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I've also found FCC applications from 1945 for TV licenses in Detroit. The city was originally to have 7 VHF allocations: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13. Among the applicants were United Detroit Theaters and members of the Hudson and Grinell families. Why so many VHFs? Remember that in 1945-1946, Detroit was still either the fourth or fifth largest city in the nation, behind NYC, Chicago, and Philly, and either ahead of or behind Los Angeles depending on the population estimates you choose to believe.
Channel 9 was quickly given to the Canucks and would become CKLW many years later.
Channel 5 was sent up to the Tri-Cities, and WNEM would sign on in 1955.
Channel 13 was sent down just past the state line and WSPD signed on in Toledo, Ohio in 1948.
That left 2, 4, 7, and 11 for Detroit. The FCC declined to assign a station to 11, and eventually that allocation was given to Toledo instead. This was in large part due to the slow withdrawal of FCC applications in early 1946. With only three applicants left by mid-to-late 1946, there was nobody to assign 11 to.
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