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

[RadioDaze]

The Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market didn't get its first independent TV stations until 1981, when Fayetteville's WKFT-40 signed on in June and Raleigh-licensed WLFL-22 signed on in December. I was all of three years old at the time, so I don't remember much about either station's early days. WKFT didn't have full market coverage until around 1985, so I didn't know the station existed until they were added to Durham Cablevision at that time.

WLFL's original studios were in Durham on Broad Street, at the original studios of now-ABC O&O WTVD-11. Channel 22 aired lots of cartoons and older movies, the standard independent fare of the day. I don't remember much about any old sitcoms they aired. In 1987, they became " WLFL Fox 22", though WKFT was a full-fledged independent with movies, old sitcoms, cartoons, and even its own 10:00 News by this time...financial difficulties (mainly major debts to studios for the movies) would cancel their newscast by the end of the decade and almost killed the station itself by the end of 1989. They were saved by an ice storm that took down the tower of CBS affiliate WRAL-TV 5 in Raleigh. WRAL paid the station to rebroadcast their programming until their tower was rebuilt in 1991. They were later bought by at least two other companies and saw limited success as an independent until their own tower was felled by an airplane in 2002. While they were a cable-only operation, Univision bought the station and made it one of their affiliates as WUVC the next year.

There were two other independents that debuted in the 1980s. In 1984 came WFCT-62 in Fayetteville which was never receivable in Durham or Raleigh due to their lower power level and short tower which actually sits in the Florence-Myrtle Beach market. Mostly ministry, cartoons and low-budget fare, though the station was briefly a Fox affiliate in the mid-1990s before being bought by Pax. In 1988, Beasley Broadcast Group signed on their first and only TV station, WYED-17, licensed to Goldsboro, but with studios and antenna in Clayton, just outside of Raleigh. This station began as 24/7 Home Shopping with sportsman and ministry shows on the weekends, going more the direction of a B-grade general independent by the early 1990s, though they did produce quite a bit of in-house programing such as a psychic/paranormal show and even a local children's show. In 1995, Outlet Broadcasting, which had just purchased the station, began to remake the station as the market's new NBC affiliate taking over from Durham-licensed WRDC-28, until Outlet was bought by NBC later that year.

The market's last "independent" station was WRAY-TV 30 in Wilson, which was basically straight home shopping and infomercials and limited cartoons to fulfill E/I requirements until Tri-State Christian Television bought them in 2009...all 11 of the market's full-power TV stations are now affiliated with some sort of network or programming service.

 

[Kurt Toy]

WPGH actually began on February 1, 1969, with most of its shows coming from the United Artists, ABC Films, and then-Screen Gems libraries. Due to financial problems it went dark on August 16, 1971, leaving Pittsburgh without an indie for two and a half years.

 

[KeithE4]

...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...

You're absolutely right. Madison was, I think, supposed to be a UHF-only market until the moves relating to Channels 3 and 4 in Milwaukee and Chicago. (WTMJ moved to Channel 4 in order to alleviate interference-related problems with WKZO [now WWMT] in Kalamazoo; before then, Channel 4 was in Chicago, on what's now WBBM.)

Even though Rockford traditionally was also a one-VHF market (WREX), I don't think it was ever supposed to be UHF-only.

Doing a woulda-coulda-shoulda, Chicago got screwed out of what should have been the proper 7 VHF channels in the then-#2 market. Rockford, Madison, and Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo should have been UHF-only, and WTMJ Milwaukee should have remained on Channel 3. The problem was that Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo already had 2 VHF stations on the air, and neither would have moved to UHF without a fight.

Channels 4 (then-WBKB) and 13 (not used at the time) could have remained assigned to Chicago if Milwaukee had kept Channel 3, both GR/KZO stations moved to UHF (which would have prevented the Channel 13 allocation from moving from Cadillac to GR as well, and probably would still have allowed a station in Cadillac on 9), and Rockford & Madison had been all-UHF from Day One. Channel 8 could have then been assigned to Green Bay or Sheboygan - Milwaukee is probably too close to LaCrosse to have it assigned there.

But it didn't happen that way.

 

[w9wi]

...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...

You're absolutely right. Madison was, I think, supposed to be a UHF-only market until the moves relating to Channels 3 and 4 in Milwaukee and Chicago. (WTMJ moved to Channel 4 in order to alleviate interference-related problems with WKZO [now WWMT] in Kalamazoo; before then, Channel 4 was in Chicago, on what's now WBBM.)

Even though Rockford traditionally was also a one-VHF market (WREX), I don't think it was ever supposed to be UHF-only.

Channel 3 was assigned in Madison from the beginning of the 1952 table. Some interests did try to get it unassigned, or to get it reserved for non-commercial use. Ironically, one of the strongest early proponents of getting channel 3 unassigned ended up winning the channel.... There was also at least one attempt to get channel 3 reassigned to Rockford.

When I lived in Madison there were a few rooftop antennas left (especially on the East Side) pointed east, at Milwaukee. Apparently people were indeed watching WTMJ there before WISC signed on nine years later. I don't think WTMJ's signal lost anything with the 3=>4 move (indeed, IIRC they increased power significantly when they moved to 4), but having a local station on 3 probably pretty much wiped out reception of WTMJ in Madison after 1956.

Adding channel 4 in Chicago would have, as suggested, required forcibly removing WKZO from VHF. That would have been politically impossible. Only two operating stations were ever required to move from VHF to UHF. (both in central California) It would have also resulted in adjacent-channel interference issues in Kenosha and Lake Counties between WTMJ and the Chicago stations on 2 and 4.

Channel 13 was not available because of Indianapolis. The two cities are five miles too close to allow the assignment of channel 13 in both. Indianapolis only had two other VHF channels, but was easily large enough to deserve three.

 

[KeithE4]

Adding channel 4 in Chicago would have, as suggested, required forcibly removing WKZO from VHF. That would have been politically impossible. Only two operating stations were ever required to move from VHF to UHF. (both in central California) It would have also resulted in adjacent-channel interference issues in Kenosha and Lake Counties between WTMJ and the Chicago stations on 2 and 4.

Milwaukee to Chicago is about 90-100 miles. Chicago's analog VHF stations weren't allowed to run full-power for their respective channels. Because of that, I wonder if there really would have been an adjacent-channel problem. Channels 2 & 5 couldn't even cover all of Cook County well, let alone Lake County IL, Kenosha, or Racine. I needed a big outside antenna to get both clearly when I lived in Wauconda (west-central Lake County) and Streamwood (NW Cook County) in the '80s.

There was also a similar issue with Channel 3s in Philly and Hartford, with 2 & 4 in NYC. Same situation as Chicago, with the NY stations not allowed to run 100 kW?

We also had Channel 3 in Phoenix and Channel 4 in Tucson spaced about 100 miles apart, both running close to full power on top of mountains (IIRC, KVOA ran about 60 kW in its analog days, but on a much higher mountain). Few, if any complaints that I can recall.

Channel 13 was not available because of Indianapolis. The two cities are five miles too close to allow the assignment of channel 13 in both. Indianapolis only had two other VHF channels, but was easily large enough to deserve three.

If that was the case, then 13 could have been allocated to Greenwood, Franklin, or Shelbyville, and the tower would have then been built in the SE metro, rather than on the northwest side of Indy. Not necessarily in Trafalgar alongside the Bloomington-licensed stations, but a bit north or northeast of there.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

We also had Channel 3 in Phoenix and Channel 4 in Tucson spaced about 100 miles apart,
both running close to full power on top of mountains (IIRC, KVOA ran about 60 kW in its
analog days, but on a much higher mountain)

Per the 1989 Broadcasting Yearbook, KVOA-TV 4 Tucson ran 35kw visual / 18kw aural,
from atop Mount Bigelow.

 

[RyanHoward]

WPGH actually began on February 1, 1969, with most of its shows coming from the United Artists, ABC Films, and then-Screen Gems libraries. Due to financial problems it went dark on August 16, 1971, leaving Pittsburgh without an indie for two and a half years.

WPGH returned under new ownership in January, 1974. Then, in the fall of 1978, Pittsburgh got
another independent station with WPTT, Ch. 22(now MyTV station WPMY).

 

[Limp73]

I was thirteen years old when WKTR-TV Channel 16 in Kettering, Ohio (now Dayton PBS station WPTD) came on the air during the first week of April 1967. Not the clearest signal but was comparatively much better than the very snowy reception of WLWD Channel 2 (now WDTN).

I had a terrible crush on Kim Christy,the host of Kim's Kartoon Kapers..who looked as if she was my age as she was always smiling though she looked just a little bit camera shy at the time. She was pretty,sweet and cheerful and always did an admirable job introducing all of those Batfink cartoons and Three Stooges two-reelers. Sadly,Kim's run on WKTR lasted only about a year or so and was eventualy replaced by Barry Lillis (previously with WIMA-TV in Lima).

How I wished I would have sent her a fan letter back then.

Hugs and kisses to you Kim Christy wherever you are...you are still loved and admired by a fan in the Dayton area...thank you for your smiles,innocence and magic.

I also found it interesting (and ironic) that Arena Wrestling (the locally produced live version of Big Time Wrestling) on Friday evenings came on almost immediately after a half-hour Three Stooges knucklehead jam...Thunderbolt Patterson in the ring would always poke or jab his opponent in the adams apple in Moe Howard fashion...that's the irony of both shows airing back to back.

...and Nobody I say NOBODY spoke jive like 'ol Thunderbolt Patterson back in the day.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Adding channel 4 in Chicago would have, as suggested, required forcibly removing WKZO from VHF. That would have been politically impossible. Only two operating stations were ever required to move from VHF to UHF. (both in central California) It would have also resulted in adjacent-channel interference issues in Kenosha and Lake Counties between WTMJ and the Chicago stations on 2 and 4.

And even with the above scenario regarding WKZO--Channel 4 would have still not have been available in Chicago due to another channel 4 150 miles west: WHBF Rock Island, IL (Quad Cities).

 

[w9wi]

Milwaukee to Chicago is about 90-100 miles. Chicago's analog VHF stations weren't allowed to run full-power for their respective channels. Because of that, I wonder if there really would have been an adjacent-channel problem. Channels 2 & 5 couldn't even cover all of Cook County well, let alone Lake County IL, Kenosha, or Racine. I needed a big outside antenna to get both clearly when I lived in Wauconda (west-central Lake County) and Streamwood (NW Cook County) in the '80s.

There was also a similar issue with Channel 3s in Philly and Hartford, with 2 & 4 in NYC. Same situation as Chicago, with the NY stations not allowed to run 100 kW?

Refutable, but to my knowledge no full-license TV station was required to limit their power to protect other stations from interference. (until the drop-ins came along in the 1970s) However, the initial maximum limit was 50kw/500' IIRC -- and it was quite common for stations to voluntarily limit their power, usually because they couldn't get a bit enough transmitter.

If that was the case, then 13 could have been allocated to Greenwood, Franklin, or Shelbyville, and the tower would have then been built in the SE metro, rather than on the northwest side of Indy. Not necessarily in Trafalgar alongside the Bloomington-licensed stations, but a bit north or northeast of there.

That kind of thing never dawned on the FCC, they wouldn't have done it on their own motion. I suppose a potential Chicago ch. 13 licensee might have petitioned to have the Indianapolis assignment moved -- what the Commission would have done with such a petition I don't know. What would have been problematic there, is that the channel was also assigned to Rockford in the initial table, which means assigning it in Chicago would have required deleting Rockford's only VHF channel. And, potentially, forcibly moving WREX from channel 13 to UHF.

 

[Bob1370]

As was mentioned before, Rochester, NY didn't get an independent commercial station until 1980 when WUHF (now a Fox affiliate) signed on, using the Ch. 31 allocation that had been dormant for many years. It COULD have happened much earlier with a little foresight and cooperation by both the FCC and the Canadian CRTC in the early 1950s.

Let's suppose the original 1952 channel plan had been tweaked the way it was done later in the 1950s to make room for additional VHF signals to carry ABC fulltime into upstate New York. First, they could coordinate Toronto and Syracuse to give channels 3, 5 and 9 to both cities (that
would work using current channel-spacing standards), which would probably have moved WHEN-TV from channel 8 to channel 9, the orignal WSYR-TV to stay put and up its power on channel 5, and allowed a new station to start as ABC affiliate on Channel 3. CBC then starts in business on either 3 or 5 and a couple additional stations can fire up in Toronto, probably linked to the big commercial broadcasters there, whenever the Canadian government gets around to permitting more commercial TV on the air (they would do so in 1959). Then, you move Utica from Channel 13 to Channel 2 and allocate channel 4 to that city as well, as was done in 1959 to allow WAST to sign on in Albany on 13. Rochester can then keep the original WHAM-TV (later WROC-TV) in place on Channel 6, leaving room for three added VHF assignments on channels 8, 10 and 13. Two of those three would have been occupied by WVET and WHEC, which spent years sharing time on Channel 10, but under this scheme, wouldn't have had to--one would have had channel 8, the other one channel 10. One, probably WHEC, would have been fulltime CBS on Channel 10 (their sister radio station brought CBS to Rochester in 1927 and kept its affiliation until the end of 1971) while WVET would probably have been fulltime ABC on channel 8. The third, which let's say for the sake of argument would probably have been Channel 13, could have been a commercial indie or the city's public station, which opened up years later on UHF channel 21. Since the community group which brought public TV to Rochester didn't get going until 1958, 13 probably would have been launched in 1953 or 1954 as a commercial indie and eventually would have wound up with Fox when that network was launched in '86.

Buffalo, meanwhile, went through a bunch of different indies that died in the 1950s-WBES on Channel 59 which lasted only a few months in 1953, and WBUF on Channel 17, which started out in 1953 as an indie picking up scattered network programming from all nets that neither WBEN-TV (CBS basic) on Channel 4 or WGR-TV (ABC basic) on Channel 2 wanted to air themselves. WBUF was later bought and upgraded by NBC as part of an experiment to see if a high powered U could compete with a pair of full power V's, ending its status as an indie and leaving Buffalo without one. WKBW-TV on Channel 7 was originally planned as an independent station when the CP was issued in 1957, but never operated as one--before it signed on in the late fall of 1958 NBC pulled the plug on WBUF, handed its affiliation to WGR-TV, and ABC then linked up with Channel 7 from opening day forward. Buffalo's next indie--and the oldest one to last--was WUTV, launched in 1970 on Channel 29 as an indie and staying that way until Fox launched in 1986.

With Fox, MyNetwork and the CW now a permanent part of the scene, there is no longer an independent commercial station in any of upstate New York's sizable markets.

 

[KeithE4]

There was also a similar issue with Channel 3s in Philly and Hartford, with 2 & 4 in NYC. Same situation as Chicago, with the NY stations not allowed to run 100 kW?

Refutable, but to my knowledge no full-license TV station was required to limit their power to protect other stations from interference. (until the drop-ins came along in the 1970s) However, the initial maximum limit was 50kw/500' IIRC -- and it was quite common for stations to voluntarily limit their power, usually because they couldn't get a bit enough transmitter.

Per the 1967 Yearbook, Chs. 2, 4, and 5 in NYC all ran less than 50 kW ERP, while Ch. 3 Hartford ran 100 kW. Being on top of the Empire State Building probably had more to do with that than potential adjacent-channel interference with Philly & Hartford. Chs. 3 & 6 in Philly ran slightly less than 100 kW at the time.

Chs. 2 & 5 in Chicago ran the full 100 kW in the '60s, before the Hancock and Sears Towers were built.

If that was the case, then 13 could have been allocated to Greenwood, Franklin, or Shelbyville, and the tower would have then been built in the SE metro, rather than on the northwest side of Indy. Not necessarily in Trafalgar alongside the Bloomington-licensed stations, but a bit north or northeast of there.

That kind of thing never dawned on the FCC, they wouldn't have done it on their own motion. I suppose a potential Chicago ch. 13 licensee might have petitioned to have the Indianapolis assignment moved -- what the Commission would have done with such a petition I don't know. What would have been problematic there, is that the channel was also assigned to Rockford in the initial table, which means assigning it in Chicago would have required deleting Rockford's only VHF channel. And, potentially, forcibly moving WREX from channel 13 to UHF.

Maybe they didn't think of it in 1952, but in 1954, Milwaukee's Channel 6 was originally allocated to Whitefish Bay, rather than Milwaukee itself.

 

[LKellerIII]

I grew up in Los Angeles, which had 4 independent stations since before my birth (1952). But in my adopted home - San Francisco - there was apparently no independent station until March 1958, when KTVU Channel 2 (now a Fox affiliate) went on the air.

 

[w9wi]

Rochester can then keep the original WHAM-TV (later WROC-TV) in place on Channel 6, leaving room for three added VHF assignments on channels 8, 10 and 13. Two of those three would have been occupied by WVET and WHEC, which spent years sharing time on Channel 10, but under this scheme, wouldn't have had to--one would have had channel 8, the other one channel 10. One, probably WHEC, would have been fulltime CBS on Channel 10 (their sister radio station brought CBS to Rochester in 1927 and kept its affiliation until the end of 1971) while WVET would probably have been fulltime ABC on channel 8. The third, which let's say for the sake of argument would probably have been Channel 13, could have been a commercial indie or the city's public station, which opened up years later on UHF channel 21. Since the community group which brought public TV to Rochester didn't get going until 1958, 13 probably would have been launched in 1953 or 1954 as a commercial indie and eventually would have wound up with Fox when that network was launched in '86.

Other than New York and LA, are there any cities where there were four commercial VHFs and no non-commercial VHF? If Rochester had ended up with four VHF assignments, I think you would need to assume one of them would have been reserved non-commercial. IMHO the only reason NYC and LA didn't get a non-commercial VHF assignment was because there were already commercial permits issued for all seven VHF channels before the freeze hit. (there were non-commercial reservations before the freeze)

The idea of continuing to reserve non-commercial VHF channels that didn't have any applicants was certainly very controversial. The Commission itself had suggested it would only reserve these channels for a year. (obviously they changed their mind)

 

[w9wi]

There was also a similar issue with Channel 3s in Philly and Hartford, with 2 & 4 in NYC. Same situation as Chicago, with the NY stations not allowed to run 100 kW?

Refutable, but to my knowledge no full-license TV station was required to limit their power to protect other stations from interference. (until the drop-ins came along in the 1970s) However, the initial maximum limit was 50kw/500' IIRC -- and it was quite common for stations to voluntarily limit their power, usually because they couldn't get a bit enough transmitter.

Per the 1967 Yearbook, Chs. 2, 4, and 5 in NYC all ran less than 50 kW ERP, while Ch. 3 Hartford ran 100 kW. Being on top of the Empire State Building probably had more to do with that than potential adjacent-channel interference with Philly & Hartford. Chs. 3 & 6 in Philly ran slightly less than 100 kW at the time.

Chs. 2 & 5 in Chicago ran the full 100 kW in the '60s, before the Hancock and Sears Towers were built.

Yep. From the beginning, power reductions were required for stations whose antennas were higher than the class maximum.

If that was the case, then 13 could have been allocated to Greenwood, Franklin, or Shelbyville, and the tower would have then been built in the SE metro, rather than on the northwest side of Indy. Not necessarily in Trafalgar alongside the Bloomington-licensed stations, but a bit north or northeast of there.

That kind of thing never dawned on the FCC, they wouldn't have done it on their own motion. I suppose a potential Chicago ch. 13 licensee might have petitioned to have the Indianapolis assignment moved -- what the Commission would have done with such a petition I don't know. What would have been problematic there, is that the channel was also assigned to Rockford in the initial table, which means assigning it in Chicago would have required deleting Rockford's only VHF channel. And, potentially, forcibly moving WREX from channel 13 to UHF.

Maybe they didn't think of it in 1952, but in 1954, Milwaukee's Channel 6 was originally allocated to Whitefish Bay, rather than Milwaukee itself.

Yes, but that happened at the motion of one of the applicants, not the FCC. And, one of the applicants who intended to *use* the channel 6 Wisconsin allocation, not one who simply wanted to get it out of the way so they could do something somewhere else. Such moves are commonplace (at least on FM) today but they were new and somewhat controversial in the 1950s.

That, and the channel 6 Milwaukee assignment could be made without deleting any existing VHF assignments anywhere else. They did have to *change* two assignments (Green Bay from 6 to 5, and Marquette, Mich. from 5 to 6) but both of those changes traded one VHF channel for a different VHF channel. Moving channel 13 from Indianapolis to Greenwood and assigning 13 to Chicago would have required changing a VHF assignment at Rockford to UHF.

I'm not saying it couldn't have happened. I am saying there was no precedent for it, and some reasons why it might not have been approved. I'd give it a 50/50 chance of having worked.

 

[TexasTom]

Other than New York and LA, are there any cities where there were four commercial VHFs and no non-commercial VHF? If Rochester had ended up with four VHF assignments, I think you would need to assume one of them would have been reserved non-commercial. IMHO the only reason NYC and LA didn't get a non-commercial VHF assignment was because there were already commercial permits issued for all seven VHF channels before the freeze hit. (there were non-commercial reservations before the freeze)

At least one: Washington, DC, which has 4, 5, 7, and 9 as commercial assignments.

 

[w9wi]

Other than New York and LA, are there any cities where there were four commercial VHFs and no non-commercial VHF? If Rochester had ended up with four VHF assignments, I think you would need to assume one of them would have been reserved non-commercial. IMHO the only reason NYC and LA didn't get a non-commercial VHF assignment was because there were already commercial permits issued for all seven VHF channels before the freeze hit. (there were non-commercial reservations before the freeze)

At least one: Washington, DC, which has 4, 5, 7, and 9 as commercial assignments.

Ah, I did miss one. Although Washington doesn't have a non-comm VHF for the same reason NY and LA don't: all four VHF assignments already had commercial stations operating before the freeze.

 

[Ultimajock]

Other than New York and LA, are there any cities where there were four commercial VHFs and no non-commercial VHF? If Rochester had ended up with four VHF assignments, I think you would need to assume one of them would have been reserved non-commercial. IMHO the only reason NYC and LA didn't get a non-commercial VHF assignment was because there were already commercial permits issued for all seven VHF channels before the freeze hit. (there were non-commercial reservations before the freeze)

At least one: Washington, DC, which has 4, 5, 7, and 9 as commercial assignments.

Ah, I did miss one. Although Washington doesn't have a non-comm VHF for the same reason NY and LA don't: all four VHF assignments already had commercial stations operating before the freeze.

...although there is one other factor Washington has that New York and Los Angeles don't -- the extreme proximity to another huge market, Baltimore. All three of Baltimore's VHFs, only 40 miles away, were also on the air before the freeze...