KTAR/KPNX Early Days Question

[landtuna]

I grew up in Tucson during the 50's so don't remember much about the Phoenix TV market except for KPHO Channel 5 (when we visited my grandmother in Tempe).

My question is: why did KTAR-TV have a COL of Mesa (or Phoenix-Mesa) in the early days?

During WWII there was a KTAR radio (which did a recording of my wounded father from a hospital in Hawaii) and I assume its COL was Phoenix. Why then would its TV counterpart be legally located in Mesa?

And, I am guessing, but think that Mesa in the 50's was Arizona's 3rd most populous city.

 

[ihEARDtHAT]

The station first signed on the air on April 23, 1953, as KTYL-TV; it was originally owned by the Harkins Theatre Group, which also owned KTYL radio (1490 AM, now KIHP on 1310, and 104.7 FM, now KZZP). The station's original studios were located in the then-small town of Mesa. (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPNX)

 

[KeithE4]

The station first signed on the air on April 23, 1953, as KTYL-TV; it was originally owned by the Harkins Theatre Group, which also owned KTYL radio (1490 AM, now KIHP on 1310, and 104.7 FM, now KZZP). The station's original studios were located in the then-small town of Mesa. (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPNX)

KTAR bought out KTYL-TV in 1955 and changed the call letters to KVAR. The problem was that Channel 12 was still allocated and licensed to Mesa, not Phoenix, and IIRC had to maintain their studio and offices in their COL, which also required a separate callsign. That changed in the late '50s, and the FCC allowed the station to move into the KTAR building on N. Central and become KTAR-TV in 1959.

From what I understand, KTAR bought KTYL-TV because they decided they didn't want to continue a fight for Channel 3 (The allocation was Channel 4 prior to 1952) with Ernest McFarland. It was a fight they were never going to win, given McFarland's political clout, having been a Senator and Governor.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

...The station's original studios were located in the then-small town of Mesa.

On Main St (Apache Blvd in Tempe) just west of Dobson. The original -TV and -FM stick was out back (neither was yet 100 gallons, which came about after the move to South Mountain). I believe there's an apartment complex on the site now.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

KTAR bought out KTYL-TV in 1955 and changed the call letters to KVAR. The problem was that Channel 12 was still allocated and licensed to Mesa, not Phoenix, and IIRC had to maintain their studio and offices in their COL, which also required a separate callsign. That changed in the late '50s, and the FCC allowed the station to move into the KTAR building on N. Central and become KTAR-TV in 1959.

But ch 12 was still licensed to Mesa (and still is) even after the studios were moved to the KT'R building. And for years, they kept doing their legal ID incorrectly (as "Phoenix-Mesa"), until a few years ago, when it was magically changed to "Mesa-Phoenix" (or just "Mesa" in certain legals). Wasn't it about the time Gannett became Tegna that it was finally fixed?

 

[KeithE4]

But ch 12 was still licensed to Mesa (and still is) even after the studios were moved to the KT'R building. And for years, they kept doing their legal ID incorrectly (as "Phoenix-Mesa"), until a few years ago, when it was magically changed to "Mesa-Phoenix" (or just "Mesa" in certain legals). Wasn't it about the time Gannett became Tegna that it was finally fixed?

It was fixed when the analog was shut off in 2009. It's correctly ID'ed as "Mesa/Phoenix" ever since. What took them so long, I have no idea.

 

[KeithE4]

On Main St (Apache Blvd in Tempe) just west of Dobson. The original -TV and -FM stick was out back (neither was yet 100 gallons, which came about after the move to South Mountain). I believe there's an apartment complex on the site now.

Per the 3/30/1953 Broadcasting Magazine, KTYL-TV was granted an authorization for 33 kW video, 16.5 kW audio ERP, with an antenna height of 1550 feet. In other words, they transmitted from South Mountain from Day One.

 

[KeithE4]

Interesting "prehistoric" TV note: There were three applications for TV stations in Phoenix and one in Tucson by January 1949. Only one had a CP, and it was the only one that eventually went on the air:

Phoenix
4 KTAR Broadcasting Co. (App)
5 Phoenix Television Corp. (CP, KTLX)
7 T.M. and J.M Gibbons (App)

Tucson
6 Leland Holzer (App)

KTAR applied to change from Channel 4 to Channel 3 on 2/18/1952.
KTLX changed to KPHO-TV and went on the air in December 1949.
The Gibbons' dropped their application for Channel 7 in January 1950.
Nothing found for Channel 6 in Tucson other than the original application.

 

[landtuna]

Interesting "prehistoric" TV note: There were three applications for TV stations in Phoenix and one in Tucson by January 1949. Only one had a CP, and it was the only one that eventually went on the air:

Phoenix
4 KTAR Broadcasting Co. (App)
5 Phoenix Television Corp. (CP, KTLX)
7 T.M. and J.M Gibbons (App)

Tucson
6 Leland Holzer (App)

KTAR applied to change from Channel 4 to Channel 3 on 2/18/1952.
KTLX changed to KPHO-TV and went on the air in December 1949.
The Gibbons' dropped their application for Channel 7 in January 1950.
Nothing found for Channel 6 in Tucson other than the original application.

I seem to remember the first Tucson TV station was KOPO Ch 13 (now KOLD) followed by KVOA Ch 4 and KDWI Ch 9 (now KGUN although I never remember them using KDWI on air) . That was it in the 50's.

 

[KeithE4]

I seem to remember the first Tucson TV station was KOPO Ch 13 (now KOLD) followed by KVOA Ch 4 and KDWI Ch 9 (now KGUN although I never remember them using KDWI on air) . That was it in the 50's.

Apparently the application for Channel 6 went nowhere. No CP was ever issued and I don't know if Leland Holzer was ever part of the ownership of any of the Tucson stations that did go on the air.

KTAR must have applied after the 1948 freeze, as it was never issued a CP either. But they had no competition until then-Gov. McFarland applied in 1954. KTAR bought Channel 12 to avoid a hearing for Channel 3. I wonder if KTYL-TV was hurting Harkins in the wallet at the time. Either that, or the price was just right, although they kept the radio stations for several more years before sticking with movies.

 

[Sammi Brie]

Another curiosity is that KDWI/KGUN was not the original channel 9 CP in Tucson. That honor goes to KCNA-TV, which for "economic reasons" (actually, likely the sale of the KCNA radio station at 580) decided not to build on TV after all.

KCNA radio was an ABC affiliate at the time, so the network affiliation would likely have been the same.

KCNA radio later became KTAN and the, ahem, infamous KIKX.

 

[landtuna]

Another curiosity is that KDWI/KGUN was not the original channel 9 CP in Tucson. That honor goes to KCNA-TV, which for "economic reasons" (actually, likely the sale of the KCNA radio station at 580) decided not to build on TV after all.

KCNA radio was an ABC affiliate at the time, so the network affiliation would likely have been the same.

KCNA radio later became KTAN and the, ahem, infamous KIKX.

Interestingly, KCNA was my favorite "very young age" radio station and in particular a local radio show hosted and performed by one "Nitta Lynn". It was a MOR station in those days but had a definite Country leaning (hence the later Country-kicking KIKX).

 

[davideduardo]

Interestingly, KCNA was my favorite "very young age" radio station and in particular a local radio show hosted and performed by one "Nitta Lynn". It was a MOR station in those days but had a definite Country leaning (hence the later Country-kicking KIKX).

In 1967, when John Walton bought KTAN and gave his KFIF to the University of Arizona, he put in Shadoe Stevens as PD and went to a Top 40 format competing with KTKT. It changed to a country format in 1977, almost exactly a decade later. In 1982, it signed off after exhausting all appeals on its license revocation.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

...he put in Shadoe Stevens as PD and went to a Top 40 format competing with KTKT...

Close, Old Gringo. While the Shadoe was PD at KIKX later on, the original PD was Gary Palant (I'm drawing a blank as when Palant left the building...late '67 perhaps).

 

[davideduardo]

Close, Old Gringo. While the Shadoe was PD at KIKX later on, the original PD was Gary Palant (I'm drawing a blank as when Palant left the building...late '67 perhaps).

So Palant was only there a matter of months... probably why I missed that!

 

[landtuna]

In 1967, when John Walton bought KTAN and gave his KFIF to the University of Arizona, he put in Shadoe Stevens as PD and went to a Top 40 format competing with KTKT. It changed to a country format in 1977, almost exactly a decade later. In 1982, it signed off after exhausting all appeals on its license revocation.

Was the license revocation that "kidnapped DJ" event?

 

[Sammi Brie]

Was the license revocation that "kidnapped DJ" event?

Sure was! There's now a Wikipedia article (which I wrote last year) on the topic.

I stumbled upon KIKX purely by accident, after looking through a list of dead AM station permits and licenses. I found it odd that a station in Tucson would have its license canceled in 1982, pulled up the history cards and saw "Renewal Denied License Cancelled Call Letters Deleted", and knew I had something on my hands.

 

[landtuna]

Sure was! There's now a Wikipedia article (which I wrote last year) on the topic.

I stumbled upon KIKX purely by accident, after looking through a list of dead AM station permits and licenses. I found it odd that a station in Tucson would have its license canceled in 1982, pulled up the history cards and saw "Renewal Denied License Cancelled Call Letters Deleted", and knew I had something on my hands.

I lived in Tucson on both ends of that debacle but wasn't there when the "kidnapping" actually happened.

I found your Wiki article very interesting aside from one sentence:

"When emergency officials surveyed 10 local media outlets on Monday, July 19, they found five were still monitoring the silent frequency for EBS alerts, while the other five were monitoring KTKT 1490 AM, the designated backup station;"

KTKT AFAIK has been on 990 AM since the mid-50's (I remember being in their brand new studio on the first day of residence on 990). The EBS backup station in 1982 might have been KTKT but it wasn't located on 1490. Or did I read it wrong?

 

[Sammi Brie]

I lived in Tucson on both ends of that debacle but wasn't there when the "kidnapping" actually happened.

I found your Wiki article very interesting aside from one sentence:

"When emergency officials surveyed 10 local media outlets on Monday, July 19, they found five were still monitoring the silent frequency for EBS alerts, while the other five were monitoring KTKT 1490 AM, the designated backup station;"

KTKT AFAIK has been on 990 AM since the mid-50's (I remember being in their brand new studio on the first day of residence on 990). The EBS backup station in 1982 might have been KTKT but it wasn't located on 1490. Or did I read it wrong?

Whoops. That's me. Thanks for catching that — Tucson radio is not my specialty.

 

[landtuna]

Whoops. That's me. Thanks for catching that — Tucson radio is not my specialty.

This URL gives more info about both KTKT and KAIR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFFN

I thought KTKT was always at 990 but apparently not the case.