KWHY-TV

KWHY-TV, virtual channel 22 (UHF digital channel 42), is a MundoMax-affiliated television station located in Los Angeles, California, United States, which serves as the West Coast flagship station of the network. The station is owned by the Los Angeles-based real estate and investment firm Meruelo Group, with sales and marketing operations handled by RCN Television, MundoMax's parent company. The station's studios are located on West Pico Boulevard in Mid-City, Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Harvard. The station's signal is relayed on two low-power translator stations: K46GF (channel 46) in Santa Maria, and K47GD (channel 47) in San Luis Obispo.

History

The UHF channel 22 allocation in Los Angeles was first used for KBIC in 1954 (however, that station had never aired any programming other than a test pattern). In 1962, the station's license changed hands and was relaunched as KIIX, airing a schedule of entirely African American-oriented programming, before it shut down on September 22, 1964. On March 21, 1965, the station returned to the air as general entertainment independent station KPOL-TV, which was co-owned alongside KPOL radio; the station carried a minimal schedule consisting of old movies and syndicated programming. It was sold again in 1966 to the family of Thomas S. Bunn, who changed the station's call letters to KWHY-TV, it became operated by Coast Television Corporation. Together with Quotron, who then provided all brokerage houses with real-time stock market information, launched the first business news service for television (at one time, it grew to a 12-station network, including affiliates in New York City and Chicago). The tickertape was delayed by 15 minutes and airtime was given away to stock brokers while newsreaders "ripped and read" from the newswires. Although KWHY was not profitable, it was a staple in thousands of offices, restaurants and homes each trading day.