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The beginnings of WKPT-TV, Kingsport TN

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IM42A

www.timesnews.net

The day television came to Kingsport: WKPT-TV signed on the air 50 years ago

Editor’s note: Kingsport native Calvin Sneed’s 48-year broadcasting career began at WKPT AM-FM-TV, four months after WKPT-TV signed on the air in 1969. He was hired at the age of
www.timesnews.net www.timesnews.net

Sadly, a few years ago, WKPT lost the ABC affiliation to a subchannel of WJHL, and now they are relegated to being a Cozi TV affiliate. Their news operation didn't survive the loss of the ABC affiliation.

Just from a business standpoint, I can fully understand why WLOS didn't want to share its signal for WKPT to get ABC programming from them. This would take a great big chunk out of their market, whereas WTVK had little overlap with WKPT and wouldn't lose any viewership to speak of. UHF was a dodgy proposition in the Tennessee hills in those days.

I'm assuming that the six "great Southern states" (and that they are indeed!) in WLOS's promo were North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Back in the day, WLOS got all the way up to Corbin and Manchester KY via translator, and the 1963 Television Factbook shows them as viewed in Rockcastle County (Mount Vernon). That was one robust signal!
 
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Thanks for posting this. Although I've never been anywhere near Kingsport, it's interesting to read the story of a small new UHF station coming on the air in a VHF market in that era. It reminds me of a TV Guide article on the launch of channel 14 (then KCWY) in Casper, WY about ten years later.
 
TexasTom said:
Thanks for posting this. Although I've never been anywhere near Kingsport, it's interesting to read the story of a small new UHF station coming on the air in a VHF market in that era. It reminds me of a TV Guide article on the launch of channel 14 (then KCWY) in Casper, WY about ten years later.
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Even though it wasn't in a VHF market, and was a fairly unique situation of starting a network affiliate with a full-service news division on the far edge of its market, the story of WKYH-57 (later to become WYMT) in Hazard KY, not far from Kingsport, is also very interesting (pp. 303-306):

https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/Towers-Over-Kentucky-Nash-1995.pdf
 
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