Monday, December 31, 2007

WXEL-TV 9 Cleveland-A Week of Broadcasting


First Test Pattern for WXEL-TV Channel 9 in Cleveland...Signed on December 19, 1949. "The World On View"..From Richard Warner's WJW-TV History (in the links at the right)

Early Remote Broadcast Truck for WXEL Channel 9 in Cleveland. Presumably at the Parma Transmitter location..Courtesy of Richard Warner

April 19, 1952 Cover of "TV Today" A Pre-TV Guide Publication covering the Detroit and Cleveland Markets..With offices in both cities and published in Sandusky. Here a Young Marlin Perkins has fun with "Heine The Chimp." Perkins was host of NBC's Zoo Parade out of Chicago. This was purchased at oldtvguides.com out of Illinois-An excellent resource for vintage TV Guides and other pre-national regional publications, as well as some old newspaper supplements.

We've written extensively about TV stations' Histories in the time we've been here, Including a very well done WJW-TV 8 History by Ex-TV 8 Webmaster Richard Warner, which has been part of our links for some time. What I thought we'd do now is take a specific week of Broadcasting at the old WXEL-TV 9, predecessor to TV 8. We'll look at April 19-25, 1952 as published in "TV Today", a Magazine that covered the Cleveland and Detroit Markets equally from Officies in both cities, publishing out of Sandusky, Ohio..The format was One day of Detroit stations on the left page, and one day of Clevelamd stations on the right page. Both Cities had 3 stations:Detroit 2, 4 and 7 and Cleveland 4, 5, and 9.

WXEL 9 haf been on the air nearly 2 1/2 years at this point..They were considered primarily DuMont but carried ABC and a surprising number of CBS Shows, though WEWS-5 was the primary Cleveland CBS affiliate. ABC was still struggling, as was DuMont..This week shows WXEL at a time when it wasnt certain whether ABC or DuMont would survive, yet DuMont hung around for about 4 more years. ABC would turn the corner in 1953 with its merger with United Paramount Theaters. Cleveland Indians Baseball would begin on WXEL this week, with announcers Bob Neal and former American League Umpire "Red" Jones. According to Franklin W. Snyder, WXEL General Manager, there would be a fourth camera added to the telecasts this year..

WXEL-9 Cleveland-April 19-25, 1952
TV Today

Saturday April 19
10AM Western Story
11AM Kousin (Walt) Kay Merry Go-Round
Noon Big Top-CBS
1PM Mr. I Magination-Paul Tripp-CBS
1:30 Paseball Previews
1:55 Baseball-Detroit/Indians
4:20 Baseball Scoreboard
4:30-6 No Listing
6PM Hail The Champ
6:30 Hi-Game Revue
6:45 Sports Quiz
7PM Bill Gwinn Show-ABC
7:30 Beat The Clock-Bud Collyer-CBS
8PM Paul Whiteman TV Teen Club-ABC
8:30 Sports Camera-ABC
9PM Premier Theater-Feature Film
10:40 Wrestling From Chicago-DuMont
12:30 Sign-Off

Sunday April 20
10:30 A Story For Sunday-Religious Film
11:30 In The Park-Fantasy
Noon Ranger Joe
12:15 Hippodrome-ABC
12:30 Comedy Carninval/Gene Crane-CBS
1PM Here's The Pitch-Gail Egan- Then Baseball Cleveland/Detroit Doubleheader
6PM Space Patrol-ABC
6:30 To Be Announced
7PM Not For Publication-DuMont
7:30 Foursquare Court-ABC
8PM King's Crossroads-ABC (Movie)
9PM Rocky King-DuMont
9:30 Plainclothesman-Dumont
10PM The Ruggles-ABC
10:30 What's My Line?-CBS
11PM CBS Sunday News Special

Monday, April 21
11AM News-Ted Anthony
11:15 Film Shorts
11:30 Good Neighbors
Noon The Egg And I-CBS
12:15 Love Of Life-CBS
12:30 To Be Announced
1PM Alice Weston
1:30 Midday Movie-Allen Freed and Grant Wilson
3PM Film Shorts
4:45 Comedy Carnival
5PM Tune Inn
5:15 Dinner Winner-Rena/Bob Ledyard
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:30 Tom Corbett-ABC
6:45 Evening News-Bob Rowley
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:30 Hollywood Screen Test-ABC
8PM Out Of The Fog-ABC
8:30 Johns Hopkins Science Review-DuMont
9PM Guide Right-DuMont
9:30 Bill Gwinn Hollywood Show-ABC
10PM Wrestling-Hollywood (Film)
11PM Warren Guthrie News
11:10 Today's Top Story-Sanford I. Whitman
11:15 Sports Final
11:20 Nite Owl Theatre
12:45 Sign-Off

Tuesday, April 22
11AM News-Ted Anthony
11:15 Film Shorts
Noon The Egg And I-CBS
12:15 Love Of Life-CBS
12:30 Search For Tomorrow-CBS
12:45 Film Shorts
1PM Alice Weston
1:30 Midday Movie-Allen (Alan) Freed and Grant Wilson
3:30 Cheerful House
4PM Pause For Pleasure-Randy Carlyle
4:30 Film Shorts
4:45 Comedy Carnival
5PM Gaylord Hauser-Nutrition
5:15 Dinner Winner-Rena/Bob Ledyard
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:30 Sports Desk-Gail Egan/John Fitzgerald
6:45 Evening News-Bob Rowley
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:30 Beulah-ABC
8PM Life Is Worth Living-DuMont
8:30 Keep Posted-DuMont
9PM Battle Of The Ages-DuMont
9:30 Quick On The Draw-DuMont
10PM Danger-CBS
10:30 Boston Blackie-Syndicated
11PM Warren Guthrie News
11:10 Today's Top Story-Sanford I. Whitman
11:15 Sports Final
11:20 Nite Owl Theatre

Wednesday, April 23
11AM News-Ted Anthony
11:15 Film Shorts
11:30 Strike It Rich-CBS
Noon The Egg And I-CBS
12:15 Love Of Life-CBS
12:30 Search For Tomorrow-CBS
12:45 Film Shorts
1PM Alice Weston
1:30 Midday Movie-Allen (Alan) Freed and Grant Wilson
3:30 Film Shorts
4PM Pause For Pleasure-Russ Carlyle
4:30 Film Shorts
4:45 Comedy Carnival
5PM Tune Inm
5:15 Dinner Winner
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:30 Tom Corbett-ABC
6:45 Evening News-Bob Rowley
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:30 Name's The Same-ABC
8PM Mystery Playhouse
8:30 Paul Dixon-ABC
9PM Strike It Rich-CBS
9:30 To Be Announced
10PM Boxing-Russ Hodges-CBS
10:45 Sports Spot-Mel Allen-CBS
11PM Warren Guthrie News
11:10 Today's Top Story-Sanford I. Whitman
11:15 Sports Final
11:20 Nite Owl Theatre

Thursday, April 24
11AM News-Ted Anthony
11:15 Film Shorts
Noon The Egg And I-CBS
12:15 Love Of Life-CBS
12:30 Search For Tomorrow-CBS
12:45 Film Shorts
1PM Alice Weston
1:30 Midday Movie-Allen (Alan) Freed and Grant Wilson
3:30 Cheerful House
4PM Pause For Pleasure-Russ Carlyle
4:30 Film Shorts
4:45 Comedy Carnival
5:15 Dinner Winner
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:30 Sports Desk
6:45 Evening News-Bob Rowley
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:30 Eloise Salutes The Stars
8PM Burns And Allen-CBS
8:30 Amos And Andy-CBS
9PM Electric Theater
9:30 Meet The Champ
10PM Charlie Wild, Detective-DuMont
10:30 Crime Photographer-CBS
11PM Warren Guthrie News
11:10 Today's Top Story-Sanford I. Whitman
11:15 Sports Final
11:20 Nite Owl Theatre

Friday, April 25
11AM News-Ted Anthony
11:15 To be Announced
11:30 Good Neighbors
Noon The Egg And I-CBS
12:15 Love Of Life-CBS
12:30 Search For Tomorrow-CBS
12:45 Film Shorts
1PM Alice Weston
1:30 Here's The Pitch-Egan
1:55 Baseball-Cleveland/White Sox
4:20 Baseball Scoreboard
4:30 Film Shorts
4:45 Comedy Carnival
5PM Tune Inn
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:30 Tom Corbett-ABC
6:45 Evening News-Bob Rowley
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:30 Life With Linkletter-ABC
8PM Twenty Questions-Bill Slater-DuMont
8:30 Stu Erwin-ABC
9PM Down You Go-DuMont
9:30 Tales of Tomorrow-ABC
10PM Cavalcade Of Stars-Jackie Gleason-DuMont
11PM Warren Guthrie News
11:10 Today's Top Story-Sanford I. Whitman
11:15 Sports Final
11:20 Nite Owl Theater
12:45 Sign-Off

Other notes:Ruth Lyons' 50-50 Club, a staple of Crosley TV stations in Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, was shown at this point by WNBK-TV Channel 4 Cleveland, WWJ-TV 4 Detroit and the NBC-TV Network.

WEWS-TV 5 this month began showing "Know Your Schools.", A Public Affairs program that would be featured well into the 1960's. A count of Network Shows shows WXEL with 25 CBS shows (Includes multiple soap opera airings) 18 ABC Shows and 19 DuMont Shows

Personal Note:This is my 100th post..and the last of 2007..Have a safe and Happy New Year..

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas to all..


Thoughtful Christmas Greeting from WKEF-TV 22 Dayton Ohio-December 25, 1968 (Southern Ohio TV Guide)


Simple Christmas Greeting from WICU-TV 12 in Erie, Pa. from December 25, 1969 (TV Guide, Cleveland Edition)

On behalf of my dear wife Linda and myself, I would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2008. I at first had no idea how this website/blog would be received, or if I could even do quality enough work for it to be noticed. This has succeeded byond our wildest dreams..since late August, when we began keeping records, there have been nearly 10,500 blog visits from here in the U. S. and all over the world. representing over 18,000 single-page views..An average currently of 99 visits per day..most of those are from the Cleveland/NE Ohio area..The backbone of our readership and without which we wouldnt be here.

This site grew out of retro-schedules on Radio-Info.com and Radioinsight.com. I've always been a "Broadcasting Geek" from the time my mother got me a shortwave radio as as teenager..Earlier than that, I was known as the "walking TV Guide" by my family because of knowing instinctively what was on all the channels at any one time..(Wasnt hard with only 3 channels..LOL) I only wish I had kept the TV Guides from that era...With doing the retroschedules, I always felt I wanted to do more. Make the local TV memories more real, I guess, When we hit on the blog Idea in March 2007. I want to thank a few people that have been a real support.

First, my wonderful wife Linda..She doesnt always understand why I enjoy this like I do, but she supports me a lot and I love her for it. She has been very patient..Thank you so much, honey..

WIXYGrad74..Cliff Feightner from Rittman, Ohio..He is a committed Christian that went to the WIXY School of Broadcasting and has made himself a good home and family there in Rittman. He was the first one to inspire me about starting a blog and has been this blog's number 1 supporter..Thanks Cliff!

Mike and Kris While..an awesome couple from the Salem, Ohio area. Mike is one of the Administrators for bigchuckandliljohn.com and companion site couchpotatotheatre.com Two great sites carrying on the legacy and tradition of Big Chuck and Lil John/Hoolihan/Ghoulardi..We have worked together for a number of months promoting each other's sites and the legacy of local Cleveland Television..

Ohio Media Watch-A site run by a former broadcaster that also inspired me to start this..


And last but not least, Thanks everyone for comments, encouragment and most of all for reading us..Again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Monday, December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve-1959


A 1959 Holiday Greeting on behalf of the employees of WJW-TV 8 in Cleveland. Doug Adair started at the station in '59. Howard Hoffman, John Fitzgerald and Jim Doney were at TV 8 well into the 1970's. Another name on the list is Casey "Kassem"..actually Casey Kasem, who worked at TV 8 for a short time in the late 1950's before his greatest fame as "American Top 40" host and "Shaggy" on Scooby-Doo as well as other cartoon voices..He was also NBC announcer for awhile.


KYW-3 Eyewitness News Sunday Ad featuring Hugh Danaceau, who worked as a newsman for over 40 years at numerous Cleveland area Radio and TV stations ending at WCLV/WRMR at the time of his passing in 2003..By all accounts, a great newsman and a very authoritative voice..

Kraft Music Hall ad for Perry Como's Christmas Show Wednesday, December 23, 1959.

Highlights of Christmas week 1959:KYW-3 and WKBN-27 had "Year in Review" Shows, sponsored on both stations by Fisher Foods. NBC's Amahl and the Night Visitors is shown for the 10th time, though this year's version was taped in 1958. The Statewide 10 minute Documentary series, "The Ohio Story" featured "The First Christmas Tree."

Thursday, December 24, 1959

3-KYW NBC Cleveland

7AM Today
8:55 News-Tom Haley
9AM Cash On The Line Movie-Whistling In Dixie 1942
10:25 Girl On The Go-Gloria Brown
10:30 Play Your Hunch-Merv Griffin
11AM Price Is Right-Bill Cullen-COLOR
11:30 Concentration-Hugh Downs
Noon Truth Or Consequences-Bob Barker
12:30 It Could Be You-Bill Leyden-COLOR
1PM Movie-Never Take No For An Answer-1951-English
2:50 News-Pete French
3PM Young Dr. Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4PM House On High Street
4:30 Split Personality
5PM Barnaby, Popeye and Friends
5:30 Movie-When a Feller needs a Friend-1932
6:50 News-Pete French
6:55 Weather-Stu Cramer
7PM Bengal Lancers
7:30 Night Before Christmas-Tom Haley hosts this program featuring the Oberlin College Octet, Linn Sheldon and Ronnie Barrett
8PM Amahal and the Night Visitors-SPECIAL
9PM Bachelor Father
9:30 Ford Show starring Tennessee Ernie Ford-COLOR-Guest:Jay North (Live)
10PM Groucho Marx
10:30 Phil Silvers (Bilko)
11PM News-Pete French
11:10 Weather-Howard (Specs?)
11:15 Sports-Jim Graner
11:20 Story Of Christmas-Paul Bedford from the Cleveland Museum of Art
Midnight-Church Service-St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC

WEWS-5 ABC Cleveland

8:55 News-Randy Culver
9AM Christmas Chorus
9:30 Paige Palmer
11AM My Little Margie
11:30 Stu Erwin
Noon News-Randy Culver
12:05 Noon Show-Captain Penny (Mr. Jingeling at 12:25)
1PM One O-Clock Club-Dorothy Fuldheim, Bill Gordon
2:30 Gale Storm Show
3PM Beat The Clock
3;30 Who Do You Trust
4PM American Bandstand
5:30 Three Stooges
6:25 Mr. Jingeling
6:30 Dorothy Fuldheim
6:45 News-Tom Field
6:50 Weather-Sunny Day
6:55 Three Stooges and Friends
7:15 Huntley/Brinkley Report (NBC)
7:30 Gale Storm
8PM Donna Reed-Guest Buster Keaton
8:30 Real McCoys
9PM Pat Boone
9:30 Untouchables
10:30 Glencannon
11PM News-Tom Field
11:15-Jack Paar (NBC)
Midnight-Church Service-Catholic-from Washington, DC
1AM News-Paul Wilcox

WJW-8 CBS Cleveland

7AM Dateline UN
7:30 Rex Humbard
7:45 Spunky and Tadpole
8AM Captain Kangaroo
9AM Watch and Win Movie-Nancy Drew,Detective 1938
10:30 Medic
11AM I Love Lucy
11:30 December Bride
Noon Love Of Life
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Movie-Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence-1939
2:30 House Party
3PM Millionaire
3;30 Verdict Is Yours
4PM Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge Of Night
5PM As The World Turns
5:30 Movie-Konga, The Wild Stallion
7PM City Camera News-
7:10-Sports Camera-Warren Moran
7:15-CBS News-Douglas Edwards
7:30 Mackenzies Raiders (Instead of To Tell The Truth)
8PM Betty Hutton Show
8:30 Johnny Ringo
9PM Zane Grey
9:30 Playhouse 90
11PM-News-Warren Guthrie
11:10 City Report-Doug Adair
11:15 Sports, Weather
11:20 To Be Announced
11:30 Church Service-Natl. Cathedral, Washington, DC
12:30 Film Feature

WAKR-49 ABC Akron

Noon Restless Gun
12:30 Love that Bob
1PM Music Bingo
1:30 Looney Tunes
2PM Day In Court
3PM Gale Storm
3:30 Who Do You Trust?
4PM American Bandstand
4:30 Movie-The Great Lover
6PM Looney Tunes
6:30 Singing Towers-Christmas Music
6:55 Weather, News, Sports
7:15 Singing Towers
7:30 Gale Storm
8PM Women against Women-1938
8:50 Ohio Story
9PM Pat Boone
9:30 Movie-Min and Bill-1930
10:30 Ernie Kovacs
11PM Church Service-Episcopal
Midnight-Church Service-Catholic

Listings and ads courtesy TV Guide Dec. 19-25, 1959

Saturday, December 22, 2007

O Holy Night-Tennessee Ernie Ford and Gordon MacRae

A clip from the NBC Primetime Thursday Night Ford Show in 1958..Tennessee Ernie Ford was one of the great stars of the 1950's and 60's, with his down-home humor and rich baritone voice. Here, he was in his greatest continued success, Hosting a nighttime variety half hour for Ford Motor Company on NBC from 1956-61. He voluntarily walked away from the show after the 1960-61 season to move to San Francisco where he would host a half-hour daytime show on ABC-TV from 1962-65 with a
Pre-Dating Game Jim Lange as announcer.

Here is a duet with guest star, Actor-Singer Gordon MacRae of the beautiful Christmas Hymm, "O Holy Night"

Thanks to TEFShow for this wonderful clip..They operate a website, ernieford.com, which I've just added a link to on the right. This well done site has a history of the man and his music, as well as DVD's of some of his primetime shows and specials..

Friday, December 21, 2007

1953-"Christmas In Cleveland"


A "Cleveland Christmas Song" commissioned by TV Guide, written by "Captain" Glenn Rowell and Puppeteer Cy Kelly..Rowell was host of a WNBK 9AM Kids show..He earlier was partner with Gene Carroll in a 1930's and 40's Radio Comedy Act "Gene and Glenn." Carroll, of course, was well established at WEWS-5..Kelly was host of "Weather Factory" on WNBK-4. The opposite page is a list of Holiday-Themed programming for the week.


Ad touting WXEL's move to Channel 8 from Channel 9. On December 24th, 1953, WSTV-Channel 9 Steubenville first went on the air, Making the move of WXEL to Channel 8 necessary. WXEL had moved to Channel 8 December 10, 1953.


Sample pages of TV Guide December 22, 1953..The Photos on the top of the page are Dave Garroway-4 7AM (Today)
Crandall Hendershott and Randy Culver-On Wings of Song-5 8:05 AM
Bride And Groom-4, 73 Noon
King Jack-8 4PM

We now look at Christmas 1953...Let's look at an edited version of "Lake Erie Dateline" from the Dec. 18-24, 1953 Issue of TV Guide Lake Erie Edition-Originally at RadioInsight.com

Below are portions of a Local TV News column that appeared in TV Guide's "Lake Erie Edition" for December 18-24, 1953..Familiar Names made news that week:

"TV's Week: Welcome Akron and WAKR TV! Beginning with this issue, TV Guide will carry the complete program listings for Rubber City's Channel 49. Residents of Cleveland, Youngstown and now Akron can get all their program information for the five (actually now six) TV stations appearing in this area with a single TV Guide.


Channel Chatter:John Fitzgerald, well known to Clevelanders for his nightly Sports Final on channel 8 at 11:15PM, and for his color and background presentations during the Cleveland Browns' Games, has been named Promotions Director of WXEL. John, who has been a staff announcer since 1950, is a local boy. He Graduated from Lakewood High in 1943 and then studied speech at the University of Michigan.

Other notes:(my edits-not full text)
Fitzgerald's replacement at WXEL was Jack Beauchamp, an announcer at WHEN-TV Syracuse, NY.

An amusing Story about WNBK-4's Johnny Andrews, Host of Lights, Camera, Questions!..He was apparently late to work for the first time in 16 years because of..a faulty garage door opener! The then new technology went wrong..He was stuck in his garage and had to have the garage door maker come out and open his door..

Two soloists on WEWS Channel 5's Gene Carroll Talent Show,Marge Pawlak and Rose Hinkle, were encouraged by Gene ro form a duet..And were so popular they decided to make it a permanent pairing..But they they couldnt come up with a name for their duet..Viewers were asked to come up with suggestions.."


TV Guide:Lake Erie Edition

Monday, December 21, 1953

Channels:
4 WNBK Cleveland NBC
5 WEWS Cleveland CBS
8 WXEL Cleveland DuMont/ABC
27 WKBN Youngstown CBS/DuMont/ABC
49 WAKR Akron ABC
73 WFMJ Youngstown NBC

Morning

7AM
4 73 Today

8AM
5 News

8:05
5 On Wings Of Song

8:30
5 Beauty For You-Exercise

8:45
5 News Bulletins

8:50
5 Beauty For You-Paige Palmer

9AM
4 Captain Glenn-Glen Rowell
5 Mixing Bowl-Van Cleve
8 Movie-Kiss Of Araby
73 Pictorial Parade

9:25
4 Ohio Today-Tom Haley

9:30
4 Idea Shop-Mildred/Gloria
5 Television I.Q.

9:55
4 Ohio Today-Tom Haley

10AM
4 73 Ding Dong School
5 Arthur Godfrey Time

10:30
4 73 Glamor Girl-Jack McCoy
"Lucky Girl gets Beauty overhaul" (Not unlike today's "makeover" shows)
8 Charming Children-Marjore Harm
TV Kindergarten

11AM
4 73 Hawkins Falls-serial
8 Alice Weston-cooking
27 Morning Movie-Feature

11:15
4 73 Three Steps to Heaven-serial

11:30
4 73 The Bennetts-serial
5 Strike It Rich
8 Movie-Warren Case

11:45
4 73 Follow Your Heart-serial

Afternoon

4 73 Bride And Groom
5 Valiant Lady

12:15
4 Haley's Daily
5 27 Love Of Life
73 Noontime Comics

12:30
4 73 Maggi Byrne-Fashion
5 27 Search For Tomorrow
8 Rena And Bob-TV Shop
"Viewers Buy and Sell On TV"

12:45
5 Guiding Light
27 73 News

1PM
4 Movie-Westward Ho
5 Women's Window-Ethel Jackson
8 Movie-Scarlet Clue (Charlie Chan)
27 Home Cooking-Marion Resch
73 Movie-My Son The Hero

1:30
5 Garry Moore-Guests Roger Price{Known for "Droodles") and Denise Lor
27 Feature Matinee-Movie

2PM
5 Double Or Nothing

2:15
4 Joe Portaro-Fashion
73 Fashion Sketchbook

2:30
4 Nancy Dixon-Shopping
5 Art Linkletter
73 Kitchen Corner-Mariner

2:40
8 You are what You eat

2:45
4 Chef Lorenzo-cooking
8 All For You-Alice Weston

3PM
4 73 Kate Smith
5 Big Payoff
8 Maggi Wulff-Club News
27 Paul Dixon-DuMont

3:30
5 Bob Crosby
8 27 Paul Dixon-DuMont


4PM
4 73 Welcome Travelers
5 Dinner Platter-Bob Dale
8 49 Turn To A Friend-Dennis James-ABC
27 Action In The Afternoon Live Action western series from Philadelphia-CBS

4:30
4 73 On Your Account-Win Elliott
8 King Jack's Toy Box
27 49 Ern Westmore show-ABC

5PM
4 Atom Squad
5 News
8 73 Santa Claus (two different local shows)
27 Movie-Western
49 Hinky Dinks-Game

5:30
4 73 Howdy Doody
5 Movie-Where Trail Ends
8 Desert Deputy-Western (various serial westerns)
49 Corral Time-Western

Evening

6PM
4 Superman-George Reeves
27 Adventure Time
73 News/Weather

6:10
8 Bob Rowley-News
27 Humbard Family-Religion
73 Viz Quiz-Film

6:20
8 Al Rosen-Sports
73 Eddie Lane-Sports

6:30
4 Tom Manning-Sports
5 Dorothy Fuldheim
8 TV Weatherman
27 News Today
49 Tootsie Hippodrome-ABC
73 Film Fare

6:40
4 Weather Factory-Puppets
8 Les Paul/Mary Ford
27 News At Home

6:45
4 Tom Field-News
5 Lee Sullivan-Variety
8 Home with the Grahams
27 Don Gardner-Sports

6:55
5 Johnny Price-Weather
27 Weather

7PM
4 Dangerous Assignment-Syndicated
5 Twenty Fingers-Piano
8 27 Captain Video-DuMont
49 News
73 it Happened Here-History

7:15
5 Art Linkletter-Kids
8 News Parade-Lang/Dudley
27 Rambling Reporter-News
49 Kenny Nichols-Quiz
73 Film Short

7:30
4 Arthur Murray
5 27 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
8 49 Jamie-ABC

7:45
4 73 NBC News-John Cameron Swayze
5 Perry Como
27 The Pastor-Religion

8PM
4 73 Name That Tune
5 Burns And Allen
8 Twenty Questions-DuMont
49 You Asked For It-ABC

8:30
4 73 The Voice Of Firestone
5 Talent Scouts
8 The Big Issue-ABC
27 Of Many Things-Discussion
49 Teen WHO Club

9PM
4 73 Dennis Day
5 I Love Lucy
8 Lingo-word game
49 Junior Press Conference-ABC

9:15
8 Bible Forum

9:30
4 73 Robert Montgomery Presents
5 27 Masquerade Party
8 This Is The Life-ABC
49 Why The Chimes Rang

10PM
5 27 Studio One "Cinderella '53"
8 Carling Boxing=DuMont
Bob Baker/Clarence Henry-Heavyweight bout
49 Mystery Theater

10:30
4 73 Badge 714-Dragnet Reruns
49 Akron Bar Association

10:45
8 Ringside Interviews

11PM
4 Tom Field-News
5 73 Polka Revue
8 27 Warren Guthrie-Your Sohio Reporter
49 News/Sports/Weather

11:05
4 Ken Coleman-Sports

11:10
4 Joe Finan-Weather
8 Ted Malone-Today's Top Story
27 Sid Davis-News

11:15
4 Movie-Mississippi Rhythm
8 John Fitzgerald-Sports

11:20
8 Movie-"Fear"
27 Movie-TBA

12:00 Midnight
5 News
73 News

12:05
5 Movie-Cheating Blondes

12:15
4 News

12:30
27 News

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

TV Christmas Past:December 19, 1974


Ad for the Tenth showing of "Charlie Brown Christmas" On CBS. After all those years on CBS, it stll seems like the Charlie Brown Specials shouldnt be on ABC.


Ad for the Tony Orlando and Dawn Christmas Show..still in its first months on the air..


TV Guide Ad for "The Bear who slept through Christmas"..Second showing of what would become a minor Christmas Classic..Not on the order of "Rudolph" or Charlie Brown", but this special was shown several times on broadcast TV

We begin our look at Christmas through the years with the year 1974..Watergate brought about a presidential resignation and price inflation was starting to hit Americans in the Pocketbook..WEWS' Morning Exchange was hitting its stride..Gene Carroll (with Don Webster) and Polka Varieties were still going..the previous summer (1973) WNEO-45 Alliance, Ohio (PBS) signed on-The first use of Channel 45 in Northeast Ohio since the ill-fated WXTV-45 ceased operations in 1962. Mac Davis' returned in his Variety Show on NBC Thursday nights at 8PM Bing Crosby and Perry Como also had specials this week, as well as Bob Hope..

Thursday, December 19, 1974

3 WKYC-NBC-Cleveland
5 WEWS-ABC
8 WJW-CBS
25 WVIZ PBS
43 WUAB
61 WKBF

17 WJAN Canton
23 WAKR-ABC Akron
45 WNEO-PBS Alliance

5:45
3 News

5:50
3 Farm Fare

5:55
3 Knowledge

6:20
8 News

6:25
3 Nor For Women Only
8 First Edition

6:30
8 Sunrise Semester

6:55
3 What's Doing?
5 News

7AM
3 Today
5 Inner Circle
8 CBS News-Hughes/Rudd

7:30
5 Cartoons

8AM
5 Morning Exchange-Fred Griffith, Liz Richards, Joel Rose
8 Captain Kangaroo

9AM
3 Mike Douglas-Liberace CoHost (Today Only) In a salute to the 1950's-Douglas had 5 differesnt cohosts (one each day) saluting a different decade..

8 Mayberry RFD

9:30
8 Tattletales-Bert Convy-Amanda Blake, Gary Burghoff, Gene Rayburn and spouses

10AM
5 Split Second
8 Joker's Wild

10:20
23-43 News

10:30
3 Winning Streak
5 I Dream Of Jeannie
8 Gambit
23-61 Jack LaLanne (he is still doing infomercials at 93 years old!)
43 Coffee Shoppe

11AM
3 High Rollers-Alex Trebek
5 $10,000 Pyramid-Dick Clark-Betsy Palmer. Leonard Nimoy
8 Now You See It-Jack Narz
23-43 Romper Room
61 News

11:30
3 Hollywood Squares-Peter Marshall
5-23 Brady Bunch
8 Love Of Life
43 Barnaby
61 Huck and Yogi

Noon
3 Jackpot!-Geoff Edwards
5 Password All-Stars-Allen Ludden
8 News
43 Speed Racer
61 Banana Splits

12:30
3 Celebrity Sweepstakes-Jim McKrell
5 News
8 Search For Tomorrow
23 Split Second
43 Spiderman

12:55
3 NBC News-Edwin Newman

1PM
3 Name That Tune
5-23 All My Children
8 Young And The Restless
43 Movie-Two Guys From Milwaukee-1946
61 I Love Lucy

1:30
3 Jeopardy!
5-23 Let's Make a Deal
8 As The World Turns
61 The Lucy Show

2PM
3 Says Of Our Lives
5-23 Newlywed Game
8 Guiding Light
61 Make Room For Daddy

2:30
3 Doctors
5-23 Girl in My Life
8 Edge Of Night
17 Movie-What a Life-1939 First Henry Aldrich Movie
61 New Zoo Revue-Still shown today on channel 67 in Canton

3PM
3 Another World
5-23 General Hospital
8 Price Is Right-Bob Barker
43 Superman
61 Magilla Gorilla

3:30
3 How To Survive A Marriage
5-23 One Life To Live
8 Match Game (74)-Gene Rayburn
43 Bullwinkle
61 Three Stooges

3:55
43 Mr. Jingeling-Earl Keyes

4PM
3 Somerset
5 Dinah!-Dinah Shore-With Robert Goulet, Ken Berry and Chet Atkins
8 Adventure Road-Jim Doney
17 Milton The Milkman-Cartoons
23 $100,000 Pyramid-Betsy Palmer, Leonard Nimoy
25-45 Sesame Street
43 Frightenstein
61 Little Rascals

4:30
3 Room 222
8 Merv Griffin
23 Santa Claus
43 Gilligan's Island

4:45
17 Louisville Schools Report

5PM
3 Partridge Family
5 Bonanza
17 Our Day In Canton
23 Choral Christmas-St. Hilary's Choir
25-45 Misterogers Neighborhood
43 Gomer Pyle
61 Flintstones(2 episodes)

5:30
3 News
23 Davey and Goliath
25-45 Villa Allegre
43 Green Acres

5:45
23 Hour Of Power Singers-Dave Lombardi-Trinity Gospel Temple in Canton, Ohio

6PM
3-5-8-23 News
17 Journey To Adventure
25 Your Future Is Now
43 Bewitched
45 Electric Company
61 Beverly Hillbillies

6:30
5-23 ABC News-Howard K. Smith, Harry Reasoner
8 CBS News-Walter Cronkite
17 American Ski Scene
25-45 Zoom
43 Love, American Style
61 Andy Griffith

7PM
3 News-John Chancellor
5 To Tell The Truth-Garry Moore
8 Truth Or Consequences-Bob Barker
17 Galloping Gourmet-Graham Kerr
23 Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea
25 Electric Company
43 Hogan's Heroes
45 Aviation Weather
61 Star Trek

7:30
3 Hollywood Squares
5 Police Surgeon
8 Treasure Hunt-Geoff Edwards
17 Not For Women Only-Barbara Walters
25 Behind The lines
43 WHA Hockey-Cleveland Crusaders at Michigan Stags (Detroit)-Steve Albert and Paul Wilcox report-Crusaders lost 1-0..(shrpsports.com). The Michigan (Former Los Angeles Sharks) team would move to Baltimore (1-19-75) before the end of the 1974-75 season and fold at the end of the season..

45 Inside/Out

8PM
3 Mac Davis Show-Return
5 Fron Sea To Shining Sea-Historical Drama
8 The Waltons
17 Hee Haw
23 Odd Couple
25-45 The Way It Was-1953/54 Stanley Cup-Detroit/Montreal
61 Dealer's Choice-Jack Clark

8:30
23 Paper Moon
25 Kamm's Corner-Cleveland Press editor Herb Kamm hosted this discussion show, Though the program title was a play on the name of a Far West side Cleveland Neighborhood, Kamm's Corners..

45 Religious America
61 What's My Line?-Larry Blyden

9PM
3 Ironside
5-23 Streets Of San Francisco
8 CBS Movie-Catlow-1971
17 PTL Club-Jim Bakker
25-45 Soul!
61 Movie-Moonfleet-1955

10PM
3 Movin' On
5-23 Sadat-Action Biography
17 Christmas With Oral Roberts-Florence Henderson. Charley Pride
25 Life Of Leonardo Da Vinci
43 Rodeo
45 High Cost Of Healing

11PM
3-5-8 News
17 Movie-Wharf Angel-1934
23 Buck Owens
25 Closed Caption ABC News
43 One Step Beyond
61 Best Of Groucho

11:30
3 Johnny Carson
5-23 Wide World Special
43 Movie-Beasts of Marseilles -English 1957
61 Movie-The Pathfinder -1952

11:40
8 Movie-Rogue's Gallery-1968

1AM
3 Tomorrow-Ton Snyder
5-23-43 News

1:20
8 Movie-Donovan's Reef-1963

2AM
3 News

3:20
8 News

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Looking Back:December 1952



Television Grid for Wednesday, December 17, 1952 in the Cleveland Press. The Press, being an afternoon paper, would normally publish afternoon/evening programs after 4:00 PM on the Paper's publishing date, then the following day's Morning-afternoon programming..

Today we will take a brief look at December 17-18. 1952 as published in the Cleveland Press.. Stations were doing a lot of local programming especially in the morning and afternoon..CBS was on Channel 5 and DuMont was actually the main network on 9..ABC was still struggling..There was also NBC owned WNBK of course..December 17 was WEWS' 5th anniversary but nothing appeared to be said on the air about it..

4 WNBK-NBC
5 WEWS-CBS
9 WXEL-DuMont-ABC

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1952-Evening

4PM
4 Kate Smith
5 Western Movie (From 3:30)
9 Handwriting

4:30
9 King Jack

4:45
5 Time For Beany-Puppets

5PM
4 Hawkins Falls-Soap
5 Uncle Jake's House-Gene Carroll
9 Santa Claus

5:15
4 Gabby Hayes
9 By Jupiter

5:30
4 Howdy Doody
5 Western Serial
9 Desert Deputy

6PM
4 Wild Bill Hickock
5 Dinner Platter

6:30
4 Tom Manning, News
5 Dorothy Fuldheim
9 Sports Desk

6:45
4 News, Quick Quiz
5 Weather, Lee Sullivan
9 News, Around House

7PM
4 Sports Review
5 News Parade
9 Captain Video-DuMont

7:15
5 Hollywood (News) Reel

7:30
4 Those Two
5 Douglas Edwards-CBS News
9 Christopher Film

7:45
4 John C. Swayze-NBC-News
5 Perry Como
9 Wayne Mack-Also a Radio DJ at WDOK-AM 1260

8PM
4 I Married Joan
5 Arthur Godfrey And Friends
9 This Is The Life-Syndicated

8:30
4 Scott Music Hall
9 From Hollywood

9PM
4 Kraft Television Theater
5 Crusade In Europe-Syndicated
9 Strike it Rich-CBS

9:30
5 Man Against Crime
9 Millionaire-Appears to be syndicated-"The Millioanaire" was on CBS from 1955-60

10PM
4 This Is Your Life
5 The Unexpected-Syndicated
9 Boxing-Pabst Blue Ribbon-CBS

10:30
4 Safety First
5 Wrestling-Possibly ABC-Chicago

10:45
9 Sports Spot-CBS

11PM
4 News
9 Warren Guthrie (11:10 Ted Malone's Top Story)

11:15
4 Feature Film
9 Sports

11:20
9 Feature Film

1AM
5 News

Thursday, December 18, 1952

7AM
4 Dave Garroway (Today)

8:30
5 News

8:45
5 Wings Of Song-Crandall Hendershott (organ) and Randy Culver (Soloist)

9AM
4 Feature Film
5 Western Reserve Telecourse

9:30
5 Paige Palmer

10AM
4 Home Cooking
5 Arthur Godfrey


10:30
4 Charming Children-Appears to be a preschool series not unlike Romper Room

10:45
9 Film Shorts

11AM
4 Idea Shop
5 (There's) One In Every Family
9 Bargain Barn-Sort of a "garage sale of the air"

11:30
4 Ernie Benedict
5 Strike It Rich
9 Jonathan Story

Noon
4 News, (Tele) comics
5 Bride And Groom
9 News

12:15
5 Love Of life
9 Lazy Listening

12:30
4 Living Fashion
5 Search For Tomorrow
9 Film Shorts

12:45
5 News

1PM
4, 9 Feature Film
5 Women's Window

1:30
5 Garry Moore

2PM
5 Vanity Fair-Local

2:30
4 Chef Lorenzo
5 Guiding Light

2:45
5 Art Linkletter
9 Film, Quiz

3PM
4 Big Payoff
9 Alice Weston

3:15
5 Mixing Bowl

3:30
4 Welcome Travelers

3:45
5 Western Movie
9 Paul Weston (No relation to Alice-Appears to be a musical conductor and arranger..)

Schedule, Image courtesy Cleveland Press

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Encore:WJKW-TV 8 Cleveland-NewsCenter 8 December 24, 1977

This was posted originally on December 13, 2007..A complete newscast, including commercials and holiday greeting spots..Original posting is below..






Tonight we present courtesy of Google Video, a complete Newscenter 8 broadcast from 30 years ago.. Saturday, December 24, 1977..The 32-minute program includes all commercials, as well as before and after newscast promo spots. There are several nice, heartwarming TV 8 "Seasons Greetings" spots..The Anchors were Jim Finerty and Kathy Adams with News, Mike Marlier with weather and Fred McLeod on Sports (now FSN-Channel 43 Cavaliers announcer)..In one of the last spots, we see Channel 8 was the 1977-78 local TV home for the Cavaliers, plus the sportscast mentions Barons NHL Hockey..being Christmas Eve, it was a relatively slow news day..

Note:The video above is actually a repeat posting from July 10th, 2007, but many of our newer readers may not have come across it as yet. Being closer to Christmas, I thought it was appropriate to repeat..

The Bill Holly Show: White Christmas-KHJ Channel 9 Los Angeles

Here is a very unusual clip:Los Angeles Kiddie Show Host Bill Holly, hosting Popeye cartoons in this clip, plays "White Christmas" on the trumpet. Very nicely I might add, after a bit of business with someone offstage..This is from KHJ-TV Channel 9 from 1966-67. He Then introduces the Popeye short, "Balmy Swami" The original poster of this, ddimuro is seen at the end of the clip as a boy with Bill Holly..Here is his background on the video:


"Bill performs White Christmas on trumpet for The Bill Holly Popeye Show, which ran on Los Angeles station KHJ-9 in 1966-67. Programs from this era were routinely erased, but Bill was able to save a reel's worth of his legacy and sent me a copy.

As far as I know, this clip is the last existing Holly show video. There are also a very few still photos."

I know I have some Blog readers in Southern California that might enjoy this..For others, this recalls the tradition of Captain Penny, Barnaby, Woodrow, Mr. Jingeling and others..Thanks very much to ddimuro for sharing..

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A look back:December 6, 1960


Ad for the "Jack Benny Program"-Sunday, December 4, 1960. This was the first season Jack went to an "every week" format rather than airing "alternate weeks" with other programs.

Ad featuring Linn Sheldon for "Popeye,Barnaby and Friends" from December 1960..The "Brand New" Popeye Cartoons were the King Features Made for TV cartoons made from 1960-62..Personal note:I grew up on these Popeye cartoons before I even knew about the earlier Fleischer/Famous Studios Theatrical Popyes from the 1930's to the 1950's..

TV Guide Ad for The second version of the timeless NBC special, "Peter Pan" starring Mary Martin on Thursday December 8, 1960..Notice the typo at the bottom of the ad:
3-12-12 should be 3-12-21..

I thought today we would look at The first week of December, 1960..December 6 has special meaning for me as we will see later.

Baranby was well into his third year on KYW-TV as was Ron Penfound's Captain Penny..
On the Network front, The following week's TV Guide had an exclusive-Tennessee Erine Ford was quitting his successful NBC Variety Show..The One O Clock club (Dorothy Fuldheim, Bill Gordon) was gaining afternoon popularity on WEWS-TV 5..Mike Douglas at KYW was still a year away from Premiering opposide One O Clock Club..KYW had a movie at 1PM hosted by "Big" Wilson, morning man at KYW-1100 AM..

TV Guide Schedule for Tuesday, December 6, 1960..

3 KYW NBC Cleveland
5 WEWS ABC Cleveland
8 WJW CBS Cleveland
21 WFMJ NBC Youngstown
27 WKBN CBS Youngstown
33 WKST ABC Youngstown
45 WXTV IND Youngstown
49 WAKR ABC Akron

5:55
3 Farm Fare

6AM
3 Tomorrow's Learning

6:30
3-21 Continental Classroom-COLOR

7AM
3-21 Dave Garroway (Today)
8 Camera Three

7:30
8 Rex Humbard

7:45
8 Clutch Cargo

8AM
27 CBS News-Richard Hottelet


8:15
8-27 Captain Kangaroo

8:55
5 Morning News

9AM
3 Funsville
5 Telecourse-Western Reserve University
8 Ed Allen Show
21 Way Of Life
27 Romper Room

9:30
3 Life Of Riley
5 Romper Room
8 Morning Movie-Traveling Saleslady-1935
21 Man Called X

10AM
3 Give N Take-Tom Haley
5 Paige Palmer
21 Dough Re Mi-Gene Rayburn
27 December Bride

10:30
3-21 Play Your Hunch-Merv Griffin-COLOR
27 Video Village=-Monty Hall

11AM
3-21 Price Is Right-Bill Cullen-COLOR
5-33-49 Morning Court
8-27 I Love Lucy

11:30
3-21 Concentration-Hugh Downs
5-33-49 Love That Bob!
8-27 Clear Horizon-Serial

Noon
3-21 Truth Or Consequences
5 Noon News Summary
8-27 Love Of Life
33-49 Texan

12:05
5 Noon Show-Captain Penny

12:25
5 Mr. Jingeling

12:30
3-21 It Could Be You-Bill Leyden-COLOR
5 Noon Show
8 Search For Tomorrow
27 Movie-No More Ladies-1935
33-49 Beat The Clock-Bud Collyer

12:45
8 Guiding light

12:55
3-21 NBC News-Ray Scherer

1PM
3 Movie-He Hired The Boss-1943 (Big's Party Line-Big Wilson)
5 One O' Clock Club-Dorothy Fuldheim, Bill Gordon
8 Movie-The Bride Comes Home-1935
21 News Headlines
33-49 About Faces

1:15
21 Kitchen Corner-Marjorie Mariner

1:30
33 Young World-Documentary
49 Cartoon Time

2PM
21 Jan Murray-COLOR
27 Full Circle-Serial
33-49 Day In Court

2:20
3 News-Pete French

2:30
3-21 Loretta Young
5-33-49 Road To Reality
8-27 House Party-Art Linkletter

3PM
3-21 Young Dr. Malone
5-33-49 Queen For a Day
8-27 Millionaire

3:30
3-21 From These Roots
5-33-49 Who Do You Trust-Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon
8-27 Verdict is Yours

4PM
3-21 Make Room For Daddy
5-33-49 American Bandstand (5 carries the show for only 60 min.)
8 Brighter Day
27 Esther Sonntag-Fashions

4:15
8-27 Secret Storm

4:30
3 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends
8 Edge Of Night
21 Here's Hollywood
27 Life of Riley

5PM
5 Santa Claus
8 As the World Turns
21 Capt. Sailorbird and Susie
27 Stanley's Inn

5:05
3 Movie-The Lost Patrol-1934

5:15
5 Captain's Clubhouse

5:30
5 Three Stooges
8 Movie-You Said A Mouthful-1932
21 Bozo
33 Rocky And His Friends
49 Cartoon Time

6PM
27 Quick Draw McGraw
33 Little Rascals
45 Hawkeye (Mohicans)

6:15
49 It's In The Bag

6:25
5 Mr. Jingeling

6:30
3 News-Bill Minshall
5 Dorothy Fuldheim
21-27 News
45 Ramar Of The Jungle
49 Akron Baptist Temple

6:40
3 Weather-Big Wilson

6:45
3-21 NBC News-Huntley/Brinkley
5 News-Tom Field
27 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
33-49 ABC News-John Daly

6:55
5 Weather-Susan Sadler

7PM
3 Tombstone Territory
5 Manhunt
8 City Camera News
21 Polka Parade
27 Silent Service
33 No Listing
45 Movie-Bandido-1956
49 News and Sports

7:10
8 Sports Camera-Moran

7:15
8 CBS News-Bouglas Edwards
49 Akron Public Schools

7:30
3-21 Laramie
5-33 Bugs Bunny
8 Sea Hunt
27 Flight
49 Movie-Earl Of Chicago

(Kind of Odd here that, according to Brooks/Marsh, CBS did not have
network programming 7:30-8 Tuesday in 1960-61)

8PM
5 Rifleman
8-27 Father Knows Best
33 Roy Rogers

8:30
3-21 Alfred Hitchcock
5 Wyatt Earp
8-27 Dobie Gillis (America One has shown this over WIVM-52/WIVN-29 Canton/New Philadelphia, Ohio weekdays at 3PM-For several years now)
33 Little Rascals
45 New York Confidential

9PM
3-21 Thriller-Boris Karloff
5-33-49 Stagecoach West
8-27 Tom Ewell Show
45 Movie-Spring Reunion 1957

9:30
8-27 Red Skelton

10PM
3-21 Open End-David Susskind-SPECIAL
TV Guide noted that this was supposed to be a version of Susskind's "Open End" Syndicated show with off the cuff talk..except it wasnt really open end..was limited to an hour..Impressive lineup:Joey Bishop, Jimmy Durante, Groucho Marx, George Burns, and Buddy Hackett..The subject:Comedy

5-33-49 Alcoa Presents
8-27 Garry Moore

10:30
5 My Sister Eileen-CBS Wed. 9PM
33 Decoy
45 Movie-Bandido-1956
49 Code Three

11PM
3 News-Bill Minshall
5 News-Tom Field
8-27 News-Warren Guthrie (Sohio Reporter)
21 News
33 Movie-Military Academy-1940
49 Movie-The Feminine Touch-1941

11:10
3 Weather-Jim Girard
8 City Report-Doug Adair
27 News/Sports

11:15
3 Sports-Jim Graner
5 Jack Paar-COLOR (The only color show on Channel 5's Schedule)
8 Sports/Weather

11:20
3 Movie-The Toast Of New York-1937
8 Movie-Main Street To Broadway-1953
21 Jack Paar-COLOR
27 Movie-The Thin Man Goes Home-1941

1AM
3-Movie-Fair Warning-1937
5 News Roundup

I said earlier that December 6 has a special meaning for me..Today is my Birthday..Hitting the big 5-0..(shudders to think about it)..I want to thank Blogging buddy 74WIXYGrad for the nice well wishes this morning on his blog. Check it out in the links to the right.. Though I probably didnt watch even one show on the day referred to above because I would have been only 3 years old then..LOL..

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Perry Como - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

There are some performers, while They have made a career and a reputation by singing many kinds of songs, when you mention their name, you think immediately of "Christmas"..Perry Como is such a Performer. Here is a live musical performance, likely from his show on Saturday December 20th, 1958 over NBC, "Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas" which it is weatherwise through much of the Northeast and the Midwest US..Trivia:Perry Como was featured as the "singer" on Radio Program Fibber McGee and Molly for a time in 1937..He is rivaled only by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the number of TV Holiday specials through the years..Thanks to YouTube user Kokomo Selekt for sharing..

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Early Westinghouse TV Logos..1957-58


KDKA-TV 2 ad for "Waterfront" a Syndicated series airing Tuesday nights in May 1958..Originally signing on as DuMont's WDTV, Westinghouse acquired Channel 2 in early 1955. (TV Guide Pittsburgh)



Ad for the Syndicated "Whirlybirds" series aired in WBZ-TV 4 in Boston Tuesday nights in May 1957..Notice the bottom left corner the initials WBC..Westinghouse on ocassion would refer to themselves as "WBC" WBZ-TV 4 was Westinghouse's first television station, signing on in 1948. (TV Guide New England)





August 1957 ad for KYW-TV 3's 1:00 Movie Package..Westinghouse acquired then WPTZ-TV 3 Philadelphia in 1952 from Philco TV, moving the station to Cleveland as KYW in 1956, relocating back to Philadelphia in 1965. (TV Guide Cleveland)




One of the things that has fascinated me over the 8 months or so in doing this blog is the way TV stations used print advertising in Newspapers and TV Guide Magazine let the public know of particular shows or favorite station personalities.

Many times, in such advertising, the station uses a graphic representation of itself, known variously as a "station id" or "station logo".. to make itself stand out..A few days ago, we saw some YouTube examples of Network Level Id's/Logos on film..some dating back to the 1940's..

In collecting listings from TV Guide the last few years, I've managed to get a few 1957-58 listings from TV Guide Cleveland, Pittsburgh and a Reprint Boston/New England Edition. What all 3 cities had in common was the fact that Westinghouse Broadcasting owned a station in each city. In looking over the listings I noticed that KDKA, KYW and WBZ-TV all had the exact same logo..Call letters on the left, the letters TV on the right and a triangle in the middle with the channel number inside..It strikes me that the ABC owned stations have used a variation of "Circle 7" as long as I can remember..And NBC owned stations used a simple block number with the "N" Logo in the late 1970's..

Just to compare, here is one day's schedule for each station in the 1957-58 period

KDKA-2 Pittsburgh CBS/ABC

Thursday, May 15, 1958

6:55 Sermonette
7AM Pittsburgh AM
8AM Captain Kangaroo
8:45 Josie's Storyland
9:25 My Little Margie
9:55 News-Paul Shannon
10AM Garry Moore
10:30 How Do You Rate?
11AM Arthur Godfrey
11:30 Dotto
Noon News-Bill Burns
12:15 Florence Mason-Ladies
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Movie-Mrs. Mike (Conclusion)
2:20 Women's Angle-Kiely
2:30 House Party
3PM Big Payoff
3:30 Verdict Is Yoursw
4PM Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Cartoons
4:55 Movie-Red Hot Tires 1935
6PM Annie Oakley
6:30 Superman
7PM News
7:15 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
7:30 Highway Patrol-Syndicated
8PM Leave It To Beaver
8:30 Big Record-Patti Paige
9PM The Millionaire
9:30 I've Got A Secret
10PM Armstrong Circle Theater
11PM News
11:15 Movie-They Made Me A Killer-1946
1:10 Movie-Meet The Missus=-1940
2:25 Sermonette

WBZ-4 Boston NBC/ABC

Thursday, May 16, 1957

6:30 Horizons
6:40 Daily Almanac
6:55 Weather-Don Kent
7AM Today
8:55 Film Shorts
10AM Home-Arlene Francis
11AM Fun With Food-Lynn (Price Is Right was shown only 3 times a week)
11:30 Truth Or Consequences
Noon News
12:15 Big Brother-Bob Emery
1PM Movie-First Lady-1937
2:25 News-Streeter Stuart
2:30 Tennesee Ernie
3PM Matinee-COLOR
4PM Queen For a Day
5PM Movie-Double Feature

1 Code of the Secret Service Pt. 2-1939
2 Escape From Crime-1942

6:45 News-Arch McDonald
7PM Telephone Time-ABC
7:30 Dinah Shore
7:45 NBC News-Huntley/Brinkley
8PM Groucho Marx
8:30 Dragnet
9PM People's Choice
9:30 Ford Show/Tennessee Ernie Ford
10PM Lux Video Theater-COLOR
11PM News
11:15 Broken Arrow-ABC
11:45 Tonight! Jack Lescoulie

KYW-3 Cleveland NBC

Thursday, May 1, 1958

7AM Today
8:55 News-Tom Haley
9AM Movie-Kentucky Kernels
10:25 Wimdow-Women
10:30 Treasure Hunt-Jan Murray
11AM Price Is Right-Cullen
11:30 Truth Or Consequences
Noon TicTac Dough
12:30 It Could Be You
1PM Movie-Here Comes The Band
2:45 News-Pete French
3PM Matinee Theater-COLOR
4PM Queen For A Day
5PM Blondie
5:30 Popeye (Fleischer/Famous)
6PM 6:00 Adventure (Soldiers Of Fortune)
6:55 News-Pete French
7PM Death Valley Days
7:30 Tic Tac Dough-COLOR
8PM Groucho Marx
8:30 Dragnet
9PM People's Choice
9:30 Tennessee Ernie Ford
10PM Romemary Clooney
10:30 Saber Of London
11PM News, Weather, Sports..Pete French, Joe Finan, Bob Neal
11:20 Movie-Tartu 1942

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Cartoon Fun-Hoppity Hooper Christmas Episode

A little fun to start the Holiday season:A Christmas Episode of "Hoppity Hooper" from December 19, 1965..This was actually a repackaging of "Hoppity" into a series called "Cartoon Fun" on ABC-TV sponsored by Topper Toys, which ran Sunday afternoons from September-December, 1965. Veteran comic actor Hans Conreid was Waldo Wigglesworth, Bill Scott(Bullwinkle) was Fillmore the Bear and Chris Allen was the naive frog Hoppity..The show was reminiscent of Rocky and Bullwinkle, with crude animation and puns galore..Very underrated in my opinion..Thanks to Toontracker for this gem..

Hello Everybody:Quick Update

Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving..Just writing to let you all know kind of what to expect in the next few weeks:

I've always had kind of a soft spot for the Christmas Holidays, especially when it comes to Television specials and just general Holiday Cheer on Television during this time of year..I'd like to share Video clips from Christmas shows of the past, as well as sharing Holiday Greetings Through TV Guide station ads as far back as 1953, as well as Christmas time Schedules through the years..

While we will be highlighting Christmas during December, It wont be all Christmas posts..If something else comes up, I'll write about it of course...Thanks everybody for visiting..

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Thanksgiving and the day After:50 years ago..


Thanksgiving Day..November 23, 1957 Radio Listings for the Canton Repository..Click each listing to make it easier to read..


From "Your Good Neighbor" WHBC-AM/FM..Santa Claus Calls..A traditional program for the kids to send letters to read on the air..sponsored by O'Neills Department Stores..I Think I read somewhere that longtime WHBC personality Jim Roberts played "Santa" on this program..


Ad for "Luncheon Serenade" a regular musical program over WAND-900 in Canton weekdays from 12-2 PM





Friday, November 24, 1957 Radio listings in the Canton Repository..By 1960, complete radio listings would go by the wayside in favor of paid station ads with program highlights..WHBC did paid ads for a few years..until 1967-68.


Today, I thought we would take a look at an even earler Thanksgiving-November 23-24, 1957..As presented in the Canton Repository..Things were very different back then..While the media certainly pushed the Holiday Shopping season, The Friday after Thanksgiving wasnt called "Black Friday" as yet..Radio stations actually waited until the day after Thankgiving to play Christmas music..and didnt play all Christmas music till later in December..The day after Thanksgiving also brought out the first sighting of "Santa Claus" or his "elves" all over the Holiday Airwaves as 1480 WHBC in Canton began "Santa Claus Calls" Nightly at 6:30 PM and WEWS-TV 5 in Cleveland brought out "Mr. Jingeling" for his second season of Holiday Cheer at least twice every weekday..

Thursday November 23, 1957 TV Listings

KYW-3 NBC

7AM Today
9AM Cash On The Line-Tom Haley
10:30 Treasure Hunt
11AM Macy's Parade
Noon Tic Tac Dough
12:30 Could Be You
1PM Movie
2PM Warmup
2:15 College Football-Texas/Texas A&M
5PM Comedy Time
5:30 Popeye
6PM Adventure
6:45 News(Huntley/Brinkley)
7PM Death Valley Days
7:30 Tic Tac Dough
8PM Groucho Marx
8:30 Dragnet
9PM People's Choice
9:30 Tennessee Ernie Ford
10PM Rosemary Clooney
10:30 Sherriff Of Cochise
11PM News, Weather
11:15 Sports, Jungle (animal show)
11:30 Movie

WEWS 5 ABC

9AM Fun Farm
9:30 Paige Palmer
10AM Mr. Jingeling
10:15 Hudson's Parade
11AM Film
11:30 Telecourse
Noon Capt. Penny/Mr. Jingeling
1PM One O Clock Club
2PM Stu Erwin
2:30 Bamberger's Parade
3PM American Bandstand
3:30 Do You Trust Your Wife?
4PM American Bandstand
4:45 Santa Claus
5PM Woody Woodpecker
5:30 Mickey Mouse Club
6PM Captain Penny's Fun House/Mr. Jingeling
6:30 Dorothy Fuldheim
6:45 Weather, News
7PM O Henry Theater
7:30 Circus Boy
8PM Zorro
8:30 Real McCoys
9PM Pat Boone
9:30 OSS
10PM Navy Log
10:30 Jane Wyman Show
11PM John B. Hughes News
11:15 Tonight

WJW-8 CBS

7AM Jimmy Dean
7:45 News
8AM Captain Kangarpp
8:45 Good Idea-Local
10AM Garry Moore
10:30 Arthur Godfrey
11:30 Strike It Rich
Noon NFL Football-Detroit/Green Bay
2:30 House Party
3PM New In Fashion
3:30 The Verdict Is Yours
4PM Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge Of Night
5PM As The World Turns
5:30 Beat The Clock
6PM Action At 6
6:45 CBS News
7PM Hawkeye
7:30 Sergeant Preston
8PM Harbourmaster
8:30 Climax!
9:30 Playhouse 90
11PM News, Sports, Weather
11:20 Movie
1AM Late Movie

Friday, November 24, 1957

KYW-3 NBC

7AM Today
9AM Cash On The Line-Tom Haley
10:30 Treasure Hunt
11AM Price Is Right
11:30 Truth Or Consequences
Noon Tic Tac Dough
12:30 Could Be You
1PM Movie
2:30 Bride And Groom
3PM Matinee Theater
4PM Queen For A Day
4:45 Modern Romances
5PM Comedy Time
5:30 Popeye
6PM Adventure
6:45 News(Huntley/Brinkley)
7PM Studio 57
7:30 Saber Of London
8PM Last Resort
8:30 Life Of Riley
9PM M Squad
9:30 Thin Man
10PM Boxing
10:45 Red Barber
11PM News, Weather
11:15 Sports, Jungle (animal show)
11:30 Movie

WEWS 5 ABC

9AM Fun Farm
9:30 Paige Palmer
10AM Morning Movie
11:30 Telecourse
Noon Capt. Penny/Mr. Jingeling
1PM One O Clock Club
2PM Stu Erwin
2:30 Beulah
3PM American Bandstand
3:30 Do You Trust Your Wife?
4PM American Bandstand
4:45 Santa Claus
5PM Buccanneers
5:30 Mickey Mouse Club
6PM Captain Penny's Fun House/Mr. Jingeling
6:30 Dorothy Fuldheim
6:45 Weather, News
7PM Legionnaire
7:30 Rin Tin Tin
8PM Jim Bowie
8:30 Patrice Munsel
9PM Frank Sinatra
9:30 Date With The Angels
10PM Colt 45
10:30 Playhouse
11PM John B. Hughes News
11:15 Tonight

WJW-8 CBS

7AM Jimmy Dean
7:45 News
8AM Captain Kangarpp
8:45 Good Idea-Local
10AM Garry Moore
10:30 Arthur Godfrey
11:30 Strike It Rich
Noon Hotel Cosmopolitan
12:15 Love Of Life
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Movie
2:30 House Party
3PM Big Payoff
3:30 The Verdict Is Yours
4PM Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge Of Night
5PM As The World Turns
5:30 Beat The Clock
6PM Action At 6
6:45 CBS News
7PM Victory At Sea
7:30 Leave It To Beaver
8PM Trackdown
8:30 Zane Grey Theater
9PM Mr. Adams and Eve
9:30 Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars
10PM The Lineup
10:30 Person To Person
11PM News, Sports, Weather
11:20 Movie
1AM Late Movie

All listings and images courtesy the Canton Repository

Thursday, November 22, 2007

1963-Thanksgiving Week in Cleveland TV


Ad for NBC's coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 28, 1963..Betty White and Lorne Greene were hosts this year as they would be every year from 1962-71. NBC has had Macy's Parade Coverage since 1952..

Apparently WAKR-TV 49 Akron was going for a new image..Carrying the full ABC Lineup..In previous years they had been known for local movies in prime time and preempting ABC or running ABC shows at other times out of pattern.





TV Guide Ad for "The Andy Williams Show" on NBC Tuesday Nights at 10PM. Other than a few guest appearances on the Jack Benny Show, Phil Harris didnt do a lot of television..The Osmonds were known as "The Osmond Brothers Quartet"..Still relatively early in their Careers..

Lets take a look at The week of November 23-29, 1963..While the schedules below reflect Wednesday and Thursday November 27-28, We'll look at some highlights of the entire week..When I copied these listings, I had no thought of what had happened at the time, namely John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas on Friday, November 22..Network Schedules were prempted for the next several days after..Let's look at what was supposed to be aired during this week..

WJW-TV 8 had Scheduled a Ghoulardi Episode Saturday, Nov. 23 (Island of Lost Men-1939)
Also on Saturday, KYW-TV 3 aired "Barnaby goes to Plymouth" A filmed "Barnaby" (Linn Sheldon) program in which he visits Plymouth, Mass. In a special Thanksgiving show.

Monday-Friday on NBC's "You Don't Say" (In Color)..John Astin and Carolyn Jones of "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" ABC sitcom are guest panelists..They would be teamed the following fall for ABC's Addams Family..

KYW-3 presents a Mike Douglas Special Monday night 11-25 at 10PM with Tommy Sands, Nancy Sinatra and Bill Daily

WEWS-5 has Price Is Right Primetime Wednesday 11-28 at 8:30 PM with guest Troy Donahue joining Bill Cullen..and at 11:15 the Tonight Show Welcomes Dorothy Kirsten and Lorne Greene..

Mr. Jingeling (Max Ellis) had begun his visits at WEWS-TV 5 on behalf of Halles Department Store..weeknights at 5:30 PM..

TV Guide Schedule-Wednesday, November 27, 1963..

KYW-3 NBC

6:20 News
6:25 Farm Fare
6:30 Sea Power
7AM Today-Hugh Downs
9AM Woodrow-Clay Conroy
9:30 Your Star Today-Anthology Reruns
10AM Say When-Art James
10:30 Word For Word-Merv Griffin-COLOR
11AM Concentration-Hugh Downs
11:30 Missing Links-COLOR
Noon News
12:30 Mike Douglas
2PM People Will Talk-Dennis James-COLOR
2:25 NBC News-Floyd Kalber
2:30 Doctors
3PM Loretta Young
3;30 You Don't Say-Tom Kennedy-COLOR
4PM Match Game-Gene Rayburn-Panel:Pat Carroll, Henry Morgan
4:25 NBC News-Sander Vanocur
4:30 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends-Linn Sheldon
5:05 Movie-Tarzan Escapes-1936
6:30 Huntley-Brinkley
7PM News
7:30 Virginian-COLOR
9PM Espionage
10PM Eleventh Hour-Conclusion of a crossover story from "Dr. Kildare"
11PM News-Bill Jorgensen
11:10 Weather-Dick Goddard
11:15 Steve Allen-Guest Mel Torme'
12:45 Movie-Cairo Road-1950

WEWS-5 ABC

8:55 News
9AM Telecourse-Psychology
9:30 Romper Room-Miss Barbara
10AM Paige Palmer
10:45 TV Classroom-Science
11AM Price Is Right
11:30 Seven Keys
12PM News
12:10 Noon Show-Capt. Penny
1PM One O Clock Club-Bill Gordon, Dorothy Fuldheim
2:30 Day In Court
2:55 ABC News-Howard
3PM Queen For A Day
3:30 Who Do You Trust-Woody Woodbury
4PM Trailmaster
5PM Comedy Clubhouse-Capt. Penny
5:30 Mr. Jingeling
5:45 Comedy Clubhouse
6PM News-Tom Field, Charles Day
6:10 Weather-Ron Jaye
6:15 Dorothy Fuldheim
6:30 Yogi Bear
7PM Quarterback Club-Ken Coleman
7:30 Ozzie And Harriet
8PM Patty Duke
8:30 Price Is Right
9PM Ben Casey
10PM Channing
11PM News-Tom Field, Dan Hackel
11:15 Johnny Carson-COLOR
1AM News

WJW-8 CBS

7:05 Meditation
7:10 News
7:15 Sunrise Semester
7:45 Rex Humbard
8AM Captain Kangaroo
9AM Pinocchio
9:30 People's Choice
10AM As The World Turns
10:30 I Love Lucy
11AM Real McCoys
11:30 Pete And Gladys
Noon Love Of Life
12:25 News-Roger Goodrich
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Hawaiian Eye
1:55 Editorial-Norman Wagy
2PM Password-Allen Ludden/Julia Meade and Frank Fontaine
2:30 House Party-Linkletter
3PM To Tell The Truth-Bud Collyer
3:30 Edge Of Night'
4PM Secret Storm
4:30 Laurel, Ghoulardi and Hardy
5PM Adventure Road-Jim Doney
6PM News, Sports, Weather-Roger Goodrich, Doug Adair, Joel Daly, Howard Hoffman, John Fitzgerakld
6:30 CBS News-Walter Cronkite
7PM Bachelor Father
7:30 CBS Reports
8:30 Leave It To Beaver (Syndicated reruns)
9PM Beverly Hillbillies
9:30 Dick Van Dyke
10PM Danny Kaye
11PM News Sports Weather-Daly, Adair, Fitzgerald, Hoffman
11:20 Movie-China Gate 1957
1AM Movie-Telegraph Trail-1933

49-WAKR Akron ABC

10:55 News
11AM Price Is Right
11;30 Seven Keys
Noon-Tennessee Ernie Ford
12:30 Father Knows Best
1PM General Hospital
1:30 Kartoon Karnival
2PM Matinee 49
2:30 Day In Court
2:55 ABC News-Howard
3PM Queen For A Day
3:30 Who Do You Trust-Woody Woodbury
4PM Trailmaster
5PM TV Hour Of Stars
5:45 Rex Humbard
6PM Professor Jack
6:55 Sports-Bob Wylie
7PM News-Jack Fitzgibbons
7:10 Weather-Bill McKay
7:15 ABC News-Ron Cochran
7:30 ABC News Reports-Delayed from Saturday 7PM-Bob Young
8PM Patty Duke
8:30 Price Is Right
9PM Ben Casey
10PM Channing
11PM ABC News-Murphey Martin
11:10 Local News
11:15 Movie-Under Fire 1957

Thursday, November 28, 1963

KYW-3

6:20 News
6:25 Farm Fare
6:30 Sea Power
7AM Today-Hugh Downs
9AM Woodrow-Clay Conroy
9:30 Your Star Today-Anthology Reruns
10AM Macy's Thanksgiveing Day Parade-COLOR
11:30 Missing Links-COLOR
Noon News
12:30 Mike Douglas
2PM People Will Talk-Dennis James-COLOR
2:25 NBC News-Floyd Kalber
2:30 Doctors
3PM Loretta Young
3;30 You Don't Say-Tom Kennedy-COLOR
4PM Match Game-Gene Rayburn-Panel:Pat Carroll, Henry Morgan
4:25 NBC News-Sander Vanocur
4:30 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends-Linn Sheldon
5:05 Movie-Steel Fist-1952
6:30 Huntley-Brinkley
7PM News
7:30 Festival-Rudolph Serkin-Classical Music
8:30 Dr. Kildare
9:30 Hazel-COLOR
10PM Arthur Godfrey Thanksgiving Special-COLOR
11PM News-Jorgenson, Goddard
11:15 Steve Allen-Dorothy Lamour, Woody Allen
12:45 Movie-Flesh and the Spur-1956

WEWS-5

8:55 News
9AM Choir Music
9:30 Romper Room-Miss Barbara
10AM Paige Palmer
11AM Price Is Right
11:30 Seven Keys
12PM News
12:10 Noon Show-Capt. Penny
1PM One O Clock Club-Bill Gordon, Dorothy Fuldheim
2:30 Cowboy And The Tiger
3:30 AFL Football-Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs-Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman report, with TV 5's Paul Wilcox doing a scoreboard after the game.
6:15 Cartoons
6:30 News-Field, Day
6:40 Weather-Ken Coleman
6:45 Dorothy Fuldheim
7PM High School Football '63-Last Show
7:30 Flintstones-COLOR
8PM Donna Reed
8:30 My Three Sons
9PM Jimmy Dean-With the McGuire Sisters and Don Adams
10PM Sid Caesar
10:30 Call Mr. D
11PM News-Field, Hackel
11:15 Johnny Carson-COLOR-Guest Tuesday Weld
1AM News

WJW-8
7:35 Meditation
7:40 News
7:45 Rex Humbard
8AM Captain Kangaroo
9AM Pinocchio
9:30 People's Choice
10AM Thanksgiveing Parades:

From New York-Macy's:Bess Myerson, Allen Ludden
Philadelphia-Gimbel's:Fran Allison. Gene Crane
Detroit:Hudson's:Bert Parks, Bob Murphy
Toronto:Lloyd Robertson (CBC)(2 hours-8 carried just 90 minutes)

11:30 Sidelines-Bob Neal
11:45 Best Of The Browns
Noon NFL Football-Green Bay At Detroit:Ray Scott, Van Patrick
3PM College Football-Texas at Texas A&M-Terry Brennan, Jim Simpson
5:55 Scoreboard-Joe Mayer
6PM News, Weather, Sports..Adair, Goodrich, Daly, Hoffman, Fitzgerald
6:30 CBS News-Cronkite
7PM Everglades
7:30 Password-Ludden-Jimmy and Gloria Stewart
8PM Rawhide
9PM Perry Mason
10PM Thriller-Syndicated
11PM News-Daly, Adair, Fitzgerald, Hoffman
11:20 Movie-Father Was a Fullback-1949
1AM Movie-Seventeen-1940

WAKR-49
10:55 News
11AM Price Is Right
11;30 Seven Keys
Noon-Tennessee Ernie Ford
12:25 ABC News-Lisa Howard
12:30 Father Knows Best
1PM General Hospital
1:30 Kartoon Karnival
2PM Matinee 49
2:30 Day In Court
2:55 ABC News-Howard
2:30 Cowboy And The Tiger
3:30 AFL Football-Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs-Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman
6:30 Professor Jack
6:55 Sports-Bob Wylie
7PM News-Jack Fitzgibbons
7:10 Weather-Bill McKay
7:15 ABC News-Ron Cochran
7:30 Flintstones-COLOR
8PM Donna Reed
8:30 My Three Sons
9PM Jimmy Dean-With the McGuire Sisters and Don Adams
10PM Sid Caesar
10:30 Jackpot Bil1iards
11PM ABC News-Murphey Martin
11:10 Local News
11:15 Movie-Kronos-1957

All ads and schedules courtesy TV Guide..

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all a blessed and safe Thanksgiving..Over the weekend I have a TV/Radio post from November 1957 using the Canton Repository I will be working on..

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Update-WXTV channel 45 Youngstown

Good Morning:

We had detailed in our November 9th post about nearly-forgotten WXTV-45 in Youngstown a little bit of its history and pattern of operation, We mentioned at the time that other than the TV Guide listings, there was very little information about this station floating around, especially on the internet. It would be very difficult to dig out the information without going to the time and expense of a special trip to Youngstown to check out Newspaper aricles. (which I still may do at some point after the first of the year now that I have dates to work with)

I had asked at the end of the November 9 article that anyone that had any memories about watching the station or any specific facts about ownership or local hosts to contact me..Well, two of our regular readers, Sportsteve24 of the Youngstown area and John F. Zies, came through in a big way..Sportsteve24 tells us that an owner of WXTV-45 was Sanford Schafitz, founder of WWIZ-1380 Lorain, Ohio and WFAR-1470 (Now WLOA) Farrell, Pa., and the "45 Hop" Teen Dance Show was apparently hosted by "Boots" Bell, longtime Disc Jockey at WHOT-1330 Campbell/Youngstown, Ohio..

John Zies sent me this very informative E-Mail based on volumes of "Television Factbook" of which he owns most editions from 1962-1996 (Would love to own that resource)..It details power and antenna of the 1960-62 version of channel 45 as compared to 21, 27 and 33 at the time.as well as specific dates of operation, etc..




"In response to your request for more data on WXTV, I went back to my old editions of Television Factbook, the industry “bible”, which I have most volumes from 1962 to 1996. From the Construction Permit and Stations Off The Air listings the following was obtained:



Ownership: WXTV, Inc, 803 E. Indianola Ave., Youngstown, OH. (Not very informative) This address is now home of a recording studio.



Period of Operation: November 15, 1960 to either February 28 or March 1, 1962. The two listings disagree about the end date. Obviously the TV Guide listings for March 1962 were provided before the plug was pulled.



In addition to weak programming, the station had a weak signal. Technical parameters were 16 kw visual effective radiated power, 10 kw aural ERP, and an antenna 330 feet above average terrain. This would have provided a radius of coverage of no more than 20 miles, and possibly less with the low sensitivity UHF tuners and converters of the time. By comparison they parameters of the other Youngstown stations at the start of 1963 were:

21 - 179 kw Vis, 89.5 kw Aur and 960 feet AAT

27 – 436 kw Vis, 218 kw Aur and 630 feet AAT

33 – 209 kw Vis, 105 kw Aur and 580 feet AAT



In Akron we could receive 21, 27, 33 and the old WKST 45, but I do not remember ever seeing WXTV.



I am really enjoying your articles. Found your site through Ohio Media Watch. I lived in Akron from 1952 to 1962 and had a great interest in TV. I still remember the Cleveland VHF channel changes, the coming of WAKR-TV 49 to Akron and installing a converter box to receive it, and the construction of antennas for Youngstown reception. Hope in the future you do an article on WAKR-TV, as I have mentioned in a couple of blog responses. If I can provide any additional historical data let me know....John"





A couple of interesting points:The power of WXTV Channel 45 was flea powered compared to 21, 27, or even 33 which even today 33 is'nt very strong..with a 20 mile radius, one wonders if WXTV-45 would even make it to Alliance, Ohio on a good day..The 803 Indianola Avenue address confirms the TV Guide Channel listings..Also, assuming the March 1, 1962 date of final sign-off was corrrect, The detailed listings of March 16, 1962 never aired.. Thanks again to John F. Zies and Sportsteve for the helpful insight..

Thursday, November 8, 2007

WKST/WYTV-45/33..Youngstown's ABC-TV


TV Guide Ad in 1968 for the "Dan Ryan Report" Ryan would end up as WKBN-AM 570's morning show host for many years..

Generic ABC-TV ad for the then-new "Real McCoys" Comedy Series, aired on WKST-45 Thursday, May 15, 1958 at 8:30 PM. (Pittsburgh TV Guide)

April 30, 1958 TV Guide Closeup for "Disneyland" on WKST-45 New Castle, Pa. (Cleveland TV Guide)


Early in the Blog, at the end of April/First part of May 2007 we shared the formative years of Youngstown TV with the sign-on of WKBN-27 and WFMJ-21 (at first 73)..Now we'll take a look at a little bit of later Youngstown TV History..

Some background: WKBN, while primarily CBS, carried generous portions of ABC and DuMont TV schedules, some shows in non-prime time hours..October 30, 1957 brought the establishment of WKST-TV channel 45 in New Castle, Pa. The Youngstown Market's first ABC affiliate..As noted in the May 10-16, 1958 TV Guide Pittsburgh Edition, no less than 9 of the 12 listed stations in places like Altoona, Clarksburg, Steubenville/Wheeling, Johnstown, and of course Pittsburgh and Youngstown, were at least partial ABC affiliates. So WKST-45 technically became the first full time ABC affiliate in Western Pennsylvania, a few months before WTAE-TV 4 Pittsburgh signed on..

WKST-45 was the third UHF in a UHF Market..ABC was just starting to establish itself and still didnt have much to go on ratings wise compared to NBC and CBS..45 did carry ABC in pattern pretty much at this time..

Wednesday, April 30, 1958 (Cleveland TV Guide)

3PM American Bandstand
3;30 Do You Trust Your Wife?
4PM American Bandstand
5PM Wild Bill Hickock-ABC
5:30 Mickey Mouse Club
6PM Kasper Kapers
6:15 News, Sports
6:30 Flash Gordon
7PM Sports Focus
7:15 ABC News-John Daly
7:30 Disneyland
8:30 Tombstone Territory
9PM Ozzie and Harriet
9:30 Betty White Show-Last Show of Series-Began as "Date With The Angels" sitcom but appears to be a variety show format now
10PM Boxing-Chicago-Jack Drees
10:45 Movie-Singapore

WKST stayed on Channel 45 through at least most of 1959. Between November 28-December 3, 1959 the station had moved to channel 33, still as WKST but relicensed to Youngstown..

WKST-33
Monday, December 5, 1960

11AM Morning Court
11:30 Love That Bob!
Noon Texan
12:30 Beat The Clock
1PM About Faces
1:30 Young World
2PM Day In Court
2:30 Road To Reality
3PM Queen For A Day
3:30 Who Do You Trust?
4PM American Bandstand
5:30 Captain Gallant
6PM Little Rascals
6:45 ABC News-John Daly
7PM Jim Backus
7:30 Cheyenne
8:30 Surfside 6
9:30 Adventures In Paradise
10:30 Peter Gunn
11PM Movie-The Men In Her Life-1941

of 14 hours-only 2.5 programmed locally-The rest network-and no local news as yet

By 1964 Channel 33's call letters were changed to WYTV..Local News began with Paul Burke at 11PM weeknights by this time..Also, by 1964 Barney Bean had begun a long run as Children's Host..

Thursday, Feb. 15, 1968-WYTV-33

8AM Cartoons
9AM Ed Allen
9:30 Dateline:Youngstown-Charles DeVault-Live talk show-This may have mutated into "Good Morning Youngstown" with Gary Cubberly and Cindy Ikins by the mid-1970's..I remember watching "GMY"
10:30 Donna Reed
11AM Temptation
11:25 ABC News
11:30 How's Your Mother In Law
Noon Bewitched
12:30 Treasure Isle
1PM Fugitive
2PM Newlywed Game
2:30 Baby Game
3PM General Hospital
3:30 Dark Shadows
4PM Dating Game
4:30 Cartoons
5:15 Local News-Joe Shafran
5:30 ABC News-Bob Young
6PM Mike Douglas
7:30 Winter Olympics
8:30 Bewitched
9PM That Girl
9:30 Peyton Place
10PM Felony Squad (delayed from Mon. 9PM)
10:30 Rat Patrol (delayed from Mon. 9:30 PM)
11PM News
11:15 Winter Olympics
11:30 TBA
11:45 Joey Bishop

WKST/WYTV's first location was the First Federal Plaza in New Castle then moving to 3800 Shady Run Road, Youngstown by 1959..They are still located there.

WYTV is also notable for being the Youngstown home of Cleveland Indians Baseball in the 1960's and 70's, as well as Y-Town's first Fox affiliate from 1994-98..They have recently been sold to Parkin Brodcasting, and are now in a "shared services" agreement with WKBN-27..Their digital service is MyTV Youngstown which carries the My Network and WYTV News, and some retro programming..

Next:WXTV 45..A try at an Independent in the Youngstown area..

Friday, November 2, 2007

Barnaby-Opening to his final Show-Friday, March 30, 1990-WUAB/43

Here, courtesy of YouTube poster conanconquer, is the first minute or so of Barnaby's final telecast on WUAB-TV Channel 43 Lorain-Cleveland airing March 30, 1990 at 9AM. Here, Linn Sheldon completed about 42 years on television in the Cleveland area. He hosted dozens of shows, including talk/interview shows, entertainment and kids shows, Movie Hosting duties and in his earliest days, he even read the next days schedule on WEWS-TV 5 in 1948-49. Rogers Jewelers sponsored a 3-day a week record pantomime show by Sheldon, which was said to be the first sponsored show in Cleveland.

For all his talent, and everything he did in Television, he will be always remembered as "Barnaby", children's host for the better part of 33 years on KYW/WKYC-TV 3 and WUAB-43..It was said he could take a prop chest and with no script, "wing" a show when neccessary. He had that kind of talent..

After living in Florida briefly, Linn came back to Cleveland to enjoy his retirement among family and friends. Gray Publishing produced his Memoir, "Barnaby And Me"..in 1999.

Linn Sheldon passed away at the age of 86 April 23, 2006.

"If anybody calls, tell them Barnaby said hello. Tell them I think that you are the nicest person in the whole world. Just you.."

This is the only known video available of Barnaby on YouTube. Again, thanks to Conanconquer for originally posting it..