Talk:WRDC
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The section on NBC affiliate history mentions that WRDU frequently pre-empted NBC programming while making no mention of the problems they originally had with WTVD being granted first refusal on NBC programming, thus depriving WRDU of more popular NBC shows. There was a precedent-setting lawsuit or petition before the FCC (I don't know the exact details) which resulted in WRDU being freed from their second-class NBC affiliate status. It would be nice if someone who knew the details could clarify this bit of history.
Update: I see it's been added (echoing what's on the WTVD page) that WTVD retained its dual affiliation until 1971. Using that date I've been able to find someone else's less-than-definitive recollection (btw I used a search on 1971 WTVD WRDU FCC to look at the cached version of that link rather than creating an account at that site) that WRDU petitioned the FCC to mandate that networks have exclusive affiliation with one station in markets with more three commercial stations. Jaydro 06:27, 7 July 2006 (UTC)
Here is some more information: Much to WRDU's chagrin, WTVD was able to take away any NBC programming it wanted and WRDU had no redress. That forced the substitutions; they were not willingly done as the article implies. WRDU finally got the FCC to rule that no dual network VHF station could take programming from a single network UHF station if the UHF station had a coverage area at least 66% as great as the VHF station, a requirement that WRDU just barely met. That ruling came in 1971; it was probably a "letter ruling" so it may be hard to find. Another problem was that the WRDU transmitter site was at the Orange/Chatham county line (next to the current WUNC-TV site) and WRDU's signal just couldn't make it across the terrain into Raleigh (the "Fairgrounds Ridge" effectively blocked the UHF signal, but only lessened the WUNC-TV/FM VHF signals). WRDU put a translator on channel 22 on Capital Towers in North Raleigh and another on channel 70 on top of the Wachovia building in the middle of the city, but they did little to help.
5/10/07 -- The paragraph above beginning "Here is some more information ..." is mine, but not the "I was an employee ...". Let's correct that. DSP
I was an employee of WRDU-TV in late 1973 into 1974. I can tell you that indeed its problems were mainly self-inflicted; the local newscast was a joke, the station frequently popped off the air, and anytime there were technical difficulties with the NBC feed (or anything else), the station resorted to the only local programming it had in abundance: a library of ancient black-and-white Popeye cartoons. Triangle Telecasters (the owner at the time) simply had no money to put into the station.
[edit] You seem to identify yourself of WCPE-FM
That's odd, you were a employee at a NBC affilate and then quit in 1975?, It looks like you did not want to become general manager of PBS station, WUNC-FM in Chapel Hill for no reason, too bad, WUNC does not use so much transmitters, but I wish you would had programmed WUNC as a classical station.
--4.188.69.137 06:53, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
