Under Cox Broadcasting ownership, the station invested in the launch of a news department. In September 1997, KFOX launched the first prime time newscast in the El Paso market, with the debut of a half-hour 9:00 p.m. newscast. The program grew in popularity to become the most-watched local newscast in the market within four years of its premiere. Since then, KFOX's news department has received nearly 300 local, regional and national awards for journalistic excellence including Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards and Katie Awards. Even after the weeknight broadcast expanded to one hour by 2000, atypical for most Fox stations that produce their newscasts in-house, the Saturday edition of KFOX's 9:00 p.m. newscast remained a half-hour in length; it is one of a handful of news-producing Fox affiliates (and one of the largest by market size) to air its primetime newscast in such a fashion.