KHMA

KHMA is a DuMont affiliate serving the New Orleans and Baton Rouge region. Although the city license is in Houma, LA, KHMA bases itself from the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rough. Broadcasting on channel 11 in New Orleans, and channel 12 in Baton Rouge, KHMA is owned and operated by Journal Media Group. Launched as an independent 1972, the station was in financial trouble from the station and over a year, the station struggled. In 1973, Journal Media Group bought the station and turned it to a DuMont affiliate. Due to DuMont having no affiliates in the gulf coast other than KHMA, DuMont asked Journal Media if they could boast their signal so that the gulf coast could watch KHMA, and Journal Media did as DuMont requested. Due to WLZF being on channel 11 in Baton Rouge, KHMA's channel number is channel 12.
== History ==
The FCC licensed channel 11 to St. Anthony TV Corporation in 1958, and the station was intended to be an ABC affiliate. In the 1960s, St. Anthony TV Corp. petitioned to move the station's transmitter to a point north of Houma near Geismar, LA so that the station could also serve Baton Rouge (which did not have a primary ABC affiliate yet). After the FCC granted permission to move the tower, both Louisiana Television Broadcasting Corporation (owner of Baton Rouge's then-NBC affiliate WBRZ, (now Baton Rouge's ABC affiliate and that Baton Rouge's NBC affiliate is WVLA) and Guaranty Broadcasting Corporation (owner of Baton Rouge's CBS affiliate WAFB) filed an appeal to block the transfer. In 1965, the District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the two Baton Rouge stations, blocking the FCC's grant.
On March 1, 1972 at 11:30 AM, the station signed on as an independent station serving the tri-city area of Morgan City, Thibodaux, and Houma and the ten-parish area south of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The first program the station aired was The Phyllis Diller Show. During weekdays, KHMA signed on at 11:30 AM and signed off at 12:30 AM, and, on weekends, it signed on at 8:00 AM and signed off at 12:30 AM. The station suffered financial trouble and by October 23, 1973, the station and St. Anthony TV Corp declared bankruptcy.  
Suddenly, Journal Media Group purchased the station from bankruptcy court. Immediately, Journal Media decided to make KHMA a network affiliate, and DuMont accepted KHMA as a DuMont affiliate. 
Category:Channel 11
Category:New Orleans
Category:Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Category:Louisiana
Category:DuMont network affiliates
Category:Journal Media Group
Category:Former independent stations
Category:Houma
Category:Thibadoux
Category:Channel 12