KTLA and the other LA stations were so much fun for a growing kid- and his movie freak Mom. You could get movies literally 'til dawn on channels 5 -KTLA, 9 (KHJ), 11 (KTTV) and 13 (KCOP). Cartoons were a blast then- every day after school, Felix, Popeye, and the Saturday morning fare wasn't all PC'd to death. Kids didn't see the politics in their entertainment, they saw fun, goofy fun. It was all part of the L.A. landscape and a great and big town to grow up in. L.A. may be "the mess" to my neighbors up the coast here, but I'll take it any day over the boredom that just is not "all that." Older L.A. is still there with it's multitude of cultures that more and more mesh and become more interested in living and having fun during this ride we call "life." Stan Chambers, RIP.
I am 69 and am a lifelong resident of Southern CA. KTLA was the 1st channel I ever saw in 1948 Y& I recall the televised failed attempt to rescue Kathy Fiscus. The happier programs I recall were Time for Beany, Spade Cooley, Lawrence Welk, Cowboy Thrills with Doye O'Dell, the country singer with his sidekick Slim Andrews, Destruction Derby, Wrestling matches with Dick Lane, Frosty Frolics with Stan Chambers with whom I shook hands after a 1952 broadcast.I could go on but I'm out of characters!
It's appropriate that Stan Chambers is seen in this piece for until his recent (2010) retirement, he had been at KTLA for its entire history. Dig those bulky DuMont iconoscope cameras (which KTLA used because Paramount Pictures was for a time part-owner of DuMont, but KTLA never affiliated with the DuMont network). Of course, Lawrence Welk began his TV show there, and in 1955, his show went network. It would run for a total of 27 years on national TV.
I'm in the process of putting one of their buses from 1965 back on the road to shoot a documentary about veterans that volunteer in disasters. www.veteransgreenvillages.com
A great look at a station which dared to experiment with new approaches and a variety of live shows. I guess the size of the L.A. market allowed for that. These days, many TV ownership groups put the bottom line above all else.
It's unfortunate that the website they advertise in this video is now dead. It would have cost KTLA nothing to keep it online, but KTLA is a far cry from the days portrayed here.
KTLA and the other LA stations were so much fun for a growing kid- and his movie freak Mom. You could get movies literally 'til dawn on channels 5 -KTLA, 9 (KHJ), 11 (KTTV) and 13 (KCOP). Cartoons were a blast then- every day after school, Felix, Popeye, and the Saturday morning fare wasn't all PC'd to death. Kids didn't see the politics in their entertainment, they saw fun, goofy fun. It was all part of the L.A. landscape and a great and big town to grow up in. L.A. may be "the mess" to my neighbors up the coast here, but I'll take it any day over the boredom that just is not "all that." Older L.A. is still there with it's multitude of cultures that more and more mesh and become more interested in living and having fun during this ride we call "life." Stan Chambers, RIP.
I am 69 and am a lifelong resident of Southern CA. KTLA was the 1st channel I ever saw in 1948 Y& I recall the televised failed attempt to rescue Kathy Fiscus. The happier programs I recall were Time for Beany, Spade Cooley, Lawrence Welk, Cowboy Thrills with Doye O'Dell, the country singer with his sidekick Slim Andrews, Destruction Derby, Wrestling matches with Dick Lane, Frosty Frolics with Stan Chambers with whom I shook hands after a 1952 broadcast.I could go on but I'm out of characters!
It's appropriate that Stan Chambers is seen in this piece for until his recent (2010) retirement, he had been at KTLA for its entire history.
Dig those bulky DuMont iconoscope cameras (which KTLA used because Paramount Pictures was for a time part-owner of DuMont, but KTLA never affiliated with the DuMont network).
Of course, Lawrence Welk began his TV show there, and in 1955, his show went network. It would run for a total of 27 years on national TV.
Proud to be a Producer on Planet LA.
I'm in the process of putting one of their buses from 1965 back on the road to shoot a documentary about veterans that volunteer in disasters. www.veteransgreenvillages.com
A great look at a station which dared to experiment with new approaches and a variety of live shows. I guess the size of the L.A. market allowed for that. These days, many TV ownership groups put the bottom line above all else.
It's unfortunate that the website they advertise in this video is now dead. It would have cost KTLA nothing to keep it online, but KTLA is a far cry from the days portrayed here.
On February 29th 1996 Pandora began