The "Celebrating 70 Years Of Broadcasting" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Good day to celebrate a birthday.  So, today our local television station, WGAL-TV, is celebrating their 70th birthday...if you please.  Their first studio was in downtown Lancaster, PA at 24 S. Queen Street.  

Logo from when they were Channel 4.

At the time they were VHF Channel 4 when they began serving the Susque- hanna Valley.  It was the first television station between Philadel- phia and Pittsburgh.  Then on March 22nd the station produced their first formal program for a group of RCA Television executives, dealers and radio station personnel in a room in The Stevens House Hotel on South Prince Street in downtown.  The show originated in one room of the hotel and was shown on 25 receivers placed in the hotel's ballroom.  

Current logo for Channel 8

If you happened to be in the hotel ballroom at the time, you got to watch the station's first production.  Then, six weeks later WGAL began a 47-year tradition by presenting the area's first local newscast.  It was a 15-minute newscast that originated live from the WGAL studios on North Queen Street.  The sports announcer that day was Dave Brandt who was one of my favorites for many years.  Early entertainment on WGAL consisted of film features and shorts and later, selected programming from CBS, ABC, NBC and DuMont Network.  

Romper Room as seen on WGAL-TV.

Today the station is exclusively NBC and handles the Harrisburg-Lancaster-York- Lebanon Pennsyl- vania areas.  Still called the Susque- hanna Valley on TV.  The station was started by the Steinman brothers, James Hale and John Frederick.  It was in 1922 that the local radio station, WGAL, received its license.  Jacob Mathiot built the equipment for the radio station at nearby Lancaster Electric Supply & Construction Co. on East Orange Street.  

WGAL Channel 8's current home in Lancaster, PA.

Broadcast was limited to 25 miles and one hour a day.  The following year the publishers of the the local newspaper, the Steinman Brothers bought WGAL radio.  They eventually sold it, but repurchased it in 1929 and increased its signal strength.  Then on March 18, 1949 James Hale and John Frederick signed on to broadcast in black and white making Lancaster the smallest city in the country with a TV station.  The station had 15 employees and Mr. Mathiot was responsible for the technical aspects of broadcasting.  In 1951 WGAL, which began broadcasting for 5 to 6 hours a day in the evening, came on the air before noon.  Then in 1952 the station moved from VHF Channel 4 to Channel 8 and increased its power with a new TV antenna on top of the nearby Harold's Furniture Store.  The station signed on at 7:00 a.m. with the premier of NBC's "Today Show."  It was during this time that my parents bought a small black and white table top TV.  Darn thing had these coat hangers on them in the back that you had to adjust from time to time to be able to see what was on the screen.  I now know they were called rabbit ears and they were an antenna to draw the signal to the TV.  I was 7 years old when I would get up at 6:45 a.m., head to the bathroom quickly and then down the stairs to sit in front of the TV at our home at 929 N. Queen Street.  

Test pattern preceded the National Anthem on Saturday.

At 7:00 a.m. the "Test Pattern" came on and shortly the National Anthem began.  Always had to stand at attention with my hand across my heart.  Then came "Covered Wagon Theatre" with some of my favorite cowboys.  In 1954 WGAL's power was boosted to 316,000 watts via a new tower, antenna and transmitter in nearby York County along the Susquehanna River.  For the first time The Tournament of Roses was broadcast in color and we went to my Aunt Doris' house on East Chestnut Street to watch the spectacle.  

Joe Calhoun, one of my favorite weathermen.

Two years later the studio moved from downtown Lancaster to a modern station at Abbeyville Road and Columbia Avenue on the west end of town.  Really neat building that still houses the station today.  Then in 1978 the Steinman's sold WGAL TV along with their TV station in Providence, Rhode Island to Pulitzer Publishing Co.  Their radio station had already been sold in 1977.  Then in 1999 Pulitzer sold WGAL TV to Hearst-Argyle Television which in turn was renamed Hearst Television Inc.  

Kim Lemon, a favorite anchor.  I taught school with her dad.

Ten years ago WGAL began carrying "This TV" on digital sub channel 8.2 and in 2014 switched to "MeTV" which carries a variety of classic TV shows.  They know what we old-timers like to watch.  In 2012 the studio renovated one of their stage sets to broadcast their daily news shows.  Five years ago part of their roof collapsed and they were forced to livestream their news for a 24-hours.  Over the years I have had some favorite announcers and some that I just didn't care for.  Perhaps my all time favorite was Kim Lemon who was the daughter of Dean Lemon who was a Industrial Arts teacher with me at Mannheim Township High School.  

Ron Martin, Kim's partner on the news.

She began shortly after college working at the station.  She was a beautiful young woman who almost won the Miss Pennsyl- vania Contest.  She still works there and is still my favorite.  Another favorite was Joe Calhoun.  He is a weatherman whose son I had in class.  I got to know Joe from his visits at Open House as well as his being the school's JV basketball coach.

Jack Hubley from "Wild Moments".

 Another favorite was Eric Horst who was a weather- man, but eventually became chairman of the Meteoro- logy Department at Millersville University.  I also had Eric as a student in my Photography class.  Ron Martin has been the male anchor for many years and always does a great job and who wouldn't like Jack Hubley who is host of "Wild Moments".  I contacted him one time to ask about putting a trap in my car that had a skunk in it.  He said it would be no problem and if it did spray my car he would feature me in a show.  Darn thing didn't spray my car!  My guess is that the station will outlive me, but I hope to have many more years of TV watching of my favorite TV station.  I have grown-up with WGAL, and wish them a HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.