KAZA-TV
A full-power television station licensed to Avalon, California, serving the Los Angeles market with programming from the MeTV classic-television network.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KAZA-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Avalon, California, and serving the Los Angeles television market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 54 and is currently operated by Weigel Broadcasting as a MeTV owned-and-operated outlet under the on-air identity MeTV Los Angeles. Its offices are shared with other Weigel stations on Grand Central Avenue in Glendale, while its transmitter is located at the Mount Harvard Radio Site in the San Gabriel Mountains. KAZA-TV began broadcasting on July 9, 2001. It initially operated as an independent station and temporarily carried Spanish-language music videos before the launch of Azteca América later that month. The station was established through a partnership between Visalia-based Pappas Telecasting and Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca. Pappas initially held a 75 percent majority interest, later increasing its stated stake to 80 percent in 2014, while TV Azteca retained the remaining interest. KAZA subsequently became the Los Angeles affiliate of Azteca América, a Spanish-language broadcast network associated with TV Azteca. The station became the subject of a significant regulatory dispute in 2006. NBCUniversal, which owned competing Los Angeles Spanish-language station KVEA and then owned KWHY, petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to deny KAZA-TV's license renewal. The filing argued that TV Azteca exercised more than the foreign-ownership level permitted under FCC rules through loans and related interests. NBCUniversal also made broader allegations concerning TV Azteca's business conduct in Mexico. TV Azteca executives rejected the allegations and maintained that the local marketing and operating arrangement was lawful. The dispute placed KAZA within a wider debate over foreign investment and control of U.S. broadcast licenses, although the station continued operating. A major ownership and programming transition occurred in 2017 and 2018. Pappas Telecasting and TV Azteca announced in September 2017 that they would sell KAZA-TV to Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting. The reported purchase price was $9 million. On January 1, 2018, KJLA replaced KAZA as the Los Angeles Azteca América affiliate. Weigel assumed operational responsibility and ownership of KAZA's license on January 3, 2018, and converted the station to a MeTV outlet. The change consolidated MeTV programming in the Los Angeles market after the network's prior distribution had been divided between a digital subchannel of KDOC-TV and KVME-TV. KAZA's digital lineup has also changed over time. In 2018, the station added Decades to its second digital subchannel, initially as a soft launch before the network formally moved from KCBS-TV's second digital channel. Decades later moved to KPOM-CD, and Story Television took over KAZA's second subchannel in May 2022. That subchannel was upgraded to 720p high-definition transmission in February 2022. Although KAZA-TV holds a full-power license, its over-the-air coverage does not reach every part of Greater Los Angeles because of spectrum-sharing constraints involving low-power station KHTV-CD. Cable and satellite carriage therefore remain important to the station's ability to reach the complete metropolitan market. KAZA's principal role today is as part of Weigel Broadcasting's Los Angeles portfolio and as a local distribution platform for MeTV's library of classic television programming.
History
KAZA-TV signed on July 9, 2001, as a new television station licensed to Avalon, California, with service to the Los Angeles market. The station was created by Pappas Telecasting, a Visalia-based broadcast company, in partnership with TV Azteca. Pappas initially held a 75 percent majority stake, while TV Azteca held the balance; Pappas's stated ownership later rose to 80 percent in 2014. Before its permanent network identity was established, KAZA operated as an independent station and carried Spanish-language music videos. It became an Azteca América outlet when that network launched on July 28, 2001. KAZA's early history was shaped by the relationship between its U.S. license holder and its Mexican network partner. On November 30, 2006, NBCUniversal filed a petition with the FCC seeking to block renewal of KAZA's broadcast license. NBCUniversal argued that TV Azteca effectively controlled 51.6 percent of the station through loans and other interests, exceeding the foreign-ownership threshold applicable to U.S. broadcasters. The filing also included allegations about TV Azteca's conduct in Mexico, including claims connected with the production of a Telemundo program. TV Azteca chairman Luis Echarte described the allegations as an effort to damage the company's image and stated that KAZA was owned by Pappas, with TV Azteca paying Pappas to operate the station. The dispute was notable because license-renewal challenges of this kind had become unusual by that period. KAZA remained associated with Azteca América for more than sixteen years. During this period it served as one of the Spanish-language network's outlets in the large Los Angeles market. The station's terrestrial reach was nevertheless affected by technical constraints. Although licensed as a full-power station, KAZA shares spectrum-related limitations with low-power KHTV-CD, preventing its over-the-air signal from covering all of Greater Los Angeles. Cable and satellite distribution consequently played an important role in extending its audience. The station changed ownership and network identity at the end of the 2010s. On September 8, 2017, Pappas Telecasting and TV Azteca announced the sale of KAZA-TV to Weigel Broadcasting. The transaction was reported at $9 million. Azteca América programming moved to KJLA on January 1, 2018. Weigel took over operational responsibility and the station license on January 3, 2018, and relaunched KAZA as MeTV Los Angeles. MeTV had previously been distributed in the market through the third digital subchannel of KDOC-TV and through KVME-TV, so the change gave Weigel direct control of a full-power outlet for its classic-television service. KVME subsequently became associated with Weigel's Heroes & Icons network before later changing its primary programming arrangement. Weigel also used KAZA's digital capacity for additional multicast networks. Decades soft-launched on KAZA-DT2 on August 31, 2018, and formally became available there a few days later as part of a Los Angeles network realignment. On February 28, 2022, the second subchannel was upgraded to 720p high definition. On May 26, 2022, Story Television replaced Decades on 54.2, while Decades moved to KPOM-CD. KAZA therefore developed from a Spanish-language network affiliate into a general-interest classic-television and multicast station within Weigel Broadcasting's Los Angeles cluster.
- 2022
KAZA-DT2 upgraded to 720p
[1]The station's second digital subchannel moved to 720p high-definition transmission.
- 2022
Story Television replaces Decades
[1]Story Television moved to channel 54.2, and Decades transferred to KPOM-CD.
- 2018
MeTV Los Angeles launches on KAZA-TV
[1]Weigel assumed ownership and operations in January and converted the station from Azteca América programming to MeTV.
- 2018
Decades added to KAZA-DT2
[1]Decades began operating on the station's second digital subchannel during a Los Angeles distribution change.
- 2017
Sale to Weigel Broadcasting announced
[1]Pappas Telecasting and TV Azteca announced an agreement to sell the station to Weigel Broadcasting.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]KAZA-TV shut down its analog UHF channel 54 signal as part of the federally mandated digital television transition and retained virtual channel 54 digitally.
- 2006
FCC license-renewal challenge
[1]NBCUniversal petitioned the FCC to deny renewal of KAZA-TV's license, alleging excessive foreign control by TV Azteca.
- 2001
KAZA-TV begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on July 9 as an independent outlet, initially carrying Spanish-language music videos before becoming an Azteca América affiliate later that month.
Products and positioning
A Los Angeles-area broadcast outlet focused on classic television through MeTV, complemented by digital multicast network programming.
Classic television broadcast network affiliate · 2018
MeTV Los Angeles
KAZA-TV's principal service under Weigel Broadcasting is the Los Angeles-area MeTV outlet, branded on air as MeTV Los Angeles. It provides the network's library-oriented classic television schedule through the station's primary channel. The service replaced KAZA's Azteca América affiliation in January 2018 and became the station's central programming identity.
Digital multicast television network · 2022
Story Television
Story Television occupies KAZA-DT2, the station's second digital subchannel, following a May 2022 network realignment. The subchannel is part of KAZA's multicast offering and benefits from the station's Los Angeles broadcast infrastructure. Its distribution on 54.2 followed an upgrade of that subchannel to 720p high-definition transmission earlier in 2022.
Spanish-language television network affiliation · 2001
Azteca América affiliation
Azteca América was KAZA-TV's original long-term network identity after the station's temporary launch programming ended in 2001. The Spanish-language service connected the station with TV Azteca's U.S. network operation and continued until KJLA replaced KAZA as the Los Angeles affiliate on January 1, 2018.
Controversies
2006
Foreign-control license-renewal dispute
NBCUniversal asked the FCC to deny KAZA-TV's license renewal, alleging that TV Azteca effectively controlled 51.6 percent of the station through loans and related interests, above the foreign-ownership limit cited in the petition. The filing also raised allegations concerning TV Azteca's conduct in Mexico. TV Azteca denied the substance of the challenge and defended its relationship with Pappas Telecasting.
Brand decisions
2022
Reallocation of the second digital subchannelStrategyBackground
KAZA-DT2 had carried Decades since 2018, while Weigel continued adjusting its multicast network distribution in the Los Angeles area.
Action taken
Story Television moved to KAZA-DT2 on May 26, 2022, and Decades moved to KPOM-CD. The subchannel had been upgraded to 720p high definition in February.
Aftermath
KAZA's digital multicast lineup shifted from Decades to Story Television while preserving a secondary network service alongside MeTV.
2018
Conversion to MeTV Los AngelesStrategyBackground
After Weigel acquired the station, KAZA's prior Azteca América affiliation moved to KJLA. MeTV programming had previously been split between other Los Angeles-area broadcast outlets.
Action taken
Weigel converted KAZA-TV into a MeTV owned-and-operated station and branded it MeTV Los Angeles.
Aftermath
KAZA became a principal full-power distribution platform for MeTV in the Los Angeles market.
2017
Sale of KAZA-TV to Weigel BroadcastingM&ABackground
Pappas Telecasting and TV Azteca owned and operated KAZA as an Azteca América station. The owners announced a transaction that would transfer the station to Weigel Broadcasting.
Action taken
The parties announced the sale of KAZA-TV to Weigel Broadcasting for a reported $9 million. Weigel assumed operational control and ownership of the license in January 2018.
Aftermath
KJLA became the Los Angeles Azteca América affiliate, while KAZA was relaunched as MeTV Los Angeles.
Reported purchase price. $9 million (2017 announced transaction)
Sources1 sources
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