KCAL

KCAL-TV (Channel 9) is a local independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station is owned and operated by Viacom, which also owns the local CBS station, KCBS-TV (Channel 2). Channel 9 went on the air as KFI-TV on August 25, 1948, and for a brief period the station carried programs from the NBC television network, until KNBH (now KNBC) Channel 4 went on the air several months later in 1949. RKO General later acquired the station in 1951, and changed its call letters to KHJ-TV. RKO also owned stations in New York City (WOR-now WWOR), Memphis (WHBQ), and Boston (WNAC-now WHDH). RKO, however, had a series of scandals involving illegal activities, and because of that the FCC forced RKO General to divest its broadcasting properties, with KHJ being the last to be sold in 1989, to the Walt Disney Company. In December 1989, when the sale was completed, Disney changed the Channel 9 call letters to the present KCAL-TV.

In 1995, when Disney purchased CapCities/ABC, Inc., it was forced to divest KCAL because of FCC regulations at the time, with ABC's ownership in KABC-TV (Channel 7). Young Broadcasting of New York bought the station thereafter, and Viacom acquired KCAL in 2002. Later, Viacom preceded to re-locate KCAL from its long-time studio office buidling at the Paramount Pictures Studios (another Viacom property) in Hollywood to the histroic CBS Columbia Square (home to KCBS-TV/FM and KNX-AM), located one mile away. Viacom has plans to re-located its Los Angeles television stations to a new office complex on the site of its CBS Studio Center in Studio City in 2006, located 5 miles away in the San Fernando Valley.

Intitally, when Viacom bought KCAL, many in the media may have thought that Viacom would move its UPN network affilliation from Fox Television-owned KCOP (Channel 13) to KCAL, but Viacom decided (at least for the time being) to leave KCAL as an independent station, as Fox and Viacom decided to renew their affillation agreement for its UPN-affillated stations. Some also say the reason why that is because Fox is using KCOP for leverage to keep UPN on its New York City (WWOR) and Chicago (WPWR) stations because Viacom doesn't own second stations in those cities, like that of its Los Angeles duopoly.

KCAL is notable as an independent station that airs newscasts during unconventional time blocks. Along with newscasts at 10pm (where it competes against KTLA and KTTV) and noon, it also airs news at 2pm, 3pm, 8pm and 9pm. The station also airs some Los Angeles Angels and LA Lakers games, as well as the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

Previous owners of Channel 9 include

• Young Broadcasting Inc. (1995–2002)
• Walt Disney Company (1989–1995)
• RKO General Inc. (1951–1989)

External links

• KCAL 9 Homepage