Start dates of television services
On 30 September 1948 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suspended
all licensing of television stations, pending resolution of problems about
neighbouring stations causing interference, and the longer-term possibility of
establishing colour broadcasting. At the time, 37 stations were already in
operation and a further 86 were licensed and under construction.
But around 300 others that had lodged applications were told they would have to
wait for six months.
In fact the moratorium lasted far
longer: it was not until 14 April 1952 that the FCC lifted the ban, effective
from 1 July. The new plan established three zones across the US, with different
regulations for spacing and frequency allocation in each. The total number of
frequencies now available was 617 VHF and 1,436 UHF.
| date |
call sign |
location |
channel |
network
[later] |
later call sign |
|
1939 |
|
Apr |
W9XZV |
Chicago, IL [Zenith] |
2 |
|
WBBM |
|
6 Nov |
WGY TV |
Schenectady, NY |
|
NBC |
|
|
6 Nov |
WRGB TV |
Schenectady-Albany-Troy, NY |
6 |
CBS |
|
|
1940 |
|
Aug |
W9XBK |
Chicago, IL [Paramount] |
4 |
CBS |
WBKB (see 1943) |
|
Aug |
W9XBK |
Chicago, IL |
2 |
CBS |
Ch4 (Nov) |
|
1941 |
|
1 Jul |
WCBW TV |
NY, NY |
2 |
CBS |
WCBS |
|
1 Jul |
WNBT TV |
NYC |
4 |
NBC |
W2XBS, WNBC |
|
3 Sep |
KYW TV |
Philadelphia, PA |
3 |
Philco/NBC |
|
|
1943 |
13 Oct |
WBKB TV |
Chicago, IL (see 1940) |
4 |
CBS |
WLS (1970) |
|
1944 |
|
2 May |
WABD TV |
NYC |
5
|
DuMont [Metro, Fox] |
WNEW, WNYW |
|
1947 |
|
1 Jan |
WTTG TV |
Washington DC |
5 |
Metro |
|
|
22 Jan |
KTLA TV |
Los Angeles, CA |
5 |
Ind |
|
|
8 Feb |
KSD TV |
St Louis, MO |
5 |
NBC |
KSDK |
|
4 Mar |
WWJ TV |
Detroit, MI |
4 |
NBC |
WDIV |
|
27 Jun |
WRC TV |
Washington, DC |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
13 Sep |
WPVI TV |
Philadelphia, PA |
6 |
ABC |
|
|
3 Oct |
WMAL TV |
Washington, DC |
7 |
ABC |
WJLA |
|
27 Oct |
WMAR TV |
Baltimore, MD |
2 |
NBC |
|
|
17 Dec |
WEWS TV |
Cleveland, OH |
5 |
ABC |
|
|
Dec |
WTMJ TV |
Milwaukee, WI |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
1948 |
|
2 Jan |
WNDT TV |
New York-Newark, NY |
13 |
PBS |
WNET |
|
6 Feb |
KNXT TV |
Los Angeles, CA |
2 |
CBS |
KCBS |
|
9 Feb |
WLWT TV |
Cincinnati, OH |
5 |
NBC |
|
|
11 Mar |
WBAL TV |
Baltimore, MD |
11 |
CBS |
|
|
15 Mar |
WCAU TV |
Philadelphia, PA |
10 |
CBS |
|
|
5 Apr |
WGN TV |
Chicago, IL |
9 |
DuMont, CBS |
|
|
15 Apr |
KCPX TV |
Salt Lake City, UT |
4 |
ABC |
KTVX |
|
22 Apr |
WTVR TV |
Richmond, VA |
6 |
CBS |
|
|
23 Apr |
KSTP TV |
St Paul-Minneapolis, MN |
5 |
ABC |
|
|
14 May |
WBEN TV |
Buffalo, NY |
4 |
CBS |
WIVB |
|
9 Jun |
WBZ TV |
Boston, MA |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
15 Jun |
WPIX TV |
NY, NY |
11 |
Ind |
|
|
15 Jun |
WTNH TV |
New Haven, CT |
8 |
ABC |
|
|
21 Jul |
WSPD TV |
Toledo, OH |
13 |
NBC |
|
|
10 Aug |
WABC TV |
New York, NY |
7 |
ABC |
|
|
17 Sep |
WENR TV |
Chicago, IL |
7 |
ABC |
Ch 4 (1953) |
|
17 Sep |
KCOP TV |
Los Angeles/Hollywood, CA |
13 |
DuMont, CBS |
|
|
29 Sep |
WSB TV |
Atlanta, GA |
2 |
ABC |
|
|
29 Sep |
WBAP TV |
Fort Worth-Dallas, TX |
5 |
NBC |
KXAS |
|
6 Oct |
KHJ TV |
Los Angeles, CA |
9 |
Ind |
|
|
9 Oct |
WXYZ TV |
Detroit, MI |
7 |
ABC |
|
|
24 Oct |
WJBK TV |
Detroit, MI |
2 |
CBS |
|
|
Oct |
WKYC TV |
Cleveland, OH |
3 |
NBC |
|
|
2 Nov |
WJZ TV |
Baltimore, MD |
13 |
ABC |
|
|
24 Nov |
WAVE TV |
Louisville, KY |
3 |
NBC |
|
|
25 Nov |
KING TV |
Seattle, WA |
5 |
NBC |
|
|
29 Nov |
KOB TV |
Albuquerque, NM |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
11 Dec |
WHEN TV |
Syracuse, NY |
5 |
CBS |
WTVH |
|
11 Dec |
WMC TV |
Memphis, TN |
5 |
NBC |
|
|
18 Dec |
WDSU TV |
New Orleans, LA |
6 |
NBC |
|
|
22 Dec |
KPIX TV |
San Francisco, CA |
5 |
CBS |
|
|
1949 |
|
1 Jan |
KTTV TV |
Los Angeles, CA |
11 |
Metro |
|
|
1 Jan |
KPRC TV |
Houston, TX |
2 |
NBC |
|
|
2 Jan |
KDKA TV |
Pittsburgh, PA |
2 |
CBS |
|
|
16 Jan |
KNBH |
Los Angeles, CA |
4 |
NBC |
KNBC |
|
16 Jan |
WTOP |
Washington, DC |
9 |
CBS |
WUSA |
|
26 Jan |
WHIO TV |
Dayton, OH |
7 |
CBS |
|
|
Jan |
WNBQ TV |
Chicago, IL |
5
|
NBC |
WMAQ (1964) |
|
8 Mar |
WAGA TV |
Atlanta, GA |
5 |
CBS |
|
|
8 Mar |
WBAP-FM |
Fort Worth, TX |
|
|
|
|
15 Mar |
WICU TV |
Erie, PA |
12 |
NBC |
|
|
15 Mar |
WLWD |
Dayton, OH |
2 |
NBC |
WDTN |
|
16 Mar |
KFMB TV |
San Diego, CA |
8 |
CBS |
|
|
18 Mar |
WGAL TV |
Lancaster, PA |
8 |
NBC |
|
|
21 Mar |
WTVJ TV |
Miami, FL |
4 |
NBC [CBS] |
|
|
3 Apr |
WLWS |
Columbus, OH |
4 |
NBC |
WCMH |
|
5 May |
KGO TV |
San Francisco, CA |
7 |
ABC |
|
|
30 May |
WRTV TV |
Indianapolis, IN |
6 |
ABC |
|
|
May |
WAPI |
Birmingham, AL |
13 |
NBC |
WVMT |
|
1 Jun |
KSL TV |
Salt Lake City, UT |
5 |
CBS |
|
|
6 Jun |
WKY |
Oklahoma City, OK |
4 |
NBC |
KTVY |
|
14 Jun |
WROC TV |
Rochester, NY |
8 |
NBC |
|
|
1 Jul |
WCCO TV |
Minneapolis-St.Paul, MN |
4 |
CBS |
|
|
1 Jul |
WBRC TV |
Birmingham, AL |
6 |
ABC |
|
|
15 Jul |
WBTV TV |
Charlotte, NC |
3 |
CBS |
|
|
10 Jul |
WJAR TV |
Providence, RI |
10 |
NBC |
|
|
26 Jul |
WCPO TV |
Cincinnati, OH |
9 |
CBS |
|
|
15 Aug |
WOTV TV |
Grand Rapids, MI |
8 |
NBC |
|
|
30 Aug |
WTVN TV |
Columbus, OH |
6 |
ABC |
WSYX |
|
1 Sep |
KMTV TV |
Omaha, NB |
3 |
CBS [NBC] |
|
|
15 Sep |
WJAC TV |
Johnstown, PA |
6 |
NBC [ABC] |
|
|
15 Sep |
WJXT TV |
Jacksonville, FL |
4 |
CBS |
|
|
16 Sep |
KABC TV |
Los Angeles, CA |
7 |
ABC |
|
|
17 Sep |
WFAA TV |
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX |
8 |
ABC |
|
|
22 Sep |
WFMY TV |
Greensboro-High Point, NC |
2 |
CBS |
|
|
5 Oct |
WBNS TV |
Columbus, OH |
10 |
CBS |
|
|
5 Oct |
WOR TV |
New York-Secaucus, NY |
9 |
Ind |
WWOR |
|
16 Oct |
WDAF TV |
Kansas City, MO |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
31 Oct |
WOC TV |
Davenport, IA |
6 |
NBC |
KWQC |
|
11 Nov |
WTTV TV |
Bloomington-Indianapolis, IN |
4 |
IND |
|
|
15 Nov |
KRON TV |
San Francisco, CA |
4 |
NBC |
|
|
15 Nov |
WSAZ TV |
Huntington-Charleston, NV |
3 |
NBC |
|
|
30 Nov |
KOTV TV |
Tulsa, OK |
6 |
CBS |
|
|
1 Dec |
WBNG TV |
Binghamton, NY |
12 |
CBS |
|
|
1 Dec |
WKTV TV |
Utica, NY |
2 |
NBC |
|
|
3 Dec |
KRLD TV |
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX |
4 |
CBS |
KDFW |
|
11 Dec |
WOAI |
San Antonio, TX |
4 |
NBC |
KMOL |
|
19 Dec |
WJW TV |
Cleveland, OH |
8 |
CBS |
|
|
1950 |
|
15 Feb |
KENS TV |
San Antonio, TX |
5 |
CBS |
|
|
15 Feb |
WSYR TV |
Syracuse, NY |
3 |
NBC |
WSTM |
|
21 Feb |
WOI TV |
Ames-Des Moines, IA |
5 |
ABC [PBS] |
|
|
27 Mar |
WHAS TV |
Louisville, KY |
11 |
CBS |
|
|
2 Apr |
WTAR TV |
Norfolk, VA |
3 |
CBS |
WTKR |
|
1 May |
WJIM TV |
Lansing, MI |
6 |
CBS |
WLNS |
|
1 Jun |
WKZO TV |
Kalamazoo, MI |
3 |
CBS |
WWMT |
|
1 Jul |
WHBF TV |
Rock Island, IL |
4 |
CBS |
|
|
30 Sep |
WSM TV |
Nashville, TN |
4 |
NBC |
|
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Reference index
Page updated 19 February 2001
© David Fisher
|
