KTLA Designated as a Historic Site in Journalism

KTLA Designated as a Historic Site in Journalism

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Professional Journalists has designated the KTLA-TV (Channel 5) lot in Hollywood as a Historic Site in Journalism.

The Greater Los Angeles Pro chapter of SPJ nominated KTLA, the first commercially-licensed television station west of the Mississippi. The station remains on the lot where it began broadcasting on January 22, 1947.

There were approximately 350 television sets in Los Angeles when Bob Hope signed KTLA on the air with a special program billed as the Western Premiere of Commercial Television. Originating from a small garage on the Paramount Studios movie lot, the station boasted stars such as Cecil B. DeMille, Dorothy Lamour and Mike Douglas.

One month after beginning commercial operation, the first on-the-spot news coverage in the west occurred. The story was an explosion at an electroplating plant on Pico Boulevard. In 1949, KTLA covered the Kathy Fiscus tragedy, providing an unprecedented 27 1/2 consecutive hours of live coverage on the story of a little girl who fell down a well.

The station fed coverage of the 1952 atomic blast to an entire nation. It was KTLA that broke the story of the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy.

SPJ National President Irwin Gratz, of Maine Public Radio, will present a historic site plaque to KTLA Vice President and General Manager Vinnie Malcolm on Thursday, February 24th. The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on the KTLA lot.

To RSVP, contact Carolyn Aguayo.
Carolyn Aguayo (KTLA), 323.460.5583



Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry. SPJ also works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.


Source: The Society of Professional Journalists

CONTACT: Carolyn Aguayo of KTLA, +1-323-460-5583; Claudia Peschiutta of
SPJ, +1-213-305-0641


-------
Profile: intent