Los Angeles Area Television Stations

Photo courtesy of Breakingpic & and Pexels.com.

As of 2023

* Virtual Channel - The channel numbers seen displayed on television screens. There were used prior to the advent of digital television in 2009, but maintained as "virtual" channel numbers, so as to provide some degree of familiar continuity after the change-over from analog to digital television. In some cases, virtual channel numbers are the same as the real channel number (see "Digital Channel" in note below). Since virtual channel transmissions allow for multiple programs to run simultaneously, virtual channels may be expanded to decimal numbers (such as KCBS-TV virtual channel 2 broadcasting on channels 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4).
† Digital Channel - The actual channel numbers through which digital signals are transmitted. For example, KCBS-TV virtual channel 2 actually broadcasts on digital channel 31. As with virtual channels, digital channels may be expanded to decimal numbers for simultaneous sub-channel programming (such as KCBS-TV digital channel 31 broadcasting on channels 31.1, 31.2, 31.3 and 31.4).

Note: "-DT" are stations orginally established as digital. "-TV" stations were analog stations. Since all U.S. television stations are now digital, there is no real difference. "-CD" and "-LD" are low-power digital television stations with smaller and more limited broadcast ranges.

1) KCAL TV Channel 9, was purchased by CBS Corporation in 2002 and operates as a sister station to KCBS Channel 2.
2) KCOP TV Channel 13 was transferred in September 2006, along with much of the WB/UPN network, to MyNetworkTV, a sister network (although separate) to the Fox Network. Both are owned by News Corporation.
3) KCSI Channel 18 had once served as one of the most multicultural stations in the nation. See the comment box regarding the station below.
4) From 1969 to 1989, today's KPXN was operated as KHOF 30, later KZKI, a religious TV station for the late Dr. Gene Scott's Faith Tabernacle. The station was purchased by Paxson Communications in 1995 and was transformed into KPXN 30. Paxson was renamed ION Media Networks in 2005.

Almost 10 years after its founding in 1977, KSCI channel 18 began offering programming in languages other than English and grew into a virtual television United Nations. It had become one of Los Angeles County’s most linguistically diverse television stations and the leading Asian language television station in the United States. It provided programming and entertainment in as many as 14 different languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Khmer, Cantonese-Chinese, English, Farsi, Hindi, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin-Chinese, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese. By 2005, the station's Asian American audience stood at 2.5 million viewers. One of its programs, Kababayan Today, was, at the time, the only North American-produced Filipino talk show. In 2012, after a period of financial difficulties, however, the station was sold. In June 2017, the new owners began dramatically reducing non-English programming in favor of English-language infomercials. By 2021, the station had again been sold and ultimately only broadcast shopping programming.

NBC Channel 4 announced in September 1995 a name changeover from "KNBC 4" to "NBC 4." Though the official FCC registration remains KNBC, the station decided to use the shorter designation due to greater viewer recognition.

In 1964, Gene Autry purchased KTLA of Los Angeles for $14 million. He sold it in 1983 for $245 million.

Prior to its purchase by the now-former WB Network in 1995, KTLA Channel 5 was one of the leading independent TV stations in the nation.