Kaiser Broadcasting

Kaiser also acquired San Francisco station KBAY-FM in 1960, renaming it KFOG-FM and implementing a beautiful music format.

[7] Later in the 1960s, Kaiser explored new opportunities to expand its broadcast holdings on the U.S. mainland: construction permits were secured for multiple ultra high frequency (UHF) stations, all in large markets, and KHVH-TV was sold off to help fund this expansion.

These included shows hosted by Joe Dolan in San Francisco, Alan Douglas in Cleveland,[29] Hy Lit in Philadelphia[30] and Lou Gordon in Detroit.

[32] This internal networking practice continued into the mid-1970s when "The Ghoul", a WKBF-TV horror host portrayed by Ron Sweed,[33] was syndicated to WKBD-TV,[34] WKBG-TV,[35] KBHK-TV[36] and later WFLD-TV (the latter after Kaiser purchased majority control).

[37][38] Beginning in 1968, Kaiser committed to launching news services throughout the chain, many of which boasted late-evening newscasts an hour earlier than network affiliates.

[42] The high costs incurred, in addition to a weak economic picture nationally and a marketplace reluctant to embrace UHF, led Kaiser to suspend news operations throughout the entire chain on November 12, 1970.

[44] The unilateral move to cull local newscasts was met with doubts and concerns in the industry over the profitability of UHF stations given Kaiser's reputation as a well-equipped broadcaster.

[52] Faced with mounting financial losses in Cleveland, Kaiser ceased all operations at WKBF-TV on April 25, 1975, selling off the majority of assets to United Artists Broadcasting, owner of WUAB.

[53] In turn, Kaiser purchased a 36 percent equity stake in WUAB,[54] which it held until United Artists sold off that station in 1977.