1 9 7 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁air ing ▁road ▁cont ests ▁only ▁during ▁that ▁period — the ▁latter ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁being ▁the ▁NBA ' s ▁longest ▁consecutive ▁station - team ▁broadcast ▁partners hip ; ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁K C AL ▁lost ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁L aker ▁tele cast s ▁to ▁the ▁cable - ex clus ive ▁regional ▁sports ▁network ▁Spect rum ▁Sports Net ▁and ▁Spect rum ▁Deport es ▁which ▁was ▁renamed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁after ▁the ▁mer ger ▁of ▁Time ▁Warner ▁C able ▁and ▁Char ter ▁Communic ations . ▁ ▁For ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁history ▁overall , ▁sports ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Channel ▁ 9 ' s ▁identity . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁K H J - TV ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁television ▁home ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Ang els ; ▁the ▁baseball ▁team ' s ▁tele cast s ▁moved ▁to ▁K T LA ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁when ▁then - Ang els ▁owner ▁Gene ▁Aut ry ' s ▁Golden ▁West ▁Broad c aster s ▁purchased ▁that ▁station . ▁The ▁television ▁rights ▁to ▁Ang els ▁games ▁returned ▁to ▁K C AL - TV ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁( The ▁W alt ▁Disney ▁Company ' s ▁ownership ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Ang els ▁briefly ▁over la pped ▁its ▁ste ward ship ▁of ▁the ▁station ), ▁and ▁added ▁more ▁basketball ▁coverage ▁that ▁same ▁year ▁with ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles