KNUZ-TV
| Company type | Television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | October 22, 1953 in Houston, Texas, United States |
| Defunct | June 25, 1954 |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
KNUZ-TV (channel 39) was a television station based in Houston, Texas, affiliated with the DuMont Television Network. It began operations on October 22, 1953, becoming Houston's third television station and its inaugural ultra high frequency (UHF) broadcaster. The station ceased broadcasting on June 25, 1954, following ongoing financial difficulties while competing against two well-established commercial very high frequency (VHF) channels. KNUZ-TV's studios and transmitter were located at 4343 Cullen Boulevard within the Texas Television Center on the campus of the University of Houston.
History
On September 11, 1952, the radio station KNUZ submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking a construction permit for channel 39 in Houston, which was approved on January 7, 1953. To promote the upcoming station, KNUZ demonstrated what was described as "the first public UHF transmission in Texas" at Joske's department store in downtown Houston.
By May 1953, construction commenced on the studios situated at 4343 Cullen Boulevard inside the Texas Television Center at the University of Houston campus; channel 39 shared its transmission tower with KUHT. The center was designed to accommodate multiple broadcasters, including KXYZ-TV on channel 29. Programming officially launched on October 22, 1953, following test pattern transmissions that began October 11. Initial broadcasts featured a Houston high school football game and a DuMont network boxing event. Shortly after launching, transmissions were temporarily halted to properly secure the antenna atop the tower. The station's content lineup included network programming, locally produced cooking and shopping shows, and sports coverage; by December, local productions dominated the schedule. In March 1954, KNUZ-TV aired a remote broadcast from HMS Sheffield during its visit to Houston.
Operating as an early UHF outlet prior to the All-Channel Receiver Act, KNUZ-TV encountered significant obstacles since many television sets required external converters to receive UHF signals. The station reported having converted 45,000 sets by November 1953 and increasing that number to 77,000 by May 1954; however, expanding its audience remained a challenge.
Despite assertions of growing business and wider UHF adoption, KNUZ-TV submitted an FCC protest on May 20, 1954. The protest claimed that permitting KGUL-TV channel 11 from Galveston to relocate closer to Houston unfairly limited KNUZ-TV’s market potential. KGUL-TV responded by accusing KNUZ of attempting to restrict television service in Houston.
KNUZ-TV discontinued operations on June 25, 1954—becoming the fifteenth UHF station to shut down—after enduring persistent financial losses and difficulties in securing network programming necessary for national advertising revenue. Although there was some consideration given to resuming limited broadcasts if advertising conditions improved, the University of Houston leased the studio and equipment to ABC affiliate KTRK-TV channel 13 for its launch in November. KTRK utilized these facilities until relocating in 1961; after a brief period serving as a NASA computer center, KUHT took over the space in 1964. Subsequently, the building was repurposed as a clinical research center focusing on audiology and psychological studies.
The construction permit for KNUZ-TV remained valid for more than ten years after it went off air. In 1955, Supreme Broadcasting Company proposed reviving the station with participation from KNUZ radio management. By November 1964, the FCC encouraged holders of inactive permits either to activate their stations or surrender their licenses. In December of that year, KNUZ radio considered reactivating channel 39. In May 1965, WKY Television System from Oklahoma City acquired an eighty percent interest in KNUZ Television Company and announced plans for construction; this acquisition was approved by the FCC in October 1965. The station’s call sign was changed to KHTV, with new studios established on Westpark Drive and a transmitter installed at a tower shared with KPRC-TV and KHOU. Channel 39 resumed broadcasting under the KHTV call letters on January 6, 1967.