AFTER DELAYS, NEW TV STATION IS ON AIR; WDKA SHOULD BE ON CABLE NEXT WEEK

Management of WDKA-TV, UPN-49 promise that those who turn to channel 49 will finally get something other than snow.

"It's there," said Joe Mazza, vice president of Max Media Properties, which operates the new station. "We're on the air now."

After months of delay, the United Paramount Network affiliate officially began broadcasting Friday. It had originally announced starting dates in March and then in late May.

But bad weather slowed construction of the tower and transmitter, Mazza said. The final touches, such as installation of a transmission line, were hampered by last week's rain.

"I don't think any television station has gone on on time," Mazza said. "What we have to remember is that there are individuals who are climbing towers thousands of feet high. And if it's raining or windy, they won't climb, and you can't blame them for that."

The station went on the air unannounced and temporarily Thursday at 80 percent power.

"We did that just to make sure we had our ducks in a row," he said. "We were very reluctant to say when we went on the air because we missed it so many times."

Mazza said he went home Thursday night and watched the station and got a beautiful picture.

Friday morning the transmission was shut down again for fine tuning. Then it went back on about 3 p.m.

Until late next week people with cable who want to watch WDKA must unhook their cable to pick up the new channel. A simple UHF loop antenna will help bring in a strong, clear picture, Mazza said.

Now that it's on the air, Roger Harms of TCI Cable in Cape Girardeau said TCI can begin the process of getting it on cable channel 20. Mazza said Harms told him it should be on cable Wednesday or Thursday.

C-Span, which occupies cable channel 20, will be moved to channel 95 for cable-ready televisions and to channel 65 for those that require a convertor box.

Initially, UPN will offer three nights of prime-time programming, some children's programming and a weekend afternoon movie. WDKA's local programming will include movies, syndicated shows and sports.

The station will carry both UPN and local programming, including more than 25 St. Louis Cardinals baseball games this year.

The station will serve Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.

Max Media, based in Virginia Beach, Va., owns seven radio stations and six television stations, including KBSI, channel 23 in Cape Girardeau. Max Media operates the new TV station under an agreement with WDKA owner Paul Lucci of Norfolk, Va.