KCEN-TV

:For the real-life NBC affiliate in Waco, Texas, see on Wikipedia. For the real-life channel 7 in Los Angeles, see , also on Wikipedia.
KCEN-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, serving as the West Coast flagship of the Central Television Network. Owned by the network's Central Networks Corporation division independent outlet KTRV (channel 38), both stations maintain studios at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.
==History==
Channel 7 first signed on the air on April 19, 1956 as KLAM (standing for "Los Angeles' My Home"). For much of its 10 years on the air, channel 7 was a typical general entertainment independent station. It was usually the third or fourth highest-rated independent in Southern California.
Along with three other stations respectively in New York City, Washington D.C. and Mixopolis and with the sign-on of a new station in San Francisco, these became the original stations of the Central network as it expanded its coverage from Canada to the United States. With the foundation, KLAM became the current KCEN-TV on September 4, 1966.
KCEN-TV has used the Circle 7 logo since 1976 and augmented its bottom right quadrant with the Central network logo in 1997. The station's news anchors and reporters wear Circle 7 lapel pins when they appear on camera, a practice that had once been standard at most Central stations.
In 2002, KCEN-TV became a sister station to KTRV after the latter was purchased by the network from Post-Newsweek Stations (now ). In order to acquire KTRV, The Pierre Péladeau Company/Central had to divest the TRC West Coast flagship KOMO (channel 34) to Bert Ellis and his Ellis Communications.
On February 4, 2003, KCEN-TV became the first television station in the state of California to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition using HD cameras in the studio and debuted an updated set.
KCEN-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, at noon on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on channel 40 post-transition operations. After the transition occurred, some viewers had difficulty receiving KCEN's signal, despite operating at a high effective radiated power of 25,000 watts. On March 31, 2009, KABC-TV filed an application with the FCC to upgrade its signal strength to 28,700 watts. It was granted a construction permit on March 3, 2011. As part of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s incentive auction from 2016-2018, KCEN moved down to channel 30 on September 11, 2016.
==Programming==
In addition to the Central network schedule, syndicated programs on KCEN-TV (as of September 2020) include The Drew Barrymore Show, Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight and Judge Judy.
===Sports coverage===
KCEN-TV airs contests involving the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, as well as those of the team's crosstown rival, the Anaheim Ducks; via the network's contract with the league.
===News operation===
KCEN-TV presently broadcasts 54 hours, 20 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 9 hours, 20 minutes each weekday; 5 hours, 20 minutes on Saturdays and 7 hours, 20 minutes on Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest newscast output among all Central stations, and one of the highest newscast output in the Los Angeles market.
====Notable current on-air staff====
*Daniel Sanders
*Marissa Taft
*Lance Franklin
*Frances Dion
====Music history====
*Look for Us - Telesound (1975-1979)
*KMOL 1979 News Theme (1979-1981)
*KTVY 1981 News Theme (1981-1985)
*WFSB 1980 News Theme - Klein & (1985-1988)
*Palmer News Package - Shelly Palmer Company (1988-1991)
*Newsworthy - Michael Karp Music (1991-1994)
*Prime News - Newsmusic Central (1994-1999)
*Finale - Stephen Arnold Music (1999-2001)
*Outlaw News - Stephen Arnold Music (2001-2007)
*Identity - Stephen Arnold Music (2007-2011)
*Icon News - 615 Music (2011-present)
==Gallery==
KABC Circle 7.svg|The "Circle 7" logo, used since 1976.
KCEN logo (2001).png|Logo (2001-2011)
KCEN 1988 ID.png|Station ID (1988-1991)
KCEN open 1988.png|News 7 Tonight open (1988-1991)
7News (KCEN) Open (1999).png|News 7 open (1999-2002)
KCEN 2004 open.jpg|News 7 open (2002-2006)
KCEN 2006 HD open.png|News open when they went HD, 2006-2011
Sky 7 KCEN.svg|"Sky 7" logo
KCEN7 Open (2019).png|News 7 11pm open (2019–2024)
KCEN screengrab 2.png|Graphics #1 (2019–2024, October 2019)
KCEN Screengrab (June 2021).png|Graphics #2 (2019–2024, June 2021)
KCEN screengrab 3.png|Graphics #3 (2019–2024, February 2022)
KCEN graphics 3.png|Graphics #4 (2019–2024, September 2022)
KCEN IMA 2023 report.png|Graphics #5 (2019-2024, March 2023)
KCEN News7 Tonight 2024.png|News 7 11pm open (2024-present)
kcen-gfx-24.png|Graphics (2024-present)
==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Channel	Video	Aspect	Short name	Programing
7.1 	1080p	16:9 	KCEN-TV 	Main KCEN-TV programming/Central
7.2 	1080p	16:9 	NWLD 	NWLD Los Angeles
7.3 	480i 	16:9 	AVG 	Avant Garde Network
7.4 	480i 	16:9 	Quest 	Quest
===Analog-to-digital transition===
KCEN-TV started its digital signal in 2003. The station shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The KCEN-TV digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 40 with digital television receivers continuing to display KCEN-TV's PSIP virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 7.
Category:Channel 7
Category:Los Angeles
Category:California
Category:Central Television Network
Category:Central owned and operated stations
Category:Central affiliates
Category:The Pierre Péladeau Company
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1958
Category:NewsWorld network affiliates
Category:Avant Garde Network affiliates
Category:Former independent stations