Golden West Broadcasters was an umbrella investment company founded and co-owned by late actor/singer Gene Autry (1907–1998) and late two-time All-American and former Detroit Lions tackle Bob Reynolds (1914–1997).[1][2] Headquartered in Hollywood, California, in addition to broadcast television and radio, Autry and Reynolds also invested in real estate as well as ownership stakes in the Hollywood Stars baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. The company owned and operated several television and radio stations from 1951 to 1982, and also provided services to and for other third-party, non-owned stations through the Golden West Radio Network.
| Company type | Defunct |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Liquidation of assets |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, California , United States |
History edit
In 1951, Autry and Reynolds formed Golden West Broadcasters with their acquisition of KMPC (now KSPN) 710 AM in Los Angeles,[3] while Reynolds served and worked as the station's manager. They followed that up by taking its first ever television station, KOPO-TV (now CBS affiliate KOLD-TV) in Tucson, Arizona,[4] to the air in two years later, and then with additional acquisitions including most importantly, KTLA in Los Angeles, which continues to operate from the very same site at which the company and the station co-existed on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to this very day. Over time, Autry took control of the company with other co-investors in later years. Golden West also operated several cable television systems across the country during the 1970s and into the 1980s. Autry began their gradual exit from the broadcasting industry beginning in 1982 with the sale of KTLA to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, culminating with the sale of KSCA 101.9 FM in Glendale, California – within the Los Angeles area, to Heftel Broadcasting Corporation in 1997.
Former stations edit
Stations are arranged in order by city of license.
- (**) — Station built and signed on by either Golden West or Gene Autry personally.
Television edit
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel | Years owned | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | KTLA | 5 | 1964–1982 | The CW affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group |
| Oklahoma City, OK | KAUT-TV | 43 | 1979–1985 | The CW affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group |
| Phoenix–Mesa, AZ | KOOL-TV ** | 10 | 1953–1982 | Fox owned and operated (O&O) KSAZ-TV |
| Tucson, AZ | KOPO-TV/KOLD-TV ** | 13 | 1953–1969 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
Radio edit
| AM Stations | FM Stations |
| City of license / Market | Station | Years owned | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI–Windsor, ON | WCAR/WCXI 1130 | 1977–1986 | WDFN, owned by iHeartMedia |
| WCAR-FM/WTWR/WCXI-FM 92.3 | 1977–1986 | WMXD, owned by iHeartMedia | |
| Los Angeles, CA | KMPC 710 | 1952–1994 | KSPN, owned by Good Karma Brands |
| KUTE/KMPC-FM/KLIT/ KEDG/KSCA 101.9 |
1985–1997 | Owned by TelevisaUnivision | |
| Phoenix, AZ | KARZ/KOOL 960 | 1956–1985 | KKNT, owned by Salem Media Group |
| KOOL-FM 94.5 | 1956–1985 | Owned by Audacy, Inc. | |
| Portland, OR | KEX 1190 | 1967–1984 | Owned by iHeartMedia |
| KQFM/KKRZ 100.3 | 1978–1984 | Owned by iHeartMedia | |
| San Francisco, CA | KSFO 560 | 1956–1983 | Owned by Cumulus Media |
| Seattle–Tacoma, WA | KVI 570 | 1959–1994 | Owned by Lotus Communications |
| KETO-FM/KVI-FM/KPLZ-FM 101.5 | 1976–1994 | Owned by Lotus Communications | |
| Tucson, AZ | KOPO/KOLD 1450 | 1947–1977 | KTZR, owned by iHeartMedia |