Category:WFMZ-TV (1950s), Allentown, Pennsylvania

WFMZ-TV, UHF Channel 67, was the first television station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It broadcast its signal to the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton area from its studios on MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township and transmitter on South Mountain in Allentown.

The station went on the air on December 4th, 1954, with a general variety of programs. It was an independent station, not affiliated with any television network. The television station was an offshoot of WFMZ-FM, the first Frequency Modulation (FM) station (105.1 Mhz) in Allentown which went on the air in July 1947. WFMZ-TV also broadcast a local newscast, sports and featured events in the Lehigh Valley, all live as videotape had not yet been invented. The station featured local Allentonians, presenting specialties, such as an Allentown homemaker with a show about cooking and a local teacher with a children's program.

The station suffered from low viewership due to it being on the UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) television spectrum, as the vast majority of televisions (which was still in its infancy) were only capable of VHF (Very-High Frequency) reception. Also UHF generally had a less clear signal than the Philadelphia VHF channels.

The station had a very short life and went black on April 12th, 1955. It's former studios are now used as the AT&T store at Grape Street & MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township. WFMZ-FM went off the air in July, 1997.

Note: Another WFMZ-TV, also an offshoot on WFMZ-FM this time on UHF channel 69 went on the air November 25, 1976. Although the 1954-1955 television station and the current WFMZ-TV share the same relationship to the former WFMZ-FM station, the current WFMZ-TV shares no broadcast history with the 1954-1955 station, although it does use the same transmitter location on South Mountain in Allentown.