[W. Knight]

Surprised to hear that KCAL news is the better one in the LA duopoly - you'd expect the one bearing the CBS name would be better, while the indies are 'better than nothing' ego purchases (bar the top few markets) for media juggernauts.

But looking at how KCBS fiddled around with a news format that sticks, no wonder they'd take this step:

For most of the period from 1975 to 2006, KNXT/KCBS-TV was not a major competitor in the Los Angeles television ratings among the area's local television newscasts. During the period, Channel 2 had frequently changed newscast titles (from The Big News/Eleven O'Clock Report to Channel 2 News in 1973, then to Newsroom in 1976 and back to Channel 2 News by 1978) and formats to styles that often became unsuccessful and even controversial.

In September 1986, Channel 2 implemented a news-wheel format for its 4–6:30 p.m. news block. this format was heavily panned by critics and audiences alike, and was dropped after only a month in favor of standard newscasts.

The late 1980s and early 1990s brought to KCBS the Action News format, in which the station's newscast adopted a tabloid-style format; the format grated on the news staff, which circulated a memo that resulted in the firing of news director John Lippmann in 1993. The station's ratings quickly declined.

CBS management, highly embarrassed at KCBS-TV's subpar performance, responded by bringing in Bill Applegate as general manager. While Applegate had been criticized for making WBBM-TV's newscasts flashier, he set about toning down the format of KCBS-TV's newscasts.

The station's ratings improved, but Applegate eventually became a casualty of CBS' merger with the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1996. Channel 2's momentum ground to a halt, and it soon dropped into last place. The Action News branding was dropped in late 1996 and the station's newscasts were briefly reverted to Channel 2 News; it was later renamed to the present CBS 2 News in spring 1997.

(Wikipedia)

Not the best track record for an O&O.