Can You Remember When Your Market Got Its First Independent TV Station?

[pqgeorge]

In Boston (proper), our first Indie to make it to the air was WIHS-TV Channel 38 (now WSBK), on October 12, 1964. As you can imagine, a portion of WIHS's broadcast day was produced by The Boston Catholic Television Center (operated by the Archdiocese of Boston). During the day, programming consisted of instructional programming beamed to classrooms throughout the Diocese. However, when the school day ended, Channel 38 began a slate of syndicated and local commercial programming, throughout the evening hours. It even included a live newscast anchored by Victor Best, one of Boston's early TV news anchors. In addition, some Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins games were aired on WIHS from time to time as well. WIHS would be sold to Storer Broadcasting in August of 1966. Along with a strong lineup of new syndicated programming, the station now became WSBK-TV in October of '66 with all-new color equipment. The rest was history. WSBK-TV would be joined with the new WKBG-TV/56 (Boston Globe/Kaiser Broadcasting), a couple of months later as Boston's second new Independent station.

About the same time that Channel 38 hit the air in 1964, WJZB-TV/14 (in Worcester, MA) was already making a go of it trying very hard to make it into the Boston market as an Indie as well. But, with a less-than-adequate signal and with Boston already served by some strong VHF's and UHF's, Channel 14 just couldn't be competitive enough to win. By 1969, after several years of 2 hour broadcast days (enough to keep the license active), WJZB-TV disappeared for ever, after a fire ravaged what was left of the old black and white transmitter on Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton, MA. WJZB-TV tried to move Channel 14 to Needham, MA (the Boston antenna farm) with new all-color equipment. Somehow, it never materialized. Word has it, that the new all-color equipment for WJZB-TV wound up going to Worcester to put the new WSMW-TV (Channel 27) in Worcester on the air on 1/2/1970.

 

[rjoc]

In Boston (proper), our first Indie to make it to the air was WIHS-TV Channel 38 (now WSBK), on October 12, 1964. As you can imagine, a portion of WIHS's broadcast day was produced by The Boston Catholic Television Center (operated by the Archdiocese of Boston). During the day, programming consisted of instructional programming beamed to classrooms throughout the Diocese. However, when the school day ended, Channel 38 began a slate of syndicated and local commercial programming, throughout the evening hours. It even included a live newscast anchored by Victor Best, one of Boston's early TV news anchors. In addition, some Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins games were aired on WIHS from time to time as well. WIHS would be sold to Storer Broadcasting in August of 1966. Along with a strong lineup of new syndicated programming, the station now became WSBK-TV in October of '66 with all-new color equipment. The rest was history. WSBK-TV would be joined with the new WKBG-TV/56 (Boston Globe/Kaiser Broadcasting), a couple of months later as Boston's second new Independent station.

About the same time that Channel 38 hit the air in 1964, WJZB-TV/14 (in Worcester, MA) was already making a go of it trying very hard to make it into the Boston market as an Indie as well. But, with a less-than-adequate signal and with Boston already served by some strong VHF's and UHF's, Channel 14 just couldn't be competitive enough to win. By 1969, after several years of 2 hour broadcast days (enough to keep the license active), WJZB-TV disappeared for ever, after a fire ravaged what was left of the old black and white transmitter on Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton, MA. WJZB-TV tried to move Channel 14 to Needham, MA (the Boston antenna farm) with new all-color equipment. Somehow, it never materialized. Word has it, that the new all-color equipment for WJZB-TV wound up going to Worcester to put the new WSMW-TV (Channel 27) in Worcester on the air on 1/2/1970.

What about Channel 25? Now WFXT Fox25....weren't they on before 38 for a while??

 

[dhett]

The first independent station in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market was WOLF-TV 38 Scranton (now WSWB), which began broadcasting in June 1985. It transmitted from Bald Mtn. outside of Scranton instead of Penobscot Knob near Wilkes-Barre, as the other stations did, so its signal didn't reach many parts of the Wilkes-Barre area. WWLF signed on from Hazleton three days later and immediately became a satellite of WOLF, but its signal didn't reach Wilkes-Barre either. In 1986, WOLF/WWLF became Fox affiliates.

 

[dhett]

What about Channel 25? Now WFXT Fox25....weren't they on before 38 for a while??

Channel 25, then known as WXNE, didn't sign on until 1977. It was a CBN station, and didn't go fully independent until 1983.

 

[KeithE4]

The first independent station in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market was WOLF-TV 38 Scranton (now WSWB), which began broadcasting in June 1985. It transmitted from Bald Mtn. outside of Scranton instead of Penobscot Knob near Wilkes-Barre, as the other stations did, so its signal didn't reach many parts of the Wilkes-Barre area. WWLF signed on from Hazleton three days later and immediately became a satellite of WOLF, but its signal didn't reach Wilkes-Barre either. In 1986, WOLF/WWLF became Fox affiliates.

The 1954 Telecasting Yearbook shows WTVU Channel 73 Scranton as being an independent and having signed on the air on 8/17/1953. At 13 kW ERP, on a high-UHF channel (the next-highest at the time being WILK-TV/34), and those "wooden" tuners/converters of the time, I'm sure it didn't last very long.

 

[harrisburgpatv]

The first independent station in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market was WOLF-TV 38 Scranton (now WSWB), which began broadcasting in June 1985. It transmitted from Bald Mtn. outside of Scranton instead of Penobscot Knob near Wilkes-Barre, as the other stations did, so its signal didn't reach many parts of the Wilkes-Barre area. WWLF signed on from Hazleton three days later and immediately became a satellite of WOLF, but its signal didn't reach Wilkes-Barre either. In 1986, WOLF/WWLF became Fox affiliates.

Even though my name is "HarrisburgPATV", I've lived other places too, and this market being one of them. I can remember seeing a print ad for a GI Joe 5 part cartoon in June 1985 and seeing "WOLF-38" under the ad and wondering where in the heck WOLF-38 ever was from. I would find out about a week later when it was added to TVG.


As has been said, WWLF-56 was a translator in Hazleton of WOLF-38. The two would be the same until Thanksgiving 1998 when WOLF-38 became WSWB-38 and a full-time WB affiliate. The WOLF call letters would move to 56. Also, another translator, WILF-53 in Williamsport, eventually became a fulltime MyNetworkTV.

 

[harrisburgpatv]

The HLLY (Harrisburg-York-Lancaster-Lebanon) market would not get a *true* independent until 1983. Up until that point, the market had three CBS stations - WLYH-15 (Lebanon), WHP-21 (Harrisburg) and WSBA-43 (York). Due to the distance between the three cities and cable not being widespread yet that was the reason for such penetration.

WSBA-43 was the first to defect from CBS, becoming WPMT and an Independent in September, 1983. It would join FOX (to which it still is today) a few years later. WLYH-15 would stay with CBS (and offering shows, especially during weekday daytime that WHP-21 would not clear) until December 1995. They switched to UPN at that point. These days they are CW.

Finally - the reason I said *true* independent is because WGCB-49 from Red Lion was in the market, but at the time they were pretty much all religious. They still are religious, but these days carry a Me-TV affiliation along with a lot of secular shows.

 

[dhett]

As has been said, WWLF-56 was a translator in Hazleton of WOLF-38. The two would be the same until Thanksgiving 1998 when WOLF-38 became WSWB-38 and a full-time WB affiliate. The WOLF call letters would move to 56. Also, another translator, WILF-53 in Williamsport, eventually became a fulltime MyNetworkTV.

To make things even more confusing, WSWB was the original call sign of channel 64. The station changed to WQPX on 1/1/98, before the station went on air. WOLF-38 then picked up the WSWB call sign, and WWLF-56 got the WOLF call sign.

 

[dhett]

The first independent station in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market was WOLF-TV 38 Scranton (now WSWB), which began broadcasting in June 1985. It transmitted from Bald Mtn. outside of Scranton instead of Penobscot Knob near Wilkes-Barre, as the other stations did, so its signal didn't reach many parts of the Wilkes-Barre area. WWLF signed on from Hazleton three days later and immediately became a satellite of WOLF, but its signal didn't reach Wilkes-Barre either. In 1986, WOLF/WWLF became Fox affiliates.

The 1954 Telecasting Yearbook shows WTVU Channel 73 Scranton as being an independent and having signed on the air on 8/17/1953. At 13 kW ERP, on a high-UHF channel (the next-highest at the time being WILK-TV/34), and those "wooden" tuners/converters of the time, I'm sure it didn't last very long.

Oops - I guess I wouldn't remember that one, as I wouldn't hit the Scranton/W-B market for another 10+ years. WTVU was an all-sports station, and was granted a CP to move to ch. 44 in 1955, but was reported having suspended operations in Dec. 1956, after more than 3 years on the air.

 

[Markxxx]

WGN aired virtually no CBS programs.

From April 13th -> Chicago Tribune Archives

Termination of the contract between WGN-TV and the Columbia Broadcasting System to air releases of the CBS network television programs was announced yesterday with an effective cancellation date of October 12, 1949

After WGN aired TV shows from CBS on a case by case basis, nothing on a regular schedule. The last I can find is from 1966 a musical called "Up In Arms."

 

[Charles1]

Birmingham's first independent station WTTO-21 debuted at 6:00 p.m. on 4/21/1982. The first show they aired was a rerun of "Buck Rogers in the 21st Century".

For a medium-sized market like Birmingham (under #50, but not by much), it was late in the game to have an independent station sign on. However, by 1986, the market actually had three independents: WTTO-21, WCAJ-68 (now WABM), and WDBB-17, which was licensed to Tuscaloosa, but began broadcasting off a tall tower near Bessemer, about 20 miles SW of Birmingham and 30 miles NE of Tuscaloosa. When WDBB moved into Birmingham they gained a simulcast partner with WNAL-44, licensed to Gadsden, about 55 miles NE of Birmingham.

WDBB/WNAL were the first stations in the Birmingham market to affiliate with Fox, but they never could attract a significant viewership in Birmingham, mainly because their OTA signal was horrible at best. Still, they soldiered on until 1991 when they gave up trying to be Birmingham stations and started focusing on their local markets and became at first repeaters of WTTO, then later semi-satellites of WTTO. Channels 17, 21 and 44 were all Fox affiliates until the "Big Switch" of '96, when WBRC-6 moved from ABC to Fox, 17 and 21 temporarily became independents before aligning with the WB, Channel 44 became the CBS affiliate for NE Alabama, and former CBS affiliates WCFT-33 and WJSU-40 became the ABC affiliate for north-central Alabama as ABC-33/40. Today WTTO-21 is the CW affiliate for Birmingham, and WDBB-17 is a full-time repeater.

WCAJ-68 was initially a family-oriented and Christian-themed independent station. Its studios were on the campus of Samford University (the largest Baptist-affiliated university in the state [and my alma mater, BTW]). Much of their programming came at the outset came from the short-lived Southern Baptist-owned ACTS network. Unable to make money in that format, they became a full-time HSN affiliate from 1988-90, and most cable systems in the area dropped the channel, at least until the station was sold and became a general-entertainment independent with the new (and current) call letters WABM. Channel 68 became Birmingham's UPN affiliate when that network debuted, and is now the My Network affiliate for the market.

WNAL-44 remained a CBS affiliate from '96-'98, before eventually becoming the Pax and now Ion affiliate for Birmingham as WPXH. Broadcasting from a tower NE of Birmingham, their OTA signal is not very watchable.

 

[charlestondxman]

Charleston didn't get their first independent until September of 1985 (WTAT). Until then, all the area had were WCBD 2 (ABC), WCIV 4 (NBC), WCSC 5 (CBS) and WITV 7 (PBS/ETV). The station began mostly showing old reruns, movies and cartoons. They picked up Fox though when it launched, and after that quickly became a good station.

They had news before most Fox stations (1992), and now have the #2 late news, and are

The 2nd independent, WCTP, had a lot more trouble. I remember watching them. They were late getting on to cable systems, started with many low-rate shows, and stupidly went to WB back when every cable system in the area had WGN on basic cable, leaving UPN at the beginning on tape delay on WTAT. They had a talk show host who got arrested for bribing an official, and probably their most successful show was a low-budget dining show which filmed local restaurants.

They also had second-rate reruns like Doogie Howser.

A new owner picked it up in '97, changed the call letters to WMMP, and eventually it got bought by Sinclair. Now, they have a good amount of local programming, including high school football, the rights to the SEC syndicated football games and lots of college basketball.

Savannah got theirs in 1982, 3 years before Charleston.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

Evansvile, Indiana's first indy station was WEVV-44 (later with Fox, now with CBS & Fox), which signed on in 1983. I don't recall much of the original programming schedule except for "Star Trek" weeknights at 6pm (and perhaps again at 9 or 10pm), their morning cartoon line-up consisting of "He-Man," "Dudley Doright," and some others and a block of afternoon movies starting at noon.

They joined Fox with the ill-fated "Late Night with Joan Rivers" then full-time when the network premiered a year later. 1995 they picked CBS during a 3-way switch involving them, WTVW and WEHT.

 

[Hal Erickson]

Because the Milwaukee CBS affiliate Channel 19 (WXIX) was owned and operated by the network, the city was in the curious position of having a UHF web affiliate and a VHF independent station (WITI, Channel 6) from 1956 to 1959. CBS threw in the towel with WXIX in '59, moving to the more desirable Channel 6 slot, and WXIX--which by then had moved to Channel 18--went dark for four months. It re-emerged as a locally-owned independent channel in July 1959, and is still on the air (as CW affiliate WVTV) to this day.
Both Channel 6 and Channel 18 had similar set-ups: A late-afternoon signon, a heavy reliance upon movies and wrestling shows, and a selection of syndicated shows and network reruns, few of them "A list" (18 was running such worn-out properties as CANNONBALL and DR. CHRISTIAN in prime time as late as 1962). 18 gradually extended its broadcast day, improved its signal and upgraded its programming, but never really showed a profit until the 1970s. Still, it was nice to have an "indie" around in those days.

 

[FreddyE1977]

No, because it was before my time.

WENS-TV 16, which went on the air in 1953. The ownership group included Bob Prince,
the legendary Voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Much of the station's programming consisted
of Pirate home games from Forbes Field (sort of an early precursor of ROOT Sports and the
other RSN's)

They failed for the usual reasons that UHF's failed in the 50's (plus the terrain around here
did their reception no favors). A storm took them off the air in 1957 and they never returned,
as new VHF competition was about to hit the dial anyway.

 

[Ultimajock]

Madison was also notable for having four stations (in chronological order, WKOW, WMTV, WHA, and WISC) sign on during the mid-'50s; all four survived, even though only WISC was on VHF. (If it weren't for Channel 3 not being originally assigned to Madison, things may have turned out differently.)

...actually, Channel 3 was originally assigned to Milwaukee; WTMJ-TV was on that channel from 1947 to 1953, and as I understand it, could be viewed by a much larger audience -- including in Madison -- than when it switched to Channel 4...

 

[AKA]

Spokane didn't get its first independent station until KAYU (Channel 28) signed on in late 1982. A year later, competitor KSKN (Channel 22) debuted. KSKN was plagued with financial problems from day one, and just couldn't compete with KAYU after the older station was awarded the Fox affiliation in 1987. Channel 22 went dark not too long after the launch of Fox, but was resurrected in the late '90s as a UPN (then WB, then CW) affiliate under a duopoly with KREM, the local CBS affiliate.

Sadly, Spokane only had independent television stations for a total of about five years.

 

[TexasTom]

Spokane didn't get its first independent station until KAYU (Channel 28) signed on in late 1982. A year later, competitor KSKN (Channel 22) debuted. KSKN was plagued with financial problems from day one, and just couldn't compete with KAYU after the older station was awarded the Fox affiliation in 1987. Channel 22 went dark not too long after the launch of Fox, but was resurrected in the late '90s as a UPN (then WB, then CW) affiliate under a duopoly with KREM, the local CBS affiliate.

I remember when both stations signed on -- I was a student at WSU in Pullman at the time. Between the two, KSKN had a better signal, because I could actually receive a snowy but viewable signal from them off-air at my apartment, but could barely get the audio for KAYU off-air. (Not an issue for most viewers, since Pullman and surrounding areas was heavily cabled.) I also remember KSKN management bragging about their "state of the art" automation equipment in an article in the Spokesman-Review.

Unfortunately, in every other respect, KSKN was a third rate operation, with some terrible movies and a schedule that didn't begin until noon. It was a shame to see them go down the drain after I moved out of Eastern Washington...but from what I saw before I moved, it wasn't a surprise.

 

[Scotpfv]

I grew up just outside of San Antonio, TX which I believe was the largest TV market without an Independent station for the longest time. That is until 1985 when KRRT came on the air. The main problem with the new channel 35 was its signal, the transmitter was located quite far NW of San Antonio proper, and those of us living east of town could only eke out a fuzzy picture even with a decent outdoor antenna. But at least it was something new! The next year KRRT became an affiliate of the brand new FBC (FOX)
Two years later SA got another indie KABB. (Often refered to at that time as SKABB due to the B-movies often shown during prime time.)

 

[KeithE4]

Per the 1958 Vane Jones station guide (But see notes below the listings), the independent stations in the US on the air at the time were as follows:

AZ: Phoenix: KPHO-TV/5
CA: Los Angeles: KTLA/5, KHJ-TV/9, KTTV/11, KCOP/13
CA: SF/Oakland: KTVU/2, KSAN-TV/32
CO: Denver: KTVR/2
CT: Hartford: WTIC-TV/3
DE: Wilmington: WVUE/12
IL: Chicago: WGN-TV/9
IN: Bloomington/Indianapolis: WTTV/4
MN: Minneapolis/St. Paul: KMSP/9
MO: Sedalia: KDRO-TV/6
NY: New York/Newark: WABD/5, WOR-TV/9, WPIX/11, WNTA-TV/13
PA: York: WNOW-TV/49
TX: Dallas/Ft. Worth: KFJZ-TV/11
TX: San Antonio: KCOR-TV/41
VA: Norfolk: WTOV-TV/27
WA: Seattle/Tacoma: KTNT-TV/11, KTVW/13
WI: Milwaukee: WITI-TV/6

The 1958 Jones Guide also listed KGHL-TV/8 Billings MT and KTWX-TV/9 Sheridan WY as independents. As far as I can find out, they were not.

Per the 1957-58 Telecasting Yearbook, KGHL Billings was a CBS/ABC affiliate, and the 1959 Yearbook shows them as being with NBC (They signed on in 1958).

The 1959 Telecasting Yearbook shows KTWX Sheridan as an ABC/NBC affiliate but not yet on the air.