KHMA-TV, channel 11, Houma, LA

[TexasTuner]

I seem to remember this station going on in or around 1971, but not lasting very long. Does anyone on the list know what happened to them? Unusual for a V to go dark, but I suspect they either didn't have the coverage or ad sales to make it, but any additional information would be appreciated.

Texas Tuner

 

[radiorob2.0]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,91223.msg695377.html

A discussion from a couple of years back.

 

[dhett]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,91223.msg695377.html

A discussion from a couple of years back.

Did a little research on KHMA and found a little more info.

Channel 11 was originally allocated to Houma by the FCC. In 1958, St. Anthony TV Corp. was awarded a CP to build a station with a transmitter 9 miles from Houma. St. Anthony did not immediately build the station, but applied for a modification to move the transmitter closer to Baton Rouge, and 47 miles from Houma. It was originally granted, but after two interests filed opposition, the grant was revoked in a 1965 US Court of Appeals decision.

Page A-26 of the 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook lists the station, which was not yet on air at the time of publication. At that time, the station was targeted to open October 15, 1971. Denver Brannen was the principal owner of the station and president of St. Anthony TV Corp., which was still the licensee. C.R. Patterson was also owned a sizable share of the station. KHMA was to operate at a power of 1160 kW visual and 100 kW aural and at 505 ft HAAT and 500 ft AGL.

KHMA eventually opened March 1, 1972 as an independent station, according to the 1973 Broadcasting Yearbook. By the time that yearbook was published, Denver Brannen was no longer an owner, and C.R. Patterson was the primary owner and president.

A bio for local musician L.J. Foret states that he had a television show on KHMA beginning in 1972 which lasted for two years.

According to a September 2005 Radio-Info post under Louisiana Radio by Charlie Wooten (wooten), Brannen shut down the Houma station and moved most of the equipment to his hometown of Panama City, Florida, where he opened WDTB (Denver T. Brannen) channel 13 in October 1973. WDTB is now WMBB.

The 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook no longer shows KHMA, and shows WDTB signing on October 10, 1973, so that helps to corroborate at least the timing of Charlie Wooten's account, although it raises questions about whether or not Brannen actually shut down the station, as he was no longer an owner.

By 1987, the allocation had been reassigned to Columbia, Louisiana.



Links:

1965 US Court of Appeals decision: http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/347/347.F2d.808.18621.18638_1.html
1972 Broadcasting Yearbook: http://hispanicradioformats.com/Archive BC-YB/1972/101-200 YB 1972 All-2.pdf
L.J. Foret biography: http://westbankmusicianshalloffame.uuuq.com/2003 Inductees.html#name44
Louisiana Radio post: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=12371.30

 

[dhett]

A note of interest on KHMA: Page 17 of the 1965 Broadcasting Yearbook is a full-page ad pitching KHMA 11 Houma as the ABC affiliate for Baton Rouge, with studios at 907 W Park Ave in Houma and a Baton Rouge sales office in the Bellemont Motor Hotel. The station boasted maximum power and a 1529 ft tower. This would be before the US Court of Appeals rescinded the FCC's construction permit.

(This source has published online all copies of the Broadcasting Yearbook that he/she owns, from 1935 to 1981. Find a yearbook at http://hispanicradioformats.com/Broadcasting XXXX Yearbook Page Range Guide.htm, where XXXX is the 4-digit year.)

 

[w9wi]

KHMA was to operate at a power of 1160 kW visual and 100 kW aural and at 505 ft HAAT and 500 ft AGL.

To pick a nit... while the Yearbook indeed says KHMA was running 1160kW, they could not have been licensed for that much power on channel 11. I can't even venture a guess as to where that number came from. 316kW was the limit for channel 11 analog stations.

By 1987, the allocation had been reassigned to Columbia, Louisiana.

The Columbia and Houma allocations are not mutually exclusive -- both existed simultaneously in 1997. (and I believe, both existed until all unused allocations were deleted at the end of analog. Of course the Columbia allocation still exists, in use by KAQY.) Columbia is in Caldwell Parish, just south of Monroe, roughly 190 miles from Houma.

The station boasted maximum power and a 1529 ft tower.

Interesting claim -- as page A-22 of the same (1965) Yearbook lists the station's ERP as 209kW, which is decidedly not "maximum" power, at least not under FCC regs. (though I suppose you can define "maximum" pretty much however you want!)

 

[dhett]

KHMA was to operate at a power of 1160 kW visual and 100 kW aural and at 505 ft HAAT and 500 ft AGL.

To pick a nit... while the Yearbook indeed says KHMA was running 1160kW, they could not have been licensed for that much power on channel 11. I can't even venture a guess as to where that number came from. 316kW was the limit for channel 11 analog stations.

Correct. I didn't even think about what the limits were - just reported what I saw. This was the first time I'd seen a Broadcasting Yearbook anywhere, so I looked at several and was surprised at the errors I saw, mostly typos I think. Purely speculation: I wonder if the actual power was supposed to be 160 kW rather than 1160, although that 160 kW visual and 100 kW aural doesn't sound right, either.

By 1987, the allocation had been reassigned to Columbia, Louisiana.

The Columbia and Houma allocations are not mutually exclusive -- both existed simultaneously in 1997. (and I believe, both existed until all unused allocations were deleted at the end of analog. Of course the Columbia allocation still exists, in use by KAQY.) Columbia is in Caldwell Parish, just south of Monroe, roughly 190 miles from Houma.

Oops. Thought the cities were closer than that. Dave got caught making an assumption, and you know what happens when we assume. :-[

The station boasted maximum power and a 1529 ft tower.

Interesting claim -- as page A-22 of the same (1965) Yearbook lists the station's ERP as 209kW, which is decidedly not "maximum" power, at least not under FCC regs. (though I suppose you can define "maximum" pretty much however you want!)

I always considered "truth in advertising" to be an oxymoron.

 

[w9wi]

Correct. I didn't even think about what the limits were - just reported what I saw. This was the first time I'd seen a Broadcasting Yearbook anywhere, so I looked at several and was surprised at the errors I saw, mostly typos I think. Purely speculation: I wonder if the actual power was supposed to be 160 kW rather than 1160, although that 160 kW visual and 100 kW aural doesn't sound right, either.

Yep, it's pretty hard to reconcile those figures with the regulations and common practice. I really don't have even a guess as to where 1160 came from.

**I think** the technical figures in the Yearbook were provided by the stations, not by the FCC. (I have a VERY VAGUE recollection of seeing some kind of solicitation for stations to fill out their questionaires)

Oops. Thought the cities were closer than that. Dave got caught making an assumption, and you know what happens when we assume. :-[

Unfortunately, I know by firsthand experience

_________________________________________________

I think the Houma allocation was probably doomed by two developments:

- The decision to allow channel 20 in New Orleans to move to channel 12. This made it impossible for any Houma station to provide a useful signal across that city.
- The decision to allot the same channel to Columbia. This made it impossible for any Houma station to move due north and cover Baton Rouge.

Channel 11 at Houma could serve only Houma, Thibodaux, and Morgan City. Not enough population down there to make it viable, especially with all three major nets represented out of New Orleans and Baton Rouge.