KFTR-DT

KFTR-DT, virtual channel 46 (UHF digital channel 29), is a UniMás owned-and-operated television station serving Los Angeles, California, United States that is licensed to Ontario, and serves as the West Coast flagship station of the network. The station is owned by Univision Communications, as part of a duopoly with Univision owned-and-operated station KMEX-DT (channel 34). The two stations share studios located on Center Drive (near I-405) in West Los Angeles, KFTR's transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson. KFTR does not air any local newscasts of its own, however the station does crosspromote sister station KMEX's local news programs.

History

The station first signed on the air on August 16, 1972 as KBSA, originally licensed to Guasti, a community near Ontario that is known for its vineyards. It originally operated as an independent station, showing mostly feature films. In 1973, Paul Crouch and Jim Bakker purchased time on the station to launch their television ministry, known as the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which served as the eventual network's original home. When TBN purchased Santa Ana-based KBSA for KLXA-TV (channel 40, now KTBN-TV) in 1974, channel 46 was acquired by Berean Bible Ministries and continued to maintain a Christian programming format. KBSA was then purchased by Hispanic Broadcasters (at the time, incidentally, the station was already broadcasting some Spanish language programs), however the station went dark in 1977 as the sale was ongoing.