Construction and early history
In 1951, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a draft of TV channel assignments, it allocated two commercial TV channels to Columbus, Georgia: VHF channel 4 and UHF channel 28. There was only one television application on file with the commission at that time, from Columbus radio station WGBA. WDAK and WRBL opted to wait until the FCC lifted its then-pending freeze on new stations.[2] After the commission lifted the freeze, all three announced they would file for TV stations, as did Martin Theaters, a chain of movie houses.[3] WRBL and WGBA sought channel 4, while WDAK and Martin Theaters filed for channel 28.[4] The application from WRBL's parent, the Columbus Broadcasting Company, specified affiliation with CBS and use of its existing studios, which were designed with a view to potential television use.[5]
WDAK and Martin merged their channel 28 applications on September 24, 1952, and the next day the FCC ordered a comparative hearing on the WRBL and WGBA applications for channel 4.[6] The applications never reached the hearing stage as, on August 25, 1953, the two stations announced a merger. The R. W. Page Corporation, publisher of the Ledger-Enquirer newspapers in Columbus and owner of WGBA, would take an ownership stake in the WRBL stations and surrender the WGBA stations.[7] The involvement of the newspapers spurred a petition against the application from officials in Phenix City, Alabama, across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus. The Phenix City leaders charged that the Ledger and Enquirer were negatively slanted in their coverage of issues on the Alabama side of the river and that the combination would give the Page Corporation undue control of the local media.[8] The newspaper denied the allegations, and Columbus Broadcasting adopted a resolution promising balanced news coverage.[9] A majority of the FCC voted to ignore the protest and granted Columbus Broadcasting Company a construction permit on September 24, 1953.[10] As part of the process, Page applied to sell WGBA to a Phenix City group, giving that city its first nighttime radio station.
The first test pattern from WRBL-TV was broadcast on November 8, 46 days after receiving final FCC approval.[12][13] The first programs were broadcast a week later, on November 15, even though the tower and final full-power facility were not yet complete.[14] It was Columbus's second TV station. Channel 28 had gone on as WDAK-TV after WDAK and Martin Theaters merged their applications[15] and was affiliated with NBC, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network.[16] However, only WRBL at the outset had the ability to receive live network programming, thanks to its microwave relay atop Pine Mountain.[17] In May 1954, Columbus's stations were linked directly to live national programming.
Though Columbus now had two television stations, they operated on unequal footing. Early UHF stations, such as WDAK-TV, struggled, particularly in "intermixed" markets like Columbus where they competed with VHF stations. National advertisers were unconvinced of their selling power, even though WDAK had higher ratings and most sets in the market were converted to receive UHF.[20][21] The FCC's attempts to propose deintermixture in markets nationwide divided WRBL and WDAK-TV, which was renamed WTVM in May 1957 after Martin became the sole owner.[22] WTVM first proposed making Columbus an all-UHF market, but it later changed its stance to suggest a second VHF channel be allocated.[23] Though WRBL fought to retain channel 4, WTVM's plan called for moving WRBL to channel 3, giving channel 4 to WTVY at Dothan, and moving channel 9 from Dothan to Columbus for use by WTVM.[24] WRBL joined in WTVM's plan with a proposal to build a joint transmission tower at Cusseta, Georgia, for regional coverage.
The FCC broke the logjam at the start of June 1959 and voted to enact the WTVM plan, granting Columbus and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a second VHF channel each.[29] There were two problems that delayed action on the change. WTVY protested, claiming it could not move to channel 4 at its present transmitter site, and one possible tower site for WRBL and WTVM was ruled out when officials building the Georgia Educational Television network opted to move the planned transmitter for Savannah, also on channel 9, to the west—an action that broke necessary separation.[30] However, final approval for the channel changes and Cusseta transmitter site was granted in February 1960.[31] WRBL was the first station to use the Cusseta tower, moving to channel 3 on October 27, 1960.[32] WTVY moved to channel 4 on November 3 and WTVM to channel 9 the next day.[33] The tower, completed to a height of 1260 ft, was raised to 1749 ft in 1962.[34]
In its ownership under Woodruff, WRBL-TV established a reputation as a traditional station with a loyal staff and a strong community and public service orientation in spite of low wages. It was the perennial news ratings leader in Columbus,[39] though its newscasts were criticized for being boring in style—mocked as "Snooze News"—and critics accused the station of having a pro-military bias, in keeping with Woodruff's position as president of the Association of the United States Army.[40] In 1973, the Woodruffs bought out the R. W. Page Company, returning the WRBL stations to full family ownership for the first time in two decades.[41][42] Weather presenter Doug Wallace, who had been with the station since its inception, retired from the position in 1977.[43]
