KTLA at 45

💡 Did You Know?

An anniversary salute to Channel 5, Los Angeles' first commercial TV station. At 8:30 P.M., on January 22, 1947, Bob Hope signed on KTLA (flubbing the call letters in the process) by introducing the aptly titled special "The western premiere of commercial television". Through interviews, archival film, kinescopes and video, the documentary presents a chronological sampling of the entertainment, sports and news telecasts that filled the first 45 years. Highlights from the 1940's include "Time for Beany" and Mike Stokey's "Pantomime Quiz". From the '50's, there's "Dixie Showboat" and Lawrence Welk's first show. 1960's clips recall the '65 Watts riots and Robert Kennedy's '68 Presidential campaign. From the '70's, there's footage from the Emmy-winning documentary, "Scared Straight" and of Nolan Ryan's first no-hitter for the California Angels; and clips from the '80's recall the '87 papal visit and the '89 Loma Prieta earthquake.