KANG-TV
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | November 1, 1953 in Waco, Texas, United States |
| Defunct | December 31, 1955 |
| Fate | Assets and CBS affiliation absorbed by KWTX-TV |
| Headquarters | Waco , United States |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
| Owner | Central Texas Television Company (original), later Texas Broadcasting Company (Lady Bird Johnson) |
KANG-TV (channel 34) was the inaugural television broadcaster in Waco, Texas, operated by the Texas Broadcasting Company. It aired from November 1, 1953, until December 31, 1955. Upon its closure, its assets and the CBS network affiliation were absorbed by KWTX-TV (channel 10). The Texas Broadcasting Company, under the leadership of Lady Bird Johnson, acquired a 29% ownership interest in both KWTX television and radio.
Construction
Following the FCC's 1952 lift of its television application freeze, Waco was assigned one VHF channel contested by local radio broadcasters KWTX and WACO, along with a commercial UHF allocation on channel 34. The Central Texas Television Company, owned by Clyde L. Weatherby—a Hamilton car dealer and radio proprietor—submitted an application for channel 34 and received a construction permit on November 14, 1952.
Station development commenced several months later. A station manager was appointed in July, who opted against situating the transmission tower atop the Medical Arts Building. By August, the FCC authorized construction of a 600-foot tower at Bosque Boulevard and Lake Air Drive, prompting immediate studio development. By this point, KANG-TV had secured an affiliation with the ABC network.
After transmitting test patterns beginning October 17, the station initiated commercial programming at 1:30 p.m. on November 1, 1953—preceding regional NBC VHF affiliate KCEN-TV in Temple by four hours. Initially outfitted with a single camera for local content production, KANG-TV launched as an affiliate of ABC and the DuMont Television Network, initially airing programming from all four major networks.
Financial difficulties and sale to Texas Broadcasting Company
The emergence of a second VHF station on channel 10 significantly threatened KANG-TV’s viability. Similar to other UHF broadcasters in less advantageous markets, it petitioned the FCC to reassign its competitor from VHF channel 10 to UHF channel 66, arguing that competing as the only UHF outlet against two VHF stations—including Temple’s KCEN-TV—was unsustainable. The FCC denied this request in October 1954, awarding channel 10 to KWTX over WACO. Weatherby later conceded that he had overestimated market demand for a UHF station requiring converter boxes or specialized receivers.
Confronted with financial difficulties, Central Texas Television Company filed in November to sell KANG-TV to Texas Broadcasting Company—owner of Austin’s KTBC radio and television—for $115,000 plus assumption of $19,000 in debt. The sellers reported inadequate advertising income and losses exceeding $145,000. The FCC promptly approved this transaction in December, placing KANG-TV under Lady Bird Johnson’s ownership; Weatherby had been her college peer.
KWTX-TV commenced operations on April 3, 1955, but initially lacked network affiliation. Officials at KWTX accused Texas Broadcasting of monopolistic behavior since KANG-TV retained CBS, ABC, and DuMont affiliations; they also objected to KTBC-TV’s proposed power increase.
Closure and legacy
On December 24, 1955, general managers J. C. Kellen of KANG-TV and Buddy Bostick of KWTX-TV announced a merger agreement. The merged entity continued under the KWTX call letters and channel number. KWTX Broadcasting Company acquired all assets of KANG except for its license and sold a minority interest back to former KANG owners. At midnight on December 31, 1955, KANG-TV ended broadcasts; its CBS affiliation transferred to KWTX-TV. Former KANG stakeholders obtained a 30 percent ownership share in KWTX-TV. Kellam stated that due to continuous financial losses throughout its existence, closure was necessary to avoid further deficits. Both he and Lady Bird Johnson joined the board of directors at KWTX.
Following shutdown, the former KANG-TV studios were leased out—initially to Western Heights Baptist Church and later from 1961 to 1963 to the Success Motivation Institute (SMI), a Waco-based organization producing motivational audio recordings and executive training programs. The building was demolished in 1963 to make way for a new motel.
The partnership between KWTX ownership and Johnson interests endured for over four decades after the merger. The LBJ Holding Company retained partial ownership of the station well into the 1990s.