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History of WTVA
While working as the technical director of WHEN TV, Syracuse,
New York, Frank K. Spain envisioned a television station for
his boyhood hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. An electrical
engineer, Spain had been a member of the engineering and development
team for NBC in New York and Washington.
Upon petitioning the Federal Communications Commission for
assignment of Channel 9 to Tupelo, the formidable task of making
his dream a reality began in 1953.
At this early stage in television, the best commercial television
equipment was extremely expensive and constructing your own
television station was unheard of but Spain faced this formidable
task with determination and dedication. Throughout the
construction period, his garage, backyard and home basement
in Syracuse literally became an electronics assembly facility. The
antenna, transmitter and cameras were designed and built from
scratch.
In December, 1956, the Federal Communications Commission officially
approved and assigned Channel 9 to Tupelo, Mississippi, followed
by the grant of a construction permit for the then-named WTWV. All
the equipment constructed over the past three years was gathered
and shipped to Tupelo and the job of assembling and building
a workable television station began. The equipment's
new home was an abandoned school located in the Beech Springs
community just north of Tupelo which remains WTVA's operations
headquarters to this day.
On March 18, 1957, WTWV radiated its first live pictures to
viewers in Northern Mississippi.
WTWV produced numerous firsts. WTWV was the first commercial
television station in the state to devote its entire daily
morning schedule to "educational programming" which was coordinated
with the area's public school system. WTWV was the first
television station in Mississippi to broadcast a live basketball
game and it was the first station to broadcast a live telethon
for an entire broadcasting day—raising money for cerebral
palsy.
As the industry progressed and improved so did WTWV. The
change from black and white to color television was easily
accomplished due to Spain's involvement with the development
of color television for NBC several years earlier.
Along with an expanding and successful business came the public
demand for an expanded coverage area. A new site was
chosen for the transmitter and tower which not only put Columbus,
Mississippi, within the city grade coverage but also resulted
in one of the largest geographic coverage areas in the country.
A new 1590 foot tower and a new transmitter building were constructed
near Woodland, Mississippi, some 40 miles away from the studio.
Having established this large regional influence and because
Tupelo was the first TVA city, WTWV requested and was granted
the new call letters of WTVA.
Today WTVA has an operation undreamed of in the 1950's with
an expanded news department featuring some of the finest journalists
in the nation and electronic news gathering utilizing satellite
uplink and extensive portable microwave equipment.
The advances and changes in television systems today are amazing
and WTVA can be counted on to bring them to you.
It's a tradition of excellence which will continue year after
year. |
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