WROM-TV

: "For the station on 97.7 FM originally called WROM-FM and later WKCX K-98, see WGPB-FM."

ROM AM operated a television station, channel 9, in Rome, Georgia from 1953 until 1959, claiming it as "Dixie's Largest Independent." The station ran a late-afternoon and prime-time schedule of old movies, "hillbilly" music performances (which were common on southern TV stations in the 1950s) and occasionally, ABC TV network fare such as "Omnibus."

WROM's sign-on and its subsequent move to Chattanooga, Tennessee years later changed Atlanta TV history and caused a fruit-basket turnover of southeast TV frequencies.

In 1948, Atlanta's television market included pioneer station WSB-TV, owned by the Atlanta Journal newspaper, operating on channel 8. The more desirable channel 2 frequency was reserved for crosstown newspaper rival Atlanta Constitution and its station WCON-TV. When the Journal and Constitution merged in 1951, WSB TV moved to channel 2. WCON-TV never took to the air, and its sister radio station, WCON 550 AM, was reassigned to Gainesville, Georgia, where it is now WDUN AM.

That left room for a new channel 8 in Atlanta. A group of Atlanta businessmen, including an executive from the Davison's departmernt store chain, pooled their capital and launched WLTV as Atlanta's first full-time ABC TV affiliate. WLTV's studios were installed in a small building directly behind WSB TV, because that move allowed the station to utilize WSB's old channel 8 transmitting tower. WLTV operated on a very tight budget and offered little in the way of local programming or news coverage.

By 1953, WROM AM had launched its new Rome TV station on channel 9, and Cincinnati-based Crosley Broadcasting had purchased Atlanta's channel 8 WLTV, changing its call letters to WLWA TV. As soon as both stations were operating, viewers in northwest Atlanta and to the south of Rome began experiencing trouble watching either station. Crosley also wanted to increase transmitting power at its new station, which necessitated a change to present-day channel 11 (now WXIA TV).

By 1958, WROM's owners were making moves to cash in on their investment. The station began carrying a full prime time slate of ABC Network programs, overlapping programming with WLWA.

In 1959, WROM's owners accepted an offer to sell their TV outlet to a group of Chattanooga-based investors. Chattanooga had only two VHF stations at the time, WRGP-TV (now WRCB-TV) channel 3 (NBC) and pioneer broadcasting outlet WDEF-TV channel 12 (CBS). Chattanooga offered channel 9's investors a better economic model than Rome, so the station moved and became Chattanooga ABC affiliate WTVC. That move 60 miles to the north opened opportunities for other television broadcasters to the south.

Atlanta regained channel 8 as a frequency, though it was reclassified as a non-commercial facility, clearing the way for the University of Georgia's Athens-based educational station, WGTV (which, years later, relocated to Atlanta.) Columbus, Georgia NBC affiliate WDAK TV 28 was able to move to VHF channel 9, while Dothan, Alabama CBS affiliate WTVY moved from channel 9 to the more desirable channel 4 and Columbus CBS affiliate WRBL moved from channel 4 to channel 3. In Birmingham WBRC( NBC) moved from channel 4 to channel 6.

Ironically, Rome lost a second television frequency 40 years later, when UHF station channel 14 moved to Atlanta after several years of operation. WROM-AM is still on the air on AM 710.