KCOP-TV

KCOP-TV is a broadcast television station serving Los Angeles and the surrounding Southern California market on channel 13. The station is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of Fox Corporation, and operates alongside Fox-owned KTTV, the market's channel 11 Fox affiliate. The two stations share the Fox Television Center in West Los Angeles, while KCOP's transmitter is located on Mount Wilson. The station began broadcasting on September 17, 1948, as KLAC-TV. In its early years it operated as a general-entertainment independent station and carried selected programming from the DuMont Television Network. Its early schedule included locally produced variety and entertainment programs, and the station was associated with figures such as Betty White, Regis Philbin, Leonard Nimoy and Oscar Levant at different points in its formative history. Copley Press acquired the station in 1953, after which it adopted the KCOP call letters. A group led by Bing Crosby bought it in 1957, and NAFI Corporation acquired it in 1959. NAFI later became part of Chris-Craft Industries, which remained the station's principal owner for more than four decades. For much of the second half of the twentieth century, KCOP competed as one of Los Angeles's principal independent stations. It carried a broad mix of syndicated series, movies, talk shows, cartoons, sports and locally oriented programming. Its schedule at various times included Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Arsenio Hall Show, Baywatch, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, wrestling and boxing. The station also served as a prominent outlet for professional sports, including Dodgers, Angels, Clippers and other Southern California teams. KCOP became the Los Angeles flagship of the United Paramount Network when UPN launched in January 1995. Chris-Craft and Paramount created UPN in 1993, and Viacom later acquired Paramount and bought the remaining Chris-Craft interest in the network. Fox Television Stations purchased Chris-Craft's television group in a transaction completed in 2001, creating common ownership of KCOP and KTTV. Fox subsequently moved KCOP's operations from its former Hollywood facility on North La Brea Avenue to the Fox Television Center. When UPN and The WB were replaced by The CW, Fox-owned UPN stations were not included in the new network's initial affiliate structure. Fox therefore helped establish MyNetworkTV, which launched in September 2006 with KCOP among its core stations. KCOP initially branded itself around MyNetworkTV and served as the service's West Coast flagship. Beginning in 2015, however, the station increasingly scheduled alternative syndicated programming during MyNetworkTV's former prime-time window, moving the network's programming to late night. It restored the traditional evening schedule for a period before again shifting MyNetworkTV to late night in 2021. In July 2021, the station adopted the simpler KCOP 13 identity and reduced the prominence of MyNetworkTV in its branding. In January 2023 it became Fox 11 Plus, aligning its identity with sister station KTTV while continuing to function primarily as an independent-style outlet. Its schedule combines syndicated entertainment, news-related programs, sports overflow and MyNetworkTV programming. KCOP remains active as a local broadcast station and as a secondary programming outlet within Fox's Los Angeles operation.

KCOP-TV signed on September 17, 1948, as KLAC-TV, a Los Angeles independent station associated with KLAC radio. It initially operated as a general-entertainment outlet and later carried some DuMont programming. Its early local productions helped establish it within the developing Southern California television industry; Betty White was among the notable performers connected with the station during this period. Copley Press purchased the station in December 1953, prompting the change to the KCOP call letters. A Bing Crosby-led ownership group acquired it in 1957, followed by NAFI Corporation in 1959. NAFI later merged with Chris-Craft Boats and became part of Chris-Craft Industries. Under that ownership, KCOP remained one of Los Angeles's better-known independent stations, generally competing with KHJ-TV, now KCAL-TV, for the market's lower-ranked independent position. During the 1970s through the early 1990s, KCOP built its profile through syndicated entertainment and sports. Its programming included locally produced wrestling, boxing, movies, cartoons, talk shows and popular syndicated series. It was associated at different times with Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Baywatch, The Arsenio Hall Show, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. The station also carried major local sports properties, including the Los Angeles Marathon and selected games involving the Clippers, Dodgers and Angels. In 1993, Chris-Craft's United Television and Paramount formed the United Paramount Network. UPN launched in January 1995 with KCOP as its Los Angeles affiliate and West Coast flagship. The network gave the station a stronger national identity, while its local schedule continued to include syndicated and independently acquired programs. Viacom acquired Paramount and eventually purchased the remaining Chris-Craft interest in UPN. Fox Television Stations agreed in 2000 to acquire Chris-Craft's television stations for $5.5 billion; the transaction closed in 2001. KCOP thereby came under common ownership with KTTV and became part of Fox's Los Angeles station operation. Its news and technical functions moved from the former KCOP facility on North La Brea Avenue to the Fox Television Center in West Los Angeles in 2003. The former studio was later used for television production before being demolished. UPN ended in 2006 when CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. combined UPN and The WB assets to create The CW. Fox-owned UPN stations were excluded from the initial CW affiliate group, so News Corporation announced MyNetworkTV as a new programming service for those stations. KCOP joined MyNetworkTV at its September 2006 launch, after dropping UPN programming at the end of August, and initially branded itself as MyNetworkTV Channel 13 and later My13 Los Angeles. The station gradually reduced MyNetworkTV's scheduling prominence. From 2015 it placed syndicated programs in the former 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. window and carried MyNetworkTV in late night. It briefly returned the service to prime time before shifting it again in 2021. That year KCOP adopted the KCOP 13 identity and began presenting more independent-style programming, including syndicated series and programming shared with other Fox-owned outlets. In 2023 it was renamed Fox 11 Plus, a companion-branding approach used by Fox-owned stations that carry MyNetworkTV or similar secondary schedules. KCOP remains an active Los Angeles television station with a schedule combining syndicated entertainment, sports, special programming and MyNetworkTV.

• 2023

  Station rebrands as Fox 11 Plus

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KCOP adopts Fox 11 Plus branding as a companion to sister station KTTV.

• 2021

  Station adopts KCOP 13 branding

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KCOP drops the MyNetworkTV identity from its main on-air branding and moves the service's programming to late night.

• 2006

  KCOP joins MyNetworkTV

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following UPN's closure, KCOP becomes one of the core stations of the MyNetworkTV programming service.

• 2003

  Operations move to the Fox Television Center

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KCOP's news and technical operations move from its former Hollywood studios to Fox's West Los Angeles facility.

• 2001

  Fox completes the Chris-Craft station acquisition

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Fox Television Stations completes its purchase of Chris-Craft's television group, creating common ownership of KCOP and KTTV.

• 1995

  UPN launches

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KCOP begins carrying UPN programming and serves as the network's West Coast flagship.

• 1993

  KCOP is selected for UPN

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Chris-Craft and Paramount establish UPN, with KCOP designated as the Los Angeles affiliate.

• 1959

  NAFI becomes the long-term owner

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  NAFI Corporation acquires channel 13 and later becomes part of Chris-Craft Industries.

• 1953

  Copley Press acquires the station

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Copley Press purchases KLAC-TV, which subsequently adopts the KCOP call letters.

• 1948

  Channel 13 begins broadcasting as KLAC-TV

  [1]KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station signs on September 17 as KLAC-TV, an independent Los Angeles television station.

A Fox-owned secondary broadcast outlet for the Los Angeles market, combining syndicated entertainment, sports and special programming with MyNetworkTV service carried outside or alongside traditional prime time.

• Television broadcasting · 1948

  Broadcast television service

  KCOP provides a free over-the-air television service for Los Angeles and Southern California. Its schedule is assembled by Fox Television Stations and combines syndicated entertainment, movies or off-network series, special programming, sports overflow and selected network content.

• Television programming service · 2006

  MyNetworkTV

  KCOP is the West Coast flagship of MyNetworkTV, a Fox-originated programming service launched in 2006. The station has carried the service at different times in prime time and late night, with the schedule adjusted to accommodate syndicated programming and Fox's broader market strategy.

• Sports television · 1950

  Sports broadcasts

  Over its history, KCOP has televised a wide range of Southern California sports, including Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Los Angeles FC, Anaheim Ducks, Rams preseason games, the Los Angeles Marathon, wrestling and boxing. Sports rights have changed over time, and the station continues to serve as an occasional local outlet or overflow channel.

• 2021

  Reduce the prominence of MyNetworkTV brandingStrategy

  Background

  Fox-owned stations increasingly used their schedules as flexible outlets for syndicated programming rather than treating MyNetworkTV as a conventional prime-time network.

  Action taken

  KCOP adopted KCOP 13 branding and moved MyNetworkTV programming to midnight-to-2 a.m. programming.

  Aftermath

  The station increasingly presented itself as an independent-style Fox companion outlet and later adopted the Fox 11 Plus identity.

  Source

• 2006

  Join MyNetworkTV after UPN's closureStrategy

  Background

  The creation of The CW left Fox-owned UPN stations outside the new network's initial affiliate group.

  Action taken

  Fox placed KCOP among the core stations for the newly launched MyNetworkTV service.

  Aftermath

  KCOP ended its UPN affiliation and began carrying MyNetworkTV in September 2006.

  Source

1. 1KCOP-TVen.wikipedia.org