Question: Which state had the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River?
Answer: KTLA became the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River when it made its commercial debut in Los Angeles, California, in 1947, broadcasting to fewer than 1,000 TV sets but featuring stars like Bob Hope and Mickey Rooney. Its call letters reflected a rule set in 1923, when federal regulators divided U.S. broadcast stations along the Mississippi River—W for stations to the east and K for those to the west. Despite arriving later than eastern stations, KTLA helped shape modern broadcasting by pioneering the first continuous live news coverage and the first helicopter shot. For a long time, KTLA enjoyed a monopoly over its rivals in helicopter news coverage.
