Baltimore's Second Station
You would think putting a brand-new television station would be easy when it was on the coaxial cable. That wasn’t altogether the case in 1948 in Baltimore.
Let’s go back to 1945. The
Baltimore Sun of Oct. 13 revealed the city had been assigned three channels by the FCC, which had four applications on file. One was from Hearst Radio, Inc. The Commission announced a decision the following May 6:
Video—198-204 mc
Hearst Radio Inc., Baltimore, Md.—CP [construction permit] new commercial television broadcast station to be operated on channel 6, 96 - 102 mc and ESR of 1800—AMENDED: to change frequency from channel 6, 96-102 mc to channel 11, 198 - 204 mc, ESR from 1800 to 2370, transmitter location and studio location. Change type of transmitter and antenna system.
An FCC ruling of Aug. 13, 1946 mentioned the call-letters WWBT had been assigned. The Commission approved a modified construction permit on July 21, 1947 and allowed a change of call-letters to WBAL-TV.
NBC was getting set to broadcast from that city. Two days later, a
Variety story outlined the network’s TV football schedule and mentioned three games to be played in Baltimore—the first one on October 11. The story goes on to say “WBAL-TV, NBC’s Baltimore tele-affiliate, [is] expected to be on the air at that time.” But the FCC decided on July 29 to extend the completion date to Jan. 21, 1948.
HAROLD SEE TO WBAL AS VIDEO MANAGER
Baltimore, Aug. 26
Harold P. See, operations supervisor of NBC’s new Washington, D. C. television station, WNBW, will exit that post next month to come here as manager of WBAL's new video affiliate, WBAL-TV. The appointment was annuonced [sic] yesterday (Mon.) by Harold C. Burke, general manager of WBAL.
See has been active in all phases of television development for the past 11 years, most of that time with NBC’s pioneering N. Y. station, WNBT. He is credited with being responsible for development of several technical advances and tele techniques.
Burke reported that See will take over his new job Sept. 15.
WBAL-TV's studios and transmitters are under construction and the station is expected to make its debut about Nov. 1. It will be an affiliate of the NBC tele network.
Nov. 1 came and went. When did the station put a signal on the air? This story appeared on the wire on Jan. 2, 1948:
NBC to Add Video Outlets
NEW YORK (AP)—The National Broadcasting Company said today its East Coast television network of four stations would be expanded to at least six stations this year.
The network now consists of two NBC-owned stations, WNBT in New York and WNBW in Washington, and two affiliated stations, WRGB in Schenectady and WPTZ in Philadelphia.
The network, in a statement on the 1948 outlook, said WBAL-TV in Baltimore, already on the air with test programs, will join the NBC East Coast network in the early months of the year. It added that Boston’s WBZ-TV, not yet on the air, also will join the hookup during the year.
Unfortunately, there’s revelation about what was being broadcast on the tests or when they began. Martin Codel’s
Television Digest newsletter of Feb. 14, 1948 reported tests were to start Feb. 20.
Then a problem arose. At the start of the year, there were three stations in New York, three in Washington and one in Baltimore, all using the same cable. Here’s how the problem was solved, according to the Jan. 14 edition of
The Hollywood Reporter:
NBC To Strengthen Eastern Video Link
New York.—To relieve the congestion of television circuits Southward from New York, the National Broadcasting Co. is completing a temporary radio relay link between Philadelphia and Baltimore, it was announced yesterday by O. B. Hanson, NBC vice-president and chief engineer.
The link, which will provide NBC television with a complete one-way circuit from New York to Baltimore and later to Washington, D.C., will be completed when the tower of NBC's Baltimore television affiliate WBAL-TV is ready for operation. This will be early in February.
"The three new micro-wave relay transmitters which NBC is temporarily installing will permit full-time operation of the NBC Television East Coast network without adding to the present heavy burden on existing facilities," Hanson explained. "When the new link goes into operation, NBC Television will have full-time use of a four-station network from Schenectady to Baltimore. Eventually the circuit will be expanded to the nation's capital to provide complete network service to the five stations of NBC Television."
On Jan. 27, the FCC agreed to extend WBAL-TV’s completion date to April 21, but NBC was announcing programming for the station. The
New York Herald Tribune reported on Jan. 28 that WBAL-TV would be among the first stations to broadcast a weekday newsreel prepared by Fox Movietone News sponsored by Camels as of Feb. 16 from 7:50 to 8 p.m.
Broadcasting reported on Feb. 2 that the Hecht Co. Department Store was set to sponsor the
Hecht House Party with Molly Martin once a week in February.
That didn’t happen, either. The
Pottsville Republican of Feb. 25, in a story about the appointment of Galen Fromme as the station’s news director (he was WBAL radio’s White House correspondent and sang on a weekly show), stated the station would go on the air Monday, March 1.
No, that didn’t happen. Finally, an Associated Press dispatch on March 6 from NBC informed readers WBAL-TV would become the fifth station on the network as of March 11. The
Baltimore Sun, owners of WMAR, the city’s only TV station, gave a preview:
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, the nation's nineteenth television station, goes on the air for the first time today, starting at 3.45 p. m. Special programs have been arranged for the occasion, particularly for this evening, including an NBC salute to WBAL-TV at 8 o'clock; "This Is Baltimore." with addresses by Governor William Preston Lane, Jr., and others, at 9.15; a program from Washington at 9.45 and a program from Philadelphia at 10. WBAL-TV is the fifth station in the NBC East Coast television network. It is Baltimore's second television station. The Monumental City's first was WMAR, operated by the Baltimore Sunpapers. In addition to the two television transmitters, Baltimore has three FM stations and seven standard stations.
The paper included the day’s schedule:
WBAL—Channel 11
3.45—Working Together.
4.00—Let’s Look at the News.
4.10—U. S. Weather Report.
4:15—Television Matinee.
5.00—Puppet Playhouse.*
6.00—Test Pattern.
7.00—Open House: Ross & Halliday.
7.15—Let’s Look at the News.
7.25—U. S. Weather Report.
7.30—The Album Revue.
7.45—Waltz Time.
7.50—Newsreel Theatre.*
8.00—“Musical Merry-Go-Round,” salute to WBAL-TV from NBC.*
8.30—Television Screen Magazine. Guests: Millicent Fenwick, John K.M. McCaffery.*
9.00—You Are An Artist with John Gnagy, sponsored by Gulf.*
9.15—This is Baltimore (sent to network).
9.45—“The Nature of Things,” program from Washington with Dr. R.K. Marshall.
10.00—Program From Philadelphia.
You won’t be surprised to learn the
Sun didn’t review the programming the following day. No doubt the Hearst paper in Baltimore did, but its archives are not available on-line.
Here’s the rest of the week-long line-up. WBAL-TV took the NBC feed for the evening (with asterisks) starting with the NBC Newsreel Theatre. It’s possible the 10:30 news package came from WBNT, which aired Acme and U.P. photos broadcast.
Friday, March 12
1.00—Swift Home Service Club with Tex and Jinx.*
1.30—Test Pattern.
4.00—Let’s Look at the News.
4.10—U. S. Weather Report.
4.15—Television Matinee.
5.00—Test Pattern.
7.00—Hobby House.
7.15—Let’s Look at the News.
7.25—U. S. Weather Report.
7.30—Mollie Martin.
7.50—Newsreel Theatre, sponsored by Camels.*
8.00—U.S. Royal Sports Time, sponsored by U.S. Rubber.*
8.15—Travel Film—“Two Great Blizzards.”*
8.25—Ski News—Motion Picture, sponsored by Kools.*
8.30—Theodore R. McKeidin.
8.40—Film Feature.
9.00—NBC Television Newsreel, sponsored by General Electric.*
9.10—Gillette Cavalcade of Sports: Boxing—Madison Square Garden.*
10.00—Boxing—Cerdan vs. Roach.*
10.45—Telesports.
NOTE: Lanny Ross will replace Jinx Falkenburg and Tex McCrary at the head of the Swift Home Service Club” when the program, on April 1, switches to Thursday nights at 8:30 o’clock on NBC’s television network. The offering is now seen Fridays at 1 P. M.
Other changes coincident with the time change will be a new title, “The Swift Show,” and an altered format, according to which Mr. Ross, a radio oldtimer, will act as master of ceremonies and featured vocalist. There will be guest stars.
Continuing with the program will be Sandra Gahle on fashions and home decoration, and Martha Logan on cooking. (New York Times, Mar. 16)
Saturday, March 13
No programs today.
Sunday, March 14
5.00—Test Pattern and Music.
7.25—Meet North Carolina.*
8.00—Author Meets the Critics. Book: “Jim Farley’s Story, the Roosevelt Years.” Critics: George Skolsky, Barnett Nover. Moderator: John K.M. McCaffery.*
8.30—Travel Film.*
8.40—A.N.T.A. Play—“Brilliant Performance” by Marjorie Allen.*
9.10—Travel Film—“Kashmir Story.”*
9.30—Hymn.*
9.33—Sign off.
Monday, March 15
4.00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
4.10—U.S. Weather.
4.15—Musical Matinee.
5.00—Test Pattern.
6.00—Test Pattern.
7:00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
7.10—U.S. Weather Report.
7.15—It Pays to Look.
7.45—Soundie.
7.50—Newsreel Theatre, sponsored by Camels*
8.00—Feature Film—“Stormy Trails.”*
9.00—NBC Television Newsreel, sponsored by General Electric.*
9.10—Boxing: St. Nicholas Arena, sponsored by Gillette.*
10.00—Boxing: Gene Boland vs. Frankie Abrams.*
10.30—Press Bulletins.
Tuesday, March 16
4.00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
4.10—U.S. Weather.
4.15—Mollie Martin.
4.45—Test Pattern.
5.00—Howdy Doody.*
7:00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
7.10—U.S. Weather Report.
7.15—Ballet by Nickoloff.
7.30—At Home with Mollie Martin.
7.50—Newsreel Theatre, sponsored by Camels.*
8.00—Film Feature.*
8.40—Wrestling, St. Nicholas Arena.*
10.00—Feature Match.*
10.30—News.
10.33—Signoff.
Wednesday, March 17
12.30—Pres. Truman’s Congress Address.*
4.00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
4.10—U.S. Weather.
4.15—Sports Matinee with Nick Campofreda.
5.00—Test Pattern.
6.00—Test Pattern.
7:00—Let’s Look at the News with Galen Fromme.
7.10—U.S. Weather Report.
7.15—Open House.
7.30—The Fix It Show
7.40—Meet the Boss.
7.50—Newsreel Theatre, sponsored by Camels.*
8.00—Americana Quiz with Ben Grauer.*
8.30—In the Kelvinator Kitchen, with Alma Kitchell*
8.45—Story of the Week, Richard C. Harkness interview with George C. Kenney from Washington.*
9.00—Kraft Television Theatre—“No Way Out.”*
10.00—President Harry S. Truman at the Sons of St. Patrick Dinner, Hotel Astor.*
10.30—Signoff.
Some post-scripts from Martin Codel’s
Television Digest newsletter.
Add TV sponsors: On NBC Network, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. (Kools), 5-min. sports film Fridays, 8:25 p.m., adding WBAL-TV, Baltimore, and WBZ-TV, Boston, as soon as they start; thru BBDO. (Feb. 7)
WBAL-TV . . . carrying some 18 hours per week of [NBC] network, 8 hours local, its local sponsors including Hutzler Dept. Store, Hecht Bros. Furniture, Baltimore Salvage Co. (hardware), Fox-Chevrolet, Philco, Bulova. Director Harold Burke says he has $2,000 in weekly billings on books already, plenty of sponsor prospects. (Mar. 6)
RCA's extension of Philco New York-Philadelphia microwave from Philadelphia into Baltimore is now in use to feed WBAL-TV when coaxial isn't available, has also been extended into Washington to feed WNBW. (Mar. 13)
Some astonishing findings in Baltimore area TV set ownership are revealed in survey just completed by WMAR-TV among area distributors; it discloses 10,273 sets as of May 1, with local sales running average of 125 per day; best previous estimate was only 6,500 since WMAR-TV has been operating scant 6 months, WBAL-TV less than two. (May 8)
As TV set circulation increases, so do station rates. Both NBC and CBS have announced they will hike basic time rate to $1,000 per hour next October for key outlets WNBT and WCBS-TV, New York. Additionally, NBC’s TV network rates will be boosted at same time for 5 of its present 7 TV affiliates: . . . Baltimore, $250 (July 10)
Baltimore’s WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV have both issued rate cards No. 2, effective Sept. 1, each with basic one-hour studio rate of $350, film $250. (Aug. 7)
Baltimore’s WBAL-TV is now operating more than 60 hours weekly, this week added Mon-Fri. simulcasts of Hi-Jinks variety 12:15 p.m. and Television Matinee 4-5 p.m., plus other afternoon features. TV sets reported moving so fast in Baltimore area, that 22,020 reported at Sept. 30 should reach 34,000 by Dec. 31. (Oct. 16)
Phone survey during second week of afternoon programming by Baltimore’s WBAL-TV disclosed 52.4% of taverns, 15.4% of TV homes had their sets tuned in 12 noon-5 p.m. Owners not tuned in gave as reasons: too busy with chores, didn’t know programs on, want more children’s shows, more films, more domestic science. Station is backing up new afternoon schedules with radio, newspaper, direct mail advertising. (Oct. 30)
You would think putting a brand-new television station would be easy when it was on the coaxial cable. That wasn’t altogether the case in 1948 in Baltimore.
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