DuMont Television Network

The DuMont Television Network was a pioneer American television network, beginning operation in 1946; when DuMont began operations, rivals CBS and NBC had not revived their pre-war experimental efforts, and ABC had no television plans. DuMont was controlled by DuMont Labratories, Inc., a broadcasting-equipment and set manufacturer started by inventor Dr. Allen B. DuMont. A minority shareholder in DuMont was Paramount Pictures, an early investor in television broadcasting with station interests of its own. DuMont owned and operated three television stations, WABD (named for Allen B. DuMont) in New York City (now WNYW), WDTV in Pittsburgh (now KDKA-TV), and WTTG (named for Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, DuMont's Vice-President of Research, and his best friend) in Washington, D.C.

Inability to grow

DuMont began with one basic disadvantage; unlike NBC and CBS, it did not have radio-network revenue. Also, early television licenses were granted to established radio broadcasters, and many long-time relationships with radio networks carried over to the new medium. As rival networks gained their footing, they began to offer programming that drew on their radio backgrounds, bringing over the most popular radio stars; thus early television stations, asked to choose an affiliation with CBS, offering a Jack Benny, a Lucille Ball or an Ed Sullivan, over DuMont, with an unknown Jackie Gleason or Bishop Sheen, took the easy route. In smaller markets, with limited stations, DuMont (and late-arrival ABC) were often relegated to secondary status, so their programs got clearance only if the primary network was off the air.

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DuMont aspired to grow beyond its three stations, applying for licenses in Philadelphia and Cincinnati; this would have given the network five VHF stations, the maximum allowed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the time. Held against DuMont was its relationship with minority shareholder Paramount, which owned two stations, KTLA-TV in Los Angeles and WBKB-TV (now WBBM-TV in Chicago. Although Paramount's stations never carried DuMont programming, the FCC ruled that the two Paramount licenses were in theory DuMont-owned stations, and denied DuMont's applications.

Related Topics:
VHF - Federal Communications Commission - KTLA-TV - Los Angeles - WBBM-TV - Chicago

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Adding to DuMont's troubles was the FCC's 1948 "freeze" on televsion-license applications. This was done to sort-out the thousands of applications that had come streaming in, but also to re-think the allocation and technical standards laid down prior to World War II. What was to be a six-month freeze lasted until 1952, when the FCC opened the UHF spectrum; tied to this was a decision to restrict VHF allocations in medium- and smaller-sized markets. Seeing a way to expand, DuMont bought a small, distressed UHF station in Kansas City in 1954, but ran it for just two months before shutting it down, taking another un-needed loss.

Related Topics:
1952 - UHF - Kansas City - 1954

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The FCC's Dr. Hyman Goldin said in 1960, "If there had been four VHF outlets in the top markets, there's no question DuMont would have lived and would have eventually turned the corner in terms of profitability. I have no doubt in my mind of that at all."

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