Maybe Scott can unravel this FCC move from long ago

[kvahey@comcast.net]

I touched on this a couple of weeks back concerning some curious FCC
moves in Chicago.

In 1953 ABC merged with Paramount which owned WBKB channel 4 in
Chicago. ABC owned WEWR channel 7. ABC had to sell one and here the
fun begins.

ABC sold channel 4 to CBS for short money at 6 million. CBS then moved
to channel 2 and became WBBM-TV. ABC moved the WBKB calls to channel
7. What is unclear is how the FCC revoked the channel 2 license owned
by Zenith to allow Paley to move to channel 2.

The FCC reassigned channel 4 to Milwaukee and WGN which was both a
Dumont and CBS affiate became the only non-network VHF in what was
then the #2 market.

It appears Zenith did not contest the move and donated their
transmitter to new public station WTTW channel 11.

Was Zenith promised something in return?

WBKB would become WLS-TV in 1968.