KTLA

KTLA (channel 5) is a television station based in Los Angeles, California, serving as the West Coast flagship of The CW. It is the largest directly owned property of the network's majority owner, Nexstar Media Group, and the second-largest operated property after WPIX in New York City. The station's studios are located at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, with its transmitter atop Mount Wilson. KTLA holds a historic place in television history as the first commercially licensed TV station in the western United States, signing on in 1947. Known for its local news coverage and entertainment programming, KTLA has been a staple of Los Angeles broadcasting for over seven decades.

KTLA pioneered live local news coverage, especially with its helicopter-based reporting and breaking news coverage of events like wildfires, earthquakes, and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Its morning news program, KTLA 5 Morning News, became a format innovator, blending hard news with lifestyle segments and personality-driven content, influencing stations nationwide. [edit]

KTLA's mission is to deliver comprehensive local news, weather, traffic, and community information to the Los Angeles region, while providing entertainment programming through The CW network and syndicated content. The station aims to serve as a public service platform during emergencies and civic events, fostering community engagement across Southern California. [edit]

KTLA's roots trace back to 1939, when the FCC licensed experimental station W6XYZ to Paramount Pictures. The station signed on in September 1942 on VHF channel 4, operating as an experimental television outlet. Paramount, eager to explore television as an extension of its Hollywood studio operations, put German-born engineer Klaus Landsberg in charge. On January 22, 1947, the station received a commercial license as KTLA on channel 5, becoming the first commercial TV station in California, the first in Los Angeles, and the first west of the Mississippi River. Bob Hope emceed the inaugural broadcast from Paramount's Hollywood studios.

In 1964, Paramount sold KTLA to Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters. The station continued to build its reputation for live local coverage, including helicopter-based reporting that became a signature. Tribune Broadcasting acquired KTLA in 1985, and the station became a flagship for The WB network in the mid-1990s, later transitioning to The CW in 2006. Nexstar Media Group completed its acquisition of Tribune Media in 2019, making KTLA its largest directly owned station. In 2022, KTLA celebrated its 75th anniversary, highlighting its role in shaping Los Angeles television. [edit]