WKAB-TV
| Company type | Broadcast television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | December 29, 1952 |
| Defunct | August 2, 1954 |
| Fate | Ceased operations due to financial difficulties |
| Headquarters | Mobile , United States |
| Products | Television broadcasting (CBS and DuMont affiliates) |
| Owner | Pursley Broadcasting Service |
WKAB-TV (channel 48) was the inaugural television broadcaster in Mobile, Alabama, operating from December 1952 until August 1954. As a UHF outlet, it encountered intense rivalry from the concurrently launched VHF station WALA-TV, which contributed to financial difficulties and ultimately led to WKAB-TV ceasing operations.
History
Pursley Broadcasting Service, proprietors of Mobile's WKAB (840 AM), secured a construction permit for channel 48 on August 6, 1952. They promptly commenced building facilities at their Toulminville studio location. At that period, WALA held a permit for VHF channel 10, while channel 5 was designated between the WKRG and WABB radio stations. Both WKAB-TV and WALA-TV aimed to begin broadcasting by the end of the year, with WKAB-TV obtaining the first 100-watt UHF transmitter produced by General Electric. Due to delays experienced by WALA, WKAB-TV became the fifth UHF station to start broadcasting following the FCC’s 1948 freeze, initiating transmissions on December 29, 1952; WALA-TV launched shortly after on January 14, 1953. WKAB-TV maintained affiliations with CBS and DuMont networks but operated without a coaxial network connection, depending instead on kinescope recordings for programming.
Initially transmitting at a lower power level (22.6 kW ERP), WKAB-TV upgraded to its full licensed power of 270 kW on August 1, 1953, which enhanced signal reception in distant locations such as Pensacola, Florida.
On July 30, 1954, WKAB-TV declared a temporary halt to its broadcasts effective August 2, with intentions to resume once microwave network connectivity was established. Nevertheless, substantial financial strain caused by competition against the VHF station WALA-TV compelled Pursley Broadcasting to sell both WKAB-TV and WKAB radio (the latter remaining on air) in 1957 to the owners of Dwight and Associates.
In 1955, George Mayoral, owner of New Orleans’ UHF station WJMR-TV, showed interest in purchasing WKAB-TV along with Houston’s KNUZ-TV to form a network catering to Hispanic and African American viewers. These plans did not come to fruition; WKAB-TV’s license was officially canceled on February 28, 1956.
The channel 48 allocation is currently occupied by WFBD, an affiliate of TCT.