WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL
1958-Present

WMBD files for Channel 8

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In June of 1952, Peoria Broadcasting Company would apply for Peoria's channel 8. The proposed station would have a power of 316-kW and broadcast from a tower of 995 feet. The construction cost was $550,474, with a first-year operating cost of $320,000 and expected first-year revenue to be around $400,000. The Peoria Broadcasting Company studios were listed as 212 South Jefferson, with a transmitter one mile south of Groveland, Illinois. The transmitter would be a DuMont model with a General Electric antenna. The applicant is the licensee of WMBD AM/FM, with principals being Charles C. Caley, 25% (general manager of WMBD AM/FM and 25% owner of WDZ Radio, Decatur, Illinois); Carl P. Slane, 12.6% (president of the Peoria Journal Transcript and Morning Star newspapers); Elizabeth P. Talbott, 31.2% (director for the Peoria newspapers listed).

 

In January of 1953, a new application for channel 8 was filed by a newly formed WMBD, Incorporated. The group changed ownership during the last months of 1952, but the desire for a television property would continue. The major changes to the initial application included the tower height, now listed as 543 feet instead of 995 feet. The construction cost was now listed as $538,369, with the operating cost at $428,819 and the proposed revenue at $512,662. The principals were now listed as Charles Caley, 66.67% (owner of WMBD AM/FM, 25% owner of WDZ Radio, Decatur, Illinois); John Fetzer, 33.33% (52% owner of WKZO AM/TV, Kalamazoo, Michigan and WJEF AM/FM Grand Rapids, Michigan). The application sought FCC approval of the assignment of the license of WMBD Peoria from the previous ownership, Peoria Broadcasting Company.

 

WMBD amended its application in May of 1953 to increase the tower height to 996 feet and would also change the tower/transmitter site to 3.3 miles south of Groveland, Illinois.

 

This filing for channel 8 by Peoria Broadcasting wasn't its first attempt at owning a television station. There were two permits issued to two different Peoria broadcast entities. One of which was Peoria Broadcasting. It was listed as having a permit to operate a television station with the call letters of WMBT(TV) on channel 6 in 1948. Peoria Broadcasting never acted on constructing a television station as it would have been costly, well beyond the ability of a radio station in Peoria to finance. The permit was either returned to the FCC or deleted by the Commission during the “freeze” as new allocation tables eliminated the two VHF channels from Peoria. More on the second permit later.

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Channel 8 Debate Heats Up

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In a rare display of cooperation, the owners of WEEK AM/TV and WTVH-TV petitioned the FCC in mid-September of 1954 to make all commercial channels licensed to Peoria UHF to prevent the creation of a new intermixed UHF-VHF market. The petition pointed out that the area presently is virtually all UHF. It also asked that the educational reservation affixed to channel 37 be switched to channel 8. An alternative suggestion submitted by the stations was to add channel 31 to Peoria and to reassign channel 8 to some other metro area containing other VHF stations. Channel 31 would have been the natural addition since UHF stations were assigned at 6-channels apart.

 

By November, the FCC denied the petition and its proposal to de-intermix the Peoria television allocation table. The Commission turned down both suggestions. Later in the month, an initial decision was made to grant the WIRL group channel 8 and deny the application of WMBD. The examiner concluded that WIRL should be given preference based on the integration of ownership and management, its experience in actual TV operation by a full-time stockholder, its program proposals, its use of separate staff and operation, and the diversification of the ownership and control of its broadcasting units. This “favored” status did not go as far as the issuance of a construction permit, and it merely stated that IF a decision were to be made, the permit would be granted to WIRL.

 

The examiner noted that Charles C. Caley's position of 2/3rd owner of WMBD was also a 25% owner of WDZ Radio in Decatur, Illinois. At the same time, John E. Fetzer, 1/3rd owner of the station, also owns and operates WKZO AM/TV in Kalamazoo, Michigan, KOLN-AM/TV in Lincoln, Nebraska and WJEF AM/FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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Is Peoria a UHF Island?

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The FCC faced several deintermixture challenges nationwide, including the central Illinois situation with Springfield's channel 2 allocation. Along with Peoria and Springfield, other markets were facing similar challenges of deintermixture. Albany, New York; Evansville, Indiana; Hartford, Connecticut; and Madison, Wisconsin, faced the VHF/UHF or all UHF station questions.

 

In early July 1955, the FCC held hearings over two days to find answers to several questions, among them the deintermixture controversy. Other questions were discussed, including if there should be a freeze on the granting of new VHF and UHF stations if a new allocation table is necessary to reassign channels to cities and markets all across the country, how soon these and other questions should be decided not to harm the growing local television industry?

 

An attorney for a group of New England UHF stations, James A. McKenna, submitted a deintermixture plan that proposed some UHF-only “islands” among them, the Springfield-Decatur, Illinois market and the Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois market. This would have eliminated the VHF allocations of channel 2 in Springfield and channel 8 in Peoria, among others nationwide.

 

He also suggested reassigning those deleted VHF stations to other nearby VHF markets. Channel 2 will be sent to St. Louis, and channel 8 will be moved to the Rock-Island-Davenport (Iowa)-Moline, Illinois market.

 

He argued that this proposal would create many UHF “strongholds,” create competitive TV stations operating on the same level playing field, save as many UHF stations as possible, give UHF stations and their investors support, and keep enough UHF stations in operation to justify further research and development in UHF receivers and television manufacturing. He also supported the elimination of the excise tax on UHF television sets.

 

Virtually all of the recommendations of Mr. McKenna would come to pass over time. At the time, though, the FCC was torn between admitting they botched the intermixture concept of VHF stations co-existing with UHF stations and their desire to help ensure the success of more UHF stations.

 

It may not seem like it, but it was a complex issue. There were questions from Commissioners at the FCC concerning why UHF stations had problems competing with single VHF stations in the same market. Some other questions included concerns about “white” areas or locations where only VHF reception would be possible because UHF signals wouldn't reach some rural areas and the technical differences between VHF and UHF broadcasting.

 

Since the FCC began issuing permits for UHF stations, up to that point, it has granted 324 commercial UHF stations; among those, 115 have ceased broadcasting. The position of UHF stations was summed up by representation of one group of UHF stations, Benito Gaguine, who asked, “The question is not who killed UHF, the question is that you have a dying patient and what are you going to do about it?”

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FCC Deny Deintermixture Petitions

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In early November of 1955, the FCC was reportedly ready to deny petitions from several cities to make those cities all UHF markets. Among those were petitions from WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV in Peoria.

 

The following week, the FCC wiped the entire deintermixture slate clean and began to set the stage for what could be a complete overhaul of the TV allocation table for stations across the country. Later in the month, both WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV would refile against the issuance of channel 8 in Peoria.

 

By February of 1956, the FCC would deny petitions from the Peoria UHF stations, saying their appeal to intervene in the hearing was too late. It was also repeated that WIRL won the initial decision for channel 8 over WMBD.

 

The ever-wavering FCC later came up with a similar solution that WEEK and WTVH proposed based on months of hearings. In June of 1956, the Commission said that a case-by-case consideration of deintermixture petitions would occur. After months of not considering the move, the FCC commissioners were ready to reconsider the move of the VHF allocations from Peoria and Springfield, Illinois.

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FCC Reconsiders Channel 8

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It didn't take long for the FCC to waiver once again. In July, the FCC issued three final television decisions granting “favored” status to WMAY-TV channel 2 in Springfield and WIRL to channel 8 in Peoria. The catch was that both grants would deny those winners actual construction permits, which meant that the Commission forbade construction on either “favored” owner on their granted VHF station.

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By late September of 1956, the FCC seemed to float another trial balloon to take channel 8 from Peoria and send it to Rock Island, Illinois. The FCC proposal also included the addition of channel 25 to the Peoria allocations. That would give Peoria the following channels: 19, 25, 43, and 37 as an educational service. No mention was made of channel 31. Channel 8 would be assigned to Rock Island along with channels 4, 6, 36, and 42, with 30 dedicated to educational television. It would also assign channel 40 to Galesburg.

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FCC Clears the Way for WMBD to Apply for Channel 31

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On February 28, 1957, the FCC decided that the allocation of channel 8 would be moved to the Quad Cities (Rock Island, Illinois). The move was made on a 4 to 3 vote of FCC commissioners. Along with the decision to move channel 8, a move to assign another UHF allocation to the Peoria allocation table was approved. Channel 25 would be added to the available channels. It was assumed that WIRL-TV would apply for channel 25, which would be immediately granted and approved to begin construction. The other new official addition to the Peoria allocation table was for channel 31.

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WMBD-TV Applies for Channel 31

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After announcing the final FCC decision on the channel 8 move and establishing channel 31 as an added channel to the Peoria allocation table, WMBD, Incorporated would apply again for a television station—this time for the new channel 31 position. The proposed television station would go on the air with an initial power of 288 kW from an antenna/tower 620 feet above average terrain. Ultimately, the specs of Channel 31 would be even more impressive.

 

The studio would be with the current radio stations at the site of the former Majestic Theatre, built in 1906. The theater was closed in 1946 and then put into use as a broadcast studio for the radio stations.

 

In July of 1957, it was announced that the new Channel 31 would go on the air as an interconnected primary affiliate of CBS. The news came from Edward P. Shurick, CBS-TV network vice president and director of station relations.

 

In September of 1957, the FCC granted the use of the call letters of WMBD-TV. WMBD AM/FM/TV, Robert O. Runnerstrom, vice-president and station manager, would sign a contract with E.C. Tracy, RCA broadcast equipment manager, for a 25kw transmitter along with a high gain antenna, which would give Channel 31 a one-million watt (1000kw) effective radiated power. The contract also included a studio equipment package worth $500,000.

 

Staffing the new Peoria station was underway with the November announcement of hiring Gordon F. Max as the station's new production manager. He previously had the same title at WREX-TV in Memphis, Tennessee. Charles “Chuck” Harrison was added as a news director hired by WCKT(TV), Miami, Florida. Also, in late 1957, W.P. “Win” Baker was appointed program director at WMBD-TV.

 

The former promotion director at WNDU-TV, South Bend, Indiana, Joseph Franzgrote, was hired as promotions director at Channel 31. James J. Johnston, the continuity director at KTVH(TV), Hutchison, Kansas, was appointed operations manager. Jack Sawyer, producer-director at WLWA(TV), Atlanta, Georgia, and Brian Scruby, a producer-director at WTOP-TV, Washington, D.C., were hired as producer-directors.

 

WMBD-TV Goes On the Air

 

An ad published in Broadcasting-Telecasting stated that WMBD-TV was currently on the air with a test pattern getting ready for its initial commercial broadcast set for January 12, 1958. However, the official sign-on would be revised to occur even earlier.

 

At sign-on, the management team included Charles C. Caley; president Robert O. Runnerstrom; vice-president Robert M. Riley, Jr., sales manager; Samuel F. Jackson, national sales manager; Winthrop P. Baker, Jr., program director, and film buyer; Charles F. Harrison, Jr., news-director and George A. Pyle as chief engineer.

 

On January 1, 1958, WMBD-TV would go on the air at 6 pm broadcasting a half-hour dedicatory program with Charles Caley and Robert Runnerstrom along with introductions of the talent lineup of the station, as well as a short sample of news, sports, and weather before proceeding with the CBS prime schedule. At 6:30 pm, there was a ceremony with George Pyle, the chief engineer, flipping the switch to bring CBS to air.

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WMBD-TV Goes On the Air

 

An ad published in Broadcasting-Telecasting stated that WMBD-TV was currently on the air with a test pattern getting ready for its initial commercial broadcast set for January 12, 1958. However, the official sign-on would be revised to occur even earlier.

 

At sign-on, the management team included Charles C. Caley; president Robert O. Runnerstrom; vice-president Robert M. Riley, Jr., sales manager; Samuel F. Jackson, national sales manager; Winthrop P. Baker, Jr., program director, and film buyer; Charles F. Harrison, Jr., news-director and George A. Pyle as chief engineer.

 

On January 1, 1958, WMBD-TV would go on the air at 6 pm broadcasting a half-hour dedicatory program with Charles Caley and Robert Runnerstrom along with introductions of the talent lineup of the station, as well as a short sample of news, sports and weather before proceeding with the CBS prime schedule. At 6:30 pm, there was a ceremony with George Pyle, the chief engineer, flipping the switch to bring CBS to air.

 

Television Programming on New Year's Day 1958, the First Day of WMBD-TV

 

WMBD-TV's first-day broadcast schedule is unique in many ways. First, it's a holiday, New Year's Day, 1958. It also notes the sign-on of Peoria's third television station in an all-UHF market. It was also a bad day for WTVH-TV, which would lose the affiliation and the network compensation income from CBS to WMBD-TV. Meanwhile, you'll note that WTVH-TV was still airing CBS programming until the last minute, when at 6 pm, WMBD-TV would sign on. Even with that, there were still a few programs from CBS during the next few weeks that would air on WTVH-TV until the individual contracts expire.

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WMBD-TV Files to Move to Channel 25

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After the forfeiture of channel 25 by WIRL-TV, Incorporated, WEEK-TV sought a lower channel number for the reasons stated earlier. No station wanted to be left on the edge of the channel listings as people in that era would begin scanning channels from the lower to the higher number. No one wanted to be on the upper end of the scale. That's when, just weeks after the sign-on of Channel 31, WMBD-TV would seek a modification of its construction permit to move to channel 25, changing its effective radiated power to 290kw with their existing 626-foot antenna/tower. That request was announced on February 14, 1958.

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