WFMZ-TV (channel 67)
| Company type | Independent television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | December 4, 1954 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Defunct | April 15, 1955 |
| Headquarters | Allentown , United States |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
| Owner | Penn-Allen Broadcasting Company |
WFMZ-TV (channel 67) operated as an independent television station in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, with broadcasts running from December 4, 1954, until April 15, 1955. The station was owned by Penn-Allen Broadcasting Company and was affiliated with the radio station WFMZ (100.7 FM). WFMZ-TV faced significant financial difficulties due to the inherent challenges of early UHF broadcasting and stiff competition from well-established network affiliates based in Philadelphia.
Approximately twenty years later, the new proprietors of WFMZ radio reintroduced a television station bearing the same call sign in 1976, which continues to operate today.
History
Following the withdrawal of rival WHOL's application, the proprietors of the WFMZ FM radio station received a construction permit for channel 67 in Allentown on July 16, 1953. The station's production facilities, located at North 7th Street Pike and Grape Street, ranked among the largest studio complexes in Pennsylvania. After erecting its 500-foot transmission tower, company officials ceremonially named it "Miss Ultra High."
WFMZ-TV commenced its broadcast operations on December 4, 1954, featuring primarily live local content including a franchised version of the Romper Room children's program, a teenage dance show titled Bandstand 67, and a live broadcast called Saturday Nite Hoedown. Despite these programming efforts, the absence of network affiliation hindered audience growth as Philadelphia-based stations dominated viewership. Additionally, internal financial disputes arose within Penn-Allen due to unpaid stockholder contributions. As a result, the station ceased operations "temporarily" on April 15, 1955," awaiting resolution of these issues.
Following the shutdown, Penn-Allen petitioned the FCC to permit WFMZ-TV to serve as a pilot station for subscription television services—a proposal that faced opposition from local UHF outlet WLEV-TV, the National Association of Broadcasters, and CBS. The FCC declined this request in March 1956 to allow for a broader evaluation of subscription TV technology. Owner Kohn persisted in lobbying for subscription TV authorization before a Senate committee in April 1956 and continued advocacy through 1958. Ultimately, the construction permit was revoked in November 1964.
In 1958, channel 67's physical assets were sold and converted for commercial use. Later, in 1967, Mack Trucks applied for a construction permit on channel 69 and showed interest in utilizing the former WFMZ-TV studios with intentions to establish a network-affiliated station. However, Mack Trucks abandoned these plans in 1968 after failing to secure network affiliation.
Kohn assumed full control of WFMZ radio in 1958; ownership changed hands twice more over the following decade. More than ten years after Maranatha Broadcasting acquired WFMZ in 1964—and over twenty years after WFMZ-TV ceased broadcasting—the company submitted an application to establish a new WFMZ-TV to address Allentown’s lack of a local television outlet. This new station began operations on November 25, 1976.