Honor WKTV’s 70th Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 2698 BY: Senator GRIFFO COMMEMORATING the 70th Anniversary of WKTV of Deerfield, New York WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to those illustrious networks which have worked diligently and consistently, year after year, to bring quality programming to their communities as well as local news and news of the larger world to their viewers; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of WKTV which was celebrated on the air on Sunday, December 1, 2019; and WHEREAS, Through its programming, WKTV of Deerfield, New York, has strived to inform, educate and empower the citizens of the Mohawk Valley and surrounding areas for over seven decades, making it one of the oldest television stations in the country; and WHEREAS, During the 1930s, Myron Kallet owned several movie theaters in Central New York; at the turn of the century, business began to decline, and subsequently, he decided to go into the broadcasting business; shortly thereafter, he was granted a license for a radio station in Rome, New York, and it was named WKAL; and WHEREAS, Later, Myron Kallet expanded into television, and was granted channel 13; his television studio, business offices and broadcast tower were constructed on top of Smith Hill in Deerfield, overlooking the City of Utica, on the northern ridge of the Mohawk Valley; and WHEREAS, On December 1, 1949, WKTV went on the air, making it the 93rd television station in the country to sign on; originally, WKTV was affiliated with all four networks in operation NBC, ABC, CBS and DuMont, however, it was an affiliate of just NBC and ABC until 1970; today, WKTV remains one of the oldest members of the NBC family; and WHEREAS, WKTV's programming schedule consisted of news, variety shows and commercials, and began late in the afternoon and ended before midnight; as the broadcast day lengthened and the number of television sets in use increased, the station began to play a more prominent role in the community by participating in several early versions of a telethon and providing local news and weather; and WHEREAS, During the 1950s and 1960s, WKTV offered various local entertainment productions such as a cooking program, and High School Quiz, a game show designed to highlight high school students; perhaps the most beloved program was the after-school show featuring Bozo the Clown; and WHEREAS, In the mid-1950s, a young, local radio announcer named Dick Clay joined the staff at WKTV; he changed his name to Dick Clark, and the rest is broadcasting history; and WHEREAS, After a decade in television, Myron Kallet decided he wanted to get out of the business, and it was taken over by Paul Harron, who was instrumental in procuring Channel 2 from the FCC; on January 1,

1959, the switch was thrown at the new transmitter and WKTV became Channel 2; and WHEREAS, Ownership remained the same and the station continued to prosper through the 1970s and 1980s; after the FCC introduced several rulings concerning cross ownership of broadcast, cable and print media in the same communities, WKTV changed hands for the third time in its history, and was now licensed to Smith Broadcasting of New York, Inc.; in March of 2014, WKTV and its cable channel sister station WBU were purchased by Heartland Media, and became its first station; and WHEREAS, Today, under the luminous leadership of General Manager Steve McMurray, the success of WKTV is in direct correlation to the efforts of its staff, whose involvement is, and always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the institution and the community it serves; and WHEREAS, In a world where new knowledge is acquired each and every day, WKTV has truly established itself as an integral proponent of community awareness and involvement; as it moves into the future, it carries with it the legacy of a distinguished broadcasting history and an outstanding record of growth and achievement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of WKTV of Deerfield, New York, fully confident that it will continue to enjoy the sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Steve McMurray, General Manager, WKTV.