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WSIL-TV
CityHarrisburg, Illinois
Channels
BrandingWSIL-TV 3; News 3 WSIL
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
December 6, 1953 (70 years ago) (1953-12-06)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 22 (UHF, 1953–1959); 3 (VHF, 1959–2009)
Call sign meaning
Southern Illinois
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID73999
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT291 m (955 ft)
Transmitter coordinates37°36′50″N 88°52′20″W / 37.61389°N 88.87222°W / 37.61389; -88.87222
Translator(s)K10KM-D 10 Cape Girardeau, MO
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.wsiltv.com
Satellite station
KPOB-TV
Channels
BrandingKPOB-TV 15
Programming
Affiliations
History
First air date
September 1, 1961 (63 years ago) (1961-09-01)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 15 (UHF, 1961–2009)
  • Digital: 18 (UHF, until 2009)
Call sign meaning
Poplar Bluff
Technical information[2]
Facility ID73998
ERP34.5 kW
HAAT184 m (604 ft)
Transmitter coordinates36°48′4″N 90°27′6″W / 36.80111°N 90.45167°W / 36.80111; -90.45167 (KPOB-TV)
Links
Public license information

WSIL-TV (channel 3) is a television station licensed to Harrisburg, Illinois, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, the Purchase area of Western Kentucky, and Northwest Tennessee. Owned by Allen Media Broadcasting, the station maintains studios on Country Aire Drive (near the IL 13–Wolf Creek Road interchange) in Carterville and a transmitter near Creal Springs, Illinois. It is rebroadcast on KPOB-TV (channel 15) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, covering the Missouri Bootheel and northeastern Arkansas, and translator K10KM-D (channel 10) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

WSIL-TV was the first television station in southern Illinois, debuting on ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 22 on December 6, 1953. It soon affiliated with ABC and NBC before moving to channel 3 in 1959 and becoming a sole ABC affiliate. KPOB-TV went on the air in 1961; aside from a brief period in the 1980s, it has simulcast WSIL with separate legal identifications for the better part of its history. The station has focused its news coverage almost exclusively on Southern Illinois since the 1980s, since its coverage area is not as large as those of the other major stations in the market. It has traditionally fallen behind its two rivals in the market in news ratings and resources, though less so than in decades past. After having two ownership groups almost all of its first 65 years on air, it was sold first to Quincy Media in 2018 and to Allen in 2021.

History

[edit]

Construction on channel 22

[edit]

When the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted its four-year freeze on new television station allocations in 1952, channel 22 in the then-new ultra high frequency (UHF) band was assigned to Harrisburg.[3] The Turner-Farrar Association, whose partners owned movie theaters in Southern Illinois, applied for the channel on June 23, 1952, and received a construction permit on March 11, 1953.[4][5]

With the permit in hand, Turner-Farrar began construction on the station's studio facility in what was known as the Lockwood building on Poplar Street in Harrisburg, absorbing a former billiards hall in the process.[6] A 550-foot (170 m) tower was erected on the site for the transmission facility.[7] The station began broadcasting a test pattern on December 3, 1953. Two days later, an open house was held at the studios,[8] and regular programming from Southern Illinois's first TV station began on December 6.[9]

The station had no network affiliation in its early months, but it added ABC in March 1954,[10] followed by NBC in December 1955.[11]

Move to channel 3; construction of KPOB

[edit]

Soon after starting WSIL-TV on channel 22, Turner-Farrar petitioned for the FCC to assign a channel in the more widely available VHF band. In its first attempt, denied in July 1956, the company attempted to have channel 13 relocated to Harrisburg from Bowling Green, Kentucky.[12] The next month, Turner-Farrar applied to have channel 22 changed to channel 3.[13] This proposal, along with the addition of educational channel 8 to Carbondale, was approved by the FCC in March 1958;[14] in doing so, the commission rejected a competing proposal to allocate channel 3 to Carbondale.[15] Construction of the channel 3 facility was completed in early March 1959,[16] and on March 4, WSIL-TV signed on channel 3 from a new transmitter in Creal Springs, greatly increasing its coverage area;[17] the original tower at Harrisburg remained in place and was utilized for communications purposes.[18] Coinciding with the move to VHF, WSIL-TV became ABC's 87th primary affiliate.[19]

In May 1960, the Turner–Farrar Association applied to the FCC to build UHF channel 15 in Poplar Bluff to serve southeast Missouri.[20] The transmitter was completed in August 1961 and began broadcasting programs on September 1 of that year.[21] KPOB-TV was off the air on several occasions in its first 15 years: for over a month in June and July 1962 (due to lack of network signal), from September 1966 to October 1967, and for more than a month in 1974 for construction.[22] The last of these outages, from April 1976 to January 1977, was for financial reasons. During this time, WSIL attempted to sell KPOB-TV to the Hernreich Group, which would have switched it to rebroadcasting KAIT in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but negotiations proved unfruitful.[23][24][25] In the early 1980s, KPOB briefly broadcast some local programming of its own.[26][27]

New ownership in the 1980s

[edit]

Turner-Farrar continued in the television business until 1980, when it announced it would sell WSIL-TV and KPOB in what amounted to a partial trade. As part of the transaction, O. L. Turner acquired radio stations WEBQ and WEBQ-FM in Harrisburg from Macauley "Mackie" Nicholes, the radio voice of Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball, who became one of several stockholders in the new ownership of the television stations.[28] FCC approval was granted in May 1981, allowing the $3 million TV station transaction and $700,000 radio station sale to go forward.[29]

Nicholes, along with cable television system operator John Kirby, faced a monumental task in trying to improve WSIL-TV. A feature in The Southern Illinoisan noted that under Turner-Farrar's stewardship, channel 3 had equipment dating back to the 1950s and operated on a very low budget, resulting in an on-air look that was primitive even by small-market standards. For example, the station was not above "illustrat[ing] a flood by showing its audience a hand-drawn picture of a lake in the corner of the screen, rather than sending a film crew to the scene". When Nicholes and Kirby took over, they inherited a station with only had 30 total employees, including only five news staffers; its principal competitors in the region—NBC affiliate WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, and CBS affiliate KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri—each had more than 20 people in their news departments and employed over 90 people total. WSIL's newscasts attracted just five percent of the audience compared to 38 and 42 percent for the other stations, respectively. Further, channel 3's 807-foot (246 m) tower in Creal Springs was dwarfed by the 2,000-foot (610 m) structures of its rivals, significantly limiting WSIL's reach. While it covered most of the Illinois portion of the market very well, the Kentucky and Missouri portions only got a grade B signal, and it could not be seen at all in much of the Tennessee portion. However, FCC-imposed restrictions on the channel 3 allotment denied the new owners any hope of increasing WSIL's over-the-air footprint to a size comparable to those of KFVS and WPSD. When WSIL moved to channel 3 in 1959, it was short-spaced to WCIA in Champaign, also on channel 3. WSIL had to conform its signal to protect WCIA; according to The Southern Illinoisan, the FCC was "unlikely to ever remove that restriction" in the foreseeable future. With this in mind, Nicholes decided to focus channel 3's news department almost exclusively on Southern Illinois. While he realized the signal limitations would consign WSIL to third place in the market, he was determined to make the station "a respectable No. 3".[30]

In 1981, for the first fall season under the new owners, the station revamped its evening lineup; it ceased the practice of tape-delaying World News Tonight.[31] The station moved its cartoon program, Uncle Briggs and the Funny Company, from early evenings to early mornings;[31] the show, which traced its origins back to the station's first day on air in 1953 as a hosted Western movie with a local "Cactus Pete", was canceled in April 1982 as part of an effort to professionalize the station.[32] Uncle Briggs, real name Briggs Gordon, continued with WEBQ radio until his death in 1988.[33]

Nicholes sold his stake in WSIL-TV to Kirby in December 1982.[34] Months later, Kirby agreed to sell the station to Mel Wheeler, Inc., a Texas-based radio station owner, for $6.6 million.[35] The transmitter facility was revamped in 1984, including a 210-foot (64 m) height extension to the tower.[36] The station also relocated from its increasingly outmoded and cramped Harrisburg studio. In 1983, Wheeler had purchased a tract of land in Crainville, Illinois, a site which would be more centrally located to Marion and Carbondale for news coverage and advertising sales, but did not make the move; however, serious consideration to leaving Harrisburg for Crainville recurred in 1987.[37] Construction began on the new facility in September 1988.[38]

Under Mel Wheeler, Inc., WSIL-TV became a family affair. Steve Wheeler, Mel's son, became the operations manager and general manager by 1986;[39] his wife, Bonnie, served as the news director.[40][41] Under Wheeler, WSIL-TV continued to focus its news department exclusively on Southern Illinois news; ratings improved but remained far behind the competition.[42] Despite equipment improvements—such as the launch of a digital signal in 2002,[43] a refresh of the news set and imaging in 2004,[44] and the introduction of high-definition local news in 2010[45]—as well as the launch of a morning newscast in 2004,[44] WSIL continued to remain off the pace of KFVS and WPSD; it was third in revenue (using 2013 data) and ratings (as of 2014).[46]

The station was one of 57 ABC affiliates that refused to air NYPD Blue during its first season in 1993–1994; the show aired in the market on Fox affiliate KBSI.[47] Steve Wheeler appeared on Good Morning America to explain his decision; he announced during the interview that if the program was successful, WSIL would reconsider.[48] Citing his feeling that the show's content had been toned down since its pilot episode, Wheeler approved the program for air on WSIL-TV beginning in September 1994.[49]

Quincy and Allen ownership

[edit]

On October 31, 2018, Quincy Media announced that it would acquire WSIL-TV and KPOB-TV for $24.5 million.[50][51] The sale was approved by the FCC on December 20[51] and completed on January 15, 2019.[52]

Two years later, on February 1, 2021, Gray Television announced the purchase of Quincy Media for $925 million. As Gray already owned KFVS-TV, also within the top four stations in ratings in the Paducah–Cape Girardeau–Harrisburg market, it opted to keep that station and sell WSIL–KPOB in order to satisfy FCC requirements.[53] On April 29, 2021, it was announced that Allen Media Broadcasting would acquire WSIL, KPOB, and the remaining Quincy stations not being acquired by Gray Television for $380 million.[54] The sale was completed on August 2.[55]

Notable former on-air staff

[edit]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The stations' signals are multiplexed:

Subchannels of WSIL-TV[56] and KPOB-TV[57]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
WSIL-TV KPOB-TV WSIL-TV KPOB-TV
3.1 15.1 720p 16:9 WSILABC KPOB-TV Main programming / ABC
3.2 15.2 480i HandI Heroes & Icons
3.3 15.3 Crime True Crime Network
3.4 15.4 CourtTV Court TV
3.5 15.5 Ion Ion Television

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

WSIL-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 3, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate.[43] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 34, using virtual channel 3.[58] As part of the SAFER Act, WSIL kept its analog signal on the air until June 26 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters.[59]

KPOB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 15, on June 12, 2009; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 18 to channel 15.[58]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WSIL-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KPOB-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ T., Timotheus (April 15, 1952). "About Town And Country: WEBQ Has Made Application for New TV Channel". The Daily Register. pp. 1, 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "FCC History Cards for WSIL-TV". Federal Communications Commission.
  5. ^ "Harrisburg Group Seeks TV Station". Southern Illinoisan. August 9, 1952. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Local TV Likely Ready By November: Equipment is Ordered by Turner-Farrar". The Daily Register. April 29, 1953. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "November Set For Opening of Station WSIL-TV: Reconstruct Former Lockwood Building for Complete Studio". The Daily Register. October 14, 1953. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "WSIL-TV To Hold Open House Saturday: Station About Ready to Begin TV Programs". The Daily Register. December 4, 1953. p. Special 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Station WSIL-TV On Air with First Formal Telecast". The Daily Register. December 7, 1953. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "WSIL-TV Signs ABC Agreement". The Daily Register. March 19, 1954. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "WSIL Affiliates With NBC; Will Telecast Programs". The Daily Register. December 1, 1955. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "TV Channel Change Denied". Southern Illinoisan. July 20, 1956. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "These Want Changes". Broadcasting. August 13, 1956. p. 76. ProQuest 1401221743.
  14. ^ "FCC Refuses to Deintermix Champaign-Urbana, Ill., Area". Broadcasting. March 24, 1958. p. 9. ProQuest 1401225867.
  15. ^ "FCC Allocates Channel 3 to Station WSIL-TV". The Daily Register. March 22, 1958. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "WSIL Showing Test Pattern on Channel 3". The Daily Register. March 2, 1959. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Channel 3 Adds VHF Channel For Area Viewers". Southern Illinoisan. March 5, 1959. p. 15. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Turner-Farrar, With Theatres and TV, Strives To Keep Pace With Viewing Entertainment Tastes". Eldorado Daily Journal. June 28, 1965. p. 30. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "WSIL-TV Joins ABC-TV Network". Broadcasting. September 15, 1958. p. 38. ProQuest 1401229741.
  20. ^ "FCC Asked For Permit To Build TV Station Here". Weekly Citizen Democrat. June 9, 1960. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Test Pattern For KPOB-TV Started Today". Daily American Republic. August 8, 1961. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "FCC History Cards for KPOB-TV" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission.
  23. ^ "Kpob Goes Off the Air". Daily American Republic. April 14, 1976. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Arkansas Firm Negotiating To Purchase Local Station". Daily American Republic. July 16, 1976. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Lopata, Roger (December 23, 1976). "KPOB Announces It Will Resume Broadcasts". Daily American Republic. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Stanard, John R. (September 20, 1982). "KPOB Begins Local Programming". Daily American Republic. p. 6. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Divine, Robin (March 14, 1983). "WSIL Manager Ends KPOB Local Originations". Daily American Republic. p. 8. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Bean, Ed (December 5, 1980). "Saluki basketball possible: Sale of WSIL-TV could bring changes". Southern Illinoisan. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "FCC grants approval to sale of WSIL-TV". Southern Illinoisan. May 3, 1981. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Bean, Ed (May 31, 1981). "Channel 3 gets ready to do battle". Southern Illinoisan. p. 32. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b "Channel 3 to Begin Era Under New Ownership". Hardin County Independent. July 30, 1981. p. 8. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Koplowitz, H. B. (April 25, 1982). "Uncle Briggs axed". Southern Illinoisan. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Weil, Nancy (February 14, 1988). "Uncle Briggs dead at age 38". Southern Illinoisan. p. 25. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ "Nicholes sells WSIL share". Southern Illinoisan. December 5, 1982. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ "WSIL-TV sold again; now to Texas". Southern Illinoisan. April 6, 1983. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "Tower power". Southern Illinoisan. October 30, 1984. p. 8. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ DeWitte, Dave (January 17, 1988). "WSIL eyes Crainville site". Southern Illinoisan. p. 9. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ Rosenbery, Pete (September 7, 1988). "TV station breaks ground for new site". Southern Illinoisan. p. 9. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Monserud, Scott (August 22, 1986). "SIU coach changes channels". Southern Illinoisan. p. 24. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ Denman, Debbie (October 5, 1983). "Harrisburg TV station outlines season's plans". Southern Illinoisan. p. WM1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Profile: Bonnie Wheeler". Southern Illinoisan. September 10, 1984. p. 8. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Guzior, Betsey (January 31, 1988). "News wars: Local stations battling for news audience". Southern Illinoisan. pp. Television 1, 10. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ a b Rodriguez, Codell (June 11, 2009). "Stations ready for conversion: After years of preparation, digital TV switch happens Friday". Southern Illinoisan. pp. 1A, 5A. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ a b Homan, John D. (January 17, 2004). "WSIL-TV makeover expected to surprise viewers". The Southern Illinoisan. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  45. ^ TVTechnology (October 7, 2010). "WSIL-TV Launches HD Newscast". TVTechnology. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  46. ^ Malone, Michael (November 10, 2014). "Market Eye: Family Style in Heartland DMA". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  47. ^ Morgan, Lucinda (September 23, 1993). "Fox station to air 'NYPD'". The Southern Illinoisan. p. 3A. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  48. ^ "'NYPD Blue' Tested Limits of Network TV". ABC News. March 1, 2005. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  49. ^ "Channel 3 picking up 'NYPD Blue'". Southern Illinoisan. September 24, 1994. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Quincy Buys Second Station This Week". TVNewsCheck. October 31, 2018. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  51. ^ a b "Consent to Assignment" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  52. ^ "Quincy Media now owns WSIL-TV". WSIL-TV. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  53. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (February 1, 2021). "Gray Television Acquires Quincy Media For $925 Million In Cash". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  54. ^ "Byron Allen's Allen Media Will Buy 7 Stations From Gray TV for $380 Million". Variety. April 29, 2021. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  55. ^ Howell, Hilton Jr. (August 2, 2021). "Gray Television Closes Quincy Acquisition". Gray Television (Press release). Globe Newswire. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  56. ^ "TV Query for WSIL-TV". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  57. ^ "TV Query for KPOB". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  58. ^ a b "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  59. ^ "UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
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