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55-743: WOOK-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 14 to Washington, D.C. , United States. Operating from 1963 to 1972 (using the WFAN-TV call sign from 1968 to 1972), it was the first television station in the United States to orient its entire programming to an African-American audience, along the lines of co-owned WOOK radio . Mounting license troubles for the United Broadcasting station group, economic difficulties faced by independent and UHF stations, and an inability to upgrade channel 14's facilities to be competitive in

110-661: A barter in some cases. WMET-TV WMET-TV was a television station operating on channel 24 in Baltimore, Maryland , from 1967 to 1972. It was owned by the United Broadcasting Company and served as a semi-satellite of its WOOK-TV/WFAN-TV in Washington, D.C. , with some locally originated programs. Due to a series of financial and license difficulties at United, WMET-TV closed in January 1972,

165-451: A disc jockey at WSID and in the middle of a 50-year career in gospel music and local radio, hosted a Saturday night half-hour. In March 1968, the station appointed a sports director, Frank Holston, and channel 24 began airing a sports call-in show called Sports View . A year later, the station started airing a locally produced children's show, Pogo the Clown , in early evenings. In 1971,

220-500: A high school quiz show, children's program Aunt Mary's Birthday Party , and a talent show. Musical director Hampton produced at WOOK a music show that was syndicated to other stations. The Precola DeVore Show , covering fashion and beauty topics, was hosted by Precola DeVore, who became one of the first black women business owners in Washington when she founded a charm school in 1953; she was nationally recognized for helping to break

275-537: A licensee and recommended renewal of WFAN-TV's (unchallenged) license. United asked the FCC to keep the WFAN-TV and WMET-TV licenses active pending a sale, but the FCC said that because of the multiple and interrelated proceedings against Eaton that were likely to take years, and since the sales were conditioned on hearing actions, that would simply take too long. The commission ordered United to put WFAN-TV and WMET-TV back on

330-577: A month before WFAN-TV. Even though the station did not come on the air until March 1967, WMET-TV's construction permit was issued more than 13 years prior in December 1953, as WTLF on channel 18. The channel specified on the permit was changed from 18 to 24 in 1961, as part of a four-way shuffle that primarily served to cluster the operating TV channels in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania , area, by changing channels 55 and 71 there to 21 and 33. Activity

385-415: A much shorter wavelength, and thus requires a shorter antenna, but also higher power. North American stations can go up to 5000 kW ERP for video and 500 kW audio, or 1000 kW digital. Low channels travel further than high ones at the same power, but UHF does not suffer from as much electromagnetic interference and background "noise" as VHF, making it much more desirable for TV. Despite this, in

440-477: A new licensee for channel 14, now licensed to Arlington, Virginia , D.C. mayor Walter E. Washington expressed his desire that the new channel 14 be minority-owned. Overruling his initial decision, in 1984, administrative law judge Edward Kuhlmann selected the bid of Urban Telecommunications Corporation, finding that since Urban was financially qualified, its management and operations were more integrated than those of previous winner WSCT-TV. After years of extensions,

495-573: A number of Eaton-owned outlets, WOOK-TV was one of three that received a full-term renewal of its license. In 1966, United's AM and TV stations in Washington came in for competition when two groups vied to take them over: Washington Community Broadcasting Company, led by journalist Drew Pearson and which also sought to take over the radio station, and Washington Civic Television, whose principals included WRC-TV sportscaster Jim Simpson and Lewis Shollenberger , former head of Radio Liberty in Munich . At

550-708: A problem to sort out in the Black community. Leaders in the Urban League and the NAACP worried that the station would not represent the community well, that WOOK-TV would depict African Americans "in the tap-dancing, shouting type of program", much as in radio; Eaton pledged not to program "distasteful" shows on the new station. The station finally debuted on March 6, 1963. It was the District's second UHF television station, after public WETA-TV (channel 26), which had gone on

605-607: A semi-satellite of WOOK-TV. The station signed jazz musician Lionel Hampton as its musical director. WOOK-TV would launch from WOOK radio's studio facility in the Chillum Castle Manor subdivision, on 1st Place, NE. Initially planned to debut in September 1962, WOOK-TV's start was delayed due to technical challenges. It missed another launch date, in February, in part due to equipment issues and also because it had

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660-425: A variety of ways to generate revenue from television commercials . They may be an independent station or part of a broadcasting network , or some other structure. They can produce some or all of their programs or buy some broadcast syndication programming for or all of it from other stations or independent production companies. Many stations have some sort of television studio , which on major-network stations

715-496: Is non-commercial educational (NCE) and considered public broadcasting . To avoid concentration of media ownership of television stations, government regulations in most countries generally limit the ownership of television stations by television networks or other media operators, but these regulations vary considerably. Some countries have set up nationwide television networks, in which individual television stations act as mere repeaters of nationwide programs . In those countries,

770-470: Is broadcast via terrestrial radio waves. A group of television stations with common ownership or affiliation are known as a TV network and an individual station within the network is referred to as O&O or affiliate , respectively. Because television station signals use the electromagnetic spectrum, which in the past has been a common, scarce resource, governments often claim authority to regulate them. Broadcast television systems standards vary around

825-792: Is often used for newscasts or other local programming . There is usually a news department , where journalists gather information. There is also a section where electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations are based, receiving remote broadcasts via remote pickup unit or satellite TV . Outside broadcasting vans, production trucks , or SUVs with electronic field production (EFP) equipment are sent out with reporters , who may also bring back news stories on video tape rather than sending them back live . To keep pace with technology United States television stations have been replacing operators with broadcast automation systems to increase profits in recent years. Some stations (known as repeaters or translators ) only simulcast another, usually

880-471: The Washington Post , as well as the next day's issue of Broadcasting magazine, carried a full-page "In Memoriam" ad for WFAN-TV; the ad, taken out by Eaton, revealed that the D.C. station was a money-losing venture. In 1973, while the hearing examiner's initial decision found against WOOK radio and preferred its competing application to the renewal of that station, it found United qualified to be

935-537: The Howard Theatre . Teenarama Dance Party would later be considered the most important program in WOOK-TV/WFAN-TV's broadcast history. WOOK-TV also produced for local and national advertisers commercials for its target market. The station's production department counted among its clients Budweiser , Safeway , Sinclair Oil , Newport cigarettes and Speed Queen washers and dryers. On March 1, 1967,

990-483: The Nipkow disk . Most often the term "television station" refers to a station which broadcasts structured content to an audience or it refers to the organization that operates the station. A terrestrial television transmission can occur via analog television signals or, more recently, via digital television signals. Television stations are differentiated from cable television or other video providers as their content

1045-510: The Spanish International Network , the second such "satellator", initially authorized on an experimental basis. After the FCC gave its approval to feed translators by satellite, W14AA returned to air as the Washington affiliate of SIN (now known as Univision ). In order to accommodate the new full-power channel 14, this station moved to channel 48 in 1989 and is today WMDO-CD . As the FCC began taking applications for

1100-405: The broadcast range , or geographic area, that the station is limited to, allocates the broadcast frequency of the radio spectrum for that station's transmissions, sets limits on what types of television programs can be programmed for broadcast and requires a station to broadcast a minimum amount of certain programs types, such as public affairs messages . Another form of television station

1155-534: The electricity bill and emergency backup generators . In North America , full-power stations on band I (channels 2 to 6) are generally limited to 100 kW analog video ( VSB ) and 10 kW analog audio ( FM ), or 45 kW digital ( 8VSB ) ERP. Stations on band III (channels 7 to 13) can go up by 5 dB to 316 kW video, 31.6 kW audio, or 160 kW digital. Low-VHF stations are often subject to long-distance reception just as with FM. There are no stations on Channel 1 . UHF , by comparison, has

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1210-593: The Baltimore station, with the call letters WMET-TV and having been moved to channel 24 in a 1961 allocation revision, began telecasting, with plans to carry 80 percent of WOOK-TV's programming. An attempted 1971 sale of WMET-TV to the Christian Broadcasting Network never closed, and channel 24 folded on January 14, 1972. In 1967, WOOK's programming began to shift to include more local news and public affairs content. This change would allow

1265-514: The FCC denied an application by United to allow WTLF to begin operations on channel 18 before moving to 24. In August 1965, the FCC approved changes to the construction permit reflecting the facilities it would build; the next month, WTLF changed its call letters to WMET-TV. By November 1966, the station neared completion, though it missed its stated launch date. General manager J. Herman Sitrick noted that channel 24 would carry 80 percent of WOOK-TV's African American-oriented programming. Channel 24

1320-417: The FCC to move the channel 14 allotment to Washington, which it did in 1955; Eaton also acquired channel 14 equipment at auction from the bankrupt KACY of Festus, Missouri . In February, Eaton announced that WOOK-TV would debut with programming in the evenings only and would not feature a network affiliation or a schedule of films; in addition, Eaton, planned to build out the Baltimore construction permit as

1375-647: The U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking another large portion of this band (channels 52 to 69) away, in contrast to the rest of the world, which has been taking VHF instead. This means that some stations left on VHF are harder to receive after the analog shutdown . Since at least 1974, there are no stations on channel 37 in North America for radio astronomy purposes. Most television stations are commercial broadcasting enterprises which are structured in

1430-607: The Vietnam War argument. Channel 24 also aired The Las Vegas Show , the only program of the renamed United Network (no relation to United Broadcasting Company), at midnight when it debuted on May 1; that day, Trails West and the United Network offering were the only programs not shared with WOOK-TV. The station soon added more movies and syndicated programming. It also aired a weekly variety show, Coffee House U.S.A. , with regional performers. Pauline Wells Lewis, then

1485-423: The air by July 1, 1973. The deadline was pushed back to December 1; United notified the FCC that it intended to appeal the order. On April 26, 1974, the FCC ruled that both licenses should be revoked so that new applications could be accepted for Washington's channel 14 and Baltimore's channel 24. In February 1977, Jesus Lives, Inc., whose president hosted a syndicated talk show of the same name, applied to build

1540-425: The air by July 1. The deadline was pushed back to December 1; United notified the FCC that it intended to appeal the order. On April 26, 1974, the FCC ruled that both licenses should be revoked so that new applications could be accepted for Washington's channel 14 and Baltimore's channel 24. Channel 14 remained unused by a full-power station in Washington for more than 20 years after the closure of WOOK-TV. In 1976, it

1595-539: The air in 1961. Some 90,000 to 100,000 UHF converters were in place when channel 14 signed on. At the outset, channel 14's programming included a number of Black-hosted series. The station aired two daily newscasts, as well as the interview show Washington Speaks and several syndicated shows aimed at an African American audience. However, going against Eaton's promise of a year earlier, WOOK-TV filled its remaining hours with films, primarily pre-1945 fare. It also produced some general-audience entertainment programs, including

1650-506: The auditorium was converted into a studio. In 1969, WOOK radio and television received challenges to their licenses, starting years of legal troubles for United Broadcasting. In 1971, United found a proposed buyer for its Baltimore station: the Christian Broadcasting Network , which agreed to pay $ 750,000 to buy channel 24. At the time, CBN owned just one television station, WYAH-TV in the Norfolk, Virginia , market. However, any action on

1705-462: The back of Northern Virginia antennas aimed toward Washington, but this request was denied. What was to become WNVC was constructed on channel 56 instead, and on its sign-on in June 1981, W14AA was no longer necessary. Later in the year, CVETC sold W14AA to Los Cerezos Television Company. Los Cerezos (Spanish for "Cherry Trees") had established in 1980 a satellite-fed translator station on channel 56 of

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1760-474: The color barrier in modeling. Channel 14's connection with WOOK radio also had its advantages. Six days a week, WOOK disc jockey Bob King hosted Teenarama Dance Party , an in-studio dance show with a black teenage audience. Over a seven-year run on the air (though King left in a dispute with management in 1968), Teenarama hosted rising stars and famous musicians including Chubby Checker , Dee Dee Sharp and Brook Benton , as well as musical talent in town to play

1815-500: The company took WMET-TV dark on January 14, 1972, and sought permission to remain silent from the FCC until the transfer to CBN was finalized. The FCC Broadcast Bureau granted it 60 days of silence, worried that, if channel 24 were to wait for the CBN sale to return to air, it might be off air for months or years. On February 12, United then took WFAN-TV in Washington dark, citing the company's financial condition. The February 27 edition of

1870-423: The company's financial condition. The February 27 edition of the Washington Post , as well as the next day's issue of Broadcasting magazine, carried a full-page "In Memoriam" ad for WFAN-TV. The ad, taken out by Eaton, diagnosed channel 14 as being "choked to death literally because of lack of power to cover greater Washington", because of the failure of a common tower site for D.C. television stations in 1966 and

1925-574: The death of Pearson the year before. (Washington Community would eventually win the 1340 frequency held by WOOK radio, with the result being the launch of WYCB in August 1978.) United also attempted to upgrade WFAN-TV's signal, boosting its effective radiated power to 1,265 kW from a transmitter site in Bethesda, Maryland ; however, the FCC denied the move because of overlap with WMET-TV's signal. On February 12, 1972, United took WFAN-TV dark, citing

1980-451: The hearing-related freeze on later facility improvements, and revealed that in nearly nine years of operation, the television station had lost $ 1.45 million—$ 153,000 of that in 1971 alone. Eaton also noted competition from Washington's other independent stations—longstanding VHF independent WTTG-TV and UHF newcomer WDCA —for programming and advertisers. Thirteen employees lost their jobs, while five continued to provide engineering services to

2035-420: The highest point available in the transmission area, such as on a summit , the top of a high skyscraper , or on a tall radio tower . To get a signal from the master control room to the transmitter, a studio/transmitter link (STL) is used. The link can be either by radio or T1 / E1 . A transmitter/studio link (TSL) may also send telemetry back to the station, but this may be embedded in subcarriers of

2090-400: The local television station has no station identification and, from a consumer's point of view, there is no practical distinction between a network and a station, with only small regional changes in programming, such as local television news . To broadcast its programs, a television station requires operators to operate equipment, a transmitter or radio antenna , which is often located at

2145-419: The main broadcast. Stations which retransmit or simulcast another may simply pick-up that station over-the-air , or via STL or satellite. The license usually specifies which other station it is allowed to carry. VHF stations often have very tall antennas due to their long wavelength , but require much less effective radiated power (ERP), and therefore use much less transmitter power output , also saving on

2200-407: The market led to the closure of WFAN-TV on February 12, 1972. In 1953, Richard Eaton's United Broadcasting Company, owners of WOOK ( 1340 AM ) , WFAN ( 100.3 FM ) and Rockville –based WINX , among other outlets in the mid-Atlantic states, filed for television channels 18 in Baltimore and 50 in Washington. With no applications pending for channel 14 at Annapolis, Maryland , Eaton petitioned

2255-594: The new news show met with poor reception because of the small size of the WOOK-TV news department. Also in 1967, WMET-TV (moved to channel 24 in an allocation revision six years earlier), the Baltimore station, finally began broadcasting. Early the next year, Channel 14 also added weekly hours in Italian and Spanish, and on February 14, it changed call letters from WOOK-TV to WFAN-TV, matching Eaton's other Washington station, Spanish-language FM outlet WFAN 100.3. More than

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2310-415: The next renewal cycle, in 1969, the FCC designated Washington Community's challenges alongside WOOK's and WFAN-TV's license renewals for hearing. Washington Community had become the only challenger for channel 14 when Washington Civic Television dropped out and merged with it, bringing Truman-era Assistant Attorney General Thurman Arnold into its fold. It then dropped out of the television fight in 1970 after

2365-537: The other three stations in town, including the ABC soap opera General Hospital which WJZ-TV dropped from 1970-1972 along with The Newlywed Game and The Dating Game to make room for the Group-W produced The Mike Douglas Show . Unfortunately, the preempted ABC shows weren't broadcast in color. The station's first live program from its Baltimore studios was a three-hour special on April 17, presenting films on both sides of

2420-476: The programmes seen on its owner's flagship station, and have no television studio or production facilities of their own. This is common in developing countries . Low-power stations typically also fall into this category worldwide. Most stations which are not simulcast produce their own station identifications . TV stations may also advertise on or provide weather (or news) services to local radio stations , particularly co-owned sister stations . This may be

2475-439: The programming and call letters was changing at the newly renamed WFAN-TV in 1968. John Panagos, the station's general manager and vice president of United, was replaced with E. Carlton "Bud" Myers; Bob King left, leaving Teenarama Dance Party to rotate hosts until it ended in 1970; and an attempt to unionize led to a walkout at the end of August. In 1965, even as the Federal Communications Commission gave short-term renewals to

2530-551: The radio stations. That November, amid calls to delete channel 14 from television use in Washington and convert it to land mobile use, United found a buyer for WFAN-TV: two Milwaukee businessmen, Robert S. Block and Marvin Fishman, who proposed operation of channel 14 on a subscription television basis and would pay $ 250,000 for the channel if the FCC approved their plan. In 1973, while the hearing examiner's initial decision found against WOOK and preferred its competing application to

2585-437: The renewal of that station, it found United qualified to be a licensee and recommended renewal of channel 14's (unchallenged) license. United asked the FCC to keep the WFAN-TV license active while it tried to sell it, but the FCC said that because of the multiple and interrelated proceedings against Eaton that were likely to take years, that would simply take too long. The commission ordered United to put WFAN-TV and WMET-TV back on

2640-409: The sale was contingent on the outcome of the various hearings into UBC operations. Later in the year, United announced it would exit television completely; by this time, CBN had cut its purchase price to $ 125,000, a sum negotiated after CBN threatened to pull out of the agreement altogether. As United continued to lose money—$ 7,000 a month—running channel 24, and with many of its stations in legal limbo,

2695-464: The station to spend less on films, where it had found itself uncompetitive with the VHF stations in purchasing the rights to attractive motion pictures. That year, it added two and a half hours a day of local and United Press International news hosted by Tex Gathings and a new talk show, Controversy , hosted by Dennis Richards. Controversy went through several host changes in its early months on air, while

2750-458: The station went on the air in 1993 as WTMW , named for Urban's sole owner, Theodore M. White. Television station The Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow ( TV Station Paul Nipkow ) in Berlin , Germany , was the first regular television service in the world. It was on the air from 22 March 1935, until it was shut down in 1944. The station was named after Paul Gottlieb Nipkow , the inventor of

2805-489: The station's news director was 19-year-old John Domenick, a college sophomore who delivered a half-hour newscast at 4:30 p.m. each weekday compiled from wire service material. Channel 24's studios were a converted movie theater, the former Avalon Theater on Park Heights Avenue, which also housed the United Baltimore radio stations; the radio studios occupied the former manager's office and production room, and

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2860-399: The world. Television stations broadcasting over an analog system were typically limited to one television channel , but digital television enables broadcasting via subchannels as well. Television stations usually require a broadcast license from a government agency which sets the requirements and limitations on the station. In the United States, for example, a television license defines

2915-562: Was also announced to be the Baltimore outlet for the Overmyer Network when it debuted. WMET-TV, Baltimore's fourth TV station and its first in nearly two decades, finally signed on March 1, 1967. Much as WOOK-TV had pivoted to at the same time, channel 24 aired a lineup of mostly news and panel shows at launch, along with a syndicated Western series and Teenarama Dance Party , its Washington sister station's signature show. It also sought to air network programs not being cleared by

2970-474: Was minimal for most of the first decade. In 1962, United turned its efforts to constructing WOOK-TV , channel 14 in Washington, D.C. , and noted that it hoped to put WTLF on the air within six to twelve months of signing on WOOK-TV. However, channel 24 still was not on the air by 1965, when the Federal Communications Commission put pressure on the owners of dark UHF construction permits—including WTLF—to explain why they should not be withdrawn; also at that time,

3025-524: Was reactivated in the form of translator W14AA, relaying the Central Virginia Educational Television Corporation 's WNVT from Annandale, Virginia ; WNVT was licensed to rural Goldvein, Virginia , too far to the south to adequately cover the Washington suburbs. CVETC attempted to have the full-powered channel 14 allocation moved to Fairfax, noting that the current transmitter at Arlington often came in

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