If this tower had not been a NGS benchmark CC0724 MIDLAND TV STA KDCD TOWER, we never would have noticed it. It's just one more ugly thing in an ugly town, that is full of nice people.
KDCD was a UHF TV station in Midland that really struggled to gain a foothold in the market and get off the ground. It was on and off the air for a period of about 10 years in Midland, before closing for good in 1971. In 2010 their transmitter antenna, looking a bit worse for wear, was still on top of the Wilco building in downtown Midland.
With this history, finding much out about this TV station has been a hunt for crumbs in the grass.
From The History of UHF Television: (
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"We would also like to pay tribute to the true UHF pioneers ... the 16 stations that got their original first-year construction permits on the air within the required eight-month construction period, and stayed there, through thick and thin, without ever going dark or jockeying for a lower channel number. The call letters may be different on many of them now, but here are the longevity champions, listed by channel, with their original calls from 1952-53:
WTAP-TV (15) Parkersburg WV
WTVP (17) Decatur IL
WCOV-TV (20) Montgomery AL
WICS (20) Springfield IL
WGBI-TV (22) Scranton PA
KMJ-TV (24) Fresno CA
WKBN-TV (27) Youngstown OH
WKOW-TV (27) Madison WI
WBRE-TV (28) Wilkes-Barre PA
KAFY-TV (29) Bakersfield CA
KIMA-TV (29) Yakima WA
WKNB-TV (30) New Britain CT
WKJG-TV (33) Fort Wayne IN
WSBA-TV (43) York PA*
KJEO (47) Fresno CA
WLBC-TV (49) Muncie IN
*-WSBA-TV is the all-time champion, having operated on channel 43 since December 22, 1952.
We are pleased to present this website in tribute to the pioneering UHF broadcasters who made television as we know it today possible. Please feel free to send us feedback with your thoughts and recollections, as well as any additions or corrections to (or questions about!) the stations on the site.
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CHANNEL 18
KDCD-TV, Midland TX (12/9/61-2/16/62, 6/8/69-3/16/71)"
From Brainy History: (
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"March 16, 1971 in History
Event:
KDCD TV channel 18 in Midland, Texas (IND) suspends broadcasting"
From the Radio Discussions message board, some amusing history: (
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"KDCD-TV, Midland, Texas by Texas Tuner
'Does anyone have any information on this station? It's been on and off the air more times than anything I've seen (on 12/9/61, off 2/16/62, back on 6/8/69, off again 3/16/71). It's a small market UHF (like so many that didn't survive) but may have had an interesting history.
Thanks!
Houston, TX'
Re: KDCD-TV, Midland, Texas by John L
'They transmitted on channel 18, didn't they?
-John L.'
Re: KDCD-TV, Midland, Texas by Texas Tuner
'That is correct. The 72-73 Television Factbook has them as 631 watts visual, 324 watts aural, antenna 440 feet above average terrain, located at the "SE Corner of Marienfeld at Wall Streets" in Midland, Texas. Given the rather poor performance of UHF converters at that time, and the small amount of power it ran, I'm surpirsed anyone could watch it.
Texas Tuner'
Re: KDCD-TV, Midland, Texas by AusRlize:
'KDCD was also on the air from approximately Aug. 1974 until Feb. 1975. It served as my entry into radio and television when I was 15 years old, and it broke my heart when it went dark...again. "CD" in the call sign stood for Chester Darwin. In my book, Chet Darwin was a heck of a nice fellow. After all, he gave me my start in radio/TV. Technologically, UHF stations of that day went on the air with higher expenses (UHF transmitters were terribly inefficient) and potential customers with lousy receivers. KDCD's transmitter was an RCA model TTU-1B which was built in the early 1950s. All other television stations fed visual and aural transmitters into a diplexer that fed one antenna. KDCD had no diplexer. The visual antenna was on top of the Wilco Building and the aural antenna was about 50 feet lower on the next deck down. Even in little old Midland, TX 631 watts, on a good day, just would not cut it. Some CBers in Midland were running 10 times that power! The video was color. The film chain used an RCA TP26 and a TK43 was in the studio but rarely used. Part of KDCD's business plan was to sue their way into business. They had filed lawsuits against the cable companies of all surrounding cities. In the end, the courts ruled in favor of the cable companies citing that KDCD's signal was not strong enough to be usable by anybody. When I began work at KDCD there were approximately 6 employees. They all were very talented in their respective field and had families to support, except for me. They all trickled out the door as the writing on the wall became clear. When it went dark for the last time, I was the only student in my high school that had a key to the top of a 20 story building! You can bet my Mother knew nothing of this.'"