WALA-TV, Channel 10-Mobile's Oldest Operating Station
Posted by: 
Markerman62
N 30° 41.376 W 088° 02.591
16R E 400087 N 3395666
Located on the wall of the building at the corner of South Joachim Street and Government Street, Mobile
Waymark Code: WM11VN8
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 12/23/2019
Views: 4
In 1952, W.O. Pape, owner of the WALA-AM radio station, received a television license from the Federal Communications Commission. The WALA acronym stood for "We Are Loyal Alabamians." On January 14, 1953, WALA-TV, Channel 10, began broadcasting from this site. Until 1963, the building also housed the WALA radio station before it was sold and became WUNI-AM. A July 1954 storm toppled the 4350-foot broadcast antenna located at the rear of the building. Soon thereafter, the station installed a taller antenna east of Spanish Fort, on the opposite side of Mobile Bay. With the resulting increased signal strength, the station welcomed new viewers from nearby portions of Florida. Since its initial broadcast, WALA-TV has provided news, weather, and entertainment programming, including live coverage of the Gulf Coast's annual celebration of Mardi Gras. Over time, the station has adapted to new technologies, from analog to digital broadcast signals and the rise of the internet. In 2002, the television station relocated to a new facility on Satchel Paige Drive in West Mobile.
Marker Name: WALA-TV, Channel 10-Mobile's Oldest Operating Station
Marker Type: Urban
Addtional Information::
Alabama Historical Association
Date Dedicated / Placed: 2018
Marker Number: Not listed
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