast sports shows with beer ads.<ref name="McDaniel1998">{{cite news |last1=McDaniel |first1=Mike |title=New TV station takes careful aim at family - Channel 55 Launches with Vintage Shows, Fresh Attitude |work=Houston Chronicle |date=July 15, 1998 |location=Houston section |page=1}}</ref> In 1999, they added a local news program with [[The News of Texas]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=McDaniel |first1=Mike |title=Channel 55 is Texas Network's new home |work=Houston Chronicle |date=February 23, 1999 |location=Houston section |page=6}}</ref> and began broadcasting live telecasts of [[University of Houston]] football, basketball, and baseball games and weekly shows featuring University of Houston coaches.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Barron |first1=David |title=Channel 55 joins UH in sports partnership |work=Houston Chronicle |date=August 16, 1999 |location=Sports section |page=8}}</ref>

In 2000, KTBU added more local programming and briefly broadcast [[Houston Rockets]] and [[Houston Comets]] games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stickney |first1=W. H. Jr. |title=Comets a welcome sight on the Tube |work=Houston Chronicle |date=July 1, 2000 |location=Sports section |page=6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Barron |first1=David |title=Station break Rockets back on Channel 20 after ending deal with Channel 55 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=November 9, 2000 |location=Sports section |page=7}}</ref> The station was not able to successfully broadcast the Houston Rockets and Comets games, and the sports teams ended their contracts early. The same year, KTBU also decided to end most local programming and layoff between 12 and 16 people. At that time, the General Manager was (later [[Texas Lt. Governor]]) [[Dan Patrick (politician)|Dan Patrick]], who was simultaneously the General Manager at [[KSEV]] AM radio station; he stepped down from the KTBU in 2001 after the programming problems and scaling back.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McDaniel |first1=Mike |title=Dan Patrick steps down at Channel 55 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=August 24, 2001 |location=Houston section |page=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McDaniel |first1=Mike |title=Patrick eager to dive into role as KTBU general manager |work=Houston Chronicle |date=September 19, 2000 |location=Houston section |page=6}}</ref>

In 2004, Lakewood Church bought the remaining stake in the station for $6 million.

In 2006, they sold KTBU to [[USFR Media Group]] for $30.5 million to pay down debts associated with their purchase of the former Compaq Center sports arena (now the [[Lakewood Church Central Campus]]).<ref name="Dawson2006" />