Golden West Broadcasters

Golden West Broadcasters was an umbrella investment company founded and co-owned by late actor/singer Gene Autry (1907–1998) and late two-time All-American and former Detroit Lions tackle Bob Reynolds (1914–1997).[1][2] Headquartered in Hollywood, California, in addition to broadcast television and radio, Autry and Reynolds also invested in real estate as well as ownership stakes in the Hollywood Stars baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. The company owned and operated several television and radio stations from 1951 to 1982, and also provided services to and for other third-party, non-owned stations through the Golden West Radio Network.

For the similarly named broadcasting company in Canada, see Golden West Broadcasting.
Golden West Broadcasters
TypeDefunct
Industry
  • Broadcast television
  • broadcast radio
Founded1951
Founder
Defunct1997
FateLiquidation of assets
Headquarters
Hollywood, California
,
United States

History

In 1951, Autry and Reynolds formed Golden West Broadcasters with their acquisition of KMPC (now KSPN) 710 AM in Los Angeles,[3] while Reynolds served and worked as the station's manager. They followed that up by taking its first ever television station, KOPO-TV (now CBS affiliate KOLD-TV) in Tucson, Arizona,[4] to the air in two years later, and then with additional acquisitions including most importantly, KTLA in Los Angeles, which continues to operate from the very same site at which the company and the station co-existed on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood to this very day. Over time, Autry took control of the company with other co-investors in later years. Golden West also operated several cable television systems across the country during the 1970s and into the 1980s. Autry began their gradual exit from the broadcasting industry beginning in 1982 with the sale of KTLA to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, culminating with the sale of KSCA 101.9 FM in Glendale, California – within the Los Angeles area, to Heftel Broadcasting Corporation in 1997.

Former stations

Stations are arranged in order by city of license.

  • (**) — Station built and signed on by either Golden West or Gene Autry personally.

Television
City of license / Market Station Channel Years owned Current status
Los Angeles, CA KTLA 51964–1982The CW affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Oklahoma City, OK KAUT-TV 431979–1985The CW affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Phoenix–Mesa, AZ KOOL-TV ** 101953–1982Fox owned and operated (O&O) KSAZ-TV
Tucson, AZ KOPO-TV/KOLD-TV ** 131953–1969CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television

Radio
AM Stations FM Stations
City of license / Market Station Years owned Current status
Detroit, MI–Windsor, ON WCAR/WCXI 1130 1977–1986WDFN, owned by iHeartMedia
WCAR-FM/WTWR/WCXI-FM 92.3 1977–1986WMXD, owned by iHeartMedia
Los Angeles, CA KMPC 710 1952–1994KSPN, owned by Good Karma Brands
KUTE/KMPC-FM/KLIT/
KEDG/KSCA 101.9		 1985–1997Owned by TelevisaUnivision
Phoenix, AZ KARZ/KOOL 960 1956–1985KKNT, owned by Salem Media Group
KOOL-FM 94.5 1956–1985Owned by Audacy, Inc.
Portland, OR KEX 1190 1967–1984Owned by iHeartMedia
KQFM/KKRZ 100.3 1978–1984Owned by iHeartMedia
San Francisco, CA KSFO 560 1956–1983Owned by Cumulus Media
Seattle–Tacoma, WA KVI 570 1959–1994Owned by Lotus Communications
KETO-FM/KVI-FM/KPLZ-FM 101.5 1976–1994Owned by Lotus Communications
Tucson, AZ KOPO/KOLD 1450 1947–1977KTZR, owned by iHeartMedia

References
  1. Gene Autry's bio at 710 KMPC
  2. Bob Reynolds' obituary at latimes.com
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1954 Page 86
  4. Television Stations in the United States and Construction Permits Granted to February 10, 1953
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