KTAG-TV
KTAG-TV: Lake Charles’ first TV station (1953–1961)
KTAG-TV was a television station on UHF channel 25 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was owned by Charles W. Lamar of Baton Rouge and began broadcasting on November 15, 1953, making it Lake Charles’ first local TV station.
In its early years, KTAG-TV carried CBS as its main affiliation, with ABC and Dumont on secondary ties. By 1957, Dumont had folded, and KTAG-TV remained a CBS affiliate while nearby KPLC-TV (which started in 1954) carried ABC on a secondary basis. KTAG faced stiff competition as a UHF station in a small market, where VHF stations were more popular.
In 1955, the Lamar estate asked the FCC to move KTAG to VHF channel 3, but the request was denied. Channel 3 was allocated to Acadian Television in Lafayette. By the early 1960s, KTAG-TV operated only five hours a day with a staff of three. The station signed off for the final time on August 3, 1961.
In 1962, KATC in Lafayette began broadcasting on channel 3 as the ABC affiliate for Lafayette and Lake Charles, effectively replacing KTAG. CBS would not return to Lake Charles until KSWL-LD signed on in 2017. In the following years, CBS programming in the area was carried by other stations in the region.
Later, new stations emerged in the area, including KLTL-TV (channel 18) in 1981 as a satellite of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and KVHP (channel 29) in 1983 as a Fox affiliate.
Quick facts
- First air date: November 15, 1953
- Last air date: August 3, 1961
- Channel: UHF 25
- Owner: Charles W. Lamar Stations (KTAG Associates)
- Technical: ERP 20.4 kW; HAAT 348 m
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 07:14 (CET).