Kaiser Broadcasting

Kaiser Broadcasting Corp.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Media, Broadcasting
Founded	1957
Founder	Henry J. Kaiser Company Ltd.
Defunct	1977
Fate	Acquired by Field Communications
Headquarters	Oakland / San Francisco, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Richard Block (Vice President and General Manager), Don B. Curran (President)
Products	Television and radio broadcasting
Parent	Kaiser Industries

The Kaiser Broadcasting Corp. was a U.S.-based media enterprise managing television and radio outlets across the country from 1957 until 1977.

Formation of a broadcast network

The broadcasting arm of Kaiser commenced operations in 1957 when the Henry J. Kaiser Company Ltd., a multifaceted industrial conglomerate under its founder’s leadership, inaugurated KHVH radio alongside the independent television station KHVH-TV (channel 13) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both stations were housed within the Hawaiian Village Hotel, a property owned by Kaiser, which inspired their call letters. In 1958, the company acquired KULA-TV (channel 4), rebranded it as KHVH-TV, and returned the original license to the FCC. Two years later, in 1960, Kaiser expanded its radio portfolio by acquiring KBAY-FM in San Francisco and transforming it into KFOG-FM with a beautiful music format.

During the mid-1960s, Kaiser sought to broaden its footprint by obtaining construction permits for several UHF television stations in prominent American markets. This expansion was partially financed through the sale of KHVH-TV. The initial new station launches included Detroit’s WKBD-TV in January 1965—distinguished by its all-live sports programming that provided a competitive edge—and WKBS-TV near Philadelphia in October 1965.

On June 29, 1966, KMTW-TV began broadcasting in Los Angeles (later renamed KBSC-TV), but it encountered difficulties competing with established stations and failed to secure a Phonevision franchise, limiting its market penetration. That same month, Kaiser purchased broadcast assets from Boston’s Harvey Radio Laboratories, which included an inactive television license originally obtained by Harvey Radio in 1959. Collaborating with The Boston Globe as an equal partner, they relaunched the station as WKBG-TV in December 1966, utilizing a regulatory exemption that allowed them to exceed FCC ownership limits in major markets.

At the outset of 1968, two more stations were introduced: KBHK-TV in San Francisco and WKBF-TV in Cleveland. KBHK-TV commenced operations on January 2 as scheduled, while WKBF-TV experienced delays and launched on January 19. Although initially co-owned with Superior Broadcasting Company, WKBF-TV was classified under Kaiser’s ownership according to FCC regulations. By this time, The Boston Globe had reduced its ownership interest in the Boston stations to 10 percent.

Prominent leadership figures included Richard Block serving as Vice President and General Manager, and Don B. Curran as President. Headquartered in Oakland and San Francisco, California, Kaiser Broadcasting functioned as a subsidiary of Kaiser Industries.

This growth approach positioned Kaiser Broadcasting as a significant entity within the American television sector throughout its two-decade existence prior to its acquisition by Field Communications in 1977.

Escalating financial challenges

In September 1967, Kaiser Broadcasting Corporation revealed intentions to establish live television network operations by 1970. Apart from KBSC-TV, Kaiser’s stations primarily focused on local content, with several popular programs syndicated throughout their network. Noteworthy hosts included Joe Dolan in San Francisco, Alan Douglas in Cleveland, Hy Lit in Philadelphia, and Lou Gordon in Detroit—the latter’s show on WKBD-TV becoming the most successful and eventually broadcast across all Kaiser stations. This internal syndication strategy extended into the mid-1970s with "The Ghoul," a horror host character portrayed by Ron Sweed on WKBF-TV; this program was syndicated to multiple Kaiser-owned outlets including WKBD-TV, WKBG-TV, KBHK-TV, and later WFLD-TV following Kaiser's acquisition of majority ownership.

From 1968 onward, Kaiser invested approximately $6 million to develop news departments at its stations, prioritizing late-night newscasts scheduled earlier than those of network affiliates. Significant funding was directed towards WKBF-TV, WKBS-TV, and WKBD-TV; WKBG-TV launched its news division last in December 1969. However, KBHK-TV’s attempt at a 10 p.m. newscast had already failed earlier that year. Due to high operational expenses combined with an unfavorable national economy and resistance to UHF broadcasting among viewers and advertisers, Kaiser ceased all news operations across its stations on November 12, 1970. Of the five stations maintaining news teams at that time, only WKBD-TV generated profits but suffered from lower-than-anticipated audience ratings. Meanwhile, WKBG-TV endured substantial financial losses nearing $11 million over four years. This withdrawal prompted industry-wide concerns regarding the viability and competitive position of UHF broadcasters despite Kaiser's robust market presence and resources.

Alliance with Field Communications and Subsequent Acquisition

On May 26, 1972, Kaiser transferred a 22.5 percent minority interest in its broadcasting assets (excluding KBSC-TV and radio properties) to Chicago-based Field Communications, while simultaneously obtaining a 77.5 percent controlling share in WFLD-TV, Field's station located in Chicago. By May 1973, this collaboration between Kaiser and Field culminated in the creation of Kaiser Broadcasting Co., which included KBHK-TV, WFLD-TV, WKBD-TV, WKBS-TV, WKBF-TV, along with majority ownership of WKBG-TV. In 1974, The Boston Globe divested its stake in WKBG-TV to Kaiser, leading to the station's rebranding as WLVI. After an unsuccessful effort to divest KBSC-TV to a subscription television operator, Kaiser sold the station in December 1975 to a partnership between Oak Industries and Jerry Perenchio, who launched the ON TV pay service.

Due to financial difficulties in Cleveland, Kaiser discontinued WKBF-TV operations on April 25, 1975, offloading most of its assets to United Artists Broadcasting—the proprietor of WUAB. Kaiser held a 36 percent equity interest in WUAB until United Artists sold the station in 1977. Management conceded that WKBF-TV failed to generate profits because of competition from WUAB and insufficient viewer and advertiser engagement.

In January 1977, Kaiser divested its entire interest in the station group to Field for $42.625 million. This transaction was part of Kaiser's broader strategy during 1977 to liquidate approximately 90 percent of its conglomerate holdings.

Programming

Beginning in 1965, Kaiser Broadcasting operated independent UHF stations across several markets such as Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland, playing a pioneering role in introducing independent television to these regions. The company strategically programmed a mix of films, syndicated series, and children's shows aimed at attracting audiences to UHF channels.

Although Kaiser's ambition to establish a "fourth network" never came to fruition, numerous stations developed successful local programming initiatives—some achieving regional syndication. WKBD-TV notably emphasized sports content by securing broadcast rights for professional teams including the NBA's Detroit Pistons and NHL's Detroit Red Wings, as well as collegiate athletics. Multiple Kaiser stations acquired syndication rights for Star Trek: The Original Series, scheduling it as counterprogramming against major network evening news broadcasts and frequently presenting episodes following NBC’s original sequence.

This programming approach significantly bolstered Kaiser's market presence and competitive edge within the independent broadcasting sector during a critical phase for UHF television.

Former stations

Stations are organized alphabetically by state and city of license.
Stations constructed and launched by Kaiser are marked with two boldface asterisks (**).

Stations formerly owned by Kaiser Broadcasting
Media market	State	Station	Acquisition Year	Divestiture Year	Additional Information
Los Angeles	California	KBSC-TV **	1966	1977	Known as KMTW-TV from 1966 through 1968.
San Francisco		KFOG **	1960	1974	Previously identified as KBAY-FM until 1963.
San Francisco		KBHK-TV **	1968	1977
Honolulu	Hawaii	KHVH	1957	1965
		KHVH-TV **	1957	1958	Frequency currently occupied by KHNL.
		KHVH-TV	1958	1965
Chicago	Illinois	WFLD-TV	1972	1977
Boston	Massachusetts	WCAS	1966	1976	Jointly owned by Kaiser and The Boston Globe from 1966 until 1974.
		WJIB	1966	1972	Formerly known as WXHR-FM prior to 1967.
		WLVI-TV	1966	1977	Renamed WLVI beginning in 1974.
Detroit	Michigan	WKBD-TV **	1965	1977
Cleveland	Ohio	WKBF-TV **	1968	1975	Ceased broadcasting operations in 1975; frequency now used by WQHS-TV.
Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	WKBS-TV **	1965	1977

External links

Kaiser Broadcasting 1968 Sales Presentation (Part 1) and (Part 2)
Kaiser Broadcasting ID video hosted by The Museum of Classic Chicago Television
Another animated Kaiser Broadcasting ID video available at The Museum of Classic Chicago Television
The Lou Gordon Program (talk show created by WKBD and broadcast on Kaiser-owned stations)