Permitting and construction
As early as the mid-1960s, several groups analyzed applying for one of Topeka's two unused UHF channels, 43 and 49. Topeka Television, Inc., had applied for channel 43 and sold a stake to Starr Broadcasting,[1] but its application was denied by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing examiner on financial grounds in October 1967. The Kansas State Network had submitted and withdrawn earlier that year an application for channel 49.[2] In 1976, KQTV of St. Joseph, Missouri, an ABC affiliate, filed to start a semi-satellite on channel 43 in Topeka. This application was opposed by Topeka's second station, KTSB (channel 27), who felt that Topeka was too large under FCC policy for this kind of partial-service station.[3] The FCC moved to dismiss the application in May 1978 on the grounds that the channel 43 facility and KQTV had impermissible signal overlap.[4]
Capcom, a limited partnership containing about 20 investors mostly from Kansas including Gale Sayers, applied in late 1979 to the FCC for channel 49. The lead investor was Gerald Paul Smeyak, whose interest had been piqued by a prior application for channel 43 and by the ability of Topeka to support a third commercial station.[5] On May 14, 1980, a second application for channel 49 was filed at the FCC by Mid America Broadcasting of Topeka, a consortium of five Kansas investors including former state senator Cale Hudson and his brother Larry, a cable system owner.[6]
On November 13, 1981, Capcom formally withdrew, and the FCC issued Mid America Broadcasting a construction permit.[7][8] The investors made substantial progress toward constructing the station in late 1982, including obtaining industrial revenue bonds from the city of Topeka,[9] receiving approval for their tower site in Shawnee County,[10] and leasing a building at 1st and Monroe streets.[11]
KLDH-TV began broadcasting June 20, 1983, as an affiliate of ABC. Select ABC programs had been split between CBS affiliate WIBW-TV (channel 13) and NBC affiliate KTSB, but WIBW had not aired any ABC sporting events since January 1982 in deference to increasing offerings from its primary network.[12] Channel 49's launch marked the first time that many non-cable households in the region had access to the full network lineup. The station had 55 staff members and debuted with 6 and 10 p.m. local newscasts.[13] General manager Jim Thompson hoped that, with three local outlets, viewing of Topeka stations in outer counties in the region would increase, potentially adding households to the Topeka market.[14]
Bankruptcy and tower collapse
Months after going on the air, a dispute among shareholders in Mid America Broadcasting of Kansas erupted. In state court in Chanute, the four minority stockholders—including Cale Hudson—sued Larry D. Hudson and the secretary-treasurer in the firm in an effort to prevent them from issuing more stock and thus diluting their interests. Because of the dispute tying up the company's liquidity, on November 18, 1983—less than five months after starting—the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.[15]
While this matter was pending, a second setback befell KLDH. On March 19, 1984, Topeka was hit with what was described as one of its worst ice storms in recent years; a later ranking by the National Weather Service in Wichita placed it fourth-worst all time behind three events in the 2000s.[16] The station's 1439 ft mast collapsed under the weight of 2 in of ice, buckling within the lower 100 ft stretch.[17] The station did not return to the air until April 15, when it was able to put out a reduced-power signal from a temporary tower. By then, the damage had been done. KLDH laid off half its staff, including the entire news team.[18]
