Frank K. Spain
Encyclopedia
Frank Kyle Spain was an American
inventor and television
engineer
. He is best known for founding and building WTVA
, an NBC
affiliate in Tupelo, Mississippi
.
In his later life, Spain also owned and operated other stations and a microwave
service company. He was also a principal investor of MCI Southeast.
, on November 29, 1927. He spent most of his youth in Tupelo. Even early in his life, Spain took great fascination with the way electronics
worked. While still a high school student, he helped build and operate a local AM radio station, WELO
. Spain also served as the chief engineer on a part-time basis. After graduating with honors from Mississippi State University
at the age of 19, Spain took his electrical engineering
degree and ventured to Washington, D.C.
, Spain assisted in the construction of WNBW (now WRC-TV
). He helped with the first live television feeds which originated from the Capitol
, White House
, and other various historic locations, including the 1949 presidential inauguration
.
In 1949, Spain joined the NBC Development Group in New York City
to design television and microwave relay equipment.
Spain explains the development group here in a 2000 interview:
While there, he also helped build the first UHF television station in Bridgeport, Connecticut
, and supervised the pattern measurements of the station's antenna.
to adopt a color standard for all broadcast television networks. Spain participated in the 1949-1950 demonstration of the RCA
-compatible color television system. Though the FCC initially dropped RCA's system, a rehearing was held two years later and RCA's all-electronic system was adopted.
Two years later, Spain left NBC to take an engineering director position at WHEN-AM-FM-TV in Syracuse, New York
.
Though many NBC executives believed Tupelo was not a desirable place for a local affiliate station because of its rural location, they told Spain that if he could figure out a way to obtain a network signal, he could carry it. After several under-the-table deals with WMC-TV
in Memphis
, Spain set up a network of microwave relays and repeater systems to carry the WMC-TV signal to Tupelo. WTWV became an official NBC affiliate sometime in the mid-1960s. WTWV changed its call letters to WTVA
years later.
Because of the strategic location of these facilities, Spain joined Jack Goeken and Bill McGowan
in the start-up of MCI
. He maintained a sole ownership in MCI Mid-South and an equal partnership with the Meredith Corporation in MCI Southeast.
s after buying his first in 1974. Today, the Tupelo Automobile Museum
houses all of Spain's 150-car collection. The museum, founded by Spain, opened in 2002 and was designated as the official state automobile museum in 2003.
Spain was known internationally in broadcast circles and was awarded the Gold Circle Emmy Award in 2005 for 50 years' Lifetime Achievement in Broadcasting.
Though his health declined after the turn of the millennium, Spain continued to visit WTVA almost daily until his death. Known to many of his employees as a true hands-on owner, Spain often bragged that he could "take the Channel 9 staff anywhere in the world and they would be second to none." Of all the accomplishments Spain had overseen, WTVA was his crown jewel.
Spain died at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo on April 25, 2006 after a long battle with cancer
. His family still owns WTVA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. He is best known for founding and building WTVA
WTVA
WTVA is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northern Mississippi and Northwestern Alabama licensed to Tupelo, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on County Road 70 in Woodland, Mississippi. The station can also be seen on Cable One...
, an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate in Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
.
In his later life, Spain also owned and operated other stations and a microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
service company. He was also a principal investor of MCI Southeast.
Early life
Spain was born in North Lewisburg, OhioNorth Lewisburg, Ohio
North Lewisburg is a village in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Lewisburg is located at ....
, on November 29, 1927. He spent most of his youth in Tupelo. Even early in his life, Spain took great fascination with the way electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
worked. While still a high school student, he helped build and operate a local AM radio station, WELO
WELO
WELO is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards format. Licensed to Tupelo, Mississippi, USA, the station serves the Tupelo area. The station is currently owned by Jmd, Inc..-History:...
. Spain also served as the chief engineer on a part-time basis. After graduating with honors from Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
at the age of 19, Spain took his electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
degree and ventured to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Career
Shortly after being employed by NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Spain assisted in the construction of WNBW (now WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
). He helped with the first live television feeds which originated from the Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, and other various historic locations, including the 1949 presidential inauguration
Second inauguration of Harry S. Truman
The second inauguration of Harry S. Truman as the 33rd President of the United States was held on January 20, 1949. The inauguration marked the commencement of the second four-year term of Harry S. Truman as President and the only four-year term of Alben W. Barkley as Vice President. Chief Justice...
.
In 1949, Spain joined the NBC Development Group in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to design television and microwave relay equipment.
Spain explains the development group here in a 2000 interview:
"In those days, at least in the case of NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, they had design and development groups who were basically manufacturing their own cameras and equipment and whatever. And then RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
would take these designs and modify them somewhat and sell them commercially. So, the projects we were working on were very shortly thereafter [evolved into] color televisionColor televisionColor television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
."
While there, he also helped build the first UHF television station in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, and supervised the pattern measurements of the station's antenna.
New standard
With technology rapidly changing the scope of television in 1950, the decision was made by the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
to adopt a color standard for all broadcast television networks. Spain participated in the 1949-1950 demonstration of the RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
-compatible color television system. Though the FCC initially dropped RCA's system, a rehearing was held two years later and RCA's all-electronic system was adopted.
Two years later, Spain left NBC to take an engineering director position at WHEN-AM-FM-TV in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
Origins of WTWV
While working in Syracuse, Spain hoped to build a station in Tupelo. In December 1953, Spain successfully petitioned the FCC to allocate channel 9 to Tupelo, and was granted a construction permit three years later. The station first went on the air on March 18, 1957. The station's equipment--antenna, transmitter, cameras, etc.--had been hand-built by Spain.Though many NBC executives believed Tupelo was not a desirable place for a local affiliate station because of its rural location, they told Spain that if he could figure out a way to obtain a network signal, he could carry it. After several under-the-table deals with WMC-TV
WMC-TV
WMC-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. The station serves roughly the western third of Tennessee, northwestern Mississippi, northeastern Arkansas and the southeastern corner of Missouri over the air on satellite and on various cable systems. Its...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Spain set up a network of microwave relays and repeater systems to carry the WMC-TV signal to Tupelo. WTWV became an official NBC affiliate sometime in the mid-1960s. WTWV changed its call letters to WTVA
WTVA
WTVA is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northern Mississippi and Northwestern Alabama licensed to Tupelo, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on County Road 70 in Woodland, Mississippi. The station can also be seen on Cable One...
years later.
Microwave Service Company
In 1959, Spain started Microwave Service Company to provide distant signals to CATV systems and network interconnects for broadcast facilities. At the peak of his terrestrial transmission business, the company served twelve states.Because of the strategic location of these facilities, Spain joined Jack Goeken and Bill McGowan
William G. McGowan
William G. McGowan was an American entrepreneur, and founder and chairman of MCI Communications. His role as leader of MCI also caused him to play an important role in the breakup of AT&T while growing the startup company into a company that in 1991 had US$9.5 billion in revenues and controlled...
in the start-up of MCI
MCI Communications
MCI Communications Corp. was an American telecommunications company that was instrumental in legal and regulatory changes that led to the breakup of the AT&T monopoly of American telephony and ushered in the competitive long-distance telephone industry. It was headquartered in Washington,...
. He maintained a sole ownership in MCI Mid-South and an equal partnership with the Meredith Corporation in MCI Southeast.
Later years
Spain began a fascination with antique carAntique car
In the United States, an antique car is generally defined as a car over 45 years of age, this being the definition used by the Antique Automobile Club of America. However, the legal definition for the purpose of antique vehicle registration varies widely. The antique car era includes the veteran...
s after buying his first in 1974. Today, the Tupelo Automobile Museum
Tupelo Automobile Museum
Tupelo Automobile Museum is located in Tupelo, Mississippi. This museum has over one hundred cars that date back to 1869. Consisting of the late Frank Spain's personal collection, these cars rang from antique, rare, and celebrity.- Museum at a glance :...
houses all of Spain's 150-car collection. The museum, founded by Spain, opened in 2002 and was designated as the official state automobile museum in 2003.
Spain was known internationally in broadcast circles and was awarded the Gold Circle Emmy Award in 2005 for 50 years' Lifetime Achievement in Broadcasting.
Though his health declined after the turn of the millennium, Spain continued to visit WTVA almost daily until his death. Known to many of his employees as a true hands-on owner, Spain often bragged that he could "take the Channel 9 staff anywhere in the world and they would be second to none." Of all the accomplishments Spain had overseen, WTVA was his crown jewel.
Spain died at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo on April 25, 2006 after a long battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. His family still owns WTVA.