Television Supply Telephone Supply

651 Telecommunications 650 Telecommunications Comprehensive Plan Section 650 TELEVISION SUPPLY TELEPHONE SUPPLY Before 1974, Evansville, Indiana provided television service in This subsection on “Telephone Supply” does not include cellular Daviess County. However, in February of 1974, Owensboro phone service. See the subsection on “Information Technology,” Cablevision (now Adelphia) began servicing the Owensboro area. which immediately follows. Since then, additional cable systems, satellite services and “wireless” cable systems have been introduced, offering HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT enhanced television service to almost all areas of Daviess County. Because the cost of building cable systems is generally Exchange telephone service came to Owensboro in the spring of inversely proportional to home density and the cost of providing 1880, only four years after Alexander Graham Bell invented the satellite service is not, satellite services have strong cost telephone. J. W. Porter, Manager of the Owensboro and advantages over cable in rural areas. Evansville Telegraph Company, organized and installed the first telephone exchange in Owensboro. EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION Lines were immediately constructed between Owensboro and Daviess County currently enjoys a Kentucky Educational Henderson, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana. On April 1, 1880, Television relay station (KET The Kentucky Network – WKOH the new exchange was placed into service with only ten Channel 31), with programming originating from the home base subscribers. Two months later, the number had increased to fifty- in Lexington. See Exhibit 659-M1 for the tower location in Reed, five. Kentucky. In May 1882, the original exchange was sold to the Evansville In February of 1989, the Owensboro Community College began Telephone Company, which later became a part of the operation of a low-power educational and community television Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Company, which had been station. The call letters for the station were W12BJ. The station organized in Henderson. The number of subscribers had grown to was broadcast from the WOMI tower, with the control station 113 and the company employed approximately five male located at the college. In 1997, the station was converted to operators. cablecast, and is found on Adelphia channel 51. In 1895, the Owensboro Harrison Telephone Company was The Owensboro Public Schools and Daviess County Public organized. This company operated in competition with the Schools cablecast on Adelphia channels 53 and 54 respectively. Cumberland Telephone Company for a short time. RADIO SUPPLY On June 24, 1904, the Owensboro Home Telephone Company was also granted a franchise. The first commercial AM radio station, WOMI, was established in Daviess County in 1938. The first FM station was WSTO, Southern Bell purchased the Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph which also was the first FM station established in the state of Company in 1912, but the Cumberland Company continued to Kentucky. Today, numerous FM and AM radio stations operate operate under the same name until July 1, 1926. In that year, within the region, serving Daviess County. WSTO-FM now Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company became the only operates from Evansville, Indiana. Exhibit 651-Tl lists a company furnishing telephone service in Owensboro. selection of stations with Owensboro studios. Their locations are included on the map in Exhibit 659-Ml. The change from crank type phones to dial in the county's ten exchanges became a reality in 1939. Immediately following Exhibit 651-TI: World War II, Southern Bell experienced its greatest period of Radio Stations with Studios in Daviess County (4/2000) growth. Call Frequency Location of Studio Date Letters AM FM Location of Transmitter Est. On July 1, 1968, South Central Bell purchased Southern Bell. In 3301 Frederica St WVJS 1420 1947 1984, South Central Bell became BellSouth Telecommunications US 60 W @ Industrial Dr Company, establishing Owensboro as the district office, 3301 Frederica St WOMI 1490 1938 Louisville as the state office, and Atlanta, Georgia as the 3301 Frederica St corporate office. 3000 Frederica St WKWC 90.3 1983 3301 Frederica St DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 3301 Frederica St WBKR 92.5 1972 KY 140 E (Utica) 1115 Tamarack Rd Of the 1,247 miles of telephone cable in Daviess County in 1975, WBIO 94.7 1993 4280 Ben Head Rd over 53% was underground. According to Sim Davenport, 1115 Tamarack Rd Regional Director for BellSouth Telecommunications Company, WXCM 97.1 1997 4280 Ben Head Rd there were 2,500 miles of telephone cable in 1999. Over 62% 4921 Goetz Dr were underground. The local BellSouth office projects that the WQXQ 101.9 1993 Boling Rd (NW Ohio Co.) company will be able to readily provide service to the entire area encompassed by Daviess County. Source: 2001 Comprehensive Plan 652 652 Telecommunications Telecommunications Comprehensive Plan Section 650 Comprehensive Plan Section 650 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY guidelines necessary for the process of planning for the expanding use of these technologies. GENERAL The potential impact of ignoring these developments will be The purpose of this section is to provide information and insight costly and will only further delay the necessity to plan for the into the issues concerning the use and development of a future. The Comprehensive Plan is an appropriate avenue to significant new topic of importance for Daviess County, and for address these issues and to develop recommendations for the other communities across the nation: the rapidly developing field future. of information technology and its accompanying infrastructure. The potential impact on communities is tremendous in scope, and TWO GUIDING THEMES it appears that much education and planning is necessary in order to be prepared to address these new issues. This section will Two guiding themes seem to have arisen regarding information present some basic background information about the most technology. These themes are: significant issues at present and will make recommendations for addressing them and other rapidly developing technologies both ♦ The desire for "Universal Access" to the various information now and in the future. technologies; and After review of several comprehensive plans throughout the State ♦ The linking of information technology and infrastructure to the four essential elements of the Comprehensive Plan: of Kentucky, the Plan for the City of Dayton seemed to be the most adaptable to Daviess County. Therefore, much of the ♦ Transportation information contained in this section came from the 1998 Dayton ♦ Community facilities Comprehensive Plan Update prepared by the Northern Kentucky ♦ Utilities Area Planning Commission. ♦ Land use A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE Universal Access Although many people initially regard new technologies as The concept of "Universal Access" is defined as "the ability of intimidating, impersonal and intrusive, there has been a great every citizen to have access to information technology and change in attitudes toward such common technologies such as infrastructure developments." This does not necessarily mean a "voice mail", electronic or "e-mail", facsimile ("FAX") machines, computer or Internet access in every home, but the ability for computers, answering machines, and other technologies when every citizen to have such access if so desired. This ability is they are well-designed and easy to use. As cutting edge available through the Daviess County Public Library, and could information technologies continue to be developed, they too will be offered through facilities located in other public buildings, be regarded in the future as commonplace and essential, and will schools, or kiosks in shopping centers. It could also be provided be expected by citizens. in the home through any number of service providers. Many people already take advantage of this capability through modems The importance of making these tools convenient to use cannot and telephone lines. be underestimated. It has been said that when the telephone was first introduced, the growth in its use was so explosive that a Linking to the Comprehensive Plan telephone industry executive predicted that everyone would have to become a telephone operator in order to handle the demand for Initially, the best way to incorporate these issues and concerns service. That is, of course, exactly what happened. The into the Comprehensive Plan is to begin by relating them to the technology developed to a level that was easy to use, permitting plan's goals and objectives and the required elements of the average citizens to make their own calls. The same will be true of Comprehensive Plan. The following paragraphs are meant to the technologies under development today. describe some potential benefits that could be realized through the implementation of information technologies. Information technology already plays a significant role in public safety, economic development, entertainment, work, Transportation communication, and education, and will continue to expand its Information technology has the potential to alleviate dependency presence in the public areas of the daily lives of our citizenry. on vehicular trips to accomplish many tasks. For example, with a But, the coincident increase in use of computers by average home computer one can now search for books at the Daviess citizens from their homes, along with the enormous growth in the County Public Library. In many cases it is now possible to use of the "Internet" has fueled the engine of

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