▁SF ▁Broadcast ing . ▁ ▁K IK U ▁station ▁history ▁Channel ▁ 2 0 ' s ▁history ▁traces ▁back ▁to ▁February ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁when ▁a ▁license ▁for ▁the ▁allocation ▁was ▁file d ▁with ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission , ▁officially ▁registered ▁under ▁the ▁call ▁letters ▁K HA I - TV . ▁It ▁signed ▁on ▁the ▁air ▁under ▁that ▁call sign ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁under ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁Ch att ano oga , ▁Tennessee - based ▁Media ▁Central . ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁station ' s ▁programming ▁mirror ed ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁traditional ▁independent ▁station ▁during ▁the ▁day time ▁and ▁late ▁evening ▁hours ▁( fe aturing ▁cart o ons ▁such ▁as ▁Ins pect or ▁G ad get ▁and ▁Vol tr on , ▁Def ender ▁of ▁the ▁Un iverse , ▁inf omer ci als , ▁and ▁movie ▁packages ▁such ▁as ▁K ung ▁Fu ▁Theater ), ▁with ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Asian ▁programming ▁air ing ▁in ▁the ▁even ings , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁format ▁of ▁the ▁channel ▁ 1 3 ▁K IK U . ▁This ▁would ▁gradually ▁change ▁over ▁the ▁years ▁as ▁it ▁expanded ▁the ▁Asian ▁programming ▁throughout ▁its ▁entire ▁schedule . ▁K HA I ▁was ▁originally ▁carried ▁by ▁Ocean ic ▁C able ▁on ▁channel ▁ 2 1 , ▁C - SP AN ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁space ▁during ▁the ▁morning ▁hours ▁when ▁K HA I ▁was ▁off - the - air ; ▁this ▁continued ▁until ▁Ocean ic ▁real igned ▁its ▁basic