WCAN-TV, Channel 25 (CBS)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1953-1955)
WCAN radio was owned by Midwest Broadcasting, and broadcast on 1250 AM. Midwest Broadcasting president, Lou Poller had owned WPWA radio in Aston, PA and had hired a struggling singer named Bill Haley as a D.J. and program director!
In 1952, the FCC lifted its "freeze" on new TV licenses. Milwaukee had originally received channels 3, 10 and 12. With the lifting of the freeze, Milwaukee received channel 4 instead of channel 3. That was assigned to WTMJ-TV, which had gone on the air in 1947. In addition, the FCC designated certain frequencies as "non-commercial/educational". Channel 10 was assigned for that purpose. The Hearst Corp., had applied for the frequency prior to the freeze, and started a lengthy court battle over the FCC's educational channel assignments. In addition, it petitioned (with some help from Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy) the FCC to assign another VHF frequency to the area - channel 6.
In addition to the educational assignments, the FCC also provided for an intermixture of new UHF stations with VHF in the same cities. Therein was a problem. UHF was not anywhere near as desirable as VHF. Most TV's already manufactured weren't capable of receiving a UHF signal. A converter (either an internal "strip" or and set-top box) was required. UHF was also more directional that VHF, meaning that set owners had to be more careful about pointing their antennas at the transmitter. (Congress did not require that all TV sets be capable of receiving a UHF signal until 1964!)
As such there were lots of applicants for channel 12 (the only available commercial VHF frequency), but few for the three available UHF licenses. Only Bartell Broadcasters (WOKY radio) and Cream City Broadcasting (WMIL Radio) had applied for UHF licenses.
Poller had originally applied for channel 12, but fearing long FCC hearings, amended his application to channel 25. Bartell Broadcasting received a CP for channel 19, while Cream City received one for channel 31. Poller received one for WCAN-TV on channel 25 on 4 February 1953.
Since there were three available UHF frequencies with only 3 applicants, those applications were unopposed. Poller could get on the air quickly.
Thus he began to construct facilities at 723 North 3rd Street (where the radio station’s studios were located). He also signed an affiliation agreement with CBS. The station's official debut was on 7 September 1953. Actual broadcasting started at 11:25 p.m. the previous evening, 6 September, when Hal Walker interviewed workers who were installing the transmitter on the tower in inclement weather. That tower was built atop the Schroeder (now the Hilton) Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.
WCAN-TV became a powerful force in Milwaukee TV. Because of the intermixture of UHF with VHF, Milwaukee residents bought many UHF converters and/or all-channel TV sets. Poller was also a ceaseless promoter. Poller continued to fight the FCC's assignment of channel 6 to Milwaukee. He and other owners formed the Ultra High Frequency Television Association in October of 1953, in order to lobby Congress.
On 31 December 1953, the District of Columbia circuit court of appeals denied WCAN-TV's motion for a temporary injunction restraining the FCC from allocating channel 6 to Whitefish Bay. The FCC proceeded with plans to hold hearings on the applications from Hearst Radio, Inc., Cream City Broadcasting, Inc., and Independent Television, Inc., who had also applied for the license.
During the FCC hearings for channel 12, the four applicants maneuvered with each other over their financial ability to operate a TV station. At the same time, WCAN-TV continued its objections to the assignment of channel 6 to Whitefish Bay, stating that Hearst Radio, Inc. intended to build new studios at North 19th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, with a transmitter and tower located in the former town of Granville - neither in the village of Whitefish Bay. It also contended that CBS had in its contract with WISN radio, a clause which would give that station a CBS affiliation should it ever operate a television station in Milwaukee. On 9 March 1954, Edward R. Murrow denounced Senator Joseph McCarthy on See It Now. WCAN-TV was the only Wisconsin CBS affiliate to carry the show. In May of 1954, the U.S. Senate held hearings regarding UHF broadcasting. WCAN-TV president Lou Poller testified, and argued that all television broadcasting be shifted to UHF. Poller took out a two page ad in the TV GUIDE issue of 28 May 1954, in which he put forward his thoughts on the subject, and announced that he was going to file an application to transfer WCAN-TV's programming to channel 12.
The three other applicants for channel 12 agreed to merge with the Milwaukee Area Telecasting Corp., and its application was approved by the FCC on 11 June 1954. (The merger agreement gave the other parties the option to purchase stock in the new corporation.) The commission turned down WCAN-TV's request to switch from channel 25 to channel 12. WOKY-TV had gone on the air on 3 October 1953. Some months later, a consultant, Thad Holt, approached WOKY-TV owner Lee Bartell re: taking out an option to purchase his station. Holt had been retained by CBS, although Bartell did not know that at the time.
In 1954, Lou Poller announced that he was going to build new facilities for WCAN-TV. At first, they were to be somewhere in the vicinity of North 60th and West Capitol Drive. Later, it was announced that he had purchased an old warehouse facility at 5445 North 27th Street, which was converted for TV use.
In September of 1954 it was announced that WOKY radio and WOKY-TV had cancelled their affiliations with the ABC network. The television cancellation became effective on 1 October; the radio 31 December. WOKY-TV was sold to CBS on 22 October 1954 for $350,000. In their affiliation agreement with WCAN-TV, CBS had a clause allowing it to terminate with a 6-month notice. That it did. CBS applied to change WOKY-TV's call letters to WXIX. Lou Poller then agreed to sell his new facilities to CBS. The announcement was made on 13 November 1954. CBS took over the facilities in Early February of 1955. On 27 February of that year, all CBS programming shifted to WXIX, on channel 19.
Poller received the former WOKY-TV facilities, so that he might continue broadcasting as an independent station, but he never did. Both WCAN-TV AND WCAN radio went off the air. (WEMP radio then shifted from 1340 to 1250 AM. A new station, WRIT then went on the air at 1340 AM. In the 50's and 60's it was a powerful top 40 AM station - challenged and beaten only by WOKY.) Lou Poller later sued CBS, Bartell, and Holt, claiming that they had engaged in a conspiracy to eliminate UHF broadcasting in Milwaukee - and perhaps the nation. CBS received a summary judgment against Poller, but that was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1962. (I don't know what happened thereafter. While Poller was entitled to a trial, it is likely that the matter was settled out-of-court.)
Although WCAN-TV was only on the air for approximately 18 months, the facilities Poller built were used for many, many years. The studios and offices at 5445 North 27th Street became WXIX, and were then sold to Storer Broadcasting in 1959, after CBS affiliated with WITI. WITI used them until 1978. Those facilities then became the original home to WCGV-TV, until it was purchased by Sinclair, and operations consolidated with WVTV. (It’s interesting that channels 18 and 24 are now owned by the same company. WVTV can trace its lineage all the way back to WOKY-TV on channel 19, and indeed CBS used WOKY-TV's license and WCAN-TV's facilities.) The transmitter and tower were used by CBS, and then sold to Cream City Broadcasting in 1959. Cream City operated WXIX as an independent station, and built a small (10'x12') studio in the penthouse which housed its transmitter. When the ownership was restructured and the calls changed to WUHF, it continued to use those facilities. Gaylord Broadcasting bought the station, and moved to its current location on North 35th Street, but continued to use the tower until it constructed its own. The facility then became the first home of WDJT-TV. It then became the home of W08BY (later WMKE-LP and now WMKE-CA). That station still broadcasts using the transmitter and tower atop the Hilton Hotel, bit has moved its facilities to South 27 Street.
WCAN-TV history written by Dick Golembiewski. Thanks, Dick!