KTBN-TV

KTBN-TV, virtual channel 40 (UHF digital channel 33), is the flagship television station of the Christian religious broadcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network serving the Los Angeles, California area. Licensed to Santa Ana, California, the station is owned and operated by TBN. The station's offices are based in the TBN network headquarters in nearby Tustin, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.

History

Channel 40 first launched on January 5, 1967 as KLXA-TV, licensed to Fontana but operating from offices and studios at 816 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood. It was Southern California's first Bilingual television station. In its first months, KLXA broadcast most days from 4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M., with English programming made up of old movies and 1950s-era reruns of network and syndicated series such as The Whirlybirds, The Phil Silvers Show and Circus Boy, ending with a Lyn Sherwood newscast from 8:00 to 8:15. Then, starting with an 8:15-8:30 newscast from Miguel Alonso, the remainder of the schedule would be telenovelas, variety shows and sporting events (most frequently bullfighting) in Spanish. By 1971, the entire schedule was changed to Spanish-language programming, directly competing with KMEX-TV on Channel 34.