The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 7

The Knoxville News-Sentinel Thursday March 20 1986 A7 local news i FCC overturns earlier ruling gives I Channel 8 license to owner by JACK LA1L South Central Communications was generally conceded to be the biggest loser when an administrative law judge selected Tennessee Telecorp for the license on Sept 6 Ten firms vied for the license WTVK-TV could have lost its network affiliation to the station on the more lucrative VHFchanneL WTVK now has a UHF signaL The signals of VHF stations (Channels 2 through 13) can be picked up at farther distances therefore reaching a larger audience and able to command more for advertisements called the UHF handicap" Engelbrecht said He said WTVK-TV is the ratings leader in the eight-county metro area where it has a strong signaL but comes in third in the overall viewing area behind VHF stations WBIR (Channel 10) and WATE (Channel 6) With the move to Channel 8 suddenly be competing with the same rise stick the other fellows he said In getting the Channel 8 license South Central Communications krill give up its slot on Channel 26L- Tke FCC could then award that license to another broadcaster Engelbrecht said Channel 26 would still be attractive for an independent station because it has a superior signal frequency to the Channel 43 frequency held by independent WKCH firm had been negotiating a settlement with the lotting companies to get them to withdaw their appeals but had been unable to reach an agreement with alLNf-gotiations with South Central Communications had been he said This new decision could put the final decision three to four yqars away Bagwell said Who gets Channel 8 ultimately could be decided by the UJL Supreme Court Newe-Sentlnel business writer owner has gotten its good break" in a 15-year battle over channel positions The Federal Communications Commission review board has awarded WTVK the license for TV Channels It win be at least next year before the NBC affiliate which now airs on Channel 26 win air on the VHFchanneL The FCC review board threw out an administrative law decision and awarded the license to South Central Communications of Evansville IndL owner of WTVK-TV "Wen obviously it makes me pretty happy In IS years of being involved in this channel issue this is the first good break said John Engelbrecbt president and majority stockholder of South Central Communications The ruling shocked the president of the initial winner Knoxville-based Tennessee Telecorp certainly going to appeal it and we have 30 days to do said Don Bagwell Tennessee Telecorp president next appeal win be to the foil Federal Communications Commisskm is only round two of five The review unanimous decision was announced Wednesday Tm going to put it on the air as soon as I legally can" Engelbrecbt said He predicted that would be no earlier than next year Mtw CnyNow Outing U8 TM fi i ft Just practicing Workers open the inner door of a 33000-pound container that someday will be used to ship nuclear waste from Oak Ridge to a burial site in New Mexico The model container was brought to Oak Ridge National Laboratory where workers practiced procedures for loading waste drums into the bus-size container called a TRUPACT Testerman Kessel plan to push Alexander for road transit funds BM a i by ROGER HARRIS Newa-Sentinal staff writer reg 49 rt i 'Z-i TAN NAVY WHITE -RED TAUPE the state's timetable is for widening Middlebrook Pike Improvements at the Cedar Bluff-Middlebrook intersection will determine what the county does on those two heavily traveled roads Kessel added Testerman also (dans to ask the governor to speed up funding for building access roads to the South Knoxville Bridge and widening I-7540 downtown Testerman and Kessel will meet with the govemnor sometime in the next week to 10 days Knoxville Chamber of Commerce President Bill Sansom who was former transportation commissioner is expected to join them The chamber considers improvement of state roads vital to business growth in Knoxville and Knox County Both local officials hope to persuade the governor to speed up work on state roads in the dty and county The governor on the other hand probably win try to persuade Testerman and Kessel to support his can for a 3 -cent increase in the state gasoline tax Kessel recently said he opposes the increase because Knox County wouldn't get much from it Tester-man said is supportive" of the governor's plan but agrees with Kessel it return much to local governments Tm more interested in is seeing a continuance of the revenue the dty has received this year from the 3-cent gas tax increase the governor got passed last year" Last year the Legislature raised the state gas tax from 9 cents a gallon to 12 cents Revenue generated by a penny of last increase went to municipal mass transportation systems State government must do more to aid mass transportation systems Testerman said Most of the money that would be generated by this year's gas tax increase proposal would pay for new highways with little going to mass transportation Testerman said the governor is th plight of low income people who depend on the bus system to get to work" Mayor Ryle Testerman and County Executive Dwight Kessel plan to lean on Gov Lamar Alexander soon to get some action on mass transportation binding and road improvements Testerman is in getting state help in offsetting cuts in federal mass transportation aid while Kessel is mainly concerned with getting the state to decide what it will do at Cedar Bluff Road and Middlebrook Pike state has got to sensibly work with the larger cities to develop a strategy for mass Testerman said it work with us with the phase out of federal funding this vital lifeline of urban areas will be Final decisions on improvements to the Cedar Bluff-I-7540 interchange needed desperately to give some relief to the traffic problems out west" Kessel said Kessel also wants to know what Peny Channel 6 news chief fired Bin Perry WATE-TV news director for the past three years was fired Monday over differences in he said Thursday parting Monday wasn't a blow up It just seemed the best time to part Peny said been back to the station several times" Jim Abbott station manager said Perry left Monday but said the reason is Bill and the station" Peny said he did not have a contract and is considering opportunities out of town Abbott who came to WATE in August said the station is considering several people for the job Genuine Leather Moccasin Construction for Comfort Flexibility Support ALSO AVAILABLE AS SLIP-ON IN TAN i She STORE More Brands More Styles More Sizes For Less 151 Montvue Rd next to West Town Mall Open Mon-Sat MO (m-t pjn Sun 1-0 S90-SB44 or S90-SB42 S0 0 FRESHWATER PEARLS TENNESSEE RIVER PEARLS 50 RINGS EARRINGS ris $8" BRACELETS Reg 39 $1480 NECKLACES WEDDING BANDS 14 2mm STARTING AT 1 7 14K GOLD CHAINS MANY UNIQUE DESIGNS ALL COLORED STONE RINGS EMERALDS SAPPHIRES RUBIES GARNETS ALL EARRINGS CULTURED PEARL $9" 14IC GOLD BALLS 8 8 99 ASST 14K GOLD HOOPS $1750 1 OUR LOW PRICE CUBIC ZIRCONIA 14KT RINGS PENDANTS EARRINGS OUR LOW PRICE ENTIRE STOCK DIAMOND JEWELRY SALE ENDS APRIL 10TH LAYAWAY 966-2099 PENDANTS froms1 995 EARRINGS FROM 195a SOLITAIRES uct169 ct298 ict899 SEIKO WATCHES GOLDEN SUN MANUFACTURING JEWELERS OUTLETS LTD MAIL MO LOVELL RD MCNw-SAT 10-9 SUN.