KTSF

KTSF, virtual channel 26 (UHF digital channel 27), is a leading independent Asian television station located in San Francisco, California, United States. The station is owned by Lincoln Broadcasting Company. KTSF maintains studio facilities located on Valley Drive in south suburban Brisbane, and its transmitter is located atop San Bruno Mountain.

History

In 1965, Lillian Lincoln Howell was issued a broadcast license for a new television station in San Francisco. Her goal was to offer programming to audiences that were not targeted by the television stations already on the air at the time. Her stated mission was to "serve the underserved." It took many years to build the station, but when KTSF finally signed on the air on September 4, 1976, it began broadcasting a general entertainment format featuring older off network shows from the 1950 and 1965, Japanese cartoons and live action shows dubbed in English, and older movies during the day and Asian programming after 7:00pm weekdays and 4:00pm weekends. For many years a half-hour horse racing program hosted by Sam Speer brought video of the GoldenGate Fields or Bay Meadows daily results. The station also ran religious shows in the morning hours such as PTL Club and Praise The Lord. Entertainment shows included Dennis the Menace (Sitcom), Donna Reed Show, Hazel, Flying Nun, Father Knows Best, Lassie, Marine Boy, Ultra Man, King Kong cartoons, Space Giants, and others. At that time, four other independent Bay Area stations had general entertainment schedules, including KTVU, KTZO (now KOFY-TV), KICU, and KBHK (now KBCW). By 1981, the Japanese Animated and live action shows were dropped. KTSF (the "-TV" calls were dropped on December 31, 1981) became the first U.S. broadcaster to carry Asian-language programming.