Jim Bradshaw: You had to point the antenna exactly right (2024)

JIM BRADSHAW

The newspaper proclaimed that “all the wonders of science, except the atom bomb, have now been brought to Eunice” after Everett Vidrine installed a big antenna atop his West Laurel Street home in October 1950,
“Residents of this fair city have all the push-button gadgets that their big city neighbors can boast. They even have television,” the newspaper reported. “Yes, you read it right —TELEVISION.”
Louisiana had only one television station — WDSU in New Orleans — at the time, and Eunice, as were most other South Louisiana communities, was said to be just beyond its range. Vidrine could pick up broadcasts from New Orleans and Houston, using “a special directional aerial which enables it to reach out further than can the aerial that is likely to come with any television set you purchase,” the Eunice New Era reported.
The newspaper cautioned that it wouldn’t be wise for “anyone to rush right out and buy a television set.” Still, it said, “It is possible for a good set, equipped with [an] extra-powerful aerial, to bring in these stations. In fact, several residents of Mamou report satisfactory results.”
It would still be several years before folks without fancy aerials could pick up signals from South Louisiana. Broadcasters here had been pushing for some time for television licenses by 1950, but the FCC had not granted any of them.
The commission had been overwhelmed with hundreds of applications from across the country and in 1948 stopped considering them while it tried to figure out a fair way to allocate the very lucrative pieces of paper. The freeze was intended to last only six months, but the outbreak of the Korean War and other things caused it to go on for four years.
The regulators finally began to act like they might be ready to grant more licenses in November 1951, with the “tentative” allocation of channel numbers (just numbers, not licenses) to towns in Louisiana. The more powerful VHF channel numbers went to Alexandria (channels 11,13), Baton Rouge (10), Lafayette (5), Lake Charles (7), New Orleans (2, 4, 6, 8), and Shreveport (3, 12), UHF channel numbers were assigned to Abbeville (42), Baton Rouge (28, 34, 40), Crowley (21), Eunice (64), Franklin (46), Jennings (48), Lafayette (38), Lake Charles (19, 25), Morgan City (36), New Iberia (15), and Opelousas (58),
Evangeline Broadcasting Co., operator of KVOL radio in Lafayette, was the first in South Louisiana to apply for a television license. Camellia Broadcasting Corp., quickly argued that its radio station, KLFY, should get the permit. Both companies wanted a VHF signal, but there was only one VHF station authorized for Lafayette.
After more than a year of back-and-forth, the FCC decided not to decide. It gave the single license to both stations. They had to share time on the air. As The Lafayette Advertiser explained on September 17. 1953, “Each station will operate 3½ consecutive days, at the end of which period the other station will take over. Complete reversals of broadcast schedules will be made every 13 weeks.” After about six months of this nonsense, KVOL sold its part of the station to KLFY and the confusing plan went by the wayside.
KPLC-TV went on the air in Lake Charles on Sept. 29, 1954, with NBC’s airing of the World Series. KALB in Alexandria began broadcasting on the same day. KATC went on the air in Lafayette on Sept. 19, 1962. After Oct. 22, 1957, viewers in southwest Louisiana could also get KPAC in Port Arthur.
Everett Vidrine’s fancy directional antenna wasn’t needed after those nearby stations began operations, but it was still necessary at our house in Lake Charles to rotate the antenna one way to get the best picture from Lafayette or the other way to get a clear one from Port Arthur.
Some folks had devices to do that from the comfort of the living room. I was the device at our house. The antenna was atop the kitchen roof. I could reach it using a ladder and a bamboo fishing pole. I climbed the ladder, Daddy stood at the back door to give me directions, and Mom monitored the TV picture and told him what to tell me.
That worked fine when everyone was home and the weather was nice. On cold, rainy days we just watched whatever we could get.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.