When Channel 12 in Mesa/Phoenix first signed on the air on May 5, 1953, under the then-call letters KTYL-TV, along comes the news department. At the time, the station's first news program was Your Esso Reporter. In 1956 (one year after Channel 12 changed its call letters to KVAR-TV), the station rebranded its newscast titles as "News Nite". In 1962, (one year after the stations changed its call letters to KTAR-TV), the newscast titles were rebranded again, this time as "News 90/The World Today". In 1967, Channel 12 changed its newscast titles to TV-12 News. In 1972, the newscast titles were changed to Phoenix News. In 1975, Channel 12 started using the "Action News" moniker. In 1977, Linda Alvarez joined the station as anchor, where she would remain for 8 years. In 1978, Mike Hambrick joined Channel 12 as anchor for one year. On June 4, 1979, when Channel 12 changed its call letters to KPNX-TV, the news department was growing. Also in 1979, Kent Dana joined the station as news anchor. In June 1980, Mark Curtis first joined the station as sports anchor in which he would remain until 1987. Also in 1980, Vince Leonard joined the station as anchor, which he would remain through the 1980s. In Mid-Spring 1986, Channel 12 dropped the "Action News" moniker, and the newscasts titles were branded as 12 News. In 2006, KPNX-TV became the first television station in the state of Arizona to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition.