▁History ▁ ▁K FI - TV ▁( 1 9 4 8 – 1 9 5 1 ) ▁Channel ▁ 9 ▁signed ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁as ▁commercial ▁station ▁K FI - TV ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁owned ▁by ▁Ear le ▁C . ▁Anthony ▁alongside ▁K FI ▁radio ▁( 6 4 0 ▁AM ). ▁However , ▁the ▁station ▁was ▁originally ▁lic ensed ▁as ▁experimental ▁W 6 X E A ▁about ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁applied ▁for ▁the ▁call ▁letters ▁K SEE ▁( which ▁are ▁now ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁N BC ▁affili ate ▁in ▁F res no , ▁California ). ▁It ▁is ▁unknown ▁whether ▁any ▁transm issions ▁occurred ▁under ▁either ▁call ▁sign . ▁The ▁station ▁initially ▁broadcast ▁a ▁limited ▁schedule ▁with ▁six ▁hours ▁week ly , ▁and ▁formally ▁began ▁operations ▁on ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁with ▁ 3 ½ ▁hours ▁that ▁day . ▁Though ▁K FI ▁had ▁long ▁been ▁affili ated ▁with ▁N BC ▁Radio , ▁K FI - TV ▁did ▁not ▁affili ate ▁with ▁the ▁then - up start ▁N BC ▁Television ▁Network ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁building ▁its ▁own ▁station , ▁K NB H ▁( channel ▁ 4 , ▁now ▁K N BC ), ▁which ▁went ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 9 ; ▁K FI ▁general ▁manager ▁William ▁B . ▁Ryan ▁indicated ▁a ▁willing ness ▁to ▁affili ate ▁with ▁a ▁network ▁other ▁than ▁N BC ▁or ▁starting ▁a