Wednesday, April 14, 1999
Channel 48 puts 'Auction' into action
BY JOHN KIESEWETTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati's original home shopping channel reopens for business Thursday for the 32nd time.
WCET-TV's Action Auction, possibly the Tristate's most successful annual fund-raiser, opens 3 p.m. Thursday on Channel 48. The 10-day event should generate in excess of $890,000, and possibly more than $1 million. Auction receipts provide 16 percent of the station's operating budget, paying for 10 minutes of every programming hour.
“We hope to end the century by surpassing our goal of $890,000,” says W. Wayne Godwin, Channel 48 general manager. "It's been a good, healthy year for us (financially).”
Sound financial footing for the nation's oldest public TV licensee is more important than ever, since the new millennium brings new technology. Channel 48 soon will launch a capital campaign, headed by Cincinnati Bell Chairman James D. Kiggen, to raise $8-10 million for the conversion to digital TV by May 2003.
Digital TV, which Tristate commercial stations must start broadcasting by Nov. 1, requires much new equipment. For Channel 48, it may mean building a new transmitting tower, or finding new tower space. WLWT's (Channel 5) Clifton Heights tower, which holds Channel 48's transmitter now, cannot accommodate Channel 48's digital transmitter.
“The new technology brings with it tremendous opportunity, but also a major expense,” Mr. Godwin says.
Digital will allow Channel 48 to broadcast four or five channels at once. So Channel 48 could air Action Auction on one channel, and Arthur, Wishbone, Teletubbies and its popular children's programming on another by 2003.
In the Digital Age, Channel 48 could have the capability of multicasting several Auction channels at once — a Wine Channel, Big Board Channel, Home Appliance Channel or a Ruthven Channel.
For the 10th year, wildlife artist John A. Ruthven has signed 500 copies of an animal print, a puppy named “Nellie,” for the Auction. On the “big board” this year is a set of Mr. Ruthven's four “Cherished Young” prints.
About 5,000 Tristate businesses have donated everything from computer software to grandfather clocks. Also up for bid are YMCA memberships, stained-glass windows, auto detailing packages, Metro bus passes, an autographed Cleveland Browns football, furniture, summer camp enrollment, an autographed Xavier basketball and silver tea service.
The big-ticket items include a new Subaru sports utility vehicle ($22,000); an iMac computer and accessories ($1,927); and two new homes, a Hopper Estates four-bedroom two-story by Cambridge Homes in Clermont County's Pierce Township ($249,900) and a new Erpenbeck Co. home in Steeplechase near Richwood (of yet undetermined size or value).
Thousands of Channel 48 viewers who bid and buy every year will see their favorite items: Cincinnati Reds tickets, gift certificates to Kroger and local restaurants, stock portfolios and vacation trips.
And as usual, Channel 48 still needs items, services and gift certificates (minimum value $50) for the 60 nightly boards.
“We go into the Auction with about 75 percent of the merchandise we need, and rely on the charity of the community for the rest,” Mr. Godwin says.
“So we're looking for the merchandise that can turn the Auction from $900,000 into $1 million.”
And that's happened eight of the last 10 years.
John Kiesewetter is Enquirer TV/radio critic.
ON THE AIR
›What: Action Auction
›Where: Channel 48
›When: 3 p.m.-midnight Thursday through April 24, except Saturday (noon-midnight)
• Donate items: Call the Auction office, 381-4033, Ext. 323.
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