Re: a Providence TV question

[mwaters@mail.wesleyan.edu (Martin J. Waters)]

>Donna Halper wrote:
>In the early 50s, WJAR-TV was channel 11.  Does anybody know when and why
>it changed to channel 10?

        Someone else may actually know the answer. But, my fading memory
gives a vague notion that it was part of the situation where after the
first main batch of stations went on in 1948-49 they decided the co-channel
separation distances needed to be greater because they were getting
interference. Basically, they had calculated wrong. That's why New Haven
was moved from 6 to 8 -- too close to Philadelphia. And Providence was
moved because it was too close to WPIX in N.Y.C. Note that the two smaller
markets were the ones moved, although in both these cases the larger market
also was on the air first. There may have been some other channel switches
like these and I think they had to acknowledge there would have to be fewer
VHF allocations altogether.