This is the first in a series of in-depth reports focused on local television news coverage in Los Angeles of the Palisades, Eaton, and Kenneth Fires, which have transformed portions of Southern California over the last week, leaving thousands homeless and in need. With high winds again forecast to increase on Monday evening, we will continue to monitor the events across the Southland.
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — For decades, 1999 South Bundy Drive, on the northwest corner of busy Olympic Blvd. and in recent years steps away from a Metro station, has been the hub for one of Southern California’s most-watched TV stations.
Thanks to the success of Good Day LA in the mid-1990s and continued investment in the news from Fox Television Stations, led by CEO Jack Abernethy, KTTV “FOX 11” continues to be a go-to destination for news and information — especially when disaster strikes.
That’s exactly what transpired on January 7, when word first surfaced in the 11am Pacific hour that a potentially devastating situation was unfolding for Pacific Palisades, Calif., a tony community nestled between Topanga and Temescal Canyons uphill from Malibu and adjacent to Santa Monica.
Local TV stations went into overdrive. For FOX 11, flames could soon be seen from its rooftop, bringing an unfolding story perhaps too close for comfort.
