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Looking back on 70 years of KHOU 11 serving the Houston community

On March 22, 1953, KHOU signed onto the air for the first time as KGUL-TV in Galveston, Texas.

HOUSTON — Happy anniversary KHOU 11.  Seventy years ago --  this station hit the air.

Jimmy Stewart, yes. -- Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart -- was one of the owners of the station. He emceed the first night of programming, which included Ed Sullivan's 'Toast of the Town' -- a Billy Graham movie filmed here in Houston. 

Since that night, this station has been part of this community. 

KHOU 11 started out with a different name in a different place. On March 22, 1953, the station signed on the air for the first time as KGUL-TV in Galveston, Texas. 

Fast forward six years to a groundbreaking for a new studio in the shadow of downtown Houston on Allen Parkway. By the time the building was dedicated, the call letters changed to KHOU. 

CBS’ first network anchor, Douglas Edwards, spoke at the River Oaks Country Club after the dedication.

"it is television’s unique responsibility to inform by taking you to the places news is made and where it may be brewing, and bringing you person-to-person contact with the newsmakers," he said.

And that's what KHOU did from the beginning. For seventy years, we've had the honor and privilege of telling the stories of our community.

To mark our anniversary, we're going to share with you the events that shaped us --- the good and the bad; news that turned out to be historic and the stories that had been forgotten by time, but are worth remembering.

So we hope you join us for the next year as we dig through our archives and share with you Houston's history.

And throughout the year, here's where you can see stories from seven decades of covering Houston

KHOU 11 on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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