WMET-TV: The History of Baltimore's Channel 24

WMET-TV was a television station that operated on channel 24 in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1967 to 1972. Owned by the United Broadcasting Company, the station served as a semi-satellite of WOOK-TV/WFAN-TV in Washington, D.C., while also producing its own locally originated content for the Baltimore market.

Early Struggles and Construction

The path to the airwaves for WMET-TV was long and complicated. Although the station did not sign on until March 1967, its construction permit was originally issued in December 1953 under the call letters WTLF on channel 18. Over the next decade, the project faced numerous delays and regulatory hurdles.

In 1961, the channel was shifted from 18 to 24 as part of a regional frequency shuffle. By 1965, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began pressuring owners of "dark" UHF permits to justify their existence. After a series of permit modifications and a change in call letters to WMET-TV in September 1965, the station finally neared completion.

Programming and Local Impact

WMET-TV officially signed on the air on March 1, 1967. As Baltimore's fourth television station and the first new addition to the market in nearly twenty years, it filled a unique niche. The station carried approximately 80 percent of the African American-oriented programming from its Washington sister station, WOOK-TV.

Diverse Content Offerings

The station's lineup was eclectic, featuring:

• Syndicated Content: News, panel shows, and Western series.
• Local Favorites: Teenarama Dance Party and the variety show Coffee House U.S.A., which featured regional performers.
• Specialized Programming: A Saturday night gospel half-hour hosted by Pauline Wells Lewis.
• Children's Programming: The locally produced Pogo the Clown.

WMET-TV also picked up network programs that were preempted by other Baltimore stations, such as the ABC soap opera General Hospital (from 1970 to 1972), though these were often broadcast in black and white. In 1968, the station expanded its local coverage with the sports call-in show Sports View, led by sports director Frank Holston.

Studio Facilities

The station operated out of a converted movie theater, the former Avalon Theater on Park Heights Avenue. This facility was shared with United Baltimore's radio stations, with the theater's auditorium serving as the primary television studio.

Financial Decline and Closure

The decline of WMET-TV was tied to the broader legal and financial troubles of the United Broadcasting Company. Starting in 1969, license challenges to United's Washington stations created a climate of instability.

By 1971, United attempted to sell WMET-TV to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The initial agreed price of $750,000 plummeted to $125,000 as United's financial situation worsened and CBN threatened to withdraw from the deal. Losing approximately $7,000 a month, United Broadcasting Company finally took WMET-TV dark on January 14, 1972.

The closure of channel 24 preceded the shutdown of its sister station, WFAN-TV in Washington, D.C., which went dark just a month later on February 12, 1972.