W6XIS and KDYL

Attempting to settle when a TV station first went on the air can be a challenge. There are test transmissions. Then there is a regular schedule of test transmissions. Then there are transmissions containing programming. And that’s if the information is recorded somewhere.

This brings us to W6XIS. Well, actually it brings us to KDYL.

KDYL was a radio station in Salt Lake City that decided it wanted to broadcast pictures, too. So it did. Here’s what the Salt Lake Tribune of Sept. 16, 1939 had to say:

S. L. Will See Television Tests Tonight
KDYL, NBC Invite Public to Demonstration
Arrangements for the first in a series of television demonstrations to be given during the next two weeks, beginning Saturday evening at the Park company, 28 East Broadway, were completed by television and radio engineers Friday night [15].
One of the first public demonstrations of its kind in the United States, the television show will formally signalize completion of an extensive renovation program at the Paris company, officials stated Friday.
Many thousand dollars have been spent in remodeling the store's interior and exterior. An entire new facade has been completed after several weeks' work.
In cooperation with KDYL and the National Broadcasting company, the first demonstration will be given Saturday from 7:30 p. m. until 10 p. m. on the second-floor studio especially constructed in the store.
Will Explain Method
City, state, church and other dignitaries will participate on the program, in addition to a variety show including dancing, musical numbers and an explanation of the revolutionary radio development by John M. Baldwin, chief engineer for KDYL.
Among those scheduled to speak on the program are the Most Rev. Duane G. Hunt, bishop of the Catholic diocese of Salt Lake; President Heber J. Grant of the L. D. S. church; Rabbi Samuel H. Gordon of Temple Israel; The Very Rev. Franklin L. Gibson,-dean of St. Mark's Episcopal cathedral; The Rev. Jacob Trapp, minister, First Untarian [sic] church; Herbert A. Snow, president of the Salt Lake chamber of commerce; Major John T. Zellers of Fort Douglas; City Judge Reva Beck Bosone; S. O. Bennion, Hamilton G. Park, LeRoy D. Simmons, Earl J. Glade, S. S. Fox, E. F. Dreyfous, Frank C. Carman and Mrs. Elizabeth M. Felt, only surviving member of the original company of the old Salt Lake theater. David N. Simmons will be master of ceremonies.
First Time in S. L.
The program will originate in a special studio on the second floor. From there, television sets will transmit by direct wire to six portable receivers scattered in various parts of the store, affording visitors an opportunity to see the radio image for the first time.
At 9:30 p. m., the sound program will also be broadcast over KDYL. President Grant will speak, and a series of dramatic sketches depicting various periods in western history will be presented. By means of television sets in the store, visitors will see styles of each period modeled to the accompaniment of music typical of each period.
The public also will be able to witness the broadcast procedure through glass panels in the studio.
After the initial show Saturday night, a daily program for two weeks will be "telecast" from 11:30 a. m. until 4:30 p. m. in the store.

This wasn’t a true television broadcast with a signal being sent out over the air. The story makes it clear this was a closed-circuit affair; there were a number of these happening in various parts of the U.S.

However, the owner of KDYL, was serious about television and applied to the FCC for a license. The Deseret-News reported on Nov. 17, 1943:

Television Station Sought By KDYL
Application for permission to operate an experimental television station has been filed by the Intermountain Broadcasting Company—operators of KDYL—with the Federal Communications Commission, it was announced today. S. S. Fox, president and general manager of the corporation, said the station will begin the broadcasts as soon as permission is granted. Receiving sets will be placed in several downtown areas for daily one-hour broadcasts, he added. Range of the broadcasts will be about five miles.

This was at a time when almost all television had been curtailed as the war sucked away all the electronics the industry needed. The application seems to have sat there. Then the weekly NAB Reports reported on Sept. 29, 1944 about the following application:

NEW — Intermountain Broadcasting Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah — Construction permit for a new experimental television station to be operated on Channel #1 (50004-56000 kc., A5 and special emission. Amended to also request Channel #17 (282000-288000 kc.) with power of 50 watts (200 peak) for visual and 100 watts for aural.

“Experimental” wasn’t enough. A new application was revealed by NAB Reports of Oct. 27:

NEW — Intermountain Broadcasting Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah. — Construction permit for a new commercial television broadcast station to be operated on Channel #1 (50000-56000 kc.).

This gets confusing as Intermountain had two applications—one for a commercial station (KDYL-TV) and one for an experimental station (W6XIS). The Deseret-News of Dec. 30, 1944 reported:

S. L. To Have Television Testing Station
The Itnermountain [sic] Broadcasting Corp. of Salt Lake has been granted a permit by the Federal Communications Commission for construction of an experimental television broadcasting station, it was announced today. The permit to the Intermountain firm, which operates radio station KDYL, will provide for the first television broadcasting unit between Chicago and the Pacific coast.
"KDYL has been interested in television for five years and this license justifies our experimental work in what we feel will be the great postwar industry." said S. S. Fox, president and general manager of the corporation.
Mr. Fox explained that KDYL had bought a standard RCA boradcasting [sic] unit with a number of receiving sets in 1939 and has been making laboratory experiments since then preparatory to obtaining this license. The equipment originally produced a 441 line picture but KDYL's technical staff, under direction of John M. Baldwin, has converted it to the current standard of 525 lines.
Mr. Baldwin said the experiments so far had been conducted without radiated waves but that with the granting of this license the station expects to undertake transmission of television waves early in the spring.

The red tape gets a little confusing from here. The next development was an FCC Board decision on May 17, 1946 to grant a permit to build a commercial station to operate on Channel 2. But then on July 3, the FCC “re-instated” a construction permit for W6XIS to operate on either Channel 2 or Channel 9 and to move the proposed transmitter.

Here’s an update from the Dec. 14, 1946 edition of the Deseret News, with a description of the experimental programming.

TELEVISION: Utah Station Experiments With New Media
By King Durkee
Activities are now under way that will see the telecasting of commercial television programs in Utah in the not too distant future.
Experimental telecasts are already being transmitted by KDYL, the National Broadcasting Company affiliate. Operating as experimental television station W6XIS, the present telecasts are purely of a technical nature, according to S. S. Fox, president and general manager of KDYL. Operation consists mainly of tests patterns and live views of activities in downtown streets as picked up by the television camera from the KDYL Playhouse windows on First South St.
That possible projection of films over the air might be in store for Utahn's even as early as the first of the year was disclosed by Mr. Fox who said the New York City manufacturer of a 16-millimeter television film projector held out prospects of being able to make delivery to the Salt Lake station early in 1947.
"Station KDYL has already been granted a construction permit by the Federal Communications Commission to build a commercial television station under the call letters KDYL-TV," Mr. Fox said, but added that "such an undertaking must await completion of current experimental work."
Mr Fox declared that his station's work with experimental television is the only such actitity of its kind in the Intermountain West. The station's telecasts are also unique, he pointed out, in that transmission is accomplished from the heart of the city faced on two sides by towering mountains.
Mountain Influence
"In their experimental transmission," the station executive said, "KDYL engineers are seeking to determine the effect of signal reflections from these mountains.”
Technically, he explained, this means the engineers must develop a signal strong enough to cover the broadcast area without a reflection strong enough to confuse or distort the television picture.
"Because the signal traveling directly to the home receiver has less distance to cover," Mr Fox said, "it will reach the receiver a fraction of a second ahead of the reflection which travels to the mountains and 'bounces back.' "
If the reflection or "bounce" signal doesn't virtually dissipate itself, he added, it will overlap the direct signal and give a fuzziness or out-of-focus effect to the picture.
"The work of engineers on this problem is expected to produce findings helpful to the industry in meeting similar problems elsewhere," Mr. Fox declared.
Television Tower
KDYL's broadcast tower atop the 16-story Walker Bank and Trust Company Building, tallest structure in the city, places the antenna 330 feet above Salt Lake's Main St., and in full command of the Great Salt Lake Valley.
"The two-bay turnstile, constructed by KDYL engineers, is identical in principal to the one designed by Dr. George H. Brown of the Radio Corporation of America Laboratories for the National Broadcasting Company on the Empire State Building in New York City," Mr. Fox said.
The station official also declared that the tower is built to accommodate an FM (frequency modulation) antenna.
Transmitter equipment in the penthouse on the Walker Bank Building roof was constructed in the KDYL laboratories under the direction of John M. Baldwin, technical director. The work was completed under war-time difficulties including shortage of parts and materials.
"A coaxial cable has been installed between the KDYL Playhouse at 68 Regent St., to the transmitter, and Mr. Baldwin expects to develop the film projection facilities in the playhouse," Mr. Fox said.
Mr. Baldwin reported that he was recently advised that the first hundred thousand television receivers built by RCA will be distributed in the New York and Philadelphia area, where successful television is already under way.
Television Sets
"RCA's second hundred thousand receivers probably will go to the Los Angeles area," Mr. Baldwin continued, "and Salt Lakers should be able to draw from that allotment, possibly by the middle of next year."
When the receivers are available, it was pointed out, KDYL's immediate aim will be to provide service only for Salt Lake City. Eventually, it was added, in order to extend service to surrounding cities, it will be necessary to locate a powerful transmitter on one of the mountains in the area.

The Salt Lake papers had very little in 1947 about local television, though some test broadcasts were reported. Broadcasting of Feb. 2, 1948 announced “experimental broadcasts will start this month.” But definitive word was published in the Salt Lake papers on March 17 that W6XIS would officially begin regularly scheduled experimental telecasts on Monday, April 19 at 8 p.m.

This is the Tribune’s version of the story the following day:

PICTURES ON THE AIR
Utah Notables Praise First Scheduled Telecast Show
Television—long heralded as one of the 20th century's major scientific strides—came to Salt Lake City Monday night.
Still not perfect, but a good barometer of what is to come, station W6XIS, operated by KDYL, went on the air with the first scheduled telecast in the intermountain area.
And with the phrase "We're on the air," many notables of the city and state, tensed for their first appearance on the new medium. The "cameramen" and technicians tensed also as the first sound and pictures were telecast.
Welcome Station
Gov. Herbert B. Maw, Mayor Earl J. Glade, Frank S. Streator, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce president, and Dr. A. Ray Olpin, University of Utah president, were among those to welcome the station and participate in the program.
Gov. Maw noted that Salt Lake City is the 13th city in the United States to have regularly scheduled television. Dr. Olpin, no newcomer to the field since he specialized in electronics and television pioneering more than 20 years ago, spoke briefly.
All went smoothly on the initial broadcast. But just in case, the cameramen had a sign ready for emergencies. It read: "Oops, sorry."
Free Demonstrations
Besides Salt Lakers with television sets in their homes, some free demonstration shows to interested patrons.
Station employes watched the televised, program on sets in adjoining studios. Besides the speakers, news reels, travel films and "live" singers and players were televised.
Programs will be broadcast regularly each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m. Test telecasts will be conducted Monday through Friday at 3 p.m.


The papers don’t provide any programme listings, though the Apr. 21st Deseret News mentions a local broadcast on traffic safety called “Your Chance to Lose” at 8:30 p.m. However, Variety of May 12 reported the station had something other experimental stations did not: commercials. (That issue, it was mentioned W6XAO in Los Angeles had been given 90-day approval to air spots). W6XIS’s programming highlight was kinescope highlights, documentary films and background from the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia that began June 21 that were flown to Salt Lake City. Large newspaper ads touted the LIFE-NBC coverage that could be watched from 3 to 4 p.m. at several stores (coverage resumed from 8 to 9 p.m.).

There was a channel change. Broadcasting magazine of May 31, 1948 reported the FCC had authorised KDYL-TV to move from Channel 2 (54-60 mc) to Channel 4 (66-72 mc) and increase effective radiated power to 14.5 kw.

Nat Berlin in Variety of June 22 explained the problems the new station was dealing with.

Pioneering in Smallest Center Yet, TV Finds It Tough Going in Salt Lake
When W6XIS, KDYL’s video outlet, hit the air six weeks ago with the first of its regularly scheduled telecasts, it was pioneering in the smallest population center yet to have television broadcasts. The teeoff was accompanied by plenty of fanfare, amid the presence of the usual brass from the governor of the state down. Public interest was high, and dealers around town reported satisfactory buying of sets.
Since then, interest has dropped, and set buying has slumped along with it. Programs not up to the standards set by AM or pictures, are blamed. W6XIS is on the air three times a week for about an hour each. Programs consist of a mixture of local productions and film. The film is old stuff, considered without enough interest to keep a family’s attention, and the local programs are basically not television. They’re AM with pictures.
(Difficulties encountered by the Salt Lake City station are indicative of those found by other stations opening up throughout the country, who don’t have access to network shows originating in N. Y. Solution to the problem, according to tele officials, lies only in providing better programming fare to keep the public’s interest at the high pitch engendered by the prebroadcast ballyhoo. Otherwise they point out, the consistent dropoff in viewer interest may result in irreparable damage both to the station and to the industry in general.)
W6XIS claims it hasn’t as yet completed its setup. According to Harry Golub, director, mobile units should be available by the end of June, and when they arrive a heavier schedule of outside telecasts will be used.
Tele faces two main problems in the Salt Lake City area. Because the valley is completely surrounded by mountains, the maximum potential audience, considering present population figures, is in the neighborhood of 250,000. This limits the market. In addition this area is not known for its spending and with video sets running from about $750 up, not too many customers are going to beat a path to the dealers. Right now there are about 200 sets in operation.
With a nut of about $300,000, W6XIS will undoubtedly do something to make the current picture a lot brighter. S. S. Fox is owner and general manager.
W6XIS is operating with a small staff, headed by Golub, former theater operator and outdoor show producer. The production staff has Dan Rainger in the program slot, Keith Engar handling production, Emerson Smith announcing, and Gloria Clark taking care of scripts.

Finally, everything was in place to drop the “experimental” moniker. Broadcasting magazine reported:

KDYL-TV Salt Lake City Makes Commercial Start
COMMERCIAL operations were commenced July 7 by KDYL-TV Salt Lake City, owned and operated by The Intermountain Broadcasting Corp., on Channel 2 (54-60 mc) with an effective radiated power of 4 kw visual and 2 kw aural.
The NBC affiliate, which is said to be the first commercial video outlet between St. Louis and the Pacific Coast, has been on the air experimentally as W6XIS since last April 19. Studios are located in Television Playhouse, 68 Regent Street, and the transmitter is located atop the Walker Bank building in downtown Salt Lake City.
Personnel actively engaged in operation of KDYL-TV are S. S. Fox, president and general manager; John Baldwin, vice president and technical director; Harry Golub, television director; Allen Gunderson, chief television engineer: Dan Rainger and Keith Engar, programming and production, and Gloria Clark, film librarian.

What’s maddening today is either the station didn’t provide, or the newspapers decided not to publish, the daily programme schedule. Stories got out, however. In July, the Democratic National Convention, the Gene Autry rodeo, the Days of ’47 Parade and, on the 29th, the first baseball game from Derks Field was put on the air (for Petty Motor, your friendly Ford dealer).

It’s difficult to say when the station gave up the call-letters W6XIS. They could still be found in local newspaper stories and ads as late as April 1949. But the papers still didn’t have any listings.