Don Lee Network

Don Lee Network

Company type	Private
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	1928
Founder	Don Lee
Defunct	1950
Fate	Sold to General Tire and Rubber Company; assets integrated into Mutual Broadcasting System
Headquarters	Hollywood, Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	West Coast of the United States
Key people	Don Lee, Thomas S. Lee, Lewis Allen Weiss, Willet H. Brown
Products	Radio broadcasting, Television broadcasting

The Don Lee Network, also referred to as the Don Lee Broadcasting System, functioned as a regional American radio network during the era of old-time radio.

Origin

Don Lee, who initially amassed his fortune as the exclusive West Coast distributor for Cadillac automobiles, ventured into broadcasting by purchasing radio stations KFRC in San Francisco in 1926 and KHJ in Los Angeles in 1927. These stations were interconnected through telephone lines, which led to the establishment of the Don Lee Broadcasting System in December 1928. Shortly thereafter, other California stations such as KMJ (Fresno), KWG (Stockton), and KFBK (Sacramento) joined the network. By 1938, the network had expanded to include 28 affiliated stations.

Following Lee’s death in 1934, his son Thomas S. Lee assumed control of the network’s management.

Relationships with other networks

In 1929, the Don Lee Network formed a partnership with CBS, creating the Don Lee-Columbia Network, which designated Lee’s stations as CBS affiliates on the West Coast. This collaboration began on January 1, 1930, featuring CBS programming during early evening slots, followed by locally produced Don Lee content broadcast from KFRC or KHJ. Additionally, some programs originating from Lee’s stations were distributed nationally by CBS.

Conflicts over programming independence eventually ended this alliance. CBS’s purchase of Los Angeles station KNX in 1936 heightened competition with KHJ and effectively terminated prospects for continued cooperation. After parting ways, certain stations aligned with NBC, while others stayed with Don Lee and joined the Mutual Broadcasting System.

The affiliation with Don Lee allowed Mutual to achieve comprehensive coast-to-coast coverage across the United States. Announced on June 27, 1936, this integration connected Lee’s California affiliates with Mutual’s existing network infrastructure. The expanded Don Lee-Mutual partnership commenced operations on December 30, 1936. Following this development, Don Lee sustained independent operations while selectively airing Mutual programs to its affiliates. This model balanced regional control with access to national content, reflecting both Mutual’s philosophy and Don Lee’s strategic approach.

Original programming

Bill Oates observed in his biography Meredith Willson - America's Music Man: The Whole Broadway-Symphonic-Radio-Motion Picture Story:

In the early 1930s, prior to consistent coast-to-coast broadcasts originating from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, West Coast stations were responsible for producing substantial original programming for NBC and CBS's Western divisions.

Beginning in 1929, Willson managed music direction for various network programs at Don Lee. Prominent figures who worked at Lee and later achieved national recognition include Don Wilson, Ralph Edwards, Art Linkletter, Harold Peary, Morey Amsterdam, Merv Griffin, John Nesbitt, and Bea Benederet. Additionally, Mark Goodson developed game shows for the network before attaining greater success alongside Bill Todman in television production.

Programs produced at Don Lee studios featured titles such as Blue Monday Jamboree, Queen For A Day, The Bill Stulla Show, Heart’s Desire, Don Lee Music Hall, Peter Potter’s Party, and The Jack Kirkwood Show. Both KHJ and KFRC maintained their own organists, dance orchestras, symphony ensembles, performers, and entertainers to attract a wide audience base.

Television

The network was an early innovator in television, initiating experimental broadcasts with station W6XAO in Los Angeles on December 31, 1931. Throughout the 1930s, it aired programming for one hour each day. In 1937, radio and television divisions collaborated to broadcast the opening ceremony of the 27th Los Angeles Motor Car Dealers' Automobile Show. Additionally, Don Lee consistently televised the Tournament of Roses Parade annually.

Harry R. Lubcke, serving as electrical engineer and director of the television division, increased audience reach by providing blueprints for enthusiasts to construct their own TV receivers locally. By 1939, W6XAO relocated its transmitter and studios to Mount Lee, greatly extending its broadcast coverage.

Although World War II temporarily halted television advancements, W6XAO continued limited transmissions during this period. The station obtained commercial licensing in May 1948 under the call sign KTSL.

Subsequently, the company progressed into producing television content. In January 1950, it secured a long-term agreement with William Dieterle to produce and direct television films funded by Don Lee Television and distributed nationally through Blair TV Inc. It also acquired rights to develop narratives from the archives of John Wilkie—Don Wilkie’s father and the inaugural chief of the U.S. Secret Service.

New building

In 1948, Lee invested $2.5 million to construct a combined radio and television facility at Fountain and Vine in Hollywood. This three-story complex spanned 118,000 square feet and housed 14 studios for broadcasting purposes. Among these were four sound stages capable of accommodating over 100 musicians and seating up to 350 audience members. The design allowed for simultaneous broadcasts from four separate studios, and a plate glass wall in the lobby enabled visitors to observe the network controller at work. Eventually, the transmission site was moved from Mount Lee to Mount Wilson.

Located at 1313 North Vine Street, this building stands as Hollywood’s oldest studio purpose-built for television production.

Following Lee's passing in 1950, KTSL was sold to CBS and rebranded as KNXT in 1951. The studios became the venue for Johnny Carson’s early programs, including the local Carson's Cellar (1951–1953) and the nationally aired The Johnny Carson Show (1955–1956).

Later on, the facility served as home to Los Angeles' inaugural educational television station, KCET. The "Vine Street Theatre," situated at the same location and acquired by ABC around 1967, hosted programs such as The Joey Bishop Show, The Dating Game, and The Newlywed Game. In 2002, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences purchased this property to house its film archive along with the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study.

Owner declared incompetent

In September 1948, Superior Judge Harold B. Jeffery ruled Thomas S. Lee mentally incompetent, appointing network vice presidents Lewis Allen Weiss—who also acted as general manager—and Willet H. Brown as guardians of his estate. Lee had been institutionalized in a sanitarium after being declared mentally ill during a hearing held the previous month.

Sale

Thomas Lee died on January 13, 1950, after leaping from a twelve-story building. His will mandated that broadcasting operations be sold, a process which commenced in May 1950. By November of that year, both the radio network and its shares in Mutual were acquired by General Tire and Rubber Company for $12.3 million. These broadcast assets were integrated into the Mutual Broadcasting System, granting General Tire majority ownership of Mutual. Don Lee’s holdings became part of what ultimately developed into RKO General, including Hollywood studios valued at $3 million. KTSL was sold to CBS and is presently known as KCBS-TV.

External links

• Don Lee Broadcasting System — Western States Museum of Broadcasting