Worcester's Channel 5 allocation (was Re: MyTV joins MyNetwork)

[Peter Q. George]

Channel 5 as a Worcester allocation DID have an
applicant, The Worcester Telegram and Gazette.  It was
to be WTAG-TV.  BUT, Worcester, even in those early
days of TV was a "shadow market" and faithfully got
very strong signals from both Boston and Providence. 
Channel 14 WWOR-TV in Worcester, an ABC/NBC/DuMont
station was bleeding money due to few UHF converters
(and the strong VHF's coming in throughout Worcester),
and left the air a couple of years after it's debut.

WAAB-TV on Channel 20 was another CP that never saw
the light of day. The TAG saw the writing on the wall
and let their original Channel 5 CP lapse.  The Herald
Traveler (errrr.... WHDH Inc.) saw an opportunity in
TV, first with a Channel 13 CP, but pounced upon the
now vacant Channel 5 allocation in Worcester.  Channel
13 was reallocated to Portland, ME and Channel 5 came
home to Boston in 1957, in full color from day one. 
Worcester still had 14, 20, 27, 48 and 66 for possible
channels.  Channels 14 and 20 were reallocated (14 to
land-mobile and 20 to Waterbury, CT in lieu of the
original 53 for WATR).



  
--- "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@attorneyross.com> wrote:

> On 22 Jul 2006 at 22:57, Doug Drown wrote:
> 
> > Does anyone know why channel 5 didn't remain a
> Worcester allotment? 
> > It has always struck me as odd that the
> traditionally-second-largest
> > city in New England has never had a VHF station
> that is a major
> > network affiliate.  I would have thought that the
> FCC would especially
> > have given consideration to that when it forced
> the Herald Traveler to
> > divest itself of WHDH-TV. -Doug
> 
> One of the things emphasized when the WHDH-V license
> was set aside 
> was that there would be no interruption of service
> to the public.  I 
> can just imagine the public outcry if the Boston
> area had lost a 
> station.
> 
> And besides, for as long as the channel 5 allocation
> was in 
> Worcester, did anyone want to build a station there?
> 
> -- 
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                          
> 617.367.0468
>  15 Court Square, Suite 210                 Fax
> 617.742.7581
> Boston, MA 02108-2503           	        
> http://www.attorneyross.com
> 
> 
> 


Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
Whitman, Massachusetts
                           "Scanning the bands since 1967"
radiojunkie1@yahoo.com
radiojunkie3@yahoo.com
***********************************************************

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