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- Published: 28 Mar 2008
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Call letters | KTLA |
---|---|
Station logo | |
Station slogan | Get Connected (news) |
Station branding | KTLA 5 (general) (The) KTLA (5) News (newscasts) |
Digital | 31 (UHF)Virtual: 5 (PSIP)| |
Other chs | (see article) |
Affiliations | The CW |
Subchannels | (see article) |
Airdate | January 22, 1947 |
Location | Los Angeles, California |
Callsign meaning | KTelevisionLosAngeles |
Owner | Tribune Company |
Licensee | KTLA, Inc. |
Former channel numbers | Analog:5 (VHF, 1947-2009) |
Former affiliations | DuMont (1947-1948)Independent (1948-1995)The WB (1995-2006) |
Effective radiated power | 1000 kW |
Haat | 948 m |
Facility id | 35670 |
Coordinates | |
Homepage | KTLA.com |
KTLA was the first commercially licensed television station in the western United States, having begun operations in 1947.
Bob Hope served as the emcee for KTLA's inaugural broadcast, which was broadcast that evening from a garage on the Paramount Studios lot. The program, titled as the "Western Premiere of Commercial Television", featured appearances from many Hollywood luminaries. Hope delivered what was perhaps the most famous line of the evening when, at the program's start, he identified the new station as "KTL", mistakenly omitting the "A" at the end of the call sign. A 10-minute fragment from KTLA's first broadcast exists at the Paley Center for Media
KTLA originally carried programming from Paramount's partner, DuMont, but discontinued the practice after the 1947-48 season. Despite this, the FCC still considered KTLA and sister station WBKB (now WBBM-TV) in Chicago to be DuMont owned-and-operated stations because Paramount held a minority stake in DuMont. As a result, the agency would not allow DuMont to buy additional VHF stations—a problem that would later play a large role in the failure of the DuMont network, whose programming was splintered among other Los Angeles stations until the network's demise in 1956. Paramount even launched a short-lived "Paramount Television Network" in 1948, with KTLA and WBKB as its flagship stations. The programming service never gelled into a true television network, but during KTLA's early years, the station produced over a dozen series seen in syndication in many parts of the U.S. Among these series were Armchair Detective, Dixie Showboat, Frosty Frolics, Hollywood Reel, Hollywood Wrestling, Latin Cruise, Movietown, RSVP, Olympic Wrestling,
In 1964, KTLA was purchased by actor and singer Gene Autry and merged with his other radio properties (including Los Angeles' KMPC) into an umbrella company, Golden West Broadcasters. From 1964 to 1995, the station was the broadcast television home of the Los Angeles/California Angels baseball team, which was also owned by Autry. KTLA carried selected Los Angeles Lakers games from the early-to-mid 1970s. During the 1970s, KTLA became one of the nation's first superstations, and was eventually carried on cable systems across much of the country west of the Mississippi.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, KTLA sought a different programming strategy from the competition. It would emphasize syndicated reruns of off-network programs (with a heavy emphasis on western-themed programs such as The Gene Autry Show), first-run talk shows, movies, and sports programming. Children's programming, with the exception of weekend morning Popeye cartoons, were also phased out. It also launched a 10 p.m. newscast in the mid-1960s, the simply-titled News at Ten (also known over the years as The George Putnam News, NewsWatch and KTLA Prime News).
In March 1991, KTLA was the first station to air the infamous video of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police. From 1994 to 1995, the station aired gavel to gavel coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial anchored by Marta Waller.
Also around 1995, KTLA introduced a midday newscast at noon, but was discontinued sometime in 1997. This was revived on April 1, 2009 with the relaunch of a midday newscast at 1:00 PM weekdays.
Locally, KTLA has been co-owned with the Los Angeles Times since 2000 when Times Mirror, the previous owners of the daily newspaper, merged with Tribune.
Tribune purchased the Times-Mirror Company, parent company of the Los Angeles Times, in 2000, bringing the Times into common ownership with channel 5. The Times had been the original owner of Los Angeles' Fox station, KTTV.
On January 24, 2006, the Warner Bros. Television unit of Time Warner and CBS announced it would be merging the operations of its The WB and UPN networks into a joint-venture, The CW Television Network. KTLA became the Los Angeles affiliate of the new network. The station rebranded itself as "KTLA 5 The CW" on September 18, 2006 after The Night of Favorites and Farewells.
KTLA offers around 46.5 hours per week of local news, and its 10 p.m. newscast was the most-watched for decades until KTTV took the top spot consistently since 2000. The KTLA Morning News is the number two-rated local morning show, behind Good Day L.A.
KTLA's facility is also home to Sunset Bronson Studios (formerly Tribune Studios), where shows like Greed, Fox's Celebrity Boxing specials, WKRP in Cincinnati, Judge Judy, Hannah Montana, Solid Gold, Name That Tune, Family Feud, Win Ben Stein's Money, Lingo, The Newlywed Game, MADtv, Judge Joe Brown, Let's Make a Deal, Family Game Night, and Pictureka! have been produced over the years. With its location, KTLA and KCET are currently the only Los Angeles area broadcasters based in Hollywood. On February 14, 2008, Tribune Company announced the sale of Tribune Studios and related real estate in Los Angeles to Hudson Capital LLC for $125 million.
While KTLA and KCET are the only broadcasters from Hollywood, there has been speculation that KTLA might move into the headquarters building of the Los Angeles Times in Downtown Los Angeles and combining operations and staff with the Times. This arrangement is also used by two other Tribune combined newspaper/broadcast operations; Miami's WSFL-TV is based in the building of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, while WTIC-TV/WTXX moved into new facilities in the Hartford Courant building in December 2009.
On January 13, 2007, KTLA began broadcasting its newscasts in HD, becoming the second Los Angeles television station to do so.
On January 22, 2007, KTLA celebrated its 60th anniversary of continuous broadcasting in Los Angeles. Two days later, on January 24, 2007, KTLA was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first television station or network to receive such an honor. In addition to the station itself, six other individuals associated with the station—former owner Gene Autry, newsmen Hal Fishman, George Putnam, Stan Chambers and Larry McCormick, and KTLA founder Klaus Landsberg—have received stars on the Walk of Fame. In addition, KTLA continued its celebration on the weekend after Thanksgiving by airing a 60-hour marathon of classic shows that aired on KTLA in the past. KTLA also aired retrospectives of historic Los Angeles news stories during its weekend newscasts. However, the retro news segments were canceled on November 24 due to extensive coverage of the Corral Canyon fire in Malibu, California. Among the programs shown during the marathon were The Honeymooners, The Jack Benny Program, The Little Rascals, Wonder Woman, and Peter Gunn.
On October 14, 2009, KTLA unveiled a new logo and a redesigned news set, bringing back the classic stylized number 5 previously used by the station from 1981 to 1997 (see sidebar at top of article) and eliminating The CW network logo, which is still used in promotions for network programs. The "LA" in the KTLA callsign is in bold lettering to emphasize the station's Los Angeles location and service area, similar to a previous logo used from 1997 to 2005.
Although no mention was made of it beforehand, the analog signal temporarily returned to the air 15 minutes later at 11:00 p.m. to air an analog nightlight video, joining KCBS-TV and KNBC in the post-transition practice. KCBS-TV and sister station KCAL-TV cut their analog signals earlier in the day (1:10 p.m.) while KNBC's analog signal switched to the nightlight video during the station's 11:00 a.m. newscast.
KTLA broadcasts on digital channel 31 using PSIP to display KTLA's virtual channel as 5. KTLA broadcasts in 1080i high definition on virtual channel 5.1, since CW Network programming uses that particular HD format.
For many years channel 5's news operations were considered the benchmark of Los Angeles television. Its evening news program was often serious and no-nonsense in nature and has received many awards and distinctions. However, KTLA's newscasts have become more tabloid-based in nature in recent years, perhaps to compete with KTTV. Both stations have rivaled each other in ratings for many years. As part of the change, KTLA has placed more emphasis in entertainment news, and has featured personalities including Mindy Burbano Stearns, Zorianna Kitt, and recently Ross King as entertainment reporters.
In 2004, KTLA debuted a reality show segment on its morning news titled "The Audition", in which several actors and actresses competed for a role as weathercaster on the News at Ten. Ross King was the winner in the first installment. Jessica Holmes, of Nickelodeon fame, won the second installment and is now an anchor for "KTLA Morning News at 9." Although KTLA does not cover police pursuits like other stations, it has put more emphasis in local crime stories, as opposed to politics, health, and other serious news. As part of the 2005 graphics change, KTLA's graphics were significantly modernized, and a new, futuristic-looking set was constructed for its newscasts.
KTLA has also created synergy between Tribune Company entities. For example, entertainment reporter Sam Rubin is often seen on WGN-TV in Chicago. Ron Olsen also frequently reports on upcoming stories in the Los Angeles Times from the paper's headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles.
During the 1970s, KTLA operated a well-equipped helicopter known as the "Telecopter" for its news operations (having debuted in 1958); the Telecopter was the most advanced airborne television broadcast device of its time, but was ultimately sold to another Los Angeles station, KNBC, which flew the Telecopter with pilot Francis Gary Powers and cameraman George Spears until its fatal crash on August 1, 1977.
On July 30, 2007, Hal Fishman anchored what would be his final broadcast for KTLA. Following several days of hospitalization for a liver infection, Fishman died on August 7, 2007. KTLA's newscasts that morning and evening were dedicated to Fishman, for whom channel 5 dedicated its news studio in 2000. After Fishman's passing, KTLA installed longtime Morning Show co-host Carlos Amezcua as the interim co-anchor on Prime News. Local media speculated that Amezcua would be given the assignment permanently, but on September 4, Amezcua announced he would be leaving channel 5 to take over as co-anchor of KTTV's evening newscast, replacing John Beard. Morning news co-anchor Emmett Miller took over as interim evening anchor, and on December 4 was named as Fishman's permanent replacement.
On February 4, 2008, KTLA changed the names of its morning newscasts. The First Edition news is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 5 AM, while the Early Edition program is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 6 AM. The KTLA Morning Show has now reverted back to its original title, KTLA Morning News, while its 9 a.m. hour is now called KTLA Morning News @ 9 AM.
On January 19, 2009, KTLA launched a 6:30 p.m. newscast anchored by Emmett Miller. Jason Martinez took over in the summer of 2009 and since September 2009, anchored by Micah Ohlman. Also in September, KTLA addded a 6 p.m. newscast anchored by Micah Ohlman and Victoria Recano. Currently, Ohlman co-hosts the 6 p.m. edition with Leila Feinstein and anchors the 6:30 p.m. solo, as Victoria Recano has left the station. The 6:30 p.m. newscast is the region's first since the mid-1990s when KCAL-TV and KCBS-TV aired newscasts during this time slot before becoming sister stations in 2002. KTLA is also the region's first to air an hour-long 6pm newscast since the mid-1990s when KCBS-TV aired an hour-long 6pm newscast up until 1999.
On April 1, 2009, KTLA added two additional weekday newscasts. First, the KTLA Morning News begins at a earlier time at 4:30 a.m. The 4:30 AM newscast is anchored by Wendy Burch. Second, KTLA once again, began airing a midday weekday newscast at 1:00 p.m., currently anchored by Glen Walker (Mon-Wed), Jessica Holmes (Thur-Fri) and Lelia Feinstein. Additionally, KTLA expanded weekend operations to include a 6 and 6:30 p.m. newscast, anchored by Cher Calvin and Glen Walker.
In October 2009, KTLA unveiled a new set, graphics package, and music package.
;KTLA weather team
;KTLA Traffic Team
;Sports team
;Reporters
During the 1950s, while Paramount owned the station, that company was also producing Popeye cartoons. In one episode, Popeye's nephews turn on their television to "chanel number 5" (not the perfume, but channel 5 – KTLA).
KTLA has also been featured in other media (usually with its newscasts). Hal Fishman was featured reporting for Channel 5 News at Ten in the movie Malibu's Most Wanted. In one scene in the 2002 movie Showtime, the KTLA SkyCam 5 (later renamed the KTLA HD Telecopter, now renamed to Sky 5 HD) was seen among a group of helicopters surrounding the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
A fictionalized version of KTLA is seen on occasion on the Nickelodeon TV show Big Time Rush. It is identified as KULA and is seen on channel 6 instead of 5.
Category:Television stations in Los Angeles, California Category:The CW Television Network affiliates Category:Tribune Broadcasting Category:Television stations in California Category:Television channels and stations established in 1947 Category:Channel 31 digital TV stations in the United States Category:Superstations in the United States Category:This TV affiliates Category:DuMont Television Network owned-and-operated stations Category:Major League Baseball over-the-air television broadcasters
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