KSBW, the Hearst-owned NBC-affiliate for the Monterery-Salinas-Santa Cruz market, announced Monday it will become an ABC-affiliate as well, carrying ABC programming on its digital sub-channel.

KNTV Channel 11 was the ABC affiliate in that market for three decades. In 2000, KGO-TV paid KNTV $14 million to drop the ABC affiliation. NBC then bought KNTV and moved the station into the San Francisco market. Since then, viewers in the Monterery-Salinas-Santa Cruz market have been served by KGO, delivered to them via cable. Both KGO and KABC were available from satellite TV providers.

In addition to ABC shows, the KSBW subchannel will broadcast KSBW’s newscasts.

“The Central Coast has never had a local ABC affiliate. Now we can bring viewers NBC shows, plus the great line-up from ABC,” said Joseph Heston, KSBW’s president and GM.  “Best of all, the #1 rated newscast in our region, ‘KSBW Action News 8,’ will be seen on both channels.”