KTLA
Encyclopedia
KTLA, virtual channel
5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California
, USA
. Owned by the Tribune Company
, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard
in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson
. The station's signal covers the Southern California
region and KTLA is also available as a regional superstation
via cable and satellite in the United States and Canada
.
KTLA was the first commercially licensed television station in the western United States, having begun operations in 1947.
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:>
Channel
Video
Aspect
Programming
5.1
1080i
16:9
Main KTLA programming / The CW
5.2
480i
4:3
Antenna TV
5.3
This TV
. Veteran newsman Stan Chambers
, who was hired by KTLA almost a year after its launch in 1947 and remained there for more than six decades, was given the honor of "throwing the switch" to digital at its Mount Wilson
transmitter site. He pulled up a ceremonial mock switch from the analog to digital position, signaling the engineers to shut down the analog signal. Covering the on-air event for KTLA was reporter Jaime Chambers, Stan's grandson.
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.
subsidiary Television Productions, Inc., and located on the Paramount Studios lot, the station was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
in 1939 as experimental station W6XYZ, on channel 4, but did not go on the air until September 1942. Klaus Landsberg
, already an accomplished television pioneer at the age of 26, was the original station manager and engineer. On January 22, 1947, it was licensed for commercial broadcast as KTLA on channel 5, becoming the first commercial television station in Los Angeles, the first to broadcast west of the Mississippi River
, and the seventh in the United States. Estimates of television sets in the Los Angeles area at the time ranged from 350 to 600.
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, Bandstand Revue, Dixie Showboat, Frosty Frolics, Hollywood Reel, Hollywood Wrestling, Latin Cruise, Movietown, RSVP, Olympic Wrestling, Sandy Dreams, and Time for Beany
.
In 1958, KTLA moved to the Paramount Sunset Studios on Sunset Boulevard
in Hollywood, originally the Warner Bros.
Sunset Studios. For many years, those who have worked on Stage 6 at KTLA have been told that it was the site of filming Al Jolson
's landmark film The Jazz Singer
in 1927; Mark Evanier
, who wrote for one such show in 1978, points out on his website that Stage 6 didn't even exist at the time The Jazz Singer
was produced and the actual location used was probably what is now Stage 9.
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 (which originally came from former parent Paramount, but had been sold off to what became the syndication arm of United Artists Television
), 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).
for $
245 million. In 1985, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts sold KTLA to Tribune Broadcasting
. Under Tribune, KTLA continued to acquire high rated off-network sitcoms as well as talk shows. In July 1991, KTLA added the first live, local morning newscast, the KTLA Morning News, to compete with major network morning shows. At first, the KTLA Morning News suffered from low ratings. However, the ability to cover breaking news live (as opposed to the network morning programs, which were aired on a three-hour tape delay) attracted more viewers to channel 5. As time went on, the KTLA Morning News has enjoyed great ratings success, generally ranking number one in its main 7-9 a.m. time period. The program's success spawned rival KTTV
to launch its own local morning program, Good Day L.A.
, in 1993.
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.
, in which KTLA's parent company Tribune held a 25 percent ownership stake. That fall, KTLA added afternoon cartoon
s from Kids' WB
, entering the weekday children's television business for the first time in many years. KTLA also broadcasts the annual Tournament of Roses Parade
from Pasadena
as well. The station has aired the Rose Parade since 1948, and while other local stations also broadcast the parade over the years, KTLA remains the sole English-language outlet in the Los Angeles area to continuously broadcast the event. The station also served as host broadcaster of the Hollywood Christmas Parade
, which was later syndicated
to all Tribune-owned stations.
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 17, 2006 after The Night of Favorites and Farewells
.
Today, KTLA is a typical network affiliate, running the usual blend of syndicated shows, first-run prime time programming from The CW, early morning and evening newscasts, and sports. KTLA was the over-the-air home of the Los Angeles Clippers
; the station carried Clippers games from 1985 to 1991, and again in 2002 to 2009, and was also the TV home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
from 1993 to 2001. Although not as widespread in national carriage as its Chicago
sister station, WGN-TV
, KTLA is available via satellite as a superstation, throughout North America on Ku-band, C-band, and Dish Network
systems, as well as on cable systems in selected cities throughout the Southwestern part of the United States
and in Canada
nationwide.
KTLA offers 52.5 hours per week of local news, the most of any Los Angeles television station. The KTLA Morning News is the number one-rated local morning show according to the February 2011 Nielsen ratings.
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.
(who had been with the station since after its inception in 1947 until his retirement in 2010) and Warren Wilson. Stu Nahan
, Keith Olbermann
and Ed Arnold
(who now anchors KOCE-TV
's Real Orange) were formerly the sports anchors. Accompanying his news anchoring career, McCormick also hosted KTLA's own public affairs production called Making It!, which featured stories on the entrepreneurial successes of ethnic minorities. The station briefly ran a noon newscast during the mid-1990s anchored by Marta Waller.
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.
In February 2008, KTLA renamed its morning newscasts. The First Edition news is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 5, while the Early Edition program is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 6. 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.
In January 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 Cher Calvin and anchors the 6:30 p.m. solo, as Victoria Recano 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.
In April 2009, KTLA added three additional newscasts. First, the KTLA Morning News was expanded by one-half hour to begin at 4:30 a.m. The 4:30 AM newscast is currently anchored by Chris Schauble and Megan Henderson. Second, KTLA added a one-hour mid-day newscast at 1:00 p.m., currently anchored by Leila Feinstein and Glen Walker. Third, KTLA expanded the 6:30 p.m. weekend newscast to a full hour starting at 6 p.m., anchored by Mary Beth McDade and Rick Chambers.
In October 2009, KTLA unveiled a new set, graphics package, and music package.
In April 2011, KTLA added a weekend morning newscast anchored by Chris Burrous and Wendy Burch. It currently airs on Saturdays from 6-7 a.m. (airing in the early timeslot due to The CW's Toonzai animation block), and on Sundays from 6-9 a.m. This makes KTLA the fourth Tribune-owned station to carry a weekend morning newscast (fellow CW affiliate WGN-TV
in Chicago, and Fox affiliates WXIN
in Indianapolis and WTIC-TV
in Hartford are the others).
In August 2011, KTLA added a two-hour expanded primetime news KTLA 5 Sunday Edition from 8-10 p.m., currently anchored by Mary Beth McDade and Rick Chambers.
KTLA 5 Weather Team
KTLA 5 Traffic Team
KTLA 5 Sports Team
KTLA 5 Reporters
on November 30, 1991 with the airing of their mockery of the movie War of the Colossal Beast
. In the movie, there are scenes of a KTLA news anchor predicting where the title character Glen Manning will end up next. That anchor is the real KTLA reporter Stan Chambers
. The anchor ends up pronouncing the station's call letters as "KIT-lah". In a skit segment later in the show, Joel Robinson
, portrayed by Joel Hodgson
, mocks the anchor's "KTLA Predicts" style of newsreading and parodies The Amazing Criswell
. The phrase "KTLA Predicts" became a catchphrase among fans of the show.
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.
In the film Friends with Benefits
, Dylan (Justin Timberlake
), and Jamie (Mila Kunis
) are on KTLA News.
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Owned by the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson (California)
Mount Wilson is one of the better known peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory and has become the astronomical center of Southern California with and telescopes, and and tall...
. The station's signal covers the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
region and KTLA is also available as a regional superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
via cable and satellite in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
KTLA was the first commercially licensed television station in the western United States, having begun operations in 1947.
Digital television
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
Antenna TV
Antenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
Analog-to-digital conversion
KTLA shut down its analog signal, on June 12, 2009 at 10:45 p.m. during its evening 60-minute newscast KTLA Prime News as part of the DTV transition in the United StatesDTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. Veteran newsman Stan Chambers
Stan Chambers
Stanley Holroyd Chambers is a retired American television reporter who worked for KTLA in Los Angeles from 1947 to 2010....
, who was hired by KTLA almost a year after its launch in 1947 and remained there for more than six decades, was given the honor of "throwing the switch" to digital at its Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson (California)
Mount Wilson is one of the better known peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. It is the location of the Mount Wilson Observatory and has become the astronomical center of Southern California with and telescopes, and and tall...
transmitter site. He pulled up a ceremonial mock switch from the analog to digital position, signaling the engineers to shut down the analog signal. Covering the on-air event for KTLA was reporter Jaime Chambers, Stan's grandson.
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
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
and KNBC
KNBC
KNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
in the post-transition practice. KCBS-TV and sister station KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
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
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
to display KTLA's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as 5. KTLA broadcasts in 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
high definition on virtual channel 5.1, since CW Network programming uses that particular HD format.
Experimental years
Originally owned by Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
subsidiary Television Productions, Inc., and located on the Paramount Studios lot, the station was licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
in 1939 as experimental station W6XYZ, on channel 4, but did not go on the air until September 1942. Klaus Landsberg
Klaus Landsberg
Klaus Landsberg was a pioneering electrical engineer who made history with early commercial telecasts and helped pave the way to today's television networks.He appeared in many plays during his childhood...
, already an accomplished television pioneer at the age of 26, was the original station manager and engineer. On January 22, 1947, it was licensed for commercial broadcast as KTLA on channel 5, becoming the first commercial television station in Los Angeles, the first to broadcast west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, and the seventh in the United States. Estimates of television sets in the Los Angeles area at the time ranged from 350 to 600.
Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
served as the emcee
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
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
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
, but discontinued the practice after the 1947-48 season. Despite this, the FCC still considered KTLA and sister station WBKB (now WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
) 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
Paramount Television Network
The Paramount Television Network was a venture by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to organize a television network in the late 1940s...
" 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, Bandstand Revue, Dixie Showboat, Frosty Frolics, Hollywood Reel, Hollywood Wrestling, Latin Cruise, Movietown, RSVP, Olympic Wrestling, Sandy Dreams, and Time for Beany
Time for Beany
Time for Beany was an American television series, with puppets for characters, which aired locally in Los Angeles starting in 1949 and nationally on the improvised Paramount Television Network from 1950 to 1955...
.
In 1958, KTLA moved to the Paramount Sunset Studios on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
in Hollywood, originally the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Sunset Studios. For many years, those who have worked on Stage 6 at KTLA have been told that it was the site of filming Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
's landmark film The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
in 1927; Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
, who wrote for one such show in 1978, points out on his website that Stage 6 didn't even exist at the time The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
was produced and the actual location used was probably what is now Stage 9.
Golden West Broadcasters
In 1964, KTLA was purchased by actor and singer Gene AutryGene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
and merged with his other radio properties (including Los Angeles' KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
) into an umbrella company, Golden West Broadcasters. From 1964 to 1995, the station was the broadcast television home of the Los Angeles/California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
baseball team, which was also owned by Autry. KTLA carried selected Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
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
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
reruns of off-network programs (with a heavy emphasis on western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
-themed programs such as The Gene Autry Show
The Gene Autry Show
The Gene Autry Show is an American western/cowboy television series which aired for 91 episodes on CBS from July 23, 1950 until August 7, 1956, originally sponsored by Wrigley's Doublemint chewing gum.-Overview:...
), first-run talk shows, movies, and sports programming. Children's programming, with the exception of weekend morning Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
cartoons (which originally came from former parent Paramount, but had been sold off to what became the syndication arm of United Artists Television
United Artists Television
-Background:UA purchased Associated Artists Productions in 1958, giving UA access to the pre-1950 Warner Bros. library and the Popeye cartoons made by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios between 1933 and 1957....
), 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
George Putnam (newsman)
George Putnam was an American television news reporter and talk show host based in Los Angeles. He was known for his catchy phrase "See ya at ten, see ya then" intro prior to a broadcast of the news.-Biography:...
News, NewsWatch and KTLA Prime News).
A Tribune Broadcasting station
In 1982, Golden West sold KTLA to investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
KKR & Co. L.P. is an American-based global private equity firm, specializing in leveraged buyouts, based in New York. The firm sponsors and manages private equity investment funds. Since its inception, the firm has completed over $400 billion of private equity transactions and was a pioneer in...
for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
245 million. In 1985, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts sold KTLA to Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
. Under Tribune, KTLA continued to acquire high rated off-network sitcoms as well as talk shows. In July 1991, KTLA added the first live, local morning newscast, the KTLA Morning News, to compete with major network morning shows. At first, the KTLA Morning News suffered from low ratings. However, the ability to cover breaking news live (as opposed to the network morning programs, which were aired on a three-hour tape delay) attracted more viewers to channel 5. As time went on, the KTLA Morning News has enjoyed great ratings success, generally ranking number one in its main 7-9 a.m. time period. The program's success spawned rival KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
to launch its own local morning program, Good Day L.A.
Good Day L.A.
Good Day L.A. is a television talk show aired on KTTV , the Fox Broadcasting Company-owned and operated station in Los Angeles, California. The show airs Monday through Friday mornings from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and is simulcast live on myfoxla.com...
, in 1993.
In March 1991, KTLA was the first station to air the infamous video of the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
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
Marta Waller
Marta Waller is a former television reporter and anchor, most notably with KTLA where she worked since 1984.During her time, she provided medical reports and special features for KTLA...
.
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
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
since 2000 when Times Mirror, the previous owners of the daily newspaper, merged with Tribune.
The WB comes to KTLA
On January 11, 1995, KTLA became a charter affiliate of The WB Television NetworkThe WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
, in which KTLA's parent company Tribune held a 25 percent ownership stake. That fall, KTLA added afternoon cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s from Kids' WB
Kids' WB
Kids' WB! was Warner Bros. American childrens programing division brand for The WB Television Network. In September 2006, the block moved to The CW Television Network. The CW is the result of The WB's merger with UPN in 2006...
, entering the weekday children's television business for the first time in many years. KTLA also broadcasts the annual Tournament of Roses Parade
Tournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
from Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
as well. The station has aired the Rose Parade since 1948, and while other local stations also broadcast the parade over the years, KTLA remains the sole English-language outlet in the Los Angeles area to continuously broadcast the event. The station also served as host broadcaster of the Hollywood Christmas Parade
Hollywood Christmas Parade
The Hollywood Christmas Parade, formerly the Hollywood Santa Parade or Santa Claus Lane Parade, is an annual parade that takes place on the weekend after Thanksgiving in the Hollywood community in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, which was later syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
to all Tribune-owned stations.
Tribune purchased the Times-Mirror Company, parent company of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, in 2000, bringing the Times into common ownership with channel 5. The Times had been the original owner of Los Angeles' Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
station, KTTV.
"Where L.A. Lives"
The station launched a new branding campaign in January 2005, which omitted all references to its channel 5 position (although when rebranding as The CW affiliate, the channel 5 reference would return). It adopted a new logo, and became known on the air as KTLA The WB: Where L.A. Lives. The new look also featured a brand new black and orange color scheme for news broadcasts and other functions of the network.Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
unit of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
announced it would be merging the operations of its The WB and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
networks into a joint-venture, The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. KTLA became the Los Angeles affiliate of the new network. The station rebranded itself as "KTLA 5 The CW" on September 17, 2006 after The Night of Favorites and Farewells
The Night of Favorites and Farewells
The Night of Favorites and Farewells was a one-time special that aired on The WB on September 17, 2006. This special took a look back at the 11-year history of The WB and some of their biggest hits. The five-hour special was aired on all affiliates of The WB with the exception of those which had...
.
KTLA today
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
; the station carried Clippers games from 1985 to 1991, and again in 2002 to 2009, and was also the TV home of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
from 1993 to 2001. Although not as widespread in national carriage as its Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
sister station, WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
, KTLA is available via satellite as a superstation, throughout North America on Ku-band, C-band, and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
systems, as well as on cable systems in selected cities throughout the Southwestern part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
nationwide.
KTLA offers 52.5 hours per week of local news, the most of any Los Angeles television station. The KTLA Morning News is the number one-rated local morning show according to the February 2011 Nielsen ratings.
KTLA's facility is also home to Sunset Bronson Studios (formerly Tribune Studios), where shows like Greed
Greed (game show)
Greed is an American television game show that aired on Fox from November 4, 1999 until July 14, 2000. The game consisted of a team of contestants who answered a series of multiple-choice questions for a potential prize of up to $2 million...
, Fox's
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
Celebrity Boxing
Celebrity Boxing
Celebrity Boxing was a FOX television show, in which celebrities whose careers and/or notoriety had diminished were pitted against each other in exhibition boxing matches. The contestants wore headgear during the fights, which were scheduled for three rounds apiece...
specials, WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
, Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
, Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
, Solid Gold
Solid Gold (TV series)
Solid Gold is an American syndicated music television series that debuted on September 13, 1980. Like many other shows of its genre, such as American Bandstand, Solid Gold featured musical performances and various other elements such as music videos...
, Name That Tune
Name That Tune
Name That Tune is a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Premiering in the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show was created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta....
, Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, Win Ben Stein's Money
Win Ben Stein's Money
Win Ben Stein's Money is an American television game show that ran from July 28, 1997 to January 31, 2003 on the Comedy Central cable network with episodes airing until May 8, 2003. It featured three contestants who competed in a general knowledge quiz contest to win the grand prize of $5,000 from...
, Lingo, The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game is an American television game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know each other. The program, originally created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir The Newlywed Game is an American...
, MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
, Judge Joe Brown, Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, Family Game Night
Family Game Night (TV series)
Family Game Night is a television series based on Hasbro's family of board games. The show is hosted by Todd Newton, and also features announcer Burton Richardson. The 60-minute program debuted on October 10, 2010 on the new channel, The Hub, formerly Discovery Kids; it was previewed on October 9,...
, and Pictureka! have been produced over the years. With its location, KTLA and KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
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 $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
125 million.
While KTLA and KCET
KCET
KCET, channel 28, is an independent, non-commercial public television station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KCET's studio is located on West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. Al Jerome is the current CEO and President, serving since 1996.KCET was...
are the only broadcasters from Hollywood, there has been speculation that KTLA might move into the headquarters building
Los Angeles Times Building
The Los Angeles Times Building is an art moderne building located at 1st and Spring Streets in Los Angeles, California. It is the headquarter of the Los Angeles Times. It was designed by Gordon B...
of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
and combining operations and staff with the Times. This arrangement is also used by two other Tribune combined newspaper/broadcast operations; Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
's WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV
WSFL-TV, channel 39, is a The CW Television Network-affiliated television station located in Miami. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station shares studios with co-owned newspaper the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, and has its transmitter based in Miramar, Florida.It is a television station in...
is based in the building of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, while WTIC-TV
WTIC-TV
WTIC-TV, channel 61, is a television station in Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the Tribune Company, WTIC-TV is a charter affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
/WTXX moved into new facilities in the Hartford Courant building in December 2009.
On January 13, 2007, KTLA began broadcasting its newscasts in HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, 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
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, 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
Hal Fishman
Hal Fishman was the longest-running news anchor in the history of American television, having served on-air for Los Angeles television stations continuously between 1960 and his death in 2007...
, George Putnam
George Putnam (newsman)
George Putnam was an American television news reporter and talk show host based in Los Angeles. He was known for his catchy phrase "See ya at ten, see ya then" intro prior to a broadcast of the news.-Biography:...
, Stan Chambers
Stan Chambers
Stanley Holroyd Chambers is a retired American television reporter who worked for KTLA in Los Angeles from 1947 to 2010....
and Larry McCormick
Larry McCormick (TV)
Lawrence William "Larry" McCormick was an American television actor, reporter and news anchor, most notably working for Los Angeles television station KTLA-TV.-Biography:...
, and KTLA founder Klaus Landsberg—have received stars on the Walk of Fame. In addition, KTLA continued its celebration on the weekend after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
by airing a 60-hour marathon
Marathon (television)
In television, a marathon is typically the sequential broadcast of a single or a number of related television programs, most notably reflecting a theme....
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 Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
, The Jack Benny Program
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
, The Little Rascals, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
, and Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
.
On October 14, 2009, KTLA unveiled a new logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
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.
News operation
KTLA news anchors Hal Fishman, Larry McCormick, and George Putnam have become icons in Los Angeles TV News over the years. Its veteran field reporters have included Stan ChambersStan Chambers
Stanley Holroyd Chambers is a retired American television reporter who worked for KTLA in Los Angeles from 1947 to 2010....
(who had been with the station since after its inception in 1947 until his retirement in 2010) and Warren Wilson. Stu Nahan
Stu Nahan
Stu Nahan was an American sportscaster best known for his television broadcasting career in Los Angeles from the 1950s through the 1990s. He is also remembered for his role as a boxing commentator in most of the Rocky films. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6549 Hollywood Blvd...
, Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
and Ed Arnold
Ed Arnold
Ed Arnold is an American news anchor.Ed Arnold in California is currently a co-anchor for Real Orange, a nightly news and public affairs show for Orange County, California on KOCE, one of the four PBS stations in the Los Angeles market. Prior to joining KOCE, he was one of the Orange County bureau...
(who now anchors KOCE-TV
KOCE-TV
KOCE-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation, and is the primary PBS member for Los Angeles and Southern California. KOCE also features programming focused on the communities of Orange County, California. It airs Orange County's only nightly newscast, Real Orange, with...
's Real Orange) were formerly the sports anchors. Accompanying his news anchoring career, McCormick also hosted KTLA's own public affairs production called Making It!, which featured stories on the entrepreneurial successes of ethnic minorities. The station briefly ran a noon newscast during the mid-1990s anchored by Marta Waller.
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
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
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
Synergy
Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.The term synergy comes from the Greek word from , , meaning "working together".-Definitions and usages:...
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
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
from the paper's headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
.
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
KNBC
KNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
, 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.
In February 2008, KTLA renamed its morning newscasts. The First Edition news is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 5, while the Early Edition program is now known as KTLA Morning News @ 6. 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.
In January 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 Cher Calvin and anchors the 6:30 p.m. solo, as Victoria Recano left the station. The 6:30 p.m. newscast is the region's first since the mid-1990s when KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
and KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
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
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
aired an hour-long 6pm newscast up until 1999.
In April 2009, KTLA added three additional newscasts. First, the KTLA Morning News was expanded by one-half hour to begin at 4:30 a.m. The 4:30 AM newscast is currently anchored by Chris Schauble and Megan Henderson. Second, KTLA added a one-hour mid-day newscast at 1:00 p.m., currently anchored by Leila Feinstein and Glen Walker. Third, KTLA expanded the 6:30 p.m. weekend newscast to a full hour starting at 6 p.m., anchored by Mary Beth McDade and Rick Chambers.
In October 2009, KTLA unveiled a new set, graphics package, and music package.
In April 2011, KTLA added a weekend morning newscast anchored by Chris Burrous and Wendy Burch. It currently airs on Saturdays from 6-7 a.m. (airing in the early timeslot due to The CW's Toonzai animation block), and on Sundays from 6-9 a.m. This makes KTLA the fourth Tribune-owned station to carry a weekend morning newscast (fellow CW affiliate WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago, and Fox affiliates WXIN
WXIN (TV)
WXIN, channel 59, is the Fox affiliated television station in Indianapolis, Indiana. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 45, using its former analog channel 59 as its virtual channel via PSIP...
in Indianapolis and WTIC-TV
WTIC-TV
WTIC-TV, channel 61, is a television station in Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the Tribune Company, WTIC-TV is a charter affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
in Hartford are the others).
In August 2011, KTLA added a two-hour expanded primetime news KTLA 5 Sunday Edition from 8-10 p.m., currently anchored by Mary Beth McDade and Rick Chambers.
Controversies
- In 2004, Zorianna Kit, an entertainment writer for PeoplePeople (magazine)In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
and The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
, was installed as an on-air reporter despite her having no television news experience. (Her only previous television experience was as a panelist on the short-lived Movie Club with John RidleyJohn RidleyJohn Ridley is an American film director, actor, and writer.Ridley got his start as a stand-up comedian. He eventually was hired as a writer for sitcoms such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin...
.) Kit then raised ethical questions in January 2005 when she was critical of the appointment of Brad GreyBrad GreyBrad Alan Grey is the Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, a position he has held since 2005. Under Grey’s leadership, Paramount has finished No.2 in market share in 2008, 2009 and 2010 despite releasing significantly fewer films than its competitors.Since arriving at Paramount in 2005,...
to head Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
on the air. She did not tell viewers that her husband, producer Bo Zenga, had sued Grey over profits from the film Scary MovieScary MovieScary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
. The Los Angeles Times reported the issue and in mid-January, Kit apologized on-air. She left KTLA in July 2005. - In January 2006, KTLA management came under fire for changing the hosts for the station's annual broadcast of the Tournament of Roses ParadeTournament of Roses ParadeThe Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
. Stephanie EdwardsStephanie Edwards (TV personality)Stephanie Ann Edwards is an American actress and television personality.-Career:Born in Kenyon, Minnesota, Edwards began her career as an actress, but became widely known as an on-air personality in the 1970s. She co-hosted ABC-TV's AM America jointly with Bill Beutel, the program was the...
, who emceed the parade for nearly three decades with Bob EubanksBob EubanksRobert Leland "Bob" Eubanks is an American television/radio personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show The Newlywed Game on and off since 1966, where he was known for using the catchphrase, "Makin' Whoopee"...
, was moved out of the booth and became a street reporter. She was replaced by Michaela PereiraMichaela PereiraMichaela Pereira is a Canadian television personality best known as being an anchor for KTLA in Los Angeles.- Biography :...
in the booth. The move was widely seen as insensitive and created a storm of controversy, including a scathing column by Patt MorrisonPatt MorrisonPatt Morrison is a journalist, author, and radio—television personality based in Los Angeles and Southern California.-Media:Morrison is a writer for the Los Angeles Times, with the weekly 'Patt Morrison Asks' column, and received the Joseph M. Quinn award in 2000 from the Los Angeles Press Club...
in the Los Angeles Times, which, like KTLA, is owned by the Tribune Company. This situation was made worse by the fact that it was raining that day, and Edwards was forced to stay out in the rain. In 2007, Pereira fully replaced Edwards. However, KTLA management later, in September 2008, announced that Edwards would resume her co-hosting duties with Eubanks for the January 1, 2009 broadcast of the parade. Edwards once again returned to co-host the parade coverage with Eubanks the following year in 2010. - Another ethical issue bubbled up in late February 2006 when the Pasadena Star-NewsPasadena Star-NewsThe Pasadena Star-News is the local daily newspaper for Pasadena, California. The Star-News is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, since 1996. It is also part of the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, along with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Whittier Daily News.Ridder Newspapers...
reported that the three KTLA personalities — Carlos Amezcua, Sam Rubin and Michaela Pereira — accepted free rooms at the recently renovated Ritz-CarltonRitz-CarltonThe Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena. The station was broadcasting an entire "Morning News" from Pasadena, although the hotel was not specifically mentioned. Still, it was widely seen as a significant ethical lapse, one that violated Tribune Company guidelines. - On March 4, 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Michaela Pereira had accepted $10,000 worth of furniture for her Pasadena home. The furnishings, delivered in September 2005, were to be part of a "Extreme Home Makeover" segment on the Morning News. But the segment never aired and the furniture company was never paid. The company said that it was under the impression that the work was in exchange for favorable coverage.
- In a 2007 MSNBCMSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
.com investigation into partisan journalists and newspersons who donate to political parties and causes, KTLA news writer Diana Chi was found to have donated to the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
19 times between 2002-2006. - The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that weekend anchor Lu ParkerLu ParkerFrances Louise "Lu" Parker is a broadcast journalist and former Miss USA from South Carolina.- Early life :Born in Anderson, South Carolina, Parker attended the College of Charleston, where she was a sister of Alpha Delta Pi and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She then went on to...
began a relationship with Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio VillaraigosaAntonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, Mayor of Los Angeles, in March 2009. Her employer KTLA was reportedly unaware of this fact until May 2009. Parker reported several stories on Villaraigosa's political future before being reassigned.
Newscast titles
- Newsroom (1939–1947; as W6XYZ)
- Telenews/Newsreel (1947–1955)
- The News Live on 5 (1955–1962)
- Newspicture 5:30 (1962–1966)
- Big 5 News (1966–1969)
- The News (1969–1973)
- George Putnam News (1973–1975)
- News Watch (1975–1977)
- (Channel 5/KTLA) News at Ten (1977–2005 and 2009–present)
- KTLA 5 Prime News (2005–2009)
- KTLA Morning News (1991–2006 and 2008–present)
- KTLA 5 Morning Show (2006–2008; formerly used for the 7-10 a.m. portion of the news)
- KTLA 5 News (2009–present)
Station slogans
- The Number One Prime Time News Hour (1969–1995)
- LA's Very Own (1990-1993)
- You'll Find Your Friends on KTLA 5 (1995-1996; localized version of The WB ad campaign)
- KTLA 5, LA's WB (1995–2004)
- We Stand Out on KTLA 5 (1996-1997; localized version of The WB ad campaign)
- KTLA, The WB, Where L.A. Lives (2005–2006)
- KTLA 5, The CW, Where L.A. Lives (2006–2009)
- LA's Local News Leader (2009–2010)
- Get Connected (2010–present)
Current on-air staff
KTLA 5 Anchors/Hosts- Frank Buckley - weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (7-10 a.m.)
- Wendy Burch - weekend mornings KTLA Morning News; also weekday reporter
- Chris Burrous - weekend mornings KTLA Morning News; also weekday reporter
- Cher CalvinCher Calvin- Biography :Calvin is the daughter of former actor Roger Calvin. She started with KTLA in January, 2005. She was a former news anchor of Studio 23's "News Central" and one of the hosts of the fashion magazine show "F" on ABS-CBN.Calvin came to KTLA from KVVU-TV Fox 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where...
- weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m. - Rick Chambers - weekends at 6 and 10 p.m., KTLA 5 Sunday Editon (8-10 p.m.) ; also weekday reporter
- Leila FeinsteinLeila FeinsteinLeila Feinstein is an American television news anchor based in Los Angeles working for Tribune-owned KTLA.- Biography :...
- weekdays at 1 p.m.; also health reporter - Megan HendersonMegan HendersonMegan Henderson is a journalist and weekday morning anchor of the 4:30am to 7am KTLA News in Los Angeles. Prior to joining KTLA in March 2009, Henderson hosted the #1 rated morning show Good Day at the Fox affiliate KDFW in Dallas and Fox's Good Day Utah at KSTU in Salt Lake City...
- weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (4:30-7 a.m.) - Jessica HolmesJessica Holmes (television presenter)Jessica Renee Holmes is an American television personality best known as the former co-host of the popular Nickelodeon TV series Slime Time Live. She currently serves as an anchor for KTLA 5 The CW in Los Angeles.- Biography :...
- weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (9-10 a.m.); also entertainment reporter KTLA 5 News @ 1 - Mary Beth McDade - weekends at 6 and 10 p.m., KTLA 5 Sunday Edition (8-10 p.m.) ; also weekday reporter
- Micah OhlmanMicah OhlmanMicah Ohlman is a television news anchor in Southern California. He currently co-anchors the weekday editions of the KTLA News @ 6pm and 10pm. A Los Angeles native, Ohlman was born in Torrance, graduated from William S. Hart High School in Newhall, and earned a degree in communication studies...
- weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m. - Michaela PereiraMichaela PereiraMichaela Pereira is a Canadian television personality best known as being an anchor for KTLA in Los Angeles.- Biography :...
- weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (7-10 a.m.) - Chris Schauble - weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (4:30-7 a.m.)
- Glen Walker - weekdays at 1 p.m.
KTLA 5 Weather Team
- Vera Jimenez - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m.
- Chris Burrous - weather anchor; weekend mornings KTLA Morning News
- Jim CastilloJim CastilloJim Castillo , whose birth name is James, is an American meteorologist. Castillo is a weekend Meteorologist at KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, California....
(AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Wednesdays-Fridays at 1 p.m. and weekends at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m., KTLA 5 Sunday Editon (8-10 p.m.) - Henry Dicarlo (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (4:30-7 a.m.)
- Jessica HolmesJessica Holmes (television presenter)Jessica Renee Holmes is an American television personality best known as the former co-host of the popular Nickelodeon TV series Slime Time Live. She currently serves as an anchor for KTLA 5 The CW in Los Angeles.- Biography :...
- weather anchor; Monday-Tuesdays at 1 p.m. - Mark KriskiMark KriskiMark Kriski is a Canadian born in Nova Scotia of Polish descent. He served as a DJ on Victoria, British Columbia's Q-100 FM, and Montreal's 980 AM, known as CKGM, then later as weatherman on Canada's The Weather Network in the late 1980s. Kriski now works at KTLA in Los Angeles.Mark Kriski has...
- weather anchor; weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (7-10 a.m.)
KTLA 5 Traffic Team
- Chris Burrous - weekend mornings KTLA Morning News
- Jim Castillo - Wed-Fri at 1 p.m., weekends at 6, 6:30 and 10 p.m., KTLA 5 Sunday Edition (8-10 p.m.)
- Ginger Chan - weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (4:30-9 a.m.)
- Jessica Holmes - Mondays & Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
- Vera Jimenez - weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- Mark Kono - Sky5 HD, weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (5-9 a.m.)
- Tim Lynn - Sky5 HD, weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
KTLA 5 Sports Team
- Derrin HortonDerrin HortonDerrin Horton is an American sportscaster based in Los Angeles, California.Horton joined NFL Network at the start of the 2004 NFL season where he currently serves as an anchor, reporter and host. Horton provides in-depth interviews, post-game reports, and sideline reports for the Network.Before...
- sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m. - Steve HartmanSteve Hartman (sportscaster)Steve Hartman is currently the host of a national sports talk show on Fox Sports Radio based in Los Angeles, California. He is also the weekend sports anchor on KTLA television in L.A....
- sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 10 p.m., KTLA 5 Sunday Edition (8-10 p.m.) - Roger LodgeRoger LodgeRoger Lodge is an American game show host, sports radio host, and actor.-Life and career:Lodge was born as Rogelio Chavez in Fontana, California and raised in Cerritos, California. Lodge currently serves as Executive Producer and host of HDNET's "CELEBRIDATE", scheduled to debut in October of 2011...
- sports commentator; weekday mornings KTLA Morning News (6-8 a.m.)
KTLA 5 Reporters
- Gayle AndersonGayle AndersonGayle Anderson is a reporter for KTLA Morning News, whose participation in unique human interest stories has become a favorite among viewers....
- weekday morning and "Gayle on the Go" feature reporter - David Begnaud - general assignment reporter
- Ginger Chan - weekday morning traffic reporter
- Liberte Chan - general assignment reporter
- Carolyn Costello - general assignment reporter
- Rich DeMuro - technology reporter
- Elizabeth EspinosaElizabeth Espinosa- Biography :Prior to KTLA, she was one of the correspondents for Good Day L.A. on KTTV. She also reported for KMEX and for XETV San Diego, and has presented weekly movie review segment on the "Fox Morning Show"....
- general assignment reporter - Don Guevara - general assignment reporter (per-diem)
- Jane King - NYSE business reporter
- Rebecca Hall - general assignment and sports reporter
- Brandi Hitt - general assignment reporter
- Mark Kono - Sky 5 HD reporter
- Allie MacKay - general assignment and "Allie at Work" feature reporter
- Dave MalkoffDave MalkoffDave Malkoff is an American television journalist working for KTLA in Los Angeles. He has covered some of the most destructive hurricanes in US history and reported from several parts of Iraq at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2010...
- general assignment and "Malkoff on a Mission" feature reporter - Dave Mecham - general assignment reporter
- Manny Medrano - "Inside the Law" reporter
- Jim NashJim NashJames Edwin Nash , commonly nicknamed Jim Nash, is a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He debuted on July 3, 1966 against the Detroit Tigers after then Kansas City Athletics signed him as a free agent...
- general assignment reporter - Olga Ospina - general assignment reporter
- Lu ParkerLu ParkerFrances Louise "Lu" Parker is a broadcast journalist and former Miss USA from South Carolina.- Early life :Born in Anderson, South Carolina, Parker attended the College of Charleston, where she was a sister of Alpha Delta Pi and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She then went on to...
- general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor - Lynette Romero - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Sam Rubin - entertainment reporter
- Eric Spillman - weekday morning reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Sara Welch - general assignment reporter
- Chris Wolfe - general assignment reporter
- Chip Yost - general assignment reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Carlos AmezcuaCarlos AmezcuaCarlos Amezcua is the co-anchor of the KTTV FOX 11. newscast. Amezcua joined KTTV in September 2007.Amezcua, a Southern California native,studied at BYU and San Diego State College....
(now with KTTV-TV Los Angeles) - Ed ArnoldEd ArnoldEd Arnold is an American news anchor.Ed Arnold in California is currently a co-anchor for Real Orange, a nightly news and public affairs show for Orange County, California on KOCE, one of the four PBS stations in the Los Angeles market. Prior to joining KOCE, he was one of the Orange County bureau...
(now with KOCE-TVKOCE-TVKOCE-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation, and is the primary PBS member for Los Angeles and Southern California. KOCE also features programming focused on the communities of Orange County, California. It airs Orange County's only nightly newscast, Real Orange, with...
anchoring Real Orange) - Asha BlakeAsha BlakeAsha Blake is an Emmy award-winning journalist who anchored KTLA-TV News @ 1PM with Frank Buckley in Los Angeles. She previously was the anchor of the 9:00 p.m. news on Denver's CW affiliate, KWGN-TV before leaving KWGN in 2007 to return to Los Angeles...
- Jann CarlJann CarlJann Carl is a Los Angeles-based journalist and, from 1995 to 2008, correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. She has also appeared on Candid Camera and America's Next Top Model. She has co-hosted the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for 18 years...
(later with Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
) - Stan ChambersStan ChambersStanley Holroyd Chambers is a retired American television reporter who worked for KTLA in Los Angeles from 1947 to 2010....
(retired) - Richard de MilleRichard de MilleRichard De Mille was an author, investigative journalist, and psychologist. His 19th century Dutch American ancestors; Thomas Arnold Demill , Henrietta Elizabeth Demill , William Edward Demill , and Richard Mead Demill owned and operated a Commission Merchant company, Demill & Co...
(deceased) - Tom DugganTom DugganThomas Duggan Goss was an NBC and ABC radio and television commentator in Chicago and Los Angeles and a crusader against Chicago mob involvement in boxing and politics....
(deceased) - Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
(now doing play-by-play for San Diego Padres, and sports anchor for CBS Sports) - Giselle FernándezGiselle Fernández-External links:...
- Hal FishmanHal FishmanHal Fishman was the longest-running news anchor in the history of American television, having served on-air for Los Angeles television stations continuously between 1960 and his death in 2007...
(deceased) - Lissette GonzalezLissette GonzalezLissette Gonzalez is the morning weather presenter for WFOR-TV CBS4 and WBFS-TV My 33 in South Florida, USA. Prior to that, she was the weather presenter for KTLA 5 Prime News, on weeknights at 10 PM in Los Angeles, CA...
- Tom HarmonTom HarmonThomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
(deceased) - Tom HattenTom HattenTom Hatten is a veteran radio, film and television personality best known as the long-time host of The Popeye Show and Family Film Festival on KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles in the 1960s, '70s and '80s...
- Desiree HortonDesiree HortonDesiree Tyler Horton , nicknamed "Chopper Chick," is a helicopter pilot and television personality based in Los Angeles, California...
- Ross KingRoss King (presenter)Ross King, real name Derek Ross King , is a Scottish television presenter, actor and writer. He formerly presented shows on Radio Clyde from America and various local LA shows...
- Dick LaneDick Lane (TV announcer)Richard Lane , more commonly known as Dick Lane, was an American television announcer and actor who made his mark broadcasting wrestling and roller derby shows on KTLA-TV, mainly from the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.-Early years:Lane was born in 1899 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin...
(deceased) - Rory MarkasRory MarkasRory Markas was an American sportscaster best known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's play-by-play broadcaster for eight seasons, and as the radio voice of the University of Southern California men's basketball team for 11 seasons...
(deceased) - Larry McCormickLarry McCormick (TV)Lawrence William "Larry" McCormick was an American television actor, reporter and news anchor, most notably working for Los Angeles television station KTLA-TV.-Biography:...
(deceased) - Brett MillerBrett MillerBrett Kolste Miller is a former American football offensive tackle who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He was the weekend sports anchor for KTLA's Prime News.-External links:*...
- Emmett Miller
- Keith OlbermannKeith OlbermannKeith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...
(now with Current TVCurrent TVCurrent TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....
) - Stu NahanStu NahanStu Nahan was an American sportscaster best known for his television broadcasting career in Los Angeles from the 1950s through the 1990s. He is also remembered for his role as a boxing commentator in most of the Rocky films. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6549 Hollywood Blvd...
(deceased) - Ron OlsenRon OlsenRon Olsen is a veteran cross-platform journalist based in Los Angeles, California, United States.-Early life:Olsen attended the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Bemidji State University, Bemidji , MN...
- George PutnamGeorge Putnam (newsman)George Putnam was an American television news reporter and talk show host based in Los Angeles. He was known for his catchy phrase "See ya at ten, see ya then" intro prior to a broadcast of the news.-Biography:...
(deceased) - Victoria RecanoVictoria RecañoVictoria Recaño is an American television personality currently working for TV Guide Network. Her last assignment was co-anchoring the 6 pm and 10 pm news on Los Angeles television station KTLA. She did that work from September 14, 2009 until late May 2010, when she left the show without any...
- Clete RobertsClete RobertsClete Roberts was a pioneer in Los Angeles local broadcast journalism. The urbane, mustachioed newscaster was a fixture on Southern California television screens for over thirty years.-KNXT Channel 2:...
(deceased) - Brandon RudatBrandon RudatBrandon Rudat is an American, Emmy Award-winning journalist.-Professional career:Rudat started his professional career as an intern on the Today Show in New York City and a producer for WNBC's Today in New York where he covered the 9/11 terrorist attacks and aftermath...
- Michele RuizMichele RuizMichele Ruiz is a former news anchor and President/CEO and founder of SaberHacer.com, a bilingual expert based “how-to” educational broadband site for US Hispanics online.-Biography:...
- Willa SandmeyerWilla SandmeyerWilla Sandmeyer is an American television news reporter based in Los Angeles working for the Voice of Prophecy.Willa grew up in the Washington, D.C...
- Bob Starr (deceased)
- Bill StoutBill StoutWilliam Job "Bill" Stout was an American broadcast journalist. A veteran for over thirty years, Stout's career began after World War II at the Los Angeles Times, from which he moved to CBS News.Stout moderated Richard Nixon's press conference following his defeat in the California governor's race...
(deceased) - Tom SnyderTom SnyderThomas James "Tom" Snyder was an American television personality, news anchor and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows The Tomorrow Show, on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and The Late Late Show, on the CBS Television Network in the 1990s...
(deceased) - Sharon TaySharon TaySharon Tay is an Asian American journalist and former host of two programs on the MSNBC network.-Life and career:Tay was born in Singapore and emigrated to the United States at the age of seven. Her family settled in Connecticut for several years before relocating to the Philippines...
(now with KCBSKCBS-TVKCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
/KCALKCAL-TVKCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Studio City (Los Angeles)) - Marta WallerMarta WallerMarta Waller is a former television reporter and anchor, most notably with KTLA where she worked since 1984.During her time, she provided medical reports and special features for KTLA...
- Jane WellsJane WellsJane Wells is a CNBC business news reporter, based in Los Angeles, where she covers the defense and technology news stories. She writes a regular blog Funny Business on CNBC.com and serves as a contributor for WCBS Newsradio/880 in New York...
(now with CNBCCNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
) - Jennifer YorkJennifer YorkJennifer York is a former traffic reporter most notable for her stint on the KTLA Morning News as an aerial traffic reporter.Gaining her Bachelors degree from UCLA, Jennifer worked as a talent coordinator for Pierre Cossette Productions, contributing to events such as the Grammy Awards and the...
Rebroadcasters
KTLA is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:- K40HX Morongo ValleyMorongo Valley, CaliforniaMorongo Valley is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 3,552 at the 2010 census, up from 1,929 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
- K35BQ DaggettDaggett, CaliforniaDaggett is an unincorporated town located in San Bernardino County, California in the United States. The town is located on Interstate 40 ten miles East of Barstow. The town has a population of about 200. The ZIP code is 92327 and the community is inside area code 760.-History:The town was...
- K03EK Newberry SpringsNewberry Springs, CaliforniaNewberry Springs is an unincorporated area in the western Mojave Desert of Southern California, located at the foot of the Newberry Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, USA...
- K16FI Twentynine PalmsTwentynine Palms, CaliforniaTwentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms...
- K29GK Twentynine Palms
- K48AD Lucerne ValleyLucerne Valley, CaliforniaLucerne Valley is a census-designated place located in the Mojave Desert of western San Bernardino County, California. It lies east of the Victor Valley, whose population nexus includes Victorville, Apple Valley, and Hesperia...
- K05FO RidgecrestRidgecrest, CaliforniaRidgecrest, formerly known as Crumville, was incorporated as a city in 1913. It is located in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, California, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake . Ridgecrest is the only incorporated city along US 395 in Kern County...
- K39HT-D Ridgecrest
- K58GH Sterling, ColoradoSterling, ColoradoThe City of Sterling is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Logan County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 14,777 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sterling is located at...
- K29GO Cortez, ColoradoCortez, ColoradoThe city of Cortez is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 8,482 at the 2010 census...
- K32EX Peetz, ColoradoPeetz, ColoradoPeetz is a Statutory Town in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. Peetz is home to the RE-5 School District and...
In popular culture
KTLA gained a bit of notoriety among fans of the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
on November 30, 1991 with the airing of their mockery of the movie War of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast is a 1958 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and produced by Carmel Productions and distributed by American International Pictures. It continued the storyline of the 1957 movie The Amazing Colossal Man, although it was not marketed as a direct...
. In the movie, there are scenes of a KTLA news anchor predicting where the title character Glen Manning will end up next. That anchor is the real KTLA reporter Stan Chambers
Stan Chambers
Stanley Holroyd Chambers is a retired American television reporter who worked for KTLA in Los Angeles from 1947 to 2010....
. The anchor ends up pronouncing the station's call letters as "KIT-lah". In a skit segment later in the show, Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is a fictional character featured in the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000...
, portrayed by Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson
Joel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
, mocks the anchor's "KTLA Predicts" style of newsreading and parodies The Amazing Criswell
The Amazing Criswell
Jeron Criswell King , born Jeron Criswell Konig, and known by his stage-name The Amazing Criswell , was an American psychic known for wildly inaccurate predictions...
. The phrase "KTLA Predicts" became a catchphrase among fans of the show.
During the 1950s, while Paramount owned the station, that company was also producing Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
cartoons. In one episode, Popeye's nephews turn on their television to "chanel number 5" (not the perfume
Chanel No. 5
Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume launched by Parisian couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The French government reports that a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold every thirty seconds and generates sales of $100 million a year. It was developed by Russian-French chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux...
, but channel 5 – KTLA).
KTLA has also been featured in other media (usually with its newscasts). Hal Fishman
Hal Fishman
Hal Fishman was the longest-running news anchor in the history of American television, having served on-air for Los Angeles television stations continuously between 1960 and his death in 2007...
was featured reporting for Channel 5 News at Ten in the movie Malibu's Most Wanted
Malibu's Most Wanted
Malibu's Most Wanted is a 2003 comedic feature film written by and starring Jamie Kennedy and co-starring Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, and Regina Hall....
. 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
Bonaventure Hotel
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites is a , 35-story hotel in Los Angeles, California, constructed between 1974 and 1976. Designed by architect John C. Portman, Jr., it is the largest hotel in the city. The top floor has a revolving restaurant and bar...
in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
.
A fictionalized version of KTLA is seen on occasion on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
TV show Big Time Rush
Big Time Rush
Big Time Rush is a Nickelodeon television series created by Scott Fellows about the Hollywood misadventures of four hockey players from Minnesota—Kendall, Logan, James, and Carlos, after they are selected to form a boy band. The series premiered with an hour-long pilot episode, "Big Time...
. It is identified as KULA and is seen on channel 6 instead of 5.
In the film Friends with Benefits
Friends With Benefits (Film)
Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...
, Dylan (Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
), and Jamie (Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis
Milena "Mila" Kunis is an American actress. Her work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on the TV series That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy...
) are on KTLA News.
External links
- Official website
- "Look Out, W6XAO, Here Comes Paramount" Metropolitan News-Enterprise column on KTLA when it broadcast as experimental TV station W6XYZ, taking on the sole existing experimental station in L.A. (now KCBSKCBS-TVKCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
). - "A Tale of Two Stations" Metropolitan News-Enterprise column on operations in the 1940s of the stations that are now KTLA, Channel 5 (then W6XYZ, Channel 4) and KCBS, Channel 2 (then W6XAO, Channel 1)
- KTLA archived television icons, 1942-1972
- KTLA logos and screenshots from the 1950s to the present day