KCBS-TV
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| KCBS-TV | |
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| Los Angeles, California | |
| Branding | CBS2 Los Angeles |
| Slogan | Make The Switch |
| Channels | 2 (VHF) analog, 60 (UHF) digital |
| Affiliations | CBS (since 1951) |
| Owner | CBS Corporation |
| Founded | May 6, 1948 (originally experimental W6XAO 1931-1948) |
| Call letters meaning | Columbia Broadcasting System (former legal name of CBS) |
| Former callsigns | KTSL (1948-1951) KNXT (1951-1984) |
| Former affiliations | DuMont (1948-1951) |
| Transmitter Power | 36.3 kW/1097 m (analog) 469 kW/1087 m (digital) |
| Website | www.cbs2/kcal9.com |
KCBS-TV, "CBS2 Los Angeles" is the CBS owned and operated station in the Los Angeles area, and is the West Coast flagship station of the CBS network. It is sister station to KCAL, an independent station also in Los Angeles. The station is seen via satellite through Dish Network and DirecTV. Its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.
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[edit] History
Experimental years (1931-1948)
KCBS-TV is one of the oldest television stations in the world. It was created by Don Lee Broadcasting, which owned a chain of radio stations on the Pacific Coast, and was first licensed by the Federal Radio Commission, forerunner of the Federal Communications Commission as experimental television station W6XAO in June 1931. On December 23, 1931 it went on the air, and by March 1933 was broadcasting one hour daily except Sundays. The station used a mechanical camera which broadcast only film footage, but demonstrated all-electronic receivers as early as 1932. It went off the air in 1935, and then reappeared using an improved mechanical camera producing a 300-line image for a month-long demonstration in June 1936. By August 1937, W6XAO had programming on the air six days per week. Live programming started in April 1938.
By 1939, with the image improved to 441 lines, an optimistic estimate of the station's viewership was 1,500 people in a few hundred homes. Many of the receiver sets were built by television hobbyists, though commercially made sets were available in Los Angeles. The station's six-day weekly schedule consisted of live talent four nights, and film two nights. During World War II, programming was reduced to three hours, every other Monday. The station's frequency was switched from Channel 1 to Channel 2 in 1945 when the FCC decided to reserve Channel 1 for low-wattage community television stations.
KTSL-TV (1948-1951)
The station was granted a commercial license (the second in California, behind KTLA-TV) as KTSL-TV on May 6, 1948, from the initials of Thomas S. Lee, station owner and son of founder Don Lee. It affiliated with the DuMont Television Network later that year.
KNXT-TV (1951-1984)
On January 1, 1951, CBS gave up its 49 percent stake in KTSL's competitor KTTV and purchased KTSL. CBS programming moved to KTSL. In November of 1951, KTSL changed its call letters to KNXT, to coincide with CBS' Los Angeles outlet, KNX-AM 1070. (KNXT's call sign meaning: K News-EXpress Television after a now-defunct newspaper.)
In 1960, KNXT created the nation's first one-hour local newscast, "The Big News," anchored by the late Jerry Dunphy, one of Southern California's most beloved news icons, along with legendary weatherman Bill Keene and sportscaster Gil Stratton. This helped make KNXT the number-one news station in Los Angeles. At times, a quarter of Los Angeles televisions were tuned into the Big News, the highest ratings ever for a television newscast in the area. Eventually, KNXT expanded to two-and-a-half hours of live local news, as well as a late-night newscast. However, in the mid 1970s, rival KABC-TV began gaining ratings at KNXT's expense. The station fired Dunphy (who was quickly hired by KABC-TV) and adopted a format similar to KABC-TV's Eyewitness News. However, the change went nowhere. Just as most of its fellow CBS O&Os were dominating their cities' ratings, KNXT rapidly fell into third place behind network owned stations KABC-TV and KNBC.
KCBS-TV (1984-Present)
Throughout the 1970's and 80's KCBS has unsuccessfully attempted to mimic KABC's success. Like KABC, for a time in the 1980's it aired a full three-hour newscast from 4-7pm, followed by the CBS Evening News and 2 On The Town. In 1988, KCBS rebranded its newscast "Channel 2 Action News." It would evolve into more tabloid-style newscast during the early 1990's. By the 1990's and early 2000's, many former KABC employees would jump ship and move to CBS 2.
On April 2, 1984, at noon, KNXT changed its call letters to the present KCBS-TV. In 1997, it adopted the "CBS2" moniker for its on-air image, following the lead of its Chicago and New York sisters. In 2002, KCBS-TV became sister stations with KCAL-TV after the latter was purchased by Viacom Television Stations, now known as CBS Corporation.
For a time during the 1980's and 1990's, KCBS-TV had several locally produced programs such as "2 on the Town," a local show similar to Evening Magazine and KABC-TV's Eye On L.A., and KidQuiz, a Saturday Morning Children's Game show hosted by longtime weathercaster Maclovio Perez (now at WOAI-TV). Ironically its sister station KCAL-TV still does a show called "9 on the Town."
Aside from a brief period in 1993, when its 6 p.m. news managed to tie KABC-TV for first place, KCBS was an also-ran in the Los Angeles TV ratings for over 30 years, spending most of that time in last place while KABC-TV and KNBC fought it out for first.
KCBS-TV made numerous attempts to get out of the ratings basement at the start of the 21st century. In 2000, former KNBC "Today in L.A." anchor Kent Shocknek joined KCBS-TV to become its morning co-anchor. Then in 2001 the station hired Harold Greene, longtime anchor at KABC-TV, as its 5 and 11 p.m. anchor. A year later, he was joined by his former partner at KABC-TV, Laura Diaz. In 2004, Paul Magers, longtime anchor at KARE-TV in the Twin Cities, replaced Greene on the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. news, bumping Greene to the 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. The 4 p.m. newscast moved to KCAL-TV with the arrival of Dr. Phil on KCBS-TV. At the beginning of 2005, longtime KABC-TV weatherman Johnny Mountain moved to KCBS-TV, surprising many since it appeared that he was going to retire.
At first, it seemed that none of these changes brought KCBS-TV any closer to becoming a factor in the Los Angeles news race. However, in April 2006, KCBS-TV grabbed the #2 spot at 5 PM from KABC-TV due to a strong lead-in from Dr. Phil. More importantly, KCBS-TV shot past both KABC-TV and KNBC to take first place at 11 PM for the first time in 30 years.
In the Summer of 2006, KCBS-TV and its sister station KCAL began moving from the old CBS Columbia Square on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood to a new office and studio complex located five miles north in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Studio City at CBS Studio Center . Both stations will begin broadcasting from the new studios in the fall of 2006 leaving KTLA-TV as the only VHF station in the Los Angeles market to originate its broadcast from Hollywood. KNBC abandoned Hollywood long before that, moving to Burbank in 1962 while in 1996 KTTV moved to the 20th Century Fox lot in Century City, California where it was later joined by KCOP. KABC-TV relocated from its former Hollywood studios to nearby Glendale in 2000. Additionally, KNX Radio and KCBS-FM left Columbia Square in the fall of 2005, to move to studios located in the Miracle Mile.
In November 2006, KCBS made headlines on mms.tveyes.com with a full schedule of KCBS shows at your convenience with over 500 million customers on the web.
[edit] Channel 2 Action News
Logos
 KTSL logo from 1948 to 1950 |
 KTSL logo from 1950 to 1951 |
 KNXT logo from 1976 to 1977 |
 KNXT logo from 1977 to 1978 |
 KNXT logo from 1978 to 1979 |
 KNXT logo from 1979 to 1984 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1984 to 1986 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1986 to 1987 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1987 to 1988 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1988 to 1994 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1994 to 1997 |
 KCBS-TV logo from 1997 to 2003 |
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KCBS-TV's current logo, used since January 2003 |
[edit] Newscasts
The station's radar is called "2 View Doppler".
Monday-Friday
- CBS2 News at 5am 5-6 a.m.
- CBS2 News at 6am 6-7 a.m.
- CBS2 News at 11am 11-11:30 a.m.
- CBS2 News at 5 5-6 p.m.
- CBS2 News at 6 6-6:30 p.m.
- CBS2 News at 11 11-11:35 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
- CBS2 News at 5 5-5:30 p.m.
- CBS2 News at 6 6-6:30 p.m.
- CBS2 Studio 2 6:30-7 p.m. (Paul Magers and Laura Diaz co-host the Sunday evening public affairs program. Occasionally this program is renamed “Studio 2- La Vida,” and it takes on a distinct Latin feel)
- CBS 2 News at 11 11-11:35 p.m.
- CBS2 Sports Central 11:15-11:35 p.m.
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Current
- Linda Alvarez - weekend anchor
- Rick Chambers - reporter
- Mark Coogan - reporter
- Paul Dandridge - reporter
- Jennifer Davis - reporter
- Laura Diaz - 5 and 11 p.m. anchor
- Henry DiCarlo - 11 a.m. meteorologist
- Eric Dickerson - NFL This Morning analyst
- John Elliott - morning weathercaster
- Juan Fernandez (TV reporter) - reporter
- Craig Fiegener - Inland Empire Bureau reporter
- Jaime Garza - reporter
- Michele Gile - reporter
- Harold Greene - 6 p.m. anchor
- Steve Hartman - weekend sports anchor and Sports Central co-host
- Jim Hill - sports director
- Vera Jimenez - morning traffic reporter
- Dave Lopez - Orange County correspondent
- Paul Magers - 5 and 11 p.m. anchor
- Ann Martin - 6 p.m. anchor
- Sandra Mitchell - 11 a.m. anchor
- Johnny Mountain - 5, 6, and 11 p.m. weathercaster
- Randy Paige - 5 p.m consumer investigative reporter (Consumer Paige)
- Greg Phillips - morning reporter
- Suzanne Rico - morning anchor
- Josh Rubenstein - weekend meteorologist
- Jennifer Sabih - nightside reporter
- Kent Shocknek - Morning and 11 a.m. anchor
- Lisa Sigell - nightside reporter
- Glen Walker - weekend anchor
- Larry Welk - NewsChopper 2 pilot
- Mary Beth McDade-reporter
[edit] Former
- Terry Anzur - anchor (1990-94)
- Ross Becker - reporter (1980-90, now at KNBC)
- Joseph Benti - anchor/reporter (1960-66)
- Chris Blatchford - reporter (now at KTTV)
- Marcia Brandwynne - anchor/reporter (1980-84)
- Linda Breakstone - reporter (1994-2005)
- Angela Black - anchor/reporter (1996-2001)
- Gretchen Carr - anchor/reporter (1998-2004)
- Larry Carroll - anchor (1996-99)
- Chris Conangla - reporter (1987-93)
- Jerry Dunphy - anchor (1960-75 and 1995-97)
- Connie Chung - anchor/reporter (1976-83)
- Ann Curry - reporter (1984-90)
- Linda Douglass - reporter (1983-85)
- Bob Dunn - anchor/reporter (1962-86)
- Steve Edwards - talk show host/reporter (1978-84)
- Jonathan Elias - anchor/reporter (1999-2002, now at KNXV)
- Roy Firestone - sports anchor/reporter (1978-85)
- Dr. George Fishbeck - weather anchor (1994-97)
- David Garcia - reporter (1982-86)
- Jim Giggans - reporter (1978-81)
- Mary Grady - reporter (1994-2000)
- Maury Green - anchor/reporter (1960-73)
- Penny Griego - anchor/reporter (1986-94)
- Joel Grover - reporter (1996-2002, now at KNBC)
- Saul Halpert - reporter (1966-79)
- Steve Hartman - feature reporter (1994-98)
- Tony Hernandez - sports anchor/reporter (1984-90)
- Sandy Hill - anchor (1980s)
- Lester Holt - reporter (1982-83)
- David Horowitz - consumer reporter (1993-98)
- Huell Howser - features reporter (1981-87)
- Lee Irwin - reporter (1978-80)
- Bill Keene - weather anchor (1954-74)
- Steve Kmetko - entertainment reporter (1987-98)
- Jim Lampley - sports anchor (1987-92)
- Kelly Lange - Women 2 Women host (1999-2001)
- Rick Lozano - reporter (1986-99)
- Harvey Levin - legal analyst (1987-97)
- Dorothy Lucey - anchor/reporter (1987-92, now at KTTV)
- Jess Marlow - anchor (1980-86)
- Dan Miller- anchor/reporter (1986-89)
- Jim Moret - entertainment reporter/anchor (1984-87)
- Terry Murphy - anchor/reporter (1980-84 and 1987-89)
- Brent Musburger - anchor (1971-77)
- Bob Navarro - reporter (1972-74 and 1994-99)
- Pat O'Brien - reporter (1978-81)
- Keith Olbermann - sports anchor (1988-91)
- Warren Olney - anchor/reporter (1969-75 and 1986-89)
- Mary Parks - reporter (1991-94)
- Maclovio Perez - weather anchor (1971-97)
- Kyra Phillips - reporter (1995-99, now at CNN Headline News)
- Maury Povich - anchor (1977-78)
- Art Rascon - reporter (1989-94, now at KTRK in Houston)
- Steve Rambo - reporter (1988-2001)
- Clete Roberts - anchor/reporter (1966-77)
- willa Sandmeyer - reporter (1991-93, now at KTLA)
- Hosea Sanders - anchor/reporter (1986-94, now at WLS-TV in Chicago)
- Bill Seward - reporter (1992-97)
- John Schubeck - anchor (1983-88)
- David Sheehan - entertainment reporter (1971-81 and 1994-2003)
- Debra Snell - reporter (1995-99)
- Ralph Story - anchor/features reporter/host of Ralph Story's Los Angeles (1959-70 and 1974-86)
- Bill Stout - anchor/reporter (1951-89)
- Gil Stratton - sports anchor (1954-76)
- Ruth Ashton Taylor - anchor/reporter (1951-58 and 1962-89)
- Tritia Toyota - anchor (1985-99)
- Michael Tuck - anchor (1990-99)
- Jane Velez-Mitchell - reporter (2002-2005)
- Bree Walker - anchor/reporter (1988-94)
- Paula Zahn - anchor/reporter (1986-87)
- Colleen Williams - anchor/reporter (1983-85, now with KNBC)
- Alex Witt - reporter (1990-92, now with MSNBC
- Lisa Joyner - entertainment reporter
- Byron Miranda
- Joel Connable
[edit] Talent Notes
- Sports director Jim Hill is the station's most notable current personality. Hill, a former San Diego Charger, was a sportscaster for CBS Sports during his first stint at KNXT/KCBS-TV, from 1976 to 1987. Hill then left to become sports director at KABC-TV, but returned to KCBS-TV in 1992 and has remained sports director at the station since. Two other ex-athletes who are also sportscasters for KCBS and KCAL are Eric Dickerson and James Worthy.
- On an interesting note, current KCBS anchor Harold Greene was the inspiration behind fictional San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy the 2003 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.[citation needed] Greene had previously anchored at KCST-TV in San Diego and nearby KABC-TV.
[edit] Newscast Titles
- Fleetwood Lawson & The News (1951-1960)
- The Big News (1960-1976)
- 2LA Newsroom (1976-1978)
- Channel 2 News (1978-1988, 1997-1997)
- Channel 2 Action News (1988-1997)
- CBS 2 News (1997-present)
[edit] Programming Notes
- KCBS airs the Young and the Restless at 11:30 AM instead of 11 AM. Most CBS affiliates and stations air it at 11 AM in the Pacific, Mountain and Central Time Zones, owing to newscasts that air at 12 Noon. But 11:30 AM is really CBS' recommended time slot to air it. This reflects off the fact that most affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone air it at 12:30 PM, following the midday news. This is also the case at KCBS, in lieu of sister station KCAL's newscast schedule.
- In Los Angeles, national news from the major networks air at 6:30 PM, an hour later than most West Coast affiliates. This includes CBS Evening News here on KCBS. During the 1980's, the CBS Evening News and ABC World News Tonight aired on their respective stations at 7 p.m. From 1989 to 1999, KCBS aired the CBS Evening News at 5:30.
[edit] Movie Umbrella Titles
- The Early Show (1960s-late 1980s)
- The Late Show (1960s-1989)
- The Best of CBS (1970s)
- The CBS 6:30 Movie (1976-1978)
- The CBS Movie Special (1970s)
- The Saturday Night Movie Special (1980s)
- The Channel 2 Saturday/Sunday Night Movie (1980s)
- CBS Special Movie (1987-1995)
- The KCBS Early Movie (1989-1996)
- The KCBS Late Movie (1989-1996)
- The KCBS Saturday Night Movie (1989-1996)
- The CBS 2 Saturday/Sunday Night Movie (2001-present)
- A CBS 2 Special Movie Presentation (2001-present)
[edit] Rebroadcasters
KCBS is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:
- K16AA Morongo Valley
- K15BZ Daggett
- K10IX Newberry Springs
- K15CA Lucerne Valley
- K50EW Lucerne Valley
- K02HY Ridgecrest
- K53AB Ridgecrest
- K64CY Chalfant Valley
[edit] See also
- KNX (AM)
- KCBS-FM
- KCBS-TV/FM Tower
- Oldest television station
- List of DirecTV channels
- List of Dish Network channels
[edit] External links
- Official CBS2/KCAL9 Website
- Photos of KCBS's news set
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KCBS-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information about Television Station KCBS
| Broadcast television in the Los Angeles market (Nielsen DMA #2) | ||
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KCBS 2 (CBS) - KNBC 4 (NBC) - KTLA 5 (The CW) (The Tube on DT5) - KSFV-LP 6 (Ind/Spanish/Religious) - KABC 7 (ABC) - KCAL 9 (Ind) - KTTV 11 (Fox) - KCOP 13 (MNTV) - KSCI 18 (Ind) - KWHY 22 (Ind/Spanish) - KVCR 24 (PBS) - KNET-LP 25 (Ind/Infomercials) - KNLA-LP 27 (Ind/Spanish) - KCET 28 (PBS) - KPXN 30 (i) - KMEX 34 (UNI) - KPAL-LP 38 (Ind) - KSKJ-CA 38 / KSKP-CA 25 (Ind) - KTBN 40 (TBN) - KXLA 44 (Ind) - KLAU-LP 45 (Ind/Infomercials) - KFTR 46 (TFU) - KOCE 50 (PBS) - KVEA 52 (TEL) - KAZA 54 (AZA) - K55KD 55 (Almavision) - KDOC 56 (Ind) - KJLA 57 / KSMV-LP 33 / KSGA-LP 64 (Ind) - KLCS 58 (PBS) - KRCA 62 (Ind) - KBEH 63 (MTV3) - KHIZ 64 (A1) - KHTV-LP 67 (HSN) |
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| Local digital television channels | ||
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Local cable television channels |
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Past broadcast stations |
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| CBS Network Affiliates in the state of California | |
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KCBS 2 (Los Angeles) - KPIX 5 (San Francisco) - KVIQ 6 (Eureka) - KFMB 8 (San Diego) - KCOY 12 (Santa Maria) - KHSL 12 (Chico) - KOVR 13 (Stockton/Sacramento/Modesto) - KBAK 29 (Bakersfield) - KPSP 38 (Coachella Valley) - KION 46 (Salinas) - KGPE 47 (Fresno) |
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| See also: ABC, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, Telefutura, Telemundo, Univision, Independent, Other Spanish Network, Religious, Home Shopping and Other stations in California | |
