WJHP-TV

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WJHP-TV
  • UHF)
Programming
AffiliationsABC, NBC
Ownership
OwnerJacksonville Journal Company
History
First air date
December 13, 1953 (1953-12-13)[1]
Last air date
October 25, 1957 (1957-10-25)
Technical information
ERP282 kW
HAAT460 feet (140 m)
Transmitter coordinates30°16′55″N 81°37′52″W / 30.28194°N 81.63111°W / 30.28194; -81.63111

WJHP-TV was a

Philips Highway
.

History

The interest of the Jacksonville Journal Company, known until 1952 as the Metropolis Company,

VHF channel 8 to go with its existing radio station holdings, the WJHP radio stations, named for company owner John H. Perry.[3] This application was granted by the Federal Communications Commission on August 13, 1948.[4]

However, the FCC's reallocation plan after the freeze removed channel 8 from Jacksonville. Instead, the Jacksonville Journal Company reapplied for

UHF channel 36 on December 5, 1952.[5] A second application was filed for the channel by WEAR in Pensacola, but a settlement agreement was reached in early June. The John H. Perry–owned station in Pensacola, WCOA, withdrew its request for channel 3 there, and WEAR in turn pulled out of the channel 36 fight in Jacksonville. This resulted in WEAR-TV being approved in Pensacola and WJHP-TV in Jacksonville.[6][7]

With the permit awarded, work began on putting the new station on the air. In August, a subsidiary of the Jacksonville Journal Company purchased the former Peacock Club, a nightclub on

Philips Highway, to be refitted as the home of its radio and television operations.[8] The Peacock, a nightclub opened during World War II, had not performed as expected in spite of being among the "plushest" such establishments in northern Florida.[9] WJHP-TV signed affiliation agreements with the NBC[10] and ABC networks in November.[11]

WJHP-TV began broadcasting a test pattern on November 30, 1953,[12] and programming on December 13.[1]

Over its history, ownership constantly fought for a VHF channel to be made available for their use. In 1955, the station and local educators made a proposal whereby the Duval County school system would receive the channel 36 facility for educational broadcasting if the reserved channel 7 were reclassified to permit commercial use.[13] The Jacksonville Journal Company protested after the FCC awarded channel 12 to the Florida-Georgia Television Company in September 1956. It believed the FCC should have enacted "deintermixture"—the making of the Jacksonville market all-VHF or all-UHF—as it had in similarly situated markets such as New Orleans and Duluth, Minnesota, which had one VHF and one UHF outlet in operation and a final decision pending for a second VHF station. In the appeal, Perry Jr. indicated that from December 1953 to June 30, 1956, the station had incurred operating losses of $448,900 in addition to $561,575 in construction expenses, and NBC had become noncommittal as to continuing its affiliation with WJHP-TV;[14] previously, NBC had told WJHP-TV that it would move to the new channel 12 whenever it was granted.[13]

The appeals court upheld the channel 12 grant in May 1957,[15] A second appeal to have channel 7 made commercial, or alternatively to change channel 12 to UHF channel 46, was denied.[16] Florida-Georgia Television Company's station, WFGA-TV, began broadcasting as an NBC affiliate on September 1, 1957.[17][18]

John H. Perry Jr. announced on October 15, 1957, that the station would leave the air on October 25, its problems having been exacerbated by WFGA-TV's debut. Perry believed that the only way that a third station in the market could be successful was the addition of a VHF channel to Jacksonville, and hoped that the FCC would provide relief.[19] A country music program hosted by a young Johnny Tillotson, still attending the University of Florida at the time, moved from WJHP-TV to WFGA-TV after channel 36 folded.[20]

Perry's desire for an additional VHF channel never came to pass, and in August 1960, the FCC deleted the WJHP-TV construction permit at the Jacksonville Journal Company's request.[21] The channel was not used again. Rust Craft Broadcasting applied for channel 36 in 1963,[22] but after obtaining the permit, it applied to switch to channel 17 in service of its efforts to obtain network affiliation.[23][24] The FCC approved this request in August 1964,[25] and Rust Craft put WJKS-TV on the air on February 19, 1966.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b "WJHP-TV". Television Factbook. Spring 1957. p. 102.
  2. ProQuest 1285691924
    .
  3. ProQuest 1014897763
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  4. ProQuest 1285670286
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  5. ProQuest 1401206777
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  6. ^ "TV Channel Bid Pulled By WCOA". The Pensacola Journal. Pensacola, Florida. June 2, 1953. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ProQuest 1285698554
    .
  8. ^ "Site Is Purchased For Studios Of WJHP's Television Station". Ocala Star-Banner. August 13, 1953. p. 16. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  9. ProQuest 1401209189
    .
  10. ProQuest 1401210265
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  11. ProQuest 1401208382
    .
  12. ^ "New TV Unit To Broadcast Test Pattern". Florida Times-Union. November 30, 1953. p. 20. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  13. ^
    ProQuest 1016845296
    .
  14. ProQuest 1285731778
    .
  15. ^ "FCC Upheld In Award of Channel 12". Florida Times-Union. May 30, 1957. pp. 17, 25. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  16. ^ "FCC Denies Proposals For TV Revisions Here". Florida Times-Union. August 3, 1957. p. 20. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  17. ^ Barry, John R. (September 1, 1957). "WFGA-TV Begins Regular Broadcasts". Florida Times-Union. pp. 13, 20. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  18. ^ "New Station Joins NBC's TV Network". Florida Times-Union. June 12, 1957. p. 23. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "Channel 36 Goes Off Air On Oct. 25". Florida Times-Union. October 16, 1957. p. 27. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  20. ^ Walker, Bill (October 27, 1957). "Looking at Viewing". Florida Times-Union. p. 17. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  21. ^ "FCC Cancels License". Florida Times-Union. Associated Press. September 1, 1960. p. 34. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  22. ^ "Ohio Firm Seeks City TV Station". Florida Times-Union. May 18, 1963. p. 27. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "TV Channel Switch Idea Comments Asked". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. UPI. April 3, 1964. p. 5-B. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ProQuest 1032427833
    .
  25. ProQuest 962813741
    .
  26. ProQuest 1014506263
    .
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