2009 DTV Transition: Analog TV Shutoffs in Los Angeles As They Happened

This is a compilation of videos of broadcast stations in Los Angeles making the switch as it happened. I tried to get as many stations as possible but that became an impossible task. I shot, produced, edited, and created this entire video so sit back and enjoy watching all the former analog TV signals going out one by one. All copyrights respected and acknowledged.

The following stations are featured:

KABC
KCAL
KLCS
KTLA
KOCE
KCOP
KTTV
KMEX

• Category

  Science & Technology

[jaybee1973jaybee]

Mr. Oh, thanks for compiling this video documenting the end of analog television on several southern California television stations. The end of KCAL-TV (formerly KHJ-TV) was very unceremonious. KHJ was an experimental T.V. station in the early 1940s. As you know, Los Angeles has more VHF commercial stations than anywhere else in the U.S. If the FCC were to re-allocate channels today, I assume that Orange County and Riverside/San Bernardino would have their own stations.

[onetruepatriot]

You are very welcome. KTLA has always been considered the first television station in Los Angeles and west of the Mississippi River but I guess it is the first commercially-licensed station west of the River since experimental stations have existed since the 1930s, including KHJ, KNXT (now KCBS), and KTLA under different call signs.

[KOFILMSANDMEDIA]

damn i wanted to see what arthur was provided by lol.

[onetruepatriot]

That's one of the consequences of being unprepared. Hopefully, you made the switch.

[richartrod]

Good job with the eight channels you were able to record. KTLA's on-air party with Stan Chambers and "The Big Switch" is far and away the best one, with KLCS' logo history to REM's "The End of the World As We Know It" (how true) a close second.

Rich Rodriguez

West Covina, CA

[giovannirios81]

Wow that analog tv shutdown in los angeles for following channel kcet, kabc, kcal, klcs, ktla, koce, kcop, kttv, kmex I hope you had a good enough this video that's great

[GoRabbids]

fuck , i am screwed it is the end of the world

[coffeeandsugar20]

Lol, I thought they were joking at first at 3:52

[jason24568]

4:52 Hazma pretinin, derakuta! "Better to be safe, than sorry!" Better to be DTV, than sorry! LOL

[jason24568]

KTLA's big switch is really special!

[davenwin1973]

That's a good compilation for what you were able to get. In Chicago, some stations signed off with a warning (mainly WLS-TV, WBBM-TV, WGBO, & WXFT) that they were signing off, & the 4 mentioned required people to rescan to get them. WYCC in Chicago signed off on April 16th while the rest signed off on June 12th. I was at work during the signoff of most, as many signed off at noon June 12th. WBBM-TV had to wait for WTTW to sign off on 11 in order to sign on from 2/DT3 to DT12.

[richartrod]

Yes, KTLA is indeed the first commercially-licensed station west of the Mississippi; it too was an experimental station, W6XYZ, from 1939 to 1947 when it received the commercial license. KCBS is probably the oldest-oldest station in L.A., having begun as W6XAO in 1931. Paramount Studios, which founded W6XYZ-KTLA, probably picked its experimental call sign in true Hollywood manner for marketing reasons. :)

[gangtwanger]

Thanks for putting these together. Unfortunately, I was unable to watch. Nice upload.

[gangtwanger]

I love the spanish infomercial at the end (with the older spanish woman frantically-clicking away at her remote control).

Aye!!!!! Ésto es muy importante!!!!!!

[Chuck Rowe]

Nice post. There was a lot less fanfare here in the boonies.