This has been touched on the thread about first UHF tuners, but I'm interested to know which of the nation's TV markets were all-UHF or all-VHF, before the digital switchover last June. I've heard of a few all-UHF such as Fort Wayne, South Bend and Fresno, but there are bound to be others. How about all-VHF?
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Pre 6/12: All-UHF or all-VHF markets
- Thread starter RadioDaze
- Start date
B
Bob1370
Guest
All sorts of markets were all-VHF until the all-channel receiver law really took hold. New York City was all-VHF until about 1962, Rochester and Syracuse were all-V until 1966.
Peoria, IL has been an all-UHF market in its history (it originally had one VHF allocation at channel 8 in the 1952 post-freeze allocations, but it was moved 90 miles northwest to Moline, IL).
Ironically, the Peoria-Bloomington market has been bordered to the northwest by the pre-1983 all VHF Davenport/Rock Island/Moline market--whose Grade B signals had (and still do) reached as far southeast as Peoria city proper.
Ironically, the Peoria-Bloomington market has been bordered to the northwest by the pre-1983 all VHF Davenport/Rock Island/Moline market--whose Grade B signals had (and still do) reached as far southeast as Peoria city proper.
Charleston was an all-VHF market until 1985, when WTAT 24 signed on (2, 4, 5, 7). The only UHF was WJWJ, out of the market in Beaufort.
Many markets were all VHF until well into the eighties, especially if you considered only the commercial stations. In the northwest, Portland, OR and Spokane, WA didn't get their first UHF stations until the early eighties. Seattle didn't get it's first UHF station until the mid-eighties, although a low powered UHF non-com in Tacoma did serve the southern half of the market. Boise, ID didn't get a full powered UHF station until this decade.
On the all-UHF side, the largest UHF-only market in the country for many years was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA. Other notable UHF-only markets included Fresno, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Yakima, WA (including semi-satellites in the also all-UHF Richland/Pasco/Kennewick market), Youngstown, OH, Fort Wayne, IN, and the aforementioned Peoria.
On the all-UHF side, the largest UHF-only market in the country for many years was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA. Other notable UHF-only markets included Fresno, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Yakima, WA (including semi-satellites in the also all-UHF Richland/Pasco/Kennewick market), Youngstown, OH, Fort Wayne, IN, and the aforementioned Peoria.
Fresno is an interesting one - it started out as an all-UHF market, with both KMJ-TV (now KSEE) signing on Channel 24 and KJEO (now KGPE) signing on Channel 47 in 1953. Fresno had Channel 12 as its only VHF allocation, and KFRE-TV (now KFSN) signed on in 1956. KFRE moved to Channel 30 in 1961 and Fresno was an all-UHF market from then until 2009, when KAIL moved from Channel 53 to Channel 7 (both RF and PSIP).
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, South Bend, and Youngstown always were UHF markets, unlike Fresno.
These all-UHF markets make me wonder - What did locals watch when they had TV in the 1950s and early 60s when many sets didn't have UHF, or if they had UHF the signal quality was poor? In Youngstown locals had their choice of a number of VHF stations from Cleveland (3, 5, 8 ), Erie (12), and Steubenville (9), but what about Fresno or South Bend where VHF stations are further away?
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, South Bend, and Youngstown always were UHF markets, unlike Fresno.
These all-UHF markets make me wonder - What did locals watch when they had TV in the 1950s and early 60s when many sets didn't have UHF, or if they had UHF the signal quality was poor? In Youngstown locals had their choice of a number of VHF stations from Cleveland (3, 5, 8 ), Erie (12), and Steubenville (9), but what about Fresno or South Bend where VHF stations are further away?
M.J. said:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got VHF for the first time when digital signals from WBRE-TV 28.1 and WYOU 22.1 debuted on channels 11 and 13, respectively, in late 2005. Almost all outdoor antennas in the Wyoming Valley are UHF-only, mostly the corner reflector type, but I never had problems receiving the VHF DTV stations with an indoor antenna.
I can't say what happened before UHF tuners were mandated in 1964, but I remember as far back as '68, when my family lived in Wyoming Co., about 25 miles N of Wilkes-Barre. Most outlying towns were in valleys, and terrain made OTA reception impossible, so cable TV was prevalent even then, and we tuned to VHF channels for the locals. The local TV Guide also listed NYC channels, so I assume that some residents, likely located on mountaintops or mountainsides facing NYC, were able to pick up those stations.
visaman said:
Seriously, in the case of the aforementioned Peoria market, there are remnants of many antennas--particularly west of the Illinois River--that were also equipped to pick up the Davenport/Rock Island/Moline VHF stations (which also brought, and still do to this day, Grade B level signals as far southeast as Peoria city proper) that had already signed on by that time: WOC now KWQC-6 Davenport, IA (NBC) (originally on channel 5) (signed on 1949 as Iowa's first TV station), and WHBF-4 (CBS) Rock Island (signed on 1950--first downstate Illinois station). Moline's WQAD-8 (ABC), whose channel allocation had been moved from Peoria to Moline, did not sign on until 1963.
Elmira/Corning, NY is an all UHF market (DMA #173).
WETM, 18, NBC
WSKA, 30, PBS (translator for WSKG/46 Binghamton)
WENY, 36, ABC
WYDC, 48, FOX
-Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook, 2007
An old-timer in the market told me local TV stores in the 1950s would sell and/or install replacement slugs specific to ch. 18, that you would put into your VHF tuner mechanism. Say, you would replace the channel 3 in your tuner w/ a "slug" specifically for channel 18. Anyone else remember using these?
WETM, 18, NBC
WSKA, 30, PBS (translator for WSKG/46 Binghamton)
WENY, 36, ABC
WYDC, 48, FOX
-Broadcasting/Cable Yearbook, 2007
An old-timer in the market told me local TV stores in the 1950s would sell and/or install replacement slugs specific to ch. 18, that you would put into your VHF tuner mechanism. Say, you would replace the channel 3 in your tuner w/ a "slug" specifically for channel 18. Anyone else remember using these?
Between about 1955 and 1984, the Tyler/Longview market was all VHF, which, when you consider there was just 1 VHF (KLTV/7) in '54 and another (KTRE/9) in '55 (on today's date actually, Happy 55th, Ch.9), made it pretty easy to choose which one you would watch (because they both pretty much carried the same thing, and would eventually become co-owned). Yes, there were the pioneering UHFs KETX/19 and KTVE/32 (which originally made the market all UHF) but both would fade around a year after the debut of KLTV. It wasn't until 1984, when KLMG/51 (now KFXK) debuted, that UHF would return to the market. Since then, all new major local stations that have come along there have been UHFs.
Until 1962, Los Angeles had 7 TV stations, all VHF - the 3 network affiliates and 4 independents. I believe the first UHF station in that market was Spanish language KMEX (34), which began operations in September 62. LA's first NET (PBS) station, KCET, started operations on Channel 28 in 1964.
I recall there was briefly a Channel 18 that operated just a few hours a day with old sit-com reruns from the earliest days of TV. This station may have pre-dated KMEX, but didn't last long.
I recall there was briefly a Channel 18 that operated just a few hours a day with old sit-com reruns from the earliest days of TV. This station may have pre-dated KMEX, but didn't last long.
Greenville-Washington New Bern, NC was effectively an all-VHF market from 1953 until 1972 when its first UHF outlet, UNC-TV transmitter WUNK-TV signed on in Greenville at channel 25. Before this time, this vast market included:
WUNB-TV 2 (1965--later WUND) PBS Columbia, NC (now licensed to Edenton in the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA/NC DMA)
WITN-TV 7 (1955) NBC Washington, NC
WNCT-TV 9 (1953) CBS Greenville, NC
WNBE-TV 12 (1963--later WCTI) ABC New Bern, NC
Another unique thing is that the above network affiliations are still the same. This market didn't get a commercial UHF station until Greenville's WYDO, channel 14, signed on in the early 1990s...simulcasting the market's VHF FOX affiliate, 1989 sign-on WFXI, channel 8, in Morehead City.
WUNB-TV 2 (1965--later WUND) PBS Columbia, NC (now licensed to Edenton in the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA/NC DMA)
WITN-TV 7 (1955) NBC Washington, NC
WNCT-TV 9 (1953) CBS Greenville, NC
WNBE-TV 12 (1963--later WCTI) ABC New Bern, NC
Another unique thing is that the above network affiliations are still the same. This market didn't get a commercial UHF station until Greenville's WYDO, channel 14, signed on in the early 1990s...simulcasting the market's VHF FOX affiliate, 1989 sign-on WFXI, channel 8, in Morehead City.
While someone mentioned that Chicago had a UHF station in the late 50's, Chicago for the most part was an all VHF market until WCIU signed on in 1964. 2, 5, 7, 9, & 11 were allocated to Chicago, with 11 being allocated for non-commercial use. During pre-transition digital, only WBBM-TV was on the VHF on channel 3, while everyone else was on the UHF. Now it's just WBBM-TV on channel 12 & WLS-TV on channel 7 (now being used as a full market translator), though WLS-TV has moved the main channel to 44, and working to get the signal tweaked enough to eventually vacate channel 7.
As for those all UHF markets; many of those markets had no choice as to which channels they got. So many smaller markets had established stations before the major markets did. I know as a kid in the late 70's & early 80's, I remember UHF was still terrible around that time. I can only imagine what it was like when it first came out.
As for those all UHF markets; many of those markets had no choice as to which channels they got. So many smaller markets had established stations before the major markets did. I know as a kid in the late 70's & early 80's, I remember UHF was still terrible around that time. I can only imagine what it was like when it first came out.
It is a myth that UHF equiped TVs were not evailable in the 1950s and early 60s. Begining in 1953 most TVs sold in areas where UHF stations had come on the air were sold with UHF tuners. Here in SC, the first two stations which came on the air in Columbia were UHF, subsequently all TV sets sold in the COlumbia area had UHF tuners. COnverters were available for TVs which had been purchased before 1953, which were very few since there were no stations, and for those who moved in from another market.M.J. said:
visaman said:
Lexington, KY used high gain antennas to receive Louisville and Cincinnati. They were still very popular until cable arrived in the early 80's. Despite having all three network affiliates there was a boom of high gain antennas in the late 70's.
Evansville, IN started as a UHF market. But then Channel 9 was dropped in and despite an attempt to bring it to reality the FCC decided to change the allocation to non-commercial. Channel 9 finally signed one in the early 70's. Channel 7 was a non-commercial allocation for Louisville when it was moved to Evansville and signed on in the late 50's as a commercial allocation. The FCC had requested the owners of Channel 7 to move to Channel 31 so it would be an all UHF market but the owners fought the change and won.
Hazard, KY, which is actually part of the Lexington DMA, had
no television whatsoever prior to 1969. The Lexington stations,
all UHF, couldn't reach into the mountainous terrain and there was
no cable. Finally Bill Gorman, longtime mayor of Hazard, took a
chance and put WKYH/57 on the air in October 1969, somehow
obtaining an NBC affiliation. Since the late 1980s it's been a sister
station to WKYT Lexington under the call letters WYMT and is a CBS
affiliate--one of the network's best, thanks to wide penetration via
cable into parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Around the same time (1969) WKHA/35 (PBS and part of Kentucky
Educational Television) came on the air as well.
no television whatsoever prior to 1969. The Lexington stations,
all UHF, couldn't reach into the mountainous terrain and there was
no cable. Finally Bill Gorman, longtime mayor of Hazard, took a
chance and put WKYH/57 on the air in October 1969, somehow
obtaining an NBC affiliation. Since the late 1980s it's been a sister
station to WKYT Lexington under the call letters WYMT and is a CBS
affiliate--one of the network's best, thanks to wide penetration via
cable into parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Around the same time (1969) WKHA/35 (PBS and part of Kentucky
Educational Television) came on the air as well.
bpatrick said:
Bill Gorman operated the Hazard cable company before he signed on WKYH. The mountains had cable as some systems, and counties had many systems, dated back to the early days of television. The Whitesburg system dates back to 1952 when the operator of a appliance store created demand for selling TV's by providing a signal via cable. Lexington signals were ignored because they were UHF and operators were partial to VHF. Even Gorman's system imported signals from Huntington/Charleston and Tri-Cities. As technology improved and demand increased, Lexington signals began showing up in the mountains. WKYT Lexington and KET Hazard finally showed up on Whitesburg cable in the early eighties when the owner sold to another company. As of five years ago the system offered WKYT and WYMT while offering WCYB and WKPT for NBC and ABC respectively. But the system that serves the west side of Whitesburg offers WLEX, WKYT, and WTVQ Lexington and only offers WEMT (Fox) from the Tri-Cities.
Gorman reason for signing on WKYH was reaction to the CBS documentary on the plight of Appalachia. Like many, he felt it was an unfair depiction of life in the mountains. WKYH was to a be a voice. Despite being on UHF it was the exception to the rule and had cable coverage across the mountains throughout the seventies.
Kentucky Educational Television established stations in Hazard, Ashland and Pikeville when the network began. Many early cable systems in southeastern Kentucky if they did offer NET/PBS it was WSJK Sneedville, TN. Even the Whitesburg system being less than thirty miles from Hazard offered WSJK.
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