A long-perceived wrong is about to be set right by the FCC – the establishment of VHF television service in the states of New Jersey and Delaware. CPs for Channel 4 in Atlantic City NJ and Channel 5 in Seaford DE will be put up for auction to redress this oversight.
The states of New Jersey and Delaware are uncomfortably located between major markets. Philadelphia figures in the situation for both; NJ has New York City on its northern end, and Delaware has both Baltimore MD and Salisbury-Ocean City MD to contend with.
New Jersey had been served in the VHF band by WWOR-TV Secaucus NJ. It’s programming from analog Channel 9 often left residents of the Garden State feeling unsatisfied, as it was frequently accused of catering to New York City rather than its state of license. In the opinion of some, that made NJ’s access to VHF debatable. It was no longer a matter of debate once the digital transition kicked in – the station’s digital incarnation is on UHF Channel 38.
Minimum open bids for each CP will be $200K. Auction Number 90, the FCC designation for the event, will begin 2/15/11.
