Category:WLEV-TV, Allentown, Pennsylvania

WLEV-TV, UHF Channel 51, was the first television station in the Lehigh Valley. It broadcast its signal to the Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton area from its studios and transmitter in South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The station went on the air on April 12th, 1953, with a general variety of programs, and the station was an over-the-air affiliate of the NBC television network. It also broadcast a local newscast, sports and featured events in the Lehigh Valley, all live as videotape had not yet been made available for wide commercial use.

The station suffered from low viewership due to it being on the UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) television spectrum, as the vast majority of televisions (which was still in its infancy) were only capable of VHF (Very-High Frequency) reception, and many people did not have the special antenna necessary to receive its signal. Also UHF generally had a less clear signal than the Philadelphia VHF channels.

The station went black on October 29th, 1957.

Note: There is no relationship between this WLEV Television Station and the current WLEV-FM 100.7 Radio Station