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- WPST-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 10 in Miami, Florida, United States, from 1957 to 1961. Owned by Public Service Television, Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of Miami-based National Airlines (NAL), and managed by NAL founder/CEO George T. Baker, it was launched as the third commercially licensed very high frequency (VHF) station in Miami and the market's second American Broadcasting Company (ABC) affiliate after WITV (channel 17). It is perhaps best known as the first television station in the United States to have its broadcast license revoked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The majority of WPST-TV's existence was shrouded in controversy. NAL prevailed after a protracted bidding process against three other applicants for the station license. Storer Broadcasting, another bidder forced to withdraw early on, sold to NAL the studio facilities and tower of WGBS-TV (channel 23), which was taken dark in advance of WPST-TV's sign-on on August 2, 1957. The uncovering of a wide-ranging ethics scandal within the FCC in early 1958 revealed NAL, along with two other bidders for the license, engaged in bribery and unethical lobbying with several commissioners prior to their vote. After FCC commissioner and Miami native Richard A. Mack—directly influenced by close friend and practicing attorney Thurman A. Whiteside to vote for NAL—resigned in the scandal's wake, the bidding process for the channel 10 license was reopened. NAL's license for WPST-TV was ultimately revoked and a replacement license granted to L. B. Wilson, Inc., which launched WLBW-TV, now known as WPLG, on November 20, 1961. WPST-TV was one of two stations in Miami to have their licenses revoked outright due to this scandal, the other being WCKT (channel 7). Unlike WCKT, which had all assets and programming sold to the succeeding owners, the only connection between WPST-TV and WLBW-TV was the ABC affiliation. (en)
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| dbp:quote
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- We think we can run as good a TV station as we do an airline. They're both government-regulated businesses, the airline moreso than this. This should be easier in many ways. (en)
- All of those ... to whom Mack was obligated, by reason of friendship or political support... actually sought his vote for WKAT, however vigorously both he and they denied, they asked him for it in so many words. One would have to be quite naïve to accept... that they urged him only to decide... on the merits... Mack certainly knew what was being asked of him. (en)
- Channel 10 supports its name, Public Service Television, with almost a full morning of household hints, gardening and the honoring and interviewing of civic groups... Channel 10 has said it doesn't care about ratings, and perhaps it doesn't. But no matter how good is the intention of the station, these unwatched morning programs are put on instead of far superior network public shows such as College News Conference and most of John Daly's news specials. It is the viewer who loses. (en)
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| rdfs:comment
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- WPST-TV was a television station that broadcast on channel 10 in Miami, Florida, United States, from 1957 to 1961. Owned by Public Service Television, Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of Miami-based National Airlines (NAL), and managed by NAL founder/CEO George T. Baker, it was launched as the third commercially licensed very high frequency (VHF) station in Miami and the market's second American Broadcasting Company (ABC) affiliate after WITV (channel 17). It is perhaps best known as the first television station in the United States to have its broadcast license revoked by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (en)
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