Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1955)

the reverse of what had been expected was taking place. The small city channel began to cover what the big city station operator thought was his unchallenged preserve. At least a dozen such situations, entirely within the regulations, are actually in existence today, but two are most significant. KGUL-TV Galveston, Tex., moved its ch. 1 1 antenna site three times in order to find the best possible spot for its GalvestonHouston coverage as the CBS-TV outlet. It is now operating from Arcadia, Tex., 21 miles from Galveston and 31 miles from Houston, with 235 kw from an antenna 550 ft. above average terrain. It holds a grant to operate from Alvin, Tex. — 27 miles from Galveston and 24 miles from Houston — with a 1,200-ft. antenna and 261 kw in power. But, that grant was held up after ch. 13 KTRK-TV Houston protested. A six-week hearing ended last month and the examiner's recommendation is awaited. Far overshadowing any of the moves proposed or accomplished is that of WSTV-TV Steubenville, Ohio, which asked the FCC to permit it to relocate its channel 9 to the Allegheny County, Pa., hamlet of Florence, 11 miles northeast of Steubenville, and 30 miles west of Pittsburgh. It also proposed to put its antenna 3.5 miles from Pittsburgh. It's all legal. The Commission's rules permit a channel to be moved within 15 miles of its principal city without rule-making, and, so long as the separations are maintained and the required signal strength is placed over the principal city, the transmitter may be placed anywhere. The Steubenville move, which becomes extra significant because CBS is buying the station for $3 million if the relocation is approved, is the target of protests by Pittsburgh stations and the FCC is wrestling with that problem now. Other "area" situations were "built-in" at the time of the original application. The allocation was set, and the antenna was properly sited to put a good signal into the adjacent larger city. KTVH (TV) Hutchinson, Kan., with its ch. 12 transmitter 8.3 miles east of that city on the road to Wichita, 40 miles away, is a good example. With its 800-ft. antenna, radiating 240 kw, it puts a Grade A signal into Wichita, where it is the CBS outlet. KOVR (TV) Stockton, Calif., has its 3,244-ft., ch. 13 antenna on top of Mt. Diablo, only 30 miles from San Francisco. It operates with 144 kw and covers not only its principal city of Stockton, 35 miles away, and San Francisco, but also Oakland, 20 miles away, San Jose, 38 miles away, and Sacramento, 53 miles away. KTVX (TV) Muskogee, Okla., has its 1,020-ft., ch. 8 antenna atop Concharty Mt., midway between that city and Tulsa. Tulsa is 45 miles from Muskogee. The station operates with 316 kw, puts a Grade A signal into Tulsa where it is the ABC outlet. KLJR-TV Henderson, Nev., has its 260ft., ch. 2 antenna 6.2 miles from Henderson and 2.2 miles from Las Vegas. There is even a construction permit for OA (TV) Corona, Calif., which plans to build its 2,910-ft., ch. 52 antenna atop Mt. Wilson, 35 miles northwest of Corona and 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Corona is about 40 miles from Los Angeles. One of the first outlets to figure in this manner was WTVM (TV) Muskegon, Mich. It holds a grant for ch. 35, with its 270 kw, 973-ft. antennna at Conklin, Mich., 20 miles southeast of Muskegon toward Grand Rapids. This will put a strong signal into Grand Rapids, 35 miles away from Muskegon, encompassing not only the 50,000 people in its home city but also the 200,000 in its neighboring metropolitan area. Until it requested a modification several weeks ago, the grant to WJRT (TV) in Flint, Mich., was for a 1,000-ft., ch. 12 antenna at Clarkson, Mich., 20 miles south of Flint and about 35 miles from Detroit. It has now asked for a new site at Chesaning, Mich., 20 miles north of Flint, to radiate 316 kw. Other stations realized their astounding good fortune after they had received their grants and had begun to built or operate. One of the first which undertook the growth from a small-town outlet to a fullfledged regional was ch. 4 WTTV (TV) Bloomington, Ind. In mid-1953 it moved its transmitter to a point three miles southeast of Cloverdale, Ind., less than 40 miles from Indianapolis, 35 miles from Terre Haute and 30 miles from Bloomington. WINT (TV) Waterloo, Ind., moved its ch. 15 antenna from a site 25 miles north of Fort Wayne to Auburn Township, 18 miles north of Fort Wayne. Radiating 237 kw from its 829-ft. antenna, it puts a Grade A signal into that northeastern Indiana city. 2,000 Ft. High-42 Miles Away Still marking time, WSLA (TV) Selma, Ala., moved its ch. 8 antenna to Strata, Ala., 49 miles south-southeast of Selma and 23 miles south of Montgomery, and is awaiting FCC approval, over Airspace Subcommittee opposition, for a new 2,000-ft. antenna. Selma is 42 miles from Montgomery. There have been proposed moves that never went through. WCIA (TV) Champaign, 111., planned to move its ch. 3, 100 kw, 940-ft. antenna from its present location at Seymour, 111., 12 miles. out of Champaign, four miles closer to Decatur, 111. Decatur stations objected and WCIA dropped its proposal. Decatur is 45 miles from Champaign and receives a Grade A signal from WCIA, which is NBC, CBS and DuMont there. WMBV (TV) Marinette, Wis., proposed to move its ch. 11 transmitter site south toward Green Bay, 50-odd miles away. Protests by Green Bay tv operators forced it to drop its plan. Even so it is operating its 102.3 kw, 452-ft. antenna from Oconto, Wis., 17 miles south of Marinette, putting a Grade B signal into Green Bay. It now has a CP for 236 kw, 777-ft., which will put a Grade A signal into Green Bay. In only two instances has the FCC questioned the necessity of such moves. Some months ago a proposal was made to shift ch. 14 in Annapolis, Md., to Odenton, Md., 13 miles northwest, and to place the transmitter southwest of Odenton toward Wash ington. When the FCC directed an inquiry 1 to the petitioner, the matter was dropped. The FCC also sent a questioning letter tc ch. 3 KSLM-TV Salem, Ore., which holds a CP for 5.5 kw and 970-ft. antenna. KSLMTV proposed moving its transmitter from a site 5.5 miles northwest of Salem to one 35 miles northeast of Salem — 22.4 miles southeast of Portland, Ore. Salem is about 45 miles from Portland. This whole idea of varying types of tv stations is not new. Back in 1945, the FCC allocated channels to the top 100 markets and expressly provided for community, metropolitan and rural stations. In fact, several community stations were granted. No rural — large area coverage — station was granted as such, but it was definitely the Commission's aim then to foster such outlets in the areas outside the crowded East, Gulf and West Coast regions. There was talk even then of circumscribing the location of antennas. This was picked up more recently by ch. 57 WKNXTV Saginaw, Mich., which asked the FCC to forbid placing antennas more than five miles from the principal city. This whole picture has had only one FCC pronouncement. That was in the Muskegon, Mich., case (WTVM). Radio station WGRD Grand Rapids had protested, among other things, the fact that the station would' cover Grand Rapids. The FCC said: "The foregoing [Commission approval of the Versluis site] is not to be construed to mean that regardless of circumstances the Commission will approve all and sundry antenna site proposals provided only that they comply with the mandatory requirements of the Rules. We have recognized, for example, that where a proposal will provide a signal of greater intensity to another city listed in the Table of Assignments . than to the city whose channel is requested, circumstances might be such as to indicate the unsuitability of the site selected. . . . Although we recognize the possibility of a situation arising which would indicate the unsuitability of a site despite compliance with the mandatory requirements of the Rules, the fact that a proposal does comply with these requirements creates a strong presumption that the site selected is acceptable. "Because evidence purporting to show the 'unsuitability' of a particular antenna site is apt to be illusory, and because it is clearly necessary to allow a certain amount of flexibility in site selection, the Commission established its Rules in such a form as to assure satisfactory coverage while at the same time permitting flexibility in site selection. "Minimum, and maximum antenna heights and effective radiated powers are prescribed. It is required that coverage to the principal city to be served shall be of specified minimum signal intensities, and minimum assignment and station separations are set forth. Taken together, these requirements effectively and, in all but the most unusual situation sufficiently limit the location of antenna sites. Moreover, to inquire into the suitability of a site on grounds other than noncompliance with the mandatory requirements of the Rules involves exploration of a number of interminable and changing facts. To resolve such an inquiry would require, in part, evidence with respect to the availability of other sites and evaluation of them in terms of the Rules; it would also involve a determination with a reasonable degree of accuracy of the populations and areas which would receive a first or second television service from other sites. Carrying such an inquiry to its logical conclusion would demand consideration of a multitude of sites, and other factors such as increased antenna heights and increased powers, could very well be interjected. . . ." Goldfield, Nev. (pop. 300), to which the FCC allocated ch. 5, has been the butt of many jokes from those who realize that there probably never will be a station constructed there. But. were Goldfield within 50 miles of a metropolitan city, it would not matter if its population was 300 or minus 300; there would be not one but several claimants for the vhf channel. Page 48 s January 17, 1955 Broadcasting • Telecasting