A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's surface to any number of tuned receivers simultaneously.
155-608: WPST-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 10 in Miami, Florida , United States, for four years, from 1957 to 1961. Launched as the third commercially licensed very high frequency (VHF) station in Miami and the market's second American Broadcasting Company (ABC) affiliate after WITV (channel 17), it was owned by Public Service Television, Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of Miami-based National Airlines (NAL), and managed by NAL founder/ CEO George T. Baker. It
310-572: 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 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
465-407: A Wall Street crash in 1873. However, it began to develop shortly afterward at an explosive rate. In 1911, the town of Elyton, Alabama, and several other surrounding towns were absorbed into Birmingham. The start of the 20th century brought the substantial growth that gave Birmingham the nickname "The Magic City", as the downtown area developed from a low-rise commercial and residential district into
620-505: A barter in some cases. Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( / ˈ b ɜːr m ɪ ŋ h æ m / BUR -ming-ham ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama , United States. Birmingham is the county seat of Jefferson County , Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2023 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 196,910 down 2% from the 2020 census , making it Alabama's second-most populous city after Huntsville . The broader Birmingham metropolitan area had
775-504: 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 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
930-427: A circuit court judge). Ben Fuqua testified to speaking with Mack upon McGregor Smith's request, while Smith was approached by Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver regarding Katzentine's application; Fuqua also urged Mack to vote on the merits of the applicants. Kefauver recommended Fuqua for lobbying as he knew Mack better than Smith; Fuqua likewise insisted he was a "messenger boy" and that Smith wanted to repay Kefauver for
1085-505: A freelancer for multiple Miami stations, joined WPST-TV as an in-studio commercial host and was eventually promoted to weather reporter. Turner would eventually co-host Good Morning , the station's morning show mixing cartoons, beauty advice and light interviews. In an interview with the Miami Herald , Baker reiterated his aspirations to use WPST-TV as a tool to improve coverage of community events and government functions and favored
1240-448: A "curtailed" program lineup. Gerico filed a final petition requesting that WITV move to channel 6 (recently allocated to Miami by the FCC), claiming WCKT and WPST-TV "effectively deleted UHF service" in the market. This petition was denied, prompting WITV to go dark on May 11, 1958. We think we can run as good a TV station as we do an airline. They're both government-regulated businesses,
1395-514: A 1956 golf trip of the CAB chairman. However, it was former subcommittee counsel Bernard Schwartz, fired by the subcommittee after alleging members were "trying to whitewash " behavior by White House officials, who ultimately doomed WPST-TV. Schwartz told reporters an unnamed commissioner had engaged in bribery regarding an unnamed license application dispute; testifying under oath, Schwartz affirmed Pearson's allegations against Mack and Whiteside, calling
1550-716: A 2020 population of 1,115,289, and is the largest metropolitan area in Alabama as well as the 47th-most populous in the US. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South , Piedmont , and Appalachian regions of the nation. Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post– Civil War Reconstruction period , through the merger of three pre-existing farm towns, notably, Elyton . It grew from there, annexing many more of its smaller neighbors, into an industrial and railroad transportation center with
1705-680: A 5% market share of deposits in Birmingham are Regions Financial Corporation , PNC Financial Services , Servisfirst Bank, and Wells Fargo . Nearly a dozen smaller banks have been headquartered in the Magic City, such as Superior Bancorp and Cadence Bank . As of 2009, the finance & banking sector in Birmingham employed 1,870 financial managers, 1,530 loan officers, 680 securities commodities and financial services sales agents, 380 financial analysts, 310 financial examiners, 220 credit analysts, and 130 loan counselors. In 2012, Birmingham
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#17327901919911860-633: A Miami apartment; released from the Jackson Memorial Hospital psychiatric institute earlier in the year, Mack failed to find another line of work and lived alone with almost no money to his name. The News noted Mack's death, attributed by homicide detectives to natural causes and likely to have taken place four or five days earlier, "completed a chain of tragedy" for the central figures in the WPST license scandal: Thurman A. Whiteside, Frank A. Katzentine, George T. Baker and Mack himself. Mack
2015-404: A busy grid of neoclassical mid-rise and high-rise buildings and busy streetcar lines. Between 1902 and 1912 four large office buildings were constructed at the intersection of 20th Street, the central north–south spine of the city, and 1st Avenue North, which connected the warehouses and industrial facilities stretching along the east–west railroad corridor. This impressive group of early skyscrapers
2170-605: A crime-fighter. Despite this, it remained business as usual at WPST-TV itself, with programs such as Youth Asks Business and the Sunday evening public affairs show Important leading what the Fort Lauderdale News called "the area's biggest package of local shows". Mack and Whiteside appealed the judge's denial of their motions for acquittal, but a federal appeals court rejected the bid in September 1959, allowing
2325-409: A daily mean temperature of 43.8 °F (6.6 °C). There are an average of 47 days annually with a low at or below freezing, and 1.4 days where the high does not surpass freezing. July has a daily mean temperature of 81.1 °F (27.3 °C). Highs reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 65 days per year and 100 °F (38 °C) on 2. Precipitation is relatively well-distributed throughout
2480-581: A favor. Whiteside testified that, over an eight-year period, Mack took out 17 personal loans that totaled $ 10,900, with all but $ 250 repaid at the start of 1958; Whiteside also denied having been contacted or influenced by Anderson despite being presented with a photostat of his statement to the House Subcommittee saying otherwise. Two days after Whiteside's testimony, on September 25, 1958, he and Mack were indicted on three counts of influence peddling , fraud and conspiracy to "corruptly influence"
2635-558: A financial consultant for Riddle Airlines . Baker would sue Maytag in May 1963 for violating the terms of the stock sale agreement. Also by May 1963, Baker finally decided to sell the studio property after having kept the WPST-TV marquee lit nightly for 18 months after it closed. Storer repurchased the transmitter site in 1964 in order to facilitate a facility upgrade to WGBS-FM . After initially announcing plans to reactivate channel 23 from
2790-513: A focus on mining, the iron and steel industry , and railroading . Birmingham was named after Birmingham in Warwickshire , England , one of the UK 's major industrial cities. Most of the original settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry . The city may have been planned as a place where cheap, non-unionized, and often African-American labor from rural Alabama could be employed in
2945-489: A full voiding of the license, determining Mack was the only commissioner influenced by direct lobbying and viewed his personal loans with Whiteside as possible extortion . Quoting heavily from the Bible and Latin literature , Stern harshly criticized NAL, Katzentine, and North Dade Video, but declined to disqualify them; Stern also refrained from commenting on L. B. Wilson, Inc., which largely escaped scrutiny and criticism during
3100-530: A group of complete amateurs than it has by the experts of the FCC". While the FCC moved the changeover to October 1, stay requests were denied for both WPST-TV and WHDH-TV (channel 5) in Boston , whose license had also been revoked but allowed to continue under special temporary authority . With the appeal court filing still pending, the FCC postponed the changeover order on September 21, 1960, until 15 days after
3255-412: A key role in the economy. Steel products manufacturers American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) and McWane are based in the city. Several of the nation's largest steelmakers, including CMC Steel , U.S. Steel , and Nucor , also have a major presence in Birmingham. In recent years, local steel companies have announced about $ 100 million worth of investment in expansions and new plants in and around
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#17327901919913410-478: A major component of the railroading industry, where rails and railroad cars were both manufactured in Birmingham. In the field of railroading, the two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South were nearby Atlanta and Birmingham, beginning in the 1860s and continuing through to the present day. The economy diversified during the later half of the twentieth century. Though the manufacturing industry maintains
3565-424: A major medical and research center. In 1971, Birmingham celebrated its centennial with a round of public-works improvements, including an upgrade of Vulcan Park and the construction of a major downtown convention center containing a 2,500-seat symphony hall, theater, 19,000-seat arena, and exhibition halls. Birmingham's banking institutions enjoyed considerable growth as well and new skyscrapers started to appear in
3720-510: A massive assault on the Jim Crow system . In April and May daily sit-ins and mass marches organized and led by movement leader James Bevel were met with police repression, tear gas , attack dogs, fire hoses, and arrests. More than 3,000 people were arrested during these protests, almost all of them high-school age children. These protests were ultimately successful, leading not only to desegregation of public accommodations in Birmingham but also
3875-609: A move of desperation, as WGBS-TV was losing money. WGBS-TV was also in danger of losing its NBC affiliation to the Biscayne Television partnership of James M. Cox , John S. Knight , and Niles Trammell, which had recently won a recommendation to be awarded channel 7 license; Trammell, a former NBC executive, announced the network would join their station when it launched. The FCC rejected this petition in July 1955, prompting Storer and Gerico to file for an injunction with
4030-415: 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
4185-441: A petition seeking all VHF transmissions in the market, including WTVJ, be converted to UHF. Storer also demanded that he be granted the channel 10 license and threatened to suspend WGBS-TV's operations if neither demand was satisfied. Storer had prevailed in a lower court ruling against the FCC's ownership limits, enabling him to make the ultimatum. WTVJ owner Mitchell Wolfson regarded the threat as brazen "legal shenanigans" and
4340-406: A petition stating that his son's mind was "wandering"; Mack had already been given psychiatric treatment twice and was hospitalized following a fall the preceding October. Mack's wife filed for divorce, claiming he refused to support her and started drinking to excess. Charges against Mack were dropped, allowing Whiteside to be retried separately; Whiteside was found not guilty by October. On June 1,
4495-718: A secondary severe weather season. Birmingham is located in the heart of a Tornado Alley known as the Dixie Alley due to the high frequency of tornadoes in Central Alabama. The greater Birmingham area has been hit by two F5 tornadoes; one in Birmingham's northern suburbs in 1977 , and second in the western suburbs in 1998 . The area was hit by an EF4 tornado which was part of a larger outbreak in April 2011 . In late summer and fall months, Birmingham experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes due to its proximity to
4650-470: A smaller ridge, flanks the city to the north and divides Jones Valley from much more rugged land to the north. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad (now CSX Transportation ) enters the valley through Boyles Gap, a prominent gap in the long low ridge. Ruffner Mountain , located due east of the heart of the city, is home to Ruffner Mountain Nature Center, one of the largest urban nature reserves in
4805-635: A station to broadcast a minimum amount of certain programs types, such as public affairs messages . Another form of television station 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,
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4960-483: 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 is broadcast via terrestrial radio waves. A group of television stations with common ownership or affiliation are known as
5115-615: A string of racially motivated bombings that earned Birmingham the derisive nickname "Bombingham". A watershed in the civil rights movement occurred in 1963 when Shuttlesworth requested that Martin Luther King Jr. , and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which Shuttlesworth had co-founded, come to Birmingham, where King had once been a pastor, to help end segregation. Together they launched "Project C" (for "Confrontation"),
5270-500: A strong presence in Birmingham, other businesses and industries such as banking , telecommunications , transportation, electrical power transmission, medical care, college education , and insurance have risen in stature. Mining in the Birmingham area is no longer a major industry with the exception of coal mining. Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and
5425-425: 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
5580-559: Is also a Unitarian Universalist church in the Birmingham area. The main campus of the Church of the Highlands is located in Birmingham. The church operates schools and churches across Alabama. From Birmingham's early days onward, the steel industry has always played a crucial role in the local economy. Though the steel industry no longer has the same prominence it once held in Birmingham, steel production and processing continue to play
5735-537: Is also one of the largest banking centers in the US. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to two Fortune 500 companies: Regions Financial and Vulcan Materials Company , along with multiple other Fortune 1000 companies. In higher education , Birmingham has been the location of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine (formerly the Medical College of Alabama) and
5890-580: Is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham , covering 39 counties and comprising 75 parishes and missions as well as seven Catholic high schools and nineteen elementary schools; there are also two Eastern Catholic parishes in the Birmingham area. The Catholic television network EWTN is headquartered in metropolitan Birmingham. There are three Eastern Orthodox Churches in the Metro Area as well, Greek, Russian and American. There
6045-431: Is now the area's largest employer and the second largest in Alabama with a workforce of about 18,750 as of 2011. Health care services providers HealthSouth , Surgical Care Affiliates and Diagnostic Health Corporation are headquartered in the city. Caremark Rx was also founded in the city. Birmingham is a leading banking center and is the location of the headquarters of Regions Financial Corporation . Banks with over
6200-792: 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
6355-477: Is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in close proximity. From the start the new city was planned as a great center of industry. The founders, organized as the Elyton Land Company, borrowed the name of Birmingham, one of England's main industrial cities, to advertise that point. The growth of the planned city was impeded by an outbreak of cholera and
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6510-461: Is the viewer who loses. Kristine Dunn, Miami News television editor The decision spurred L. B. Wilson, Inc. executives into action, as, barring any appeals, they would need to be ready to go on air in two months. President Charles Topmiller began meeting with area civic leaders, pledged to hire as many WPST-TV employees as possible, and announced the new station would be named WLBW-TV , in tribute to Wilson. WPST-TV, however, dismissed 19 of
6665-527: The Miami Herald . The report came as Oklahoma Sen. A. S. Mike Monroney , part of the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee , called on the FCC to defer making a decision on NAL until determining if an airline, eligible for possible government subsidies (NAL was not receiving any at the time), should be allowed to own a television station. The commission rejected considering the letter because it
6820-509: The 2010 U.S. census : In the 2000 census , there were 242,820 people, 98,782 households, and 59,269 families living in Birmingham. The population density was 1,619.7 inhabitants per square mile (625.4/km ). There were 111,927 housing units at an average density of 746.6 per square mile (288.3/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 62.46% Black , 35.07% White , 0.17% Native American , 0.80% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.62% from other races , and 0.83% from two or more races . 1.55% of
6975-635: The Appalachian foothills – see Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians ) running from north-east to south-west. The valley is drained by small creeks (Village Creek, Valley Creek) which flow into the Black Warrior River . The valley was bisected by the principal railroad corridor, along which most of the early manufacturing operations began. Red Mountain lies immediately south of downtown. Many of Birmingham's television and radio broadcast towers are lined up along this prominent ridge. The "Over
7130-534: The COVID-19 pandemic . After the 2020 census, Birmingham lost its long-standing status as Alabama's largest city, with Huntsville overtaking Birmingham in total population, though Birmingham remains the state's largest metropolitan area. Birmingham hosted the 2022 World Games in July 2022. In September 2024 a mass shooting occurred in Birmingham, killing four people. Birmingham occupies Jones Valley, flanked by long parallel mountain ridges (the tailing ends of
7285-678: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 . While imprisoned for having taken part in a nonviolent protest, Dr. King wrote the now famous April 16 Letter from Birmingham Jail , a defining treatise in his cause against segregation. Birmingham is also known for the September 15 incident, in which four black girls were killed by a bomb planted at the 16th Street Baptist Church . The event would inspire the African-American poet Dudley Randall 's opus, " The Ballad of Birmingham ", as well as jazz musician John Coltrane 's song "Alabama". In 1998
7440-489: The Miami Church of Religious Science announced the securing of funding for a license application, having made the decision to apply based on "a sudden thought". After a motion to move the trial from Washington to Miami was denied, and after postponement at the request of defense counsel, federal judge F. Dickinson Letts denied a final request for a delay from the defense on March 26, setting an April 7 opening date for
7595-400: The Miami Herald reported as "converting" WGBS-TV to a VHF signal. On April 5, Storer announced it had agreed to sell land, tower, and studio facilities to Public Service Television for an undisclosed price (reported to be in excess of $ 500,000 by Broadcasting magazine) and that WGBS-TV would leave the air on April 13, with Public Service Television assuring employment for WGBS-TV's staff;
7750-487: The Miami News called a " shadow box " and "a cat-and-mouse game". Topmiller acknowledged he had not approached George T. Baker about purchasing any WPST-TV equipment, while industry observers felt Baker would simply refuse to sell anything and file "a powerful appeal". Baker filed such an appeal on August 12, 1960, along with a stay request for the changeover with the FCC. News sports columnist Tommy Devine addressed
7905-530: The Shelby County School System to form their own school systems. Some argue that the region suffers from having so many suburbs because companies can receive large incentives to move a short distance to another city, with no net gain in the area's economy. Birmingham suburbs (in order of population, 2020 US census): Birmingham has a humid subtropical climate , characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall. January has
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#17327901919918060-541: The United States Court of Appeals in Washington forcing the commission into agreeing to a policy of all-VHF or all-UHF transmissions in a given market, referred to as "deintermixture". The Storer-Gerico suit was one of two filed against the new stations: the losing applicants for the channel 7 license also appealed after the FCC granted it to the Biscayne Television concern. Both were turned down by
8215-429: The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry since 1947. In 1969 the University of Alabama at Birmingham was established, one of three main campuses of the University of Alabama System . Birmingham is also home to two private institutions: Samford University and Miles College . Birmingham was also home to Birmingham-Southern College , before its closure in 2024. Between these colleges and universities,
8370-534: 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
8525-458: The interregnum and spending $ 8,000 a week to run a television station which could not broadcast. During the appeals court hearing, a WPST-TV attorney claimed the delicensing was "basically illegal and has no substance in fact". Overshadowing the process, Thurman A. Whiteside committed suicide on May 13, 1961, in his law office library, despite having often talked about his legal situation in public lightheartedly. The appeals court ruled in favor of
8680-408: The "merits"; Katzentine also spoke on the phone with Thurman Whiteside, who promised to "release" Mack from a pledge if one existed. Prior to meeting Mack and Whiteside, Katzentine consulted Sen. George Smathers , while Palmer met with Whiteside, who had agreed to lobby Mack on behalf of NAL as a promise made with Robert H. Anderson (at the time heading a law firm representing NAL and later appointed as
8835-603: The 1930s hit Birmingham especially hard as sources of capital that were fueling the city's growth rapidly dried up at the same time that farm laborers, driven off the land, made their way to the city in search of work. New Deal programs put many city residents to work in WPA and CCC programs, making important contributions to the city's infrastructure and artistic legacy, including such key improvements as Vulcan's tower and Oak Mountain State Park . The wartime demand for steel and
8990-583: The Birmingham Pledge, written by local attorney James Rotch, was introduced at the Martin Luther King Unity Breakfast. As a grassroots community commitment to combating racism and prejudice, it has since then been used for programs in all fifty states and in more than twenty countries. In the 1970s, urban-renewal efforts focused around the development of the University of Alabama at Birmingham , which developed into
9145-458: The Birmingham area and was felt in the neighboring states and as far as the Carolinas. The 2003 Alabama earthquake centered in northeastern Alabama (magnitude 4.6–4.9) was also felt in Birmingham, Atlanta, Tennessee , Kentucky , and both Carolina states. In the 2020 United States census , there were 200,733 people, 93,300 households, and 46,816 families living in Birmingham. According to
9300-479: The Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, law, engineering, and nursing. Birmingham is also the headquarters of the Southeastern Conference , one of the major U.S. collegiate athletic conferences. Birmingham was founded on June 1, 1871, by the Elyton Land Company whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near
9455-672: The Biscayne Broadcasting license case: chairman McGregor Smith and vice-president Ben Fuqua, who also doubled as a lobbyist . Representatives from Eastern Air Lines were also allowed to participate, having again asked for the FCC to pull the license. Citing a proposal by Pan Am to buy National, the airline was worried that Pan Am would use the station to promote itself "to the detriment of Eastern" and also cited rules that prohibited airlines from acquiring "public service enterprises not utilized in providing air transportation". The deal had another indirect conflict of interest: Stern
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#17327901919919610-639: The Central Gulf Coast. The record high temperature is 107 °F (42 °C), set on July 29, 1930. The record low is −10 °F (−23 °C), set on February 13, 1899 . The Birmingham area is not prone to frequent earthquakes; its historical activity level is 59% less than the US average. Earthquakes are generally minor and the Birmingham area can feel an earthquake from the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone. The magnitude 5.1 Irondale earthquake in 1916 caused damage in
9765-478: The Cincinnati company a four-month license, primarily to allow new applicants to have a chance to make a case for channel 10 and also because Wilson's was an "award by default". It also went beyond Stern's recommendation by disqualifying North Dade Video over its ex parte influence efforts, which Stern had merely termed "imprudent". Public Service Television was caught off guard; Baker refused comment, while
9920-706: The Department of Justice to proceed with its plans for a new trial. Appeals with the U. S. Supreme Court were rejected twice in December 1959 and January 1960, respectively, effectively forcing a retrial. Mack's physical and mental health, however, deteriorated to the point where he was admitted to the psychiatric institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital under court order on January 28, 1960. Doctors cited his "lacking in competancy [ sic ] and capacity to conduct his personal or other affairs and to exercise judgement" made worse by alcoholism. Mack's father signed
10075-411: The FCC heard final oral arguments in the channel 10 case, with government lawyers arguing that the license should be revoked and that WKAT and North Dade Video, for their influence, be disqualified. The final ruling came down on July 14, when the FCC revoked the license, gave the nod to L. B. Wilson, Inc., and set September 15 as the date for Wilson to get its station on the air, though it only granted
10230-440: The FCC imposed a changeover time of 3:00 a.m. on November 20, 1961, marking the first revocation of a broadcast license for a television station in the United States. Topmiller was relieved by the appeal process ending, noting that WLBW-TV had already hired up to 70 staffers and secured an affiliation with ABC. With one month remaining, WPST-TV general manager Walter Koessler pledged the station's 77 employees would remain until
10385-487: The FCC in July 1961, with Judge E. Barrett Prettyman writing: Surreptitious efforts to influence an official charged with the duty of deciding contested issues upon an open record in accord with the basic principles of our jurisdiction eat at the very heart of our system of government—due process, fair play, open proceedings, unbiased, uninfluenced decision... We do not have here an ordinary case of 'unclean hands', in which counterbalancing considerations of public interest in
10540-484: The FCC that influenced the granting of multiple television station licenses, singling out WPST-TV in particular. Pearson claimed FCC commissioner Richard A. Mack was paid several thousand dollars by Thurman A. Whiteside, a Miami-based lawyer retained by NAL, while the Eisenhower administration sought to overrule examiner Herbert Sharfman's recommendation of A. Frank Katzentine; additionally, Mack admitted that Whiteside
10695-483: The General Assembly ran county governments as extensions of the state through their legislative delegations. In the 1950s and 1960s Birmingham received national and international attention as a center of the civil rights struggle for African-Americans. Locally the movement's activists were led by Fred Shuttlesworth , a fiery preacher who became legendary for his fearlessness in the face of violence, notably
10850-431: The House Subcommittee that North Dade Video paid him $ 2,000 to lobby commissioner T.A.M. Craven , along with Reps. Emanuel Celler and John Carl Hinshaw , on why an airline subsidiary should not own a television station in a market central to the airline. Craven recused himself from voting, while Jones claimed their discussion was "academic". A brief from U.S. Attorney General William P. Rogers urged Judge Stern to void
11005-585: The House subcommittee's chief counsel found evidence of them in almost every major TV station case decided by the commission. Oregon Sen. Wayne Morse called for President Eisenhower to seek Mack's resignation as a result of Whiteside's testimony and said Doerfer "should be thoroughly investigated". On February 21, per a story by Clark Mollenhoff in The Minneapolis Tribune , Eisenhower assistant Sherman Adams notified Mack that his "usefulness in
11160-692: The Mack–Whiteside trial. To avoid creating any undue publicity for the trial, the FCC agreed to suspend a future rehearing on the WPST-TV license until after the trial concluded. The trial lasted 14 weeks; jury selection alone took three days in the highly publicized trial, as more than half of the 73 prospective jurors had already heard of the case. Katzentine complained that the defense was harassing him by ordering him to Washington "at once" to testify. Senator Kefauver also testified, revealing that, in addition to having lobbied McGregor Smith and Ben Fuqua to persuade Mack, he had also talked to several FCC members in
11315-408: The Miami market. When the "freeze" was lifted on April 13, 1952, the Miami market was allotted four very high frequency (VHF) signals: channels 2, 4, 7 and 10—with WTVJ already operating on channel 4—and two ultra high frequency (UHF) signals: channels 27 and 33. The channel 2 allocation was designated as non-commercial educational . The bidding process for the channel 10 allocation
11470-589: The Mountain" area, including Shades Valley, Shades Mountain and beyond, was largely shielded from the industrial smoke and rough streets of the industrial city. This is the setting for Birmingham's more affluent suburbs of Mountain Brook , Vestavia Hills , Homewood , and Hoover . South of Shades Valley is the Cahaba River basin, one of the most diverse river ecosystems in the United States. Sand Mountain ,
11625-557: The Soundac animation studio after Baker presented a lease offer deemed "prohibitive". Opposition filed by WLBW-TV to the stay request claimed Baker valued the studio building at $ 6 million, five times the book value . Joe Bryant of the Fort Lauderdale News was critical of the FCC's compressed timeline forcing WLBW-TV to make significant expenditures, saying that "the whole situation could hardly have been muddled more by
11780-647: 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
11935-872: The United States. The Southern Baptist Convention has 673 congregations and 336,000 members in the Birmingham Metro area. The United Methodists have 196 congregations and 66,759 members. The headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in America had been in Birmingham until the early 1980s; the PCA has more than 30 congregations and almost 15,000 members in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area with megachurches like Briarwood Presbyterian Church . The National Baptist Convention has 126 congregations and 69,800 members. The city
12090-442: The United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.9 square miles (393 km ), of which, 149.9 square miles (388 km ) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km ) (1.34%) is water. Most of the metropolitan area lies outside of the city itself. In 2007, the metropolitan area was made up of 7 counties, 102 cities, and 21 school districts. Since then Alabaster and Pelham have broken away from
12245-518: The WKAT concern, favoring the group's local ties, community involvement, and broadcasting experience. A. Frank Katzentine called the ruling "a victory for the people of Greater Miami as much as it was for me and the people of WKAT". Weeks after the FCC examiner's initial decision, Storer Broadcasting president George B. Storer re-emerged in the channel 10 fight. Along with Gerico Investment—owner of ABC-TV affiliate WITV (channel 17)—Storer filed
12400-451: The WPST-TV license, institute a new bidding process, and disqualify NAL, Katzentine and North Dade Video from consideration based on prior attempts to influence Mack. FCC associate general counsel Edgar W. Holtz largely concurred, calling the WPST-TV decision "improperly made" and asking the judge to make an example with a ruling establishing ethical standards. Stern's ruling, delivered on December 1, 1958, sided with Rogers and Holtz and urged
12555-417: The administration" had ended due to the revelations, hastening Mack's resignation. NAL would quickly find itself directly affected by the case: the CAB reversed examiners' findings recommending National for newly established St. Louis –Florida and Chicago–Florida routes, granting them instead to Trans World Airlines and Northwest Airlines , respectively. When asked if the CAB's actions had anything to do with
12710-488: The airline moreso than this. This should be easier in many ways. George T. Baker, founder/CEO of National Airlines and WPST-TV Assuming WGBS-TV's facilities, WPST-TV was launched under severe space constraints until the permanent studios on Biscayne Boulevard could be completed;an existing warehouse on the property was torn down to make way for the new building. Construction began with groundbreaking in June 1957 and
12865-628: The airline to spend an additional $ 1 million yearly in advertising to make up for the competitive disadvantage , while WKAT cited a statement from Baker lobbying the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to prevent Northeast Airlines from having a New York–Miami route certified, claiming competition to a core NAL route would "ruin" the airline. Construction on the new station accelerated through an unexpected source. In March, Public Service Television contacted Storer and expressed interest in purchasing WGBS-TV's physical plant and assets, which
13020-546: The appeals court on March 9, 1956, allowing for WCKT to be built on channel 7. As expected, WCKT debuted that July as an NBC affiliate, forcing WGBS-TV to operate as an independent with a significantly downscaled lineup moving operations to an existing house on the Biscayne Boulevard site. The last of the Storer-Gerico appeals was rejected in court on January 17, 1957, affirming WCKT's license and removing
13175-511: The application that July as "unacceptable for filing". Wilson and three other competitors applied, but after a hearing examiner favored one of Wilson's challengers, the incumbent received the commission's approval in 1964. Unlike with WPST-TV, after WCKT's license was revoked with Sunbeam Television receiving short-term operating authority, Biscayne Television sold the previous WCKT's assets to Sunbeam, which launched their iteration of WCKT on December 19, 1962, retaining all staff. The permanent license
13330-463: The awarding of the channel 10 license; Mack called the charges "ridiculous", while Whiteside blamed "Washington politics". All of those [lobbying on behalf of Katzentine]... to whom Mack was obligated, by reason of friendship or political support... actually sought his vote for WKAT, however vigorously both he and they denied, they asked him for it in so many words. One would have to be quite naïve to accept... that they urged him only to decide... on
13485-515: The changeover and noted that 21 of those staffers WLBW-TV had already hired. One soon-to-be displaced staffer told The Miami News , "Running a television station doesn't exactly prepare you for running an airline." Molly Turner was hired as public service director and host of a daily local variety show pattered after Ruth Lyons ' 50/50 Club in Cincinnati. Bill Bayer moved his Sunday evening panel discussion show Important to WLBW-TV, renamed Miami Press Conference . Bill Wyler, already on retainer at
13640-523: The channel be handed over from WLWI to a new operator, but the case was on appeal, and the outgoing channel 13 operators were not willing to aid the would-be new franchisee. As it happened, the Indianapolis case had a different ending; in June 1962, Crosley Broadcasting Corporation , owner of WLWI, offered to sell the owners of WIBC another of its television stations, WLWA in Atlanta , which
13795-459: The channel 10 allocation began on January 29, 1954, presided over by examiner Herbert Sharfman, but it was not until June that the applicants were subject to a formal review. North Dade Video attracted attention when vice president Angus Graham, who had been the chairman of the Miami-Dade school board, resigned his position after a referendum on funding for an educational TV station failed
13950-464: The channel 10 license and thus maintain ownership of WPST-TV's studio building and equipment, a November 20 report in The Miami News indicated that the cameras and other movable assets would be sold to new Indianapolis television station WIBC-TV, which would operate on channel 13. The Indianapolis channel 13 case was a mirror image of channel 10 in Miami; the FCC had ordered
14105-414: The channel 10 license scandal, Baker asked, "Who can tell?" With the channel 10 scandal in public view, the FCC selected retired Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice Horace Stern to preside over a rehearing for the WPST-TV license, the first time an examiner outside of the commission's staff had ever been appointed. Stern's presence drew a brief protest among WPST-TV's attorney, noting that Stern
14260-419: The city center for the first time since the 1920s. These projects helped diversify the city's economy but did not prevent the exodus of many of the city's residents to nearby independent suburbs. In 1979, Birmingham elected Dr. Richard Arrington Jr. as its first African-American mayor. The population inside Birmingham's city limits has fallen over the past few decades, due in large part to " white flight " from
14415-529: The city of Birmingham proper to surrounding suburbs. The city's formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, has declined from 57.4 percent in 1970 to 21.1 percent in 2010. From its highest population of 340,887 in 1960, the population was down to 200,733 in 2020, a loss of about 41 percent. That same period saw a corresponding rise in the populations of the suburban communities of Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Alabaster, and Gardendale, none of which were incorporated as municipalities until after 1950. In 2006,
14570-637: The city's steel mills and blast furnaces, giving it a competitive advantage over industrial cities in the Midwest and Northeast . From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was a primary industrial center of the South . The pace of Birmingham's growth during the period from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames The Magic City and The Pittsburgh of the South . Much like Pittsburgh , Birmingham's major industries were iron and steel production, plus
14725-656: The city's visitors bureau selected "the diverse city" as a new tag line for the city. In 2011, the Highland Park neighborhood of Birmingham was named as a 2011 America's Great Place by the American Planning Association. In 2015, the International World Game Executive Committee selected Birmingham over Lima, Peru and Ufa, Russia , for the 2021 World Games, but the event was delayed a year due to
14880-439: The city. Vulcan Materials Company , a major provider of crushed stone, sand, and gravel used in construction, is based in Birmingham. In the 1970s and 1980s, Birmingham's economy was transformed by investments in bio-technology and medical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and its adjacent hospital. The UAB Hospital is a Level I trauma center providing health care and breakthrough medical research. UAB
15035-589: The company's founder and namesake, L. B. Wilson, maintained a regular residency in Miami Beach and was active in the area's social life. WGBS was the first applicant to withdraw on April 9, 1953; Storer had agreed to purchase WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama , which would be its fifth TV station and place it at the limit under FCC regulations. In a change of heart, however, Storer reapplied on September 1, promising to divest one of its existing stations if granted
15190-501: The corporation which operated it, has done anything improper." It encouraged the FCC to field a strong set of competitors for permanent authority to operate on channel 10, expressed confidence in its program service to Miami, and expressed, "It is our firm hope that in the not too distant future we will again be serving Miami with the finest in television and with continued dedication to the public welfare." At 7:15 a.m., WLBW-TV began its first broadcast and themselves took out ads in
15345-399: The court's ruling. As it was, WLBW-TV began hiring several former WPST-TV staffers, including newscaster Jack Gregson, engineer Bill Latham, announcer Bill Wyler, and production manager George Booker. By November 1960, WLBW-TV began transmitting a test pattern nightly at 2:00 a.m. when WPST-TV was not in operation but otherwise functioned as a shell, employing a minimum of staffers during
15500-466: The deal would also allow channel 10 to commence operation sooner than otherwise. Among the retained staffers was former WGBS-TV station manager Walter M. Koessler, who was hired by Public Service Television for the same position. Taking the WPST-TV call sign, the new station secured an affiliation with ABC on June 16, 1957, effective August 1; incumbent affiliate WITV was given no advance notice and, like WGBS-TV before it, converted to an independent with
15655-512: The decennial census, the state legislature did not undertake this until the early 1970s, when forced by a federal court case to enforce " one man, one vote ". In addition, the geographic basis of the senate, which gave each county one seat, gave undue influence to rural counties. Representatives of rural counties also had disproportionate power in the state house, and failed to provide support for infrastructure and other improvements in developing urban population centers such as Birmingham. At this time,
15810-460: The fiber of the community". Baker proposed using channel 10 to televise government proceedings and legislative sessions, advocated televising courtroom proceedings , and offered to broadcast religious programming free of charge. WKAT had previously accused Public Service Television of being ineligible due to excessing alien ownership , a charge the FCC rejected; in turn, Baker levied accusations of gambling operations at WKAT, claiming to have seen
15965-420: 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
16120-456: The holdout juror, 40-year-old government engineer John A. Sakaley, as a "man of great courage and stature". The expensive case, however, had begun to take its toll on the parties. Whiteside's attorney claimed that his client had fallen in "extreme financial hardship" for paying all the expenses of all the witnesses. Katzentine died in March 1960 of a heart attack at the age of 58, being remembered as
16275-557: The interest of having a ruling on the merits. Government testimony also raised the fact that Whiteside had endorsed a $ 1,500 loan to Mack made by the First National Bank of Coral Gables. Defense testimony wrapped up in late June, and the court record of the trial ran 6,700 pages long. Television Digest criticized the trial for its dullness and slow pace and having not revealed any new information other than what had already been established; it noted that its "cast of characters
16430-482: The largest soft-drink bottlers in the United States, each with more than $ 500 million in sales per year, are located in Birmingham. The Buffalo Rock Company , founded in 1901, was formerly a maker of just ginger ale , but now it is a major bottler for the Pepsi Cola Company . Coca-Cola Bottling Company United , founded in 1902, is the third-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S. AT&T has
16585-491: The last impediment for awarding the channel 10 license; Katzentine was regarded by The Miami News as the two "leading contender". The January 21, 1957, issue of Broadcasting offered another twist: the FCC was set to award the license at an upcoming February 6 meeting, but Broadcasting reported a decision already had been written favoring Public Service Television/NAL, reversing Herbert Sharfman's WKAT/Katzentine recommendation and surprising an NAL spokesman contacted by
16740-491: The latter a " fixer ". Even more damning for Mack was a letter he sent to the FCC in 1951 while still a member of the Florida Railroad and Public Utilities Commission that endorsed Katzentine. The New York Herald Tribune and Miami Herald reprinted it on February 17, 1958, showing that Mack lauded Katzentine as "a pioneer resident of Miami and has been an outstanding business and civic leader for years". While on
16895-487: The license. Storer's re-entry turned the application process into a five-way battle, as North Dade Video, Inc., had also submitted an application in April. A sixth applicant entered the picture on October 28, 1953: Public Service Television, controlled by George T. Baker, founder and CEO of Miami–based National Airlines (NAL), which owned the new company's stock. By the end of November 1953, two bidders were gone: Haber voluntarily withdrew his bid, while Storer's reapplication
17050-400: 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
17205-419: 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
17360-489: The market "paradoxical and amazing" given ABC's national resurgence, noting the station could not compete with WTVJ's Ralph Renick in local news production. Dunn wrote that despite refusals by station personnel to acknowledge a delicensing threat, "...the opinion of broadcasters here was that the ax would fall. And Channel 10's actions have not indicated optimism." Two weeks after the ruling, WPST-TV had yet to enter into negotiations with WLBW-TV over dispersal of assets in what
17515-676: The merits... Mack certainly knew what was being asked of him. Judge Horace Stern A cross-examination of George T. Baker resulted in Baker assailing Sen. Smathers for lying to the House Subcommittee to "put out a big story", while Katzentine's attorney read from Smathers' statement describing Baker as "over-bearing and abusive" during a visit to his office. Baker also denied knowledge of Whiteside influencing Mack but said, "I'm grateful for what he did if he did it... but he certainly didn't do it at our direction." Meanwhile, Robert F. Jones—a former Ohio legislator and FCC commissioner—testified before
17670-625: The new building's construction, a time capsule was sealed into the entrance walkway outside on December 23, 1957, with instructions not to be opened until 2057. Two WITV personalities soon defected to WPST-TV: Bill Wyler moved his weekday afternoon teenage dance show to WPST-TV when it launched, while news commentator Bill Bayer joined the station in November. Children's host Frank Weed moved his show Tumbleweed Ranch , which previously aired over WITV and WTVJ, to WPST-TV on Saturday afternoons. Molly Turner , who already had prior on-camera experience as
17825-469: The new station for over a year, announced the revival of his teenage dance show on Saturday afternoons. Virginia Booker, an off-camera WPST-TV staffer, was hired as lead weather forecaster. Others from WPST-TV that made the move to WLBW-TV included their news editor, lead cameraman and two newsfilm reporters. WLBW-TV also hired talent from elsewhere, including area radio host Larry King for a late-night talk show. WPST-TV's final air date of November 19, 1961,
17980-566: The planned crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads, including land formerly a part of the Benjamin P. Worthington plantation. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre & Allen. The site of the railroad crossing was notable for the nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel. Birmingham
18135-433: The population was under the age of 18, 11.1% was from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 31,898, and the median income for a family was $ 38,776. Males had a median income of $ 36,031 versus $ 30,367 for females. The city's per capita income
18290-437: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 98,782 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.1% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In Birmingham, 25.0% of
18445-524: The possible fate of ABC's sports coverage, including the NCAA Football Game of the Week and AFL games, as the network was prevented from making a new commitment due to WPST-TV's existing contract, but an ABC executive did not anticipate "any interruption in our programs in Miami". With the September 15 launch date looming, WLBW-TV found a home by signing a lease for a building previously used by
18600-446: The post-war building boom gave Birmingham a rapid return to prosperity. Manufacturing diversified beyond the production of raw materials. Major civic institutions such as schools, parks and museums, were able to expand their scope. Despite the growing population and wealth of the city, its residents were markedly underrepresented in the state legislature. Although the state constitution required redistricting in accordance with changes in
18755-442: The precipitation that falls in the summer are from thunderstorms, most of which occur in the afternoon and evening hours. The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable as cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season (primarily October) features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but November and early December represent
18910-513: The previous November, over which he was cross-examined. The majority of the attention focused on George T. Baker. Baker testified that he viewed the channel 10 application as a force for good to improve civic engagement , citing the Kefauver Special Committee on organized crime as evidence that "behind the glitter and glamor of South Florida lies moral decay, delinquency and graft —the three forces that are dry-rotting
19065-476: 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
19220-501: The rehearing. The front page of the Miami Herald declared "NAL Hold On Ch. 10 Seen Lost", but while some of the station's staff expressed concerns about being taken dark, the majority largely remained confident in both Baker and WPST-TV's future. Baker declined to comment, but WPST-TV attorney Norman Jorgensen promised to contest Stern's ruling before the FCC, telling the Herald , "[T]here will be litigation. You can bet on that." Meanwhile,
19375-410: The same newspapers but held a more cordial tone, saying, "We are mindful of our obligations to our audience. In our programming, we will always consider ourselves an invited guest in your home." Jack E. Anderson, the television editor of the Herald , commented that the station's legal troubles were in no way reflected in its output and credited WPST-TV with a "record of responsible telecasting". Despite
19530-454: The same site, Storer sold the permit and leased the land to Coastal Broadcasting Systems, which returned channel 23 to operation after more than a decade as WAJA-TV on November 14, 1967. WLBW-TV was given short-term operating authority, which—by design—allowed the FCC to accept permanent applications for a channel 10 license within months. Public Service Television applied on the basis of its on-air record in May 1962. The FCC returned
19685-461: The scandal's wake, the bidding process for the channel 10 license was reopened. NAL's license for WPST-TV was ultimately revoked and a replacement license granted to L. B. Wilson, Inc., which launched WLBW-TV, now known as WPLG , on November 20, 1961. WPST-TV was one of two stations in Miami to have their licenses revoked outright due to this scandal, the other being WCKT (channel 7). Unlike WCKT, which had all assets and programming sold to
19840-441: The service involved might justify awards despite misbehavior. This case concerns corrupt tampering with the adjudicatory process itself. Baker and WPST-TV filed a writ of certiorari with the U. S. Supreme Court to review the appeals court decision; this request was denied on October 9, 1961, along with a request by WLBW-TV for monetary compensation due to the repeated delays. With Baker having exhausted all remaining legal options,
19995-479: The station ceasing operations, the "WPST Television Channel 10" lighted marquee outside the former studios continued to be turned on every night, purportedly on orders from Baker; former WPST-TV manager Walter Koessler theorized that the lit marquee was symbolic of Baker's drive to re-enter television broadcasting somehow, saying, "Maybe Baker intends that the spirit of WPST shall not die from this land." While Koessler also previously stated that Baker would reapply for
20150-705: The station delivering on-air editorials, saying, "I think our station has the right to say what it thinks on community issues." On January 17, 1958, WPST-TV inaugurated the studios it had built on the Biscayne Boulevard site. 500 civic leaders and dignitaries attended the gala event, including George B. Storer and actress Jayne Mansfield ; they watched filmed messages from vice president Richard Nixon , Florida governor LeRoy Collins , FCC chairman John C. Doerfer , ABC head Leonard Goldenson , and ABC vice president of television Oliver Treyz . The same day that WPST-TV's studios were formally dedicated, Drew Pearson 's syndicated newspaper column alleged widespread corruption within
20305-546: The station manager was flying from New York to Miami when the news was released. Channel 10 supports its name, Public Service Television, with almost a full morning of household hints, gardening and the honoring and interviewing of civic groups... Channel 10 has said it doesn't care about ratings, and perhaps it doesn't. But no matter how good is the intention of the station, these unwatched morning programs are put on instead of far superior network public shows such as College News Conference and most of John Daly's news specials. It
20460-405: The station's 89 employees on August 4 and abruptly dropped much of the station's local output including Good Morning , opting to sign on at 10:30 a.m. daily as opposed to 7:30 a.m.; a spokesman denied the downscaling had anything to do with the license turmoil and claimed the station suffered no loss of advertising. Miami News television editor Kristine Dunn considered WPST-TV's "feeble" ratings in
20615-500: The station's cross-examining attorney at The Palms, an area gambling club. Baker was a stockholder with the Hialeah Park Race Track but pledged the station would not carry any advertising from it or any other race tracks . L. B. Wilson died on November 1, 1954, but his company's bid continued. When the hearings concluded on March 30, 1955, examiner Herbert Sharfman recommended the channel 10 license be granted to
20770-466: The succeeding owners, the only connection between WPST-TV and WLBW-TV was the ABC affiliation. A freeze on issuing television station licenses was imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on September 30, 1948, in order to address interference issues and reassess future channel allocations. Because of this, WTVJ , which began telecasting on March 21, 1949, was the only television station in
20925-573: The witness stand several days later, Whiteside testified that Mack had business connections to WPST-TV and WCKT through an insurance company, Stembler-Shelden. Whiteside admitted to contacting Mack on NAL's behalf and made several personal loans to Mack that totaled $ 2,650 following his FCC appointment, but he denied exerting pressure on Mack for the license and assailed Bernard Schwartz as "an unmitigated liar" and "a depraved person". Such improper ex parte communications with FCC officials on behalf of aspiring television station licensees were so common that
21080-493: The year, sometimes falling in the form of snow during winter. 10.3 inches (26.2 cm) fell on March 13, 1993, during the 1993 Storm of the Century , which established the highest daily snowfall, one-storm, and winter season total on record. Normal snowfall for 1981–2010 was 1.6 in (4.1 cm). For the same period, the median monthly snowfall for each month was zero. The summer months are hot, with high humidity. Most of
21235-445: Was $ 19,962. About 22.5% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.9% of those under the age of 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over. The Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies published data showing that in 2010, among metro areas with a greater than one million population, Birmingham had the second highest ratio of Christians, and the greatest ratio of Protestant adherents, in
21390-582: Was a "close friend" and his own legal representation. Baker and Whiteside refuted Pearson's claims, though the latter admitted to representing Mack legally in the past. Pearson's column, which also claimed that Mack made a promise to Whiteside that he would vote for NAL, helped spur the House Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight into furthering an investigation into the commission's practices. While being cross-examined , FCC chairman John C. Doerfer revealed that an unidentified airline had paid for
21545-506: Was accepted. WPST-TV's closure ultimately coincided with Baker's gradual withdrawal from the company he founded. Days before the TV station shut down, Baker resigned as president of NAL on November 4, 1961, assigning those duties to nephew Robert E. Wieland. Lewis B. Maytag then purchased majority control of NAL in April 1962 and replaced Baker as airline chairman. Days after his resignation on September 12, 1962, rumors soon emerged of Baker becoming
21700-404: Was adversely affected by Wilson's death. George T. Baker expressed gratitude at the grant, telling the Miami News , "...I can assure you that the station will be exactly what the name implies . . . public service television". The grant coincided with last-minute petitions filed by WKAT and Eastern Air Lines being denied. Based in Miami like NAL, Eastern claimed NAL's television license would force
21855-507: Was again shrouded by accusations of favoritism at the FCC, as Drew Pearson criticized the WLBW-TV bid for Broadcasting publisher Sol Taishoff's ownership interest in the company. Taishoff maintained a close relationship with the commissioners, prompting Pearson to remark that WLBW "has now ended up partly in the hands of the man who most influences the FCC—the same Sol Taishoff". Indeed, Taishoff
22010-460: Was associated with a law firm representing the owner of WPEN in Philadelphia , but FCC chairman John C. Doerfer swore him in on June 23, 1958. FCC general counsel Warren Baker's list of witnesses to be summoned included Mack, Whiteside, George T. Baker, A. Frank Katzentine, and former Miami mayor Perrine Palmer, Jr., plus the same two executives from Florida Power & Light implicated in
22165-530: Was buried at Arlington National Cemetery . 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 the Nipkow disk . Most often the term "television station" refers to
22320-639: Was complicated and hotly contested. Radio stations WKAT ( 1360 AM ) and WGBS ( 710 AM ) were the first two applicants in June 1952; WKAT was owned by former Miami Beach mayor A. Frank Katzentine, while WGBS was owned by Miami Beach–based Storer Broadcasting . The latter's bid also included construction of a new studio facility at Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Street. A third applicant emerged on January 14, 1953: David Haber , an automotive repair company owner who had recently purchased WFEC ( 1220 AM ) . L. B. Wilson, Inc., operators of Cincinnati, Ohio , station WCKY , filed an application on March 23, 1953;
22475-419: Was initially estimated for a November completion. WPST-TV aimed for an August 1, 1957, sign-on, but it officially started the following day. The two-story residential building temporarily housing WPST-TV (and which previously housed WGBS-TV) was not big enough to support a proper studio, with the living room partitioned into studios "A" and "B" and the adjacent outdoor carport functioning as a weather set. During
22630-526: Was listed as a beneficiary in L. B. Wilson's will. WLBW-TV was sold to Post-Newsweek Stations in 1969 and renamed WPLG the following year. George T. Baker died while on vacation in Vienna on November 4, 1963, at the age of 62. His death was noted by the Associated Press obituary as marking "the last of the one-man airlines". Twenty-two days later, on November 26, Richard A. Mack was found dead in
22785-484: Was nicknamed "The Heaviest Corner on Earth ". In 1916, Birmingham was hit by the Irondale earthquake , with a 5.1 magnitude. A few buildings in the area were slightly damaged. The earthquake was felt as far as Atlanta and neighboring states. While excluded from the best-paying industrial jobs, Black Americans joined the migration of residents from rural areas to the city for its opportunities. The Great Depression of
22940-686: Was not part of the record in the proceeding and believed that doing so would constitute " legal error ". The FCC's February 1957 meeting affirmed the Broadcasting report and confirmed industry rumors, awarding a construction permit for channel 10 to Public Service Television/NAL. Four of the seven commissioners voted for NAL, two voted for other candidates, and one abstained. The commission praised NAL for directly integrating ownership with management, matching WKAT and North Dade Video, Inc., in multiple attributes ranging from programming proposals to media diversification, while L. B. Wilson, Inc.'s bid
23095-417: Was punctuated by a "farewell editorial" delivered on-camera by George T. Baker at 7:00 p.m. and repeated at midnight prior to closedown . Baker's statement, reprinted in advertisements taken out in Miami's daily newspapers the very next day, offered one final rejection of the allegations against the firm, declaring, "We denied then—and we deny with equal vigor now—that anyone connected with this station, or
23250-438: Was ready for full rerun " and declared that "...the end of the marathon construction job was nowhere near in sight". The case ended on July 10, when judge Burnita Shelton Matthews declared a mistrial because of a hung jury . One juror out of twelve refused to join the others in a guilty verdict and could not be persuaded. The news greatly enthused Mack's father, a Fort Lauderdale hotel manager, while Whiteside's attorney hailed
23405-400: Was rejected by the FCC, prompting Storer to appeal in court over the commission's policy of station ownership limits. The FCC changed this policy the following year to include two UHF signals with five VHF signals, allowing Storer to purchase the assets of an existing Fort Lauderdale UHF station with an unbuilt construction permit for a Miami station, relaunching it as WGBS-TV . Hearings for
23560-581: Was taken dark in advance of WPST-TV's sign-on on August 2, 1957. The uncovering of a wide-ranging ethics scandal within the FCC in early 1958 revealed NAL, along with two other bidders for the license, engaged in unethical lobbying and unauthorized ex parte communications with several commissioners prior to their voting in favor of the NAL application. After FCC commissioner and Miami native Richard A. Mack —directly influenced by close friend and practicing attorney Thurman A. Whiteside to vote for NAL—resigned in
23715-606: Was the 9th largest banking hub in the United States by the amount of locally headquartered deposits. In 2014, Birmingham was the 10th largest banking center. Birmingham is a powerhouse of construction and engineering companies, including BE&K , Brasfield & Gorrie , Robins & Morton , and B.L. Harbert International which routinely are included in the Engineering News-Record lists of top design and international construction firms. Two of
23870-609: Was the father-in-law of a Pan Am executive, who stood to profit from the deal; Stern was advised to remain as examiner by all parties. Among the issues Stern was tasked with resolving for the FCC: if Mack needed to recuse himself from voting; if any candidates attempted to influence the commissioners; if the license was voidable; and if any of the applicants should be disqualified. On the rehearing's first day, Katzentine admitted to visiting Mack twice with Perrine Palmer after learning of his NAL vote in advance, "to get him unpledged" and vote on
24025-464: Was the first television station in the United States to have its broadcast license revoked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The majority of WPST-TV's existence was shrouded in controversy. NAL prevailed after a protracted bidding process against three other applicants for the station license. Storer Broadcasting , another bidder forced to withdraw early on, sold to NAL the studio facilities and tower of WGBS-TV (channel 23), which
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