WSUN-TV
Encyclopedia
WSUN-TV was a television station in St. Petersburg, Florida
from 1953 to 1970 and was the first TV station in the Tampa
/St. Petersburg television market.
of 1953, with regular operations beginning on May 31. It was owned by the city of St. Petersburg along with WSUN
radio (620 AM, frequency now occupied by WDAE). It was one of the first UHF stations in the country. Its studios were located on the first floor of the St. Petersburg Pier
overlooking Tampa Bay
. It was relatively small—only 35 feet long and 46 feet wide—and had once been a trolley
turnaround. This made local productions rather difficult.
The station was originally an independent station carrying secondary affiliations with all four major networks of the time--CBS
, NBC
, ABC
and DuMont
-- in part because microwave links for network programming only went as far as Tampa. For its first year of operation, channel 38 relied on film and kinescope
s for prime time programming. In 1954, however, the area's main telephone provider, Peninsular Telephone (later owned by GTE
), provided WSUN-TV with a private microwave link in time for the World Series
, making it the first station in the country to receive live programming via microwave. The station quickly secured a primary affiliation with CBS, while continuing to cherry-pick programming from NBC, ABC and DuMont. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network
.
Due to protracted battles over the other two allocations for Tampa Bay—channels 8 and 13, both licensed to Tampa—WSUN-TV was the only station in the Tampa Bay area for two years. The station's most popular local program during this time was Captain Mac, hosted by Burl McCarty. Channel 38 lost its monopoly in 1955. On Valentine's Day
, WFLA-TV
signed on channel 8 and took the NBC affiliation. In April, WTVT
signed on channel 13 and took the CBS affiliation. WSUN-TV dropped its affiliation with the dying DuMont network shortly afterward, leaving it as a sole ABC affiliate. WTVT's debut hit WSUN-TV particularly hard, as many of the station's staffers bolted to channel 13. One of them was McCarty, triggering a legal battle over whether he or channel 38 owned the Captain Mac character. Ultimately, McCarty was allowed to take his character to WTVT, but not his uniform or the show's format. WSUN-TV was allowed to use the Captain Mac name as well. This strange situation prevailed for only six months, until McCarty returned to WSUN-TV and stayed there until his retirement in 1959.
In hopes of getting a better signal, WSUN-TV tried to swap frequencies with Tampa Bay's new educational television
station, WEDU
, in the late 1950s. Under the proposed deal, WSUN-TV would have moved to channel 3, while WEDU would have moved to channel 38 and kept WSUN-TV's old equipment. However, this deal was turned down.
announced it was dropping in a third VHF frequency in the Tampa Bay market—channel 10, in Largo
, just north of St. Petersburg. WSUN-TV immediately jumped into the bidding for the new license, fearing the loss of ABC programming if another company got the license. After a protracted legal battle, the FCC awarded the channel 10 license to Rahall Communications in 1961. Shortly afterward, ABC decided to move its affiliation in Tampa Bay to the new channel 10, effective with the end of WSUN-TV's contract in 1965. WSUN-TV sued ABC to stop the switch, but could not stop Rahall from putting channel 10 on the air as WLCY-TV
on July 17, 1965.
After another month of legal fighting, WLCY-TV was finally awarded the ABC affiliation by court order. Channel 10 officially joined ABC in a special ceremony on September 1, leaving WSUN-TV as an independent station.
In 1968, just when the station was finding its niche again, it got a competitor in the form of WTOG
(channel 44). The new station's owner, Hubbard Broadcasting, used its financial muscle to snap up most of the stronger syndicated programming. WSUN-TV limped along for two more years before finally going off the air on February 23, 1970; the station's owners cited that "the situation as to viewers and advertisers precludes continued operation at this time." A local legend in the Tampa Bay area has it that during its last few months on the air, the station only showed a close-up of a clock; however, the station was showing at least four hours of programming daily (generally from 5PM to 9PM) by the time the station folded, at least according to published newspaper schedules, which stations such as WSUN provided.
The channel 38 frequency remained dark for 21 years, until WTTA
signed on in June 1991. It operates under a different license from WSUN-TV.
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
from 1953 to 1970 and was the first TV station in the Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
/St. Petersburg television market.
Early history
It signed on with a test pattern on Memorial Day weekendMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
of 1953, with regular operations beginning on May 31. It was owned by the city of St. Petersburg along with WSUN
WSUN-FM
WSUN-FM is a commercial modern rock music radio station in Tampa, Florida, broadcasting on 97.1 FM.-History:The station signed on sometime in the late-1970 on the 106.3 FM frequency as WHBS, a station that served primarily Pasco and northern Pinellas Counties. The station later became WVTY, then...
radio (620 AM, frequency now occupied by WDAE). It was one of the first UHF stations in the country. Its studios were located on the first floor of the St. Petersburg Pier
St. Petersburg Pier
The St. Petersburg Pier, simply called The Pier by locals, is a landmark and major tourist destination in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Some of the activities and sights it encompasses include fishing, boat rentals, weekly festivals, and the Pier Aquarium...
overlooking Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
. It was relatively small—only 35 feet long and 46 feet wide—and had once been a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
turnaround. This made local productions rather difficult.
The station was originally an independent station carrying secondary affiliations with all four major networks of the time--CBS
CBS
CBS 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...
, 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...
, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
-- in part because microwave links for network programming only went as far as Tampa. For its first year of operation, channel 38 relied on film and kinescope
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
s for prime time programming. In 1954, however, the area's main telephone provider, Peninsular Telephone (later owned by GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
), provided WSUN-TV with a private microwave link in time for the World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
, making it the first station in the country to receive live programming via microwave. The station quickly secured a primary affiliation with CBS, while continuing to cherry-pick programming from NBC, ABC and DuMont. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network
NTA Film Network
The NTA Film Network was an early American television network founded by Ely Landau in 1956. The network was not a full-time television network like CBS, NBC, or ABC. Rather, it operated on a part-time basis, broadcasting films and several first-run television programs from major Hollywood studios...
.
Due to protracted battles over the other two allocations for Tampa Bay—channels 8 and 13, both licensed to Tampa—WSUN-TV was the only station in the Tampa Bay area for two years. The station's most popular local program during this time was Captain Mac, hosted by Burl McCarty. Channel 38 lost its monopoly in 1955. On Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV
WFLA-TV, virtual channel 8, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The station is the flagship station of its owner and operator, Media General. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Hillsborough County, Florida. WFLA is the only station in the market to be...
signed on channel 8 and took the NBC affiliation. In April, WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
signed on channel 13 and took the CBS affiliation. WSUN-TV dropped its affiliation with the dying DuMont network shortly afterward, leaving it as a sole ABC affiliate. WTVT's debut hit WSUN-TV particularly hard, as many of the station's staffers bolted to channel 13. One of them was McCarty, triggering a legal battle over whether he or channel 38 owned the Captain Mac character. Ultimately, McCarty was allowed to take his character to WTVT, but not his uniform or the show's format. WSUN-TV was allowed to use the Captain Mac name as well. This strange situation prevailed for only six months, until McCarty returned to WSUN-TV and stayed there until his retirement in 1959.
Signal problems
Channel 38 struggled in the ratings for the next decade, as ABC was not on par with CBS and NBC at the time (and wouldn't be until the 1970s). However, it faced an additional problem due to its location on the UHF band. Until 1964, television set manufacturers were not required to include UHF tuning capability. Viewers had to buy an expensive converter to watch WSUN-TV, and even with one picture quality was marginal at best. Also, UHF signals didn't travel very far at the time, resulting in a considerably smaller coverage area compared to those of WFLA-TV and WTVT.In hopes of getting a better signal, WSUN-TV tried to swap frequencies with Tampa Bay's new educational television
Educational television
Educational television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education. It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access ...
station, WEDU
WEDU
WEDU is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station, serving the Tampa Bay DMA in Florida. The station first signed on the air on October 17, 1958...
, in the late 1950s. Under the proposed deal, WSUN-TV would have moved to channel 3, while WEDU would have moved to channel 38 and kept WSUN-TV's old equipment. However, this deal was turned down.
Battle for channel 10
Sometime in the late 1950s, 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...
announced it was dropping in a third VHF frequency in the Tampa Bay market—channel 10, in Largo
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
, just north of St. Petersburg. WSUN-TV immediately jumped into the bidding for the new license, fearing the loss of ABC programming if another company got the license. After a protracted legal battle, the FCC awarded the channel 10 license to Rahall Communications in 1961. Shortly afterward, ABC decided to move its affiliation in Tampa Bay to the new channel 10, effective with the end of WSUN-TV's contract in 1965. WSUN-TV sued ABC to stop the switch, but could not stop Rahall from putting channel 10 on the air as WLCY-TV
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
on July 17, 1965.
After another month of legal fighting, WLCY-TV was finally awarded the ABC affiliation by court order. Channel 10 officially joined ABC in a special ceremony on September 1, leaving WSUN-TV as an independent station.
Demise
The St. Petersburg city government soon realized it could not afford to buy an additional 19 hours of programming per day, and sold WSUN-AM and TV to Hy Levinson of Detroit.In 1968, just when the station was finding its niche again, it got a competitor in the form of WTOG
WTOG
WTOG, channel 44, is a television station in St. Petersburg, Florida. Owned by the CBS Corporation, WTOG serves as the Tampa Bay Area station for the co-owned The CW Television Network. Its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida.-Early years:...
(channel 44). The new station's owner, Hubbard Broadcasting, used its financial muscle to snap up most of the stronger syndicated programming. WSUN-TV limped along for two more years before finally going off the air on February 23, 1970; the station's owners cited that "the situation as to viewers and advertisers precludes continued operation at this time." A local legend in the Tampa Bay area has it that during its last few months on the air, the station only showed a close-up of a clock; however, the station was showing at least four hours of programming daily (generally from 5PM to 9PM) by the time the station folded, at least according to published newspaper schedules, which stations such as WSUN provided.
The channel 38 frequency remained dark for 21 years, until WTTA
WTTA
WTTA is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Tampa Bay Area of Florida that is licensed to St. Petersburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Riverview. Owned by Bay Television, the station is operated by the Sinclair Broadcast...
signed on in June 1991. It operates under a different license from WSUN-TV.
External links
- Big 13--memorial site for WTVT, includes lots of historical info on WSUN-TV