KCLA

KCLA is the ABN affiliate that serves the Los Angeles, CA broadcast area broadcasting on digital UHF channel 19. It simulcasts with independent station KLAC channel 5. KCLA is the second major flagship station of ABN for the West Coast. Both KCLA and KLAC share the same Ultra HD studios located at ABN Television Plaza in the Studio City subdivision of Los Angeles with the transmitter sitting atop Mount Wilson.
== Known stories aired by KCLA ==
==== 1971 Sylmar Earthquake ====
KCLA was the first television station in its history to continuously bring wall-to-wall coverage of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the towns of San Fernando and Sylmar, California northeast of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley region. KCLA was awarded the state's Golden Ace Award of Excellence and the ABN Seal of Excellence in November 1971 for the coverage.
==== 1988 First Interstate Bank Tower Fire ====
Another great effort of KCLA is the continual coverage of the multi-floor structural fire that took place at the First Interstate Bank of California tower located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. At around 10 minutes after 10:00 PM, KCLA was already airing its regular newscast when word came to the control room to break into programming for the event. AirLink 19 was dispatched near the scene of the five-story fire which started at the 12th floor where FIrst Interstate Bank employees do securities trades and investments. At 2:25 AM the following morning, KCLA assured viewers the fire was completely 100% contained and that the injured patrons, 40 maintenance workers, were evacuated safely from the tower. One worker died as the elevator cab stopped at the burning 12th floor killing him instantly when the doors opened. KCLA received another Golden Ace Award and ABN Seal of Excellence award in November 1988.
==== 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake ====
On October 17, 1989, a 7 point magnitude earthquake rocked the Bay Area which emanated 10 miles northeast of Santa Cruz which radiated towards San Fransisco and Oakland destroying the Nimitz Freeway, 50 feet of the Interstate 80 double deck bridge on the Oakland side which included one fatality. KCLA was once again in full wall-to-wall coverage. 
=== Simulcast of Vin Scully's "Last Call" ===
A rare treat for ABN's second major flagship station is the chance to simulcast the last moments of a legend in sports, music, movies, television, the list is enormous The latest treat for KCLA viewers was the final call made by longtime voice of baseball, Vin Scully. On his final day as the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, KCLA broke into programming to simulcast over 30 minutes of Vin Scully's last call which included his farewell speech at the end of the game. The staff of KCLA the following day wrote:
Vin Scully is the greatest legend we have had the pleasure of tuning in every time we hear the phrase "It's time for Dodger baseball!" We love Vin Scully for his unique voice, his charisma and brilliant storytelling. The man is among the greatest legends of our industry. We know his presence will be greatly missed, but we also know he will be forever remembered. From the first game to his last call, Vin Scully is the reason we love to cheer on our teams. He lifts our spirits when they lose and makes us jump for joy when they win. He is a gentleman's announcer and while we watched and listened to some great entertainers over the years, let's just put it this way: while we esteem Bob Barker as the great legend that he is as a former host of America's hit game shows, and we esteem a lot of Hollywood's best in the same vein, Vin Scully is truly the voice of baseball and we love him for it.
Scully has won numerous awards, and the latest one is the Lee H.G. Winston Hall of Honor for excellence in broadcasting. He will be presented the award at ABN's next conference in December.*
Fictional storyline purpose only
== SkyLink 19 ==
KCLA was the first television station in Southern California and the Southwest United States overall to employ a news helicopter in 1951. It has gone under different names such as Telecopter 19, Air Link 19, Sky19 HD and is presently known as SkyLink 19 Ultra HD. This is KCLA's brand new acquisition, a Spyder YV201N high-efficiency helicopter with KCLA's latest state-of-the-art Ultra HD equipment. The large fuel tank allows SkyLink 19 to remain in the air longer than any other news helicopter in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire region. In one test flight, SkyLink 19 Ultra HD flew as far as 630 miles on one tank of aviation fuel before refueling. This means SkyLink 19 could travel to Sacremento with very little to no refueling needed. SkyLink 19, FAA tail number NOVEMBER 1 9 5 HOTEL DELTA, is the third Ultra HD helicopter KCLA has acquired. It is expected that N195HD will have a fifteen year lifespan.
Category:Channel 19
Category:Los Angeles
Category:California
Category:ABN network affiliates
Category:ABN Group
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1964