Post by bossradio93 on Jan 23, 2007 13:14:44 GMT -5
This date marks an important milestone in television history especially for anyone who live or grown-up in Southern California like I have.
It was on this day 60 years ago, KTLA Channel 5 was granted a full commercial television broadcast license, making it the first commercial television station West of the Mississippi. There had been at least 350 television sets in operation in 1947 since not many people knew about the new medium of television at that time since the three major mediums were radio, movies and newspapers. With the launch of KTLA, television would have a significant impact on society for generations to come.
While one couldn’t possibly tell the whole story of KTLA in a 60 year frame, especially if your posting this on a message board for all to see due to character limitations and space, I’ll briefly explain the history of channel 5, the stations important milestones and ‘firsts’, there are quite a few of them. I’ll also mention there have been several game shows and the hosts that have graced KTLA’s airwaves at one time or another, mostly on air.
KTLA traces its origins to at least the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to a young, brilliant electronics whiz named Klaus Landsberg, who escaped Nazi Germany and fled to the United States and become part of KTLA’s beginnings. The station was originally owned by Paramount Pictures and started out as experimental station W6XYZ around September 1942 and lasted until 1947 when the station was granted its first commercial TV license in January. Entertainer Bob Hope appeared on KTLA’s first broadcast and referred the station as KTL by mistake.
In 1952, KTLA took its bulky black and white cameras to show viewers the detonation of an atomic bomb. The local phone company, unable to provide a top quality picture since the test was days away, said it would take 4-6 weeks and cost $60,000-$70,000 to construct microwave relays in such a hurry, so the station sent in Klaus Landsberg to do the job and sure enough his station was able to send back live pictures of the detonation to Los Angeles and at the time was nothing short of incredible. Only film was able to capture this historic event. Videotape arrived in 1956. Landsberg would die of cancer in the same year could never imagine the growth and impact the station would make later on had he lived.
And other 'firsts' too many to mention.
Paramount Pictures sold KTLA in 1964 to entertainer and sports team owner Gene Autry to his Golden West Broadcasters and had a general entertainment format with a western feel and would be one of the top independents in the nation. Sports played an important role in channel 5’s history, they provided championship wrestling, boxing and roller derby (some call roller games) which were televised at the historic (Grand) Olympic Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Lakers basketball, Los Angeles Kings hockey, UCLA sports had their share of coverage on KTLA.
Game shows and their hosts have been a part of KTLA’s long, rich history, starting with Jack Narz, who hosted “Seven Keys”, first locally on KTLA, then later picked up nationally on ABC (1961-1964). Allen Ludden, who hosted “Liars Club” in the 1970’s, also hosted the annual “Stop Arthritis Telethon” for several years. Other notable legends include Jim Lange, who taped “The Dating Game” (1977-1980) and Bob Eubanks “The Newlywed Game” (1977-80), dick Enberg, “Sports Challenge” in the 1970s, Steve Allen, who hosted a talk show and did bizarre stunts similar to what David Letterman sometimes does today. Selected episodes of “The Hollywood Squares” with Peter Marshall also aired. Bob Eubanks hosts the annual Tournament of Roses Parade for KTLA for almost 30 years and has made it the most watched event year after year.
Few people in the news business can be called icon or legend before them. But one who stands out above all the rest is Stan Chambers, who has been with the station since December 1947, nearly a year after the stations launch. Stan has covered thousands of news stories over the years and put KTLA on the map for outstanding news coverage and helped them win many awards and honors as a result. In 2001, the Chambers legacy continues with the newest addition to the KTLA family, Stan's grandson, Jaime Chambers. His bio's found here.
In 1982 KTLA was sold to Golden West Television, Inc. and again in 1985 to the Tribune Company (who also own the Los Angeles Times) (They refer its ownership as KTLA, Inc. when the station describes its technical specifics each morning). KTLA was the top independent in the country until 1995 when the WB Television Network was created and soon became part of a network affiliation until 2006 when both the WB and UPN merged to form the CW that same year.
KTLA made another first, this time broadcasting in high-definition television (HDTV) in October 1998 and broadcasts on digital television channel 31, which they will use soley once all analog TV signals are shut-off in February 2009.
Sixty years is not enough to tell the story of a television station that has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many and those who worked their bringing the finest entertainment, news and sports coverage. Happy 60th anniversary, KTLA!
*When KTLA launched the use of The Telecopter in 1958, it was quite an achivement considering that it would be its eye in the sky for on-the-spot news events. KMPC-AM (710) pioneered the news helicoper concept that same year when it was owned by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters until KTLA became part of the Autry family in 1964. No other television station would equal the accomplishment of having a news helicopter until 1968.
It was on this day 60 years ago, KTLA Channel 5 was granted a full commercial television broadcast license, making it the first commercial television station West of the Mississippi. There had been at least 350 television sets in operation in 1947 since not many people knew about the new medium of television at that time since the three major mediums were radio, movies and newspapers. With the launch of KTLA, television would have a significant impact on society for generations to come.
While one couldn’t possibly tell the whole story of KTLA in a 60 year frame, especially if your posting this on a message board for all to see due to character limitations and space, I’ll briefly explain the history of channel 5, the stations important milestones and ‘firsts’, there are quite a few of them. I’ll also mention there have been several game shows and the hosts that have graced KTLA’s airwaves at one time or another, mostly on air.
KTLA traces its origins to at least the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games to a young, brilliant electronics whiz named Klaus Landsberg, who escaped Nazi Germany and fled to the United States and become part of KTLA’s beginnings. The station was originally owned by Paramount Pictures and started out as experimental station W6XYZ around September 1942 and lasted until 1947 when the station was granted its first commercial TV license in January. Entertainer Bob Hope appeared on KTLA’s first broadcast and referred the station as KTL by mistake.
In 1952, KTLA took its bulky black and white cameras to show viewers the detonation of an atomic bomb. The local phone company, unable to provide a top quality picture since the test was days away, said it would take 4-6 weeks and cost $60,000-$70,000 to construct microwave relays in such a hurry, so the station sent in Klaus Landsberg to do the job and sure enough his station was able to send back live pictures of the detonation to Los Angeles and at the time was nothing short of incredible. Only film was able to capture this historic event. Videotape arrived in 1956. Landsberg would die of cancer in the same year could never imagine the growth and impact the station would make later on had he lived.
- First on-the-scene news coverage (1947)
- First to broadcast the Tournament of Roses Parade (1943 as W6XYZ, '48 as KTLA)
- First to use a helicopter to broadcast live pictures from the air as The Telecopter (1958) (now called SkyCam 5)*
- First to use videotape 1958
- First in color
- First to broadcast high-definition television (HDTV) (October 1998)
And other 'firsts' too many to mention.
Paramount Pictures sold KTLA in 1964 to entertainer and sports team owner Gene Autry to his Golden West Broadcasters and had a general entertainment format with a western feel and would be one of the top independents in the nation. Sports played an important role in channel 5’s history, they provided championship wrestling, boxing and roller derby (some call roller games) which were televised at the historic (Grand) Olympic Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Lakers basketball, Los Angeles Kings hockey, UCLA sports had their share of coverage on KTLA.
Game shows and their hosts have been a part of KTLA’s long, rich history, starting with Jack Narz, who hosted “Seven Keys”, first locally on KTLA, then later picked up nationally on ABC (1961-1964). Allen Ludden, who hosted “Liars Club” in the 1970’s, also hosted the annual “Stop Arthritis Telethon” for several years. Other notable legends include Jim Lange, who taped “The Dating Game” (1977-1980) and Bob Eubanks “The Newlywed Game” (1977-80), dick Enberg, “Sports Challenge” in the 1970s, Steve Allen, who hosted a talk show and did bizarre stunts similar to what David Letterman sometimes does today. Selected episodes of “The Hollywood Squares” with Peter Marshall also aired. Bob Eubanks hosts the annual Tournament of Roses Parade for KTLA for almost 30 years and has made it the most watched event year after year.
Few people in the news business can be called icon or legend before them. But one who stands out above all the rest is Stan Chambers, who has been with the station since December 1947, nearly a year after the stations launch. Stan has covered thousands of news stories over the years and put KTLA on the map for outstanding news coverage and helped them win many awards and honors as a result. In 2001, the Chambers legacy continues with the newest addition to the KTLA family, Stan's grandson, Jaime Chambers. His bio's found here.
In 1982 KTLA was sold to Golden West Television, Inc. and again in 1985 to the Tribune Company (who also own the Los Angeles Times) (They refer its ownership as KTLA, Inc. when the station describes its technical specifics each morning). KTLA was the top independent in the country until 1995 when the WB Television Network was created and soon became part of a network affiliation until 2006 when both the WB and UPN merged to form the CW that same year.
KTLA made another first, this time broadcasting in high-definition television (HDTV) in October 1998 and broadcasts on digital television channel 31, which they will use soley once all analog TV signals are shut-off in February 2009.
Sixty years is not enough to tell the story of a television station that has made a tremendous impact on the lives of so many and those who worked their bringing the finest entertainment, news and sports coverage. Happy 60th anniversary, KTLA!
*When KTLA launched the use of The Telecopter in 1958, it was quite an achivement considering that it would be its eye in the sky for on-the-spot news events. KMPC-AM (710) pioneered the news helicoper concept that same year when it was owned by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters until KTLA became part of the Autry family in 1964. No other television station would equal the accomplishment of having a news helicopter until 1968.