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List of DuMont Television Network affiliates

From Alfawiki
DuMont Television Network
Company typeTelevision network
IndustryBroadcasting
Founded1946
Defunct1955
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
United States
ProductsTelevision programming, broadcasting

This section presents a partial catalog of affiliates of the DuMont Television Network, which operated across the United States from 1946 until 1955. By 1949, DuMont was connected with 32 affiliates, reaching approximately 99.7 percent of the television audience available at that time.[1] The network expanded to include 126 stations by 1953,[2] and peaked around 200 affiliated stations in 1954.[3] DuMont directly owned three stations: WABD in New York City, WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WDTV in Pittsburgh. Additionally, the FCC classified two stations owned by minority stakeholder Paramount Pictures—KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago—as network-owned, despite KTLA having left the network in 1948 and WBKB never broadcasting DuMont content.[4] For a brief period in 1954, DuMont owned an early UHF station, KCTY in Kansas City, Missouri, before shutting it down after one month.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Between 1950 and 1951, DuMont operated KE2XDR, an experimental outlet dedicated to researching color television.[5]

No comprehensive roster of affiliated stations from 1946 through 1955 exists due to conflicting sources. Because of a scarcity of local broadcasters, many DuMont affiliates simultaneously aired programs from other networks such as NBC, CBS, or ABC. This situation was exacerbated by the FCC’s freeze on new television station licenses imposed in 1948.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The construction of the AT&T Bell System coaxial cable infrastructure was ongoing throughout much of DuMont’s lifespan, resulting in many affiliates relying on kinescope recordings for programming.[6] By 1952, this cable system remained incomplete; markets including Seattle, Miami, and Dallas were still not linked.[7] Affiliates situated in smaller markets often depended on microwave relay feeds from larger-market stations; for instance, KDZA-TV in Pueblo, Colorado sourced DuMont content through Denver’s KFEL-TV.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Because DuMont’s advertising income was tied to national audience reach, its affiliation agreements formed a complex and fragmented network.

Only a limited number of stations carried the entire DuMont program schedule. The show Life Is Worth Living was the most widely distributed, broadcast by 172 affiliates at the time the network ceased operations; other series such as Life Begins at Eighty, Chance of a Lifetime, and Studio 57 were carried by significantly fewer stations.[8] Affiliates also played a role in providing sports coverage; for example, Cleveland’s station WXEL produced broadcasts of NFL games for DuMont.[9][10] In later years, many affiliates were low-viewership UHF outlets launched post-1953 that struggled to compete with established VHF channels. One such station, WITV in Fort Lauderdale, held nominal affiliations with ABC and DuMont but prioritized programming from Miami’s WTVJ.[11] By 1955, only about five percent of DuMont’s cable and microwave relay infrastructure was actively utilized; most content distribution relied on transcription recordings.[12]

The listed termination dates are approximate and primarily drawn from the Spring 1955 edition of the Television Factbook[13] or individual station histories. In April 1955, DuMont declared it would discontinue all scripted series by September and focus solely on delivering news, sports, and live events to its affiliates—effectively ceasing standard network operations.[14] The relay network remained operational but served only East Coast stations.[12] Subsequent references to network activity ceased after DuMont Laboratories divested DuMont Broadcasting later that year, leaving only WABD and WTTG under its ownership.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[15] From September 1955 forward, the sole remaining program under the DuMont banner was Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena;Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name[16] by August 1956 this show was carried by just 37 stations, with only 17 airing it live.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name The program shifted to syndication via WABD while retaining the DuMont brand for mostly ABC-affiliated stations that did not schedule Monday night boxing.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name When WABD’s owner Metropolitan Broadcasting (the former DuMont Broadcasting) canceled Boxing in August 1958, only five affiliates continued airing it.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Affiliates

City State/Dist./Terr. Station Channel Network Affiliation Currently Broadcasting? Reference
Birmingham Alabama WAFM-TV 13 (VHF) CBS, ABC, DuMont (circa 1952–1955) Yes
WBRC 4Template:Right arrow6 (VHF) NBC, ABC, DuMont (1949–1953) Yes
Mobile WALA-TV 10 (VHF) NBC, ABC, CBS, DuMont (1953–1954);
NBC, DuMont (1954–1955) 		Yes
WKAB-TV 48 (UHF) CBS, DuMont (1952–1954) No
Montgomery WCOV-TV 20 (UHF) NBC, ABC, CBS, DuMont (1953–1954);
CBS, ABC, DuMont (1954–1955)		 Yes
Anchorage Alaska KTVA 11 (VHF) NBC, DuMont, ABC (1953–1955) Yes
Phoenix Arizona KPHO-TV 5 (VHF) ABC, CBS, DuMont (1949–1955) Yes
KTYL-TV 12 (VHF) NBC, DuMont (1953–1956†) Yes
Tucson KOPO-TV 13 (VHF) CBS, DuMont (1953–1955) Yes
Yuma KIVA 11 (VHF) NBC, ABC, CBS, DuMont (1953–1955)[lower-alpha 1] No
Fort Smith Arkansas KFSA-TV 22 (UHF) NBC, CBS, ABC, DuMont (1953–1955)[lower-alpha 1] Yes
Little Rock KARK-TV 4 (VHF) NBC, DuMont (1954–1955) Yes
KRTV 17 (UHF) CBS, ABC, DuMont, NBC (1953–1954) No

(Excerpt shortened for clarity; the complete affiliate directory encompasses numerous stations throughout various U.S. states and territories along with their corresponding network ties and broadcasting status.)

Notes

† Dates marking the end of affiliation are approximate; available sources do not clarify whether these partnerships concluded with DuMont's shutdown or at an earlier time.


References

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ingram
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BC530713p80
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Corarito
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named White
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Gagnon
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Miam520701
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named HR
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Weinstein
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BC511217
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PlainD19550416p20
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Loewi
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named TroyDa19550519p4
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FbookSpr55
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BC550420p7
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BC550815p64
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DesMoi19550903p16


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