Monday, September 16, 2024
Serving Algoma, Casco, Kewaunee, Luxemburg and all of Kewaunee County
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – While WLUK-TV marks seven decades of service to the community this September, the station’s roots — like many other Wisconsin television stations — go back to radio.
But for WLUK, it goes back to a time when two companies were competing for a place in television broadcasting.
In June 1952, M & M Broadcasting Company, which owned WMAM in Marinette and WESK in Escanaba, and Green Bay Broadcasting Company, parent company of WDUZ in Green Bay and WMAW in Menominee, both applied for a Marinette television station following a government freeze on granting licenses.
The FCC scheduled a hearing; but due to the backlog of applications, it would have taken years to be held.
In November 1953, an agreement was reached between the two broadcasting companies and Green Bay Broadcasting withdrew its application and in exchange, given an option to purchase a minority interest in the company.
A National Broadcasting Company (NBC) affiliation was immediately sought out and in February 1954 an agreement was reached between NBC and WMBV — an acronym for Marinette, (Green) Bay, (Fox River) Valley — for VHF channel 11.
A 574-foot tower was constructed two miles north of Oconto and an RCA transmitter was installed.
“The modern transmitter building at Oconto is approximately 26 by 40 feet. It was necessary to add to the studio and office facilities of the M & M Broadcasting Co. in Radio and TV Park in Marinette. A large TV studio, 35 by 50 feet, was constructed and equipped with two studio cameras, lighting and sound equipment, plus other modern equipment in order to provide ample facilities for quality programming,” a September 1954 Press-Gazette article stated.
Channel 11 made its debut on Friday, Sept. 11, 1954, at 6:30 p.m.
The launching of the station was seamless and a celebration aired without issues, and then it went dark.
“Technicians twisted and untwisted dials, pushed plugs, and pulled them out, and made grim remarks. Nothing happened; no picture, no audio. Guests in the studio chatted nervously, harried executives looked at each other,” Ray Pagel wrote in the Press-Gazette.
“It’s a helpless feeling, even for a bystander, to see all that beautifully-functioning, impressive-looking equipment conk out all of the sudden.”
Finally, engineers determined that the issue was at the sight of the transmitter near Oconto.
“To those personally concerned, and their guests as well, it seemed like ages, but actually it wasn’t long before WMBV-TV was operating again,” Pagel added.
Once everything was up and running, the station celebrated years of work and planning with a dinner at a Marinette hotel.
By the end of the year, plans were being developed for new television studio facilities on the southeast corner of North Madison and Cherry streets in Green Bay.
The Marinette studio would continue to serve advertisers from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and produce filmed programming, while the new studio would serve the Green Bay and Fox River Valley area.
To be continued
Many thanks to Dan Spangler, Jay Zollar and Juli Buehler of WLUK for their assistance in researching this article.
