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Williamsport Sun: September 15, 1953 – Projected WRAK-TV Expects to Telecast Local Events, Faces, Places Within Year

Home-talent movies on TV screens, pictures of local sports, and news events flashed over the air will become a reality locally if present plans for the city’s first television broadcasting station work out.

WRAK-TV with rights to ultra-high frequency Channel 36 has been getting set for the big day for more than five years and if things go well, General Manager, George E. Joy expects the station to go on the air some time next September.

No starting date has been set, but construction and installation equipment at the station’s mountaintop site south of the city should be completed by late January, Mr. Joy said.

“Canned” programs will probably be the biggest TV fare at first. Catalogues from movie producers and TV film services have poured into Mr. Joy’s office since WRAK first announced its intention of the entering the new field in 1948.

Programs offered include all types of entertainment or comedy, educational, religious, musical, mystery and other subjects.

Photographs can be snapped, developed, slipped into the machine and sent over the air in a short time. Both “stills” with voice commentary and motion pictures can be handled this way.

A shift of three-man crews will operate the Shaffer’s Path transmitting station—announcer, transmitter operator and engineer. Full-fledged studios—possibly even a “roving camera unit”—will come as the station grows.

Officials have been sounding out prospective program sponsors and if response to the new station is satisfactory WRAK-TV eventually may be able to provide “live” dramatic shows, round-table discussions and similar service.

The possibility of a network link-up is being explored, and Mr. Joy was in New York City last week for talks with several companies. However, nothing definite in this regard has been decided on so far.

The new picture transmitter will have an effective radiated power of 206 kilowatts, and a synchronated sound system will operate on 10 kilowatts.

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