Original owners of 17, 29, and 48?
Lisa or Jeff
new TV station! It started off with no commercials and the neatest
Mighty Mouse cartoons.
In the Phila area, only the newest TV sets were UHF capable, you
had to buy an adapter unit for older sets to get them.
(I remember an early Married With Children spoofed the "Fox viewing
position" with the Bundy's holding makeshift UHF aerials. I think
widespread cable TV was the thing that allowed better UHF pickup,
before cable, esp on the older sets, it was always a little harder
to receive.)
After 48, 17 and 29 came on line too. (I forgot the order, but
I think within a few years).
I think originally all programming was 100% reruns. Ads
got a little disappointing--lots of mail order slicer/dicer stuff.
For kids, we did like being able to see reruns of some pretty
classic TV shows, like the 1950s Superman.
Could someone refresh our memories as to who the original owners
were and the evolution of the stations into serious broadcasters?
Hey
>Could someone refresh our memories as to who the original owners
>were and the evolution of the stations into serious broadcasters?
Let's give it a shot.
WPHL-TV 17 went on 7/17/60 and off 8/1/62, returning on 9/17/65- it
was WPCA-TV in its first incarnation, religion (with, if I recall
correctly, some secular kids' shows) in its early days, owned by Young
People's Church of the Air, which I believe shares lineage with
present-day Crawford Broadcasting (WVCH). A local group was
responsible for the 1965 re-sign-on and change to all-secular
programming under the WPHL calls; it was sold to US Communications
(D.H. Overmyer, the guy who tried to start a fourth network) in late
1967 (when the familiar "stop sign" logo was introduced- remember
that?)- AVC eventually took over operations, selling out to Providence
Journal in '78 (around that time, the station used "The Great
Entertainer" promos), then was briefly owned by a reconstituted Taft
and later was sold to Tribune in '91. It was a viable commercial
station from '65 on- the station carried Sixers' games early on (from
about '67 or '68), and the Phillies from about '71 on (they had been
on channel 6).
WTXF 29 went on as WIBF-TV on 5/16/65, owned by the same Fox family
that owned WIBF-FM (they share a tower to this day); it was sold to
Taft on 5/7/69 and became WTAF-TV (with that creepy 3-D 29 logo).
After Taft went through mergers (became Great American), and it was
owned for a while by a group called TVX, it ended up in Paramount's
hands, then to Fox after Paramount won channel 57 in the great Grant
foreclosure sweepstakes. Taft's purchase made the station a player,
although it was a regular commercial independent from the start; I
remember Flyers games on 29 from about '69 on.
WKBS-TV 48 signed on, if memory serves, sometime in 1965, owned by
Kaiser; it was sold with stations in San Francisco, Boston, Detroit,
and Chicago to Field Communications (the license for Cleveland had
been turned in earlier, and Los Angeles was sold separately the year
before) in 1977. It had the same basic logo, a TV-set-shaped symbol
with "48" in the middle, throughout, but the style changed in about
'77 (the whole group updated the logos with the sale to Field). I
think it went dark in '83 or thereabouts; it was a viable independent
throughout its history, twice attempting some semblance of news (a
full show, then Pat Farnack updates). WGTW went on in August 1992,
owned then as now by Dorothy Brunson and only slightly less cheesy
today than at sign on.
WPSG-TV 57 went on as WWSG-TV in 1981 (6/15), owned by Bill Gross,
owner of a pager company in the basement of an apartment building a
block off City Line. It started as a scrambled pay channel (Prism?)
with free business programming daytime. Milt Grant bought it on
4/14/85 and changed the calls to WGBS-TV and the format to traditional
independent, spending a fortune on programming and marketing and
making the TV Guide as thick as a phone book (almost); after GBS went
bust, the group was divested and Paramount, one of the creditors,
ended up with the stations (Miami and Dallas as well). All ended up
part of the new UPN network, of course.
Others might remember when channel 65 Vineland was an independent as
WRBV and then as WSJT with a Nick-at-Nite style lineup before Press
Broadcasting (NJ101.5) sold it to HSN in '86. Channel 51 Reading was
also, briefly, around '81 or so, a cheesy independent before going the
shopping route and then Spanish.
Corrections welcome, of course...
Karen Byrd
> I remember when Ch 48 debut in the 1960s. It was a big deal--a brand
> new TV station! It started off with no commercials and the neatest
> Mighty Mouse cartoons.
>
> In the Phila area, only the newest TV sets were UHF capable, you
> had to buy an adapter unit for older sets to get them.
>
> (I remember an early Married With Children spoofed the "Fox viewing
> position" with the Bundy's holding makeshift UHF aerials. I think
> widespread cable TV was the thing that allowed better UHF pickup,
> before cable, esp on the older sets, it was always a little harder
> to receive.)
>
> After 48, 17 and 29 came on line too. (I forgot the order, but
> I think within a few years).
>
> I think originally all programming was 100% reruns. Ads
> got a little disappointing--lots of mail order slicer/dicer stuff.
What I remember most about 48 in those days was the Soupy Sales
Show. Something I would never miss! :-) Then there was Dr Shock
on 17.
--
Karen Byrd
deepstblu
> >were and the evolution of the stations into serious broadcasters?
>
> Let's give it a shot.
> Others might remember when channel 65 Vineland was an independent as
> WRBV and then as WSJT with a Nick-at-Nite style lineup before Press
> Broadcasting (NJ101.5) sold it to HSN in '86.
and most weekend hours; theirs was called WHT (Wometco Home Theater).
The original owner went bankrupt at an early stage of the game, and the
schedule of typical (but older than the majors) reruns, plus a local
newscast at 7 PM, gave way to a music video service called Odyssey and
the Financial News Network after 57 dropped it to go pay-TV 24/7.
Channel 61 (WTGI Wilmington, now WPPX) also launched as a conventional
indie (Dynasty reruns were their big programming expenditure) but, like
65, was underfunded and went broke in months. They drifted from home
shopping to Telemundo Spanish to infomercials before the current PAX
format came in.
And I seem to recall that a licence for a commercial station on Channel
23 was once issued (long before NJN) but the station never got off the
ground (or on the air).
Rick B. in NJ
Captain Sarcastic
> AVC eventually took over operations, selling out to Providence
> Journal in '78 (around that time, the station used "The Great
> Entertainer" promos), then was briefly owned by a reconstituted Taft
> and later was sold to Tribune in '91.
I remember "The Great Entertainer" Promos. They'd play some bastardization
of "Puttin' On The Ritz" in the background. Of course, there was always the
Channel 17 announcer with his familiar aircheck: "WPHL Channel 17
Phil-a-DELLLLLL-phia." I think he does announcing duties for ABC on
weekends now. WPHL should have kept the aircheck, though. It's a classic.
That, and didn't Channel 17 air the same movie every weeknight, with a
different movie each week?
Besides the Sixers and Phillies games, WPHL can best be remembered for Dr.
Shock and Dancin' On Air, a local dance show in the '80s which had
up-and-comers on it. One that sticks out in my head is Madonna.
> WTXF 29 went on as WIBF-TV on 5/16/65, owned by the same Fox family
> that owned WIBF-FM (they share a tower to this day); it was sold to
> Taft on 5/7/69 and became WTAF-TV (with that creepy 3-D 29 logo).
I remember the "creepy" (more like cheap) 29 logo. I also remember one of
their aircheck jingles: "Prime time, all the time, TV 29."
Another thing I remember: Sometime in the late '70s or early '80s, Channel
29 started broadcasting their movies as "The Movie On 29." The theme that
they used for the promos was a variation on what eventually became the first
theme for the Ten O'Clock News.
I do remember when they were just a local independent. Channel 29's main
programs were Three Stooges shorts, Bugs Bunny cartoons up to 1947, and the
World Wrestling Federation before it was popular and when they still showed
the WWF matches at the Spectrum on PRISM.
> I remember Flyers games on 29 from about '69 on.
I remember the Flyers on 29 as well, then I thing Channel 57 got a hold of
the rights.
> WKBS-TV 48 signed on, if memory serves, sometime in 1965, owned by
> Kaiser; it was sold with stations in San Francisco, Boston, Detroit,
> and Chicago to Field Communications (the license for Cleveland had
> been turned in earlier, and Los Angeles was sold separately the year
> before) in 1977.
Yeah, I remember Channel 48 being owned by Kaiser, licensed to Burlington,
New Jersey, as it is today. KBS stands for Kaiser Broadcasting System.
> It had the same basic logo, a TV-set-shaped symbol
> with "48" in the middle, throughout, but the style changed in about
> '77 (the whole group updated the logos with the sale to Field).
I remember the 48 "TV Logo" too. I also remember whenever Field took the
station over that at the end of every program, Channel 48 would edit out the
studio logo and replace it with the Field Communications logo. So, whenever
they reran "The Munsters," instead of seeing the Kayro-Vue and Universal
Studios logo, you'd see the Field logo, which was nothing more than the
words "Field Communications" in gold letters on a black background.
> I think it went dark in '83 or thereabouts; it was a viable independent
> throughout its history, twice attempting some semblance of news (a
> full show, then Pat Farnack updates). WGTW went on in August 1992,
> owned then as now by Dorothy Brunson and only slightly less cheesy
> today than at sign on.
1983 is about right. From my understanding, the Field brothers, who owned
Field Communications, had a family feud of sorts, causing the destruction of
their business and the shutdown of their stations. I remember Pat Farnack
announcing the shutdown of WKBS when it was first announced on their
newsbriefs, and she seemed choked up about it. Can't say that I blamed her.
I also remember that WKBS did a morning public affairs program hosted by
someone named Marty Jacobs. For a public affairs programs, Jacobs actually
did a good job at keeping things interesting. It's a wonder he isn't around
here on TV anymore. I remember that he showed on his show one of the first
compact disc players, which I thought was interesting. This was around 1982
or so.
The last program WKBS aired was a syndicated college football game. After
the game, the general manager came on, said thanks for watching and
good-bye, then static for the next ten years.
WGTW is, in my opinion, an unworthy successor to WKBS. The old Channel 48
had class. This station looks as if it is transmitting out of a jury-rigged
transmitter made out of a toaster oven.
> WPSG-TV 57 went on as WWSG-TV in 1981 (6/15), owned by Bill Gross,
> owner of a pager company in the basement of an apartment building a
> block off City Line. It started as a scrambled pay channel (Prism?)
> with free business programming daytime.
That's true. I forgot about that. Channel 57 used to air FNN, the
Financial News Network, which was the precursor of today's CNBC in the
daytime. At night, they would air SelectTV. It was a scrambled pay channel
which you needed a converter box in order to view it. Eventually, they
started to air PRISM scrambled over it's signal, until Milt Grant bought the
station
> Milt Grant bought it on 4/14/85 and changed the calls to WGBS-TV
> and the format to traditional independent, spending a fortune on
> programming and marketing and making the TV Guide as thick as
> a phone book (almost); after GBS went bust, the group was
> divested and Paramount, one of the creditors, ended up with the
> stations (Miami and Dallas as well). All ended up part of the new
> UPN network, of course.
When WGBS first went on the air, it promoted itself as "Philly's Own
Superstation, Philly 57." It had a red and white 3-D logo for the number 57
with what looked like a handwritten "Philly" on top of it.
The station had a slick look to it and did have the feel of one of the New
York Superstations. And, frequently and often, they would play the jingle
for it "Hello Philadelphia! Hello 57! Say hello, to friends you know and
things you do . . . "
It was a bust, because there was mostly reruns, and very few attempts at
local programming. Maybe a public affairs show here and there. They
franchised Bozo the Clown once, but how could he compete with local legends
like Captain Noah and Chief Halftown?
Come to think of it, they still don't do a good job in the public affairs
department. Barely any stuff. Like I said above, WKBS had the newsbriefs
and Jacobs' morning show. Channel 29 had a daily show called "Newsprobe"
which was on for years before the Ten O'Clock News and was hosted by Jill
Chernikoff, and used to air "Community Update", which was a 15-minute film
montage of Philadelphia with voiceover of the goings on in the city by
Chernikoff and a male announcer (I think the guy's name was Ron Gold.).
WPHL had (I believe still has) the long-running Delaware Valley Forum with
Dorie Lenz.
Captain Sarcastic
news:7ks5cc$n...@netaxs.com...
> I think originally all programming was 100% reruns. Ads
> got a little disappointing--lots of mail order slicer/dicer stuff.
Don't forget . . . professional wrestling, roller derby, boring public
affairs programs and bullfights.
Captain Sarcastic
news:37722284...@news.erols.com...
> Wasn't channel 29 originally owned by Taft Broadcasting - hence it's
> call letters (up until their late 1980's buy-out) WTAF ?
Correct.
> I remember when Channel 48 (I can't recall the call letters off hand)
> went off the air in the mid-80's for about 10 years. At the time, it
> wasn't doing much besides showing old 70's reruns. Now it's back
> showing a mix of infomercials and Extreme Championship Wrestling on
> Friday nights.
The call letters were WKBS. They were originally owned by Kaiser (KBS stood
for Kaiser Broadcasting System). Then Field Communications bought it from
Kaiser and kept it until it went off the air in 1983.
WKBS did show it's fair share of 50's, 60's and 70's reruns. It also had
public affairs programmings, two attempts at news broadcasts (I think it ran
a version of the Ten O'Clock News) in the late 60's, and had newsbriefs in
the 80's. They also showed first-run syndicated programming.
WKBS was a first-rate independent station. I would go so far as to say that
it was probably the closest thing to a Superstation on a par with WWOR and
WPIX that Philadelphia had. Though it never was broadcast nationwide, the
quality of programs that it aired put it on a par with the New York
superstations, and it always seemed to have a little more class than WPHL or
WTAF. when it went off the air in 1983 it was a loss. WGBS never quite
made up for it.
The present Channel 49, WGTW, must have its programs directly syndicated
from hell. Who wants to watch eleven year old reruns of World Championship
Kickboxing? The only original, and close to local, programming on there is
Extreme Championship Wrestling since it comes out of a bingo hall in South
Philadelphia, but I think ECW does more to promote teenage backyard
wrestling than any community affairs.
John Jenkins
>
> I also remember that WKBS did a morning public affairs program hosted by
> someone named Marty Jacobs. For a public affairs programs, Jacobs actually
> did a good job at keeping things interesting. It's a wonder he isn't around
> here on TV anymore. I remember that he showed on his show one of the first
> compact disc players, which I thought was interesting. This was around 1982
> or so.
>
> I actually remember that first showing of the CD, don't ask me why it stuck
> in my mind but it did, as I remember they had some people from Phillips who
> developed the CD on and were talking who great the machine was and the dropped
> the bomb that it would cost a thousand dollars or so.
>
>
Regina Litman
>
> I remember when Ch 48 debut in the 1960s. It was a big deal--a brand
> new TV station! It started off with no commercials and the neatest
> Mighty Mouse cartoons.
>
> In the Phila area, only the newest TV sets were UHF capable, you
> had to buy an adapter unit for older sets to get them.
I grew up in the Washington, DC, area and went through a lot of the same
things you did with regards to the introduction of UHF. Our first UHF
station was on 26, and it was an "educational" station, WETA, affiliated
(somewhat loosely, I later learned) with something called NET. 26 is
still around these days as Washington's PBS station. During the day
back in the early 1960s, WETA carried what was considered to be
educational programming. The second UHF station in Washington was 14,
WOOK. It was an all-black station, something almost unheard of in those
days. The station lasted a few years and then went bankrupt. The third
UHF station, channel 20, WDCA, which came on the air on April 20, 1966,
was the Washington area's first commercial UHF station meant to appeal
to a broad market.
As in the Philadelphia area, only the newest TV's picked up the UHF
stations. And for many years, tuning into a UHF station was a tricky
thing, since the dials were more like radio dials, and it was difficult
to go right to the station one wanted.
> Could someone refresh our memories as to who the original owners
> were and the evolution of the stations into serious broadcasters?
Although I am not from this area, I have heard that William Fox, father
of Montgomery County career politician (and ex-Congressman) Jon Fox,
owned Channel 29 in its early days. Also, I know that Milt Grant, who
started Washington's Channel 20, was involved in the ownership of either
Channel 57 or, after William Fox, Channel 29. It is a coincidence,
however, that Channel 29's current network affiliation bears the same
name as one of its early owners.
When I moved to this area in 1986, there were three commercial UHF
stations - 17, 29, and 57. I have not thought in terms of this area
having a station on Channel 48 because I moved here during the time in
which it was dark, and after it came back on the air, I was not much
into T.V. watching. I don't even know if our local cable system
(Comcast Willow Grove) carries it.
Lisa or Jeff
Who was "Kaiser" broadcasting and whatever happened to them?
Any relation to the Kaiser shipbuilding empire of WW II?
I understand Ch 48 folded as a result of internal family disputes, not
broadcasting problems. Given that, wasn't surrending back their license
a costly asset loss--wouldn't it have been better simply to sell the
license rights (if that was possible)?
Hey
>Regarding Ch 48...
>Who was "Kaiser" broadcasting and whatever happened to them?
>Any relation to the Kaiser shipbuilding empire of WW II?
Yes- as in Henry J. Kaiser. Same folks associated with the Kaiser
Permanente hospital-health care network on the west coast. All based
in the Bay Area. The broadcasting division owned stations in Boston
(with the Boston Globe as partners- WKBG/56 Cambridge, now WLVI), San
Francisco (KBHK/44- Kaiser Broadcasting Henry Kaiser), Los Angeles
(KBSC/52 Corona, now KVEA), Philly (WKBS/48), Cleveland (WKBF/61, went
dark in the 70s), and Chicago (WFLD/32, with Field, which bought most
of the group).
>I understand Ch 48 folded as a result of internal family disputes, not
>broadcasting problems. Given that, wasn't surrending back their license
>a costly asset loss--wouldn't it have been better simply to sell the
>license rights (if that was possible)?
Tax writeoff. With the Field family squabbling, they decided to deal
with the tax problem of getting many millions all at once by turning
in the valuable Burlington-Philadelphia license and writing that off
against the amount obtained for the rest (Metromedia bought Chicago,
United-Chris-Craft bought SF, someone else- Gannett? Viacom?- bought
Boston, LA had been previously sold). They couldn't agree on any
other course of action, so there ya go.
48 used to be on a side road near the Schuylkill Xway off the Penrose
Ave. bridge- is that building still there? It sat empty for years,
still brightly painted with a huge 48 logo and "Field Communications"
all over it.
Hey
>When I moved to this area in 1986, there were three commercial UHF
>stations - 17, 29, and 57. I have not thought in terms of this area
>having a station on Channel 48 because I moved here during the time in
>which it was dark, and after it came back on the air, I was not much
>into T.V. watching. I don't even know if our local cable system
>(Comcast Willow Grove) carries it.
It does. It's on all local cable systems. Look for the
crappiest-looking signal on the dial, and that's 48.
g...@my-deja.com
<3771c05a.53557972@news>,
memories as to who the
original owners
> >were and the evolution of
the stations into serious
broadcasters?
>
>
over operations, selling out
to Providence
> Journal in '78 (around that
time, the station used "The
Great
> Entertainer" promos), then
was briefly owned by a
reconstituted Taft
> and later was sold to
viable commercial
> station from '65 on- the
station carried Sixers' games
early on (from
> about '67 or '68), and the
Phillies from about '71 on
(they had been
> on channel 6).
>
on 5/16/65, owned by the same
Fox family
> that owned WIBF-FM (they
share a tower to this day);
it was sold to
> Taft on 5/7/69 and became
WTAF-TV (with that creepy 3-D
29 logo).
mergers (became Great
American), and it was
> owned for a while by a
group called TVX, it ended up
in Paramount's
> hands, then to Fox after
Paramount won channel 57 in
the great Grant
> foreclosure sweepstakes.
Taft's purchase made the
station a player,
> although it was a regular
commercial independent from
> remember Flyers games on 29
from about '69 on.
>
memory serves, sometime in
1965, owned by
> Kaiser; it was sold with
stations in San Francisco,
Boston, Detroit,
> and Chicago to Field
Communications (the license
for Cleveland had
> been turned in earlier, and
Los Angeles was sold
separately the year
the same basic logo, a
TV-set-shaped symbol
> with "48" in the middle,
throughout, but the style
changed in about
updated the logos with the
sale to Field). I
or thereabouts; it was a
viable independent
> throughout its history,
twice attempting some
semblance of news (a
> full show, then Pat Farnack
updates). WGTW went on in
August 1992,
> owned then as now by
Dorothy Brunson and only
slightly less cheesy
> today than at sign on.
>
WWSG-TV in 1981 (6/15), owned
by Bill Gross,
> owner of a pager company in
the basement of an apartment
building a
> block off City Line. It
started as a scrambled pay
channel (Prism?)
> with free business
Grant bought it on
> 4/14/85 and changed the
calls to WGBS-TV and the
format to traditional
> independent, spending a
fortune on programming and
marketing and
> making the TV Guide as
thick as a phone book
(almost); after GBS went
> bust, the group was
divested and Paramount, one
of the creditors,
> ended up with the stations
(Miami and Dallas as well).
All ended up
> part of the new UPN
network, of course.
>
channel 65 Vineland was an
independent as
> WRBV and then as WSJT with
a Nick-at-Nite style lineup
before Press
> Broadcasting (NJ101.5) sold
Reading was
> also, briefly, around '81
or so, a cheesy independent
before going the
> shopping route and then
Spanish.
>
> Corrections welcome, of
course...
>
WHYY (Wider Horizons for You and Yours) while currently on Chanel 12, started
out on Channel 35 in 1957. In 1963 it obtained the license for Channel 12, a
defunct commercial station. I think itkept a signal on 35 for a time as WUHY
(which the FM station was for awhile too).
WYBE now utilizes Channel 35.
There have also been a cople of LPTV stations around. Channel 7 in
Philadlphia was one, and I think Pat Pollilo, ex-GM at KYW-TV, is running
another in Bucks County.
Channel 42 may still repeat Channel 41 from North Jersey.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
CA (was) in NJ
>WRBV originally, like 57, carried a pay-TV service during prime time
>and most weekend hours; theirs was called WHT (Wometco Home Theater).
For what it's worth, in the NYC area, WHT was on WWHT/68/Newark and
WSNL/67/Smithtown LI. Both are now HSN stations owned by Barry Diller. I
know 65 runs HSN, but is that a Diller station too?
--
**********************************************************************
R.I.P. DeForest Kelley January 20, 1920 - June 11, 1999
**********************************************************************
Joseph M. Johnston
>I remember when Ch 48 debut in the 1960s. It was a big deal--a brand
>new TV station! It started off with no commercials and the neatest
>Mighty Mouse cartoons.
When I was a kid, I understood how NYC had the 3 network stations and three
additional stations on VHF. This made me VERY jealous. On trips up there I
got a tast of independent TV. There were lots of reruns, movies, and
syndicated shows not available here. It was a real joy when UHF opened up and
I tormented my parents (many people of that time didn't see the point of
anything beyond the three networks) into getting uhf boxes.
>
>In the Phila area, only the newest TV sets were UHF capable, you
>had to buy an adapter unit for older sets to get them.
>
>(I remember an early Married With Children spoofed the "Fox viewing
>position" with the Bundy's holding makeshift UHF aerials. I think
>widespread cable TV was the thing that allowed better UHF pickup,
>before cable, esp on the older sets, it was always a little harder
>to receive.)
>
>After 48, 17 and 29 came on line too. (I forgot the order, but
>I think within a few years).
Actually, 29 was first followed shortly by 48. 48 at that time was owned by
Kaiser Broadcasting. They did a lot of interesting stuff in the early years.
Stu Nahan (sportcaster) also did a kids show called Captain Philadelphia which
ran old space serials like Rocky Jones. They had an afternoon movie with a
live host who did commentary. The first host was John Carlton (of the Go
Patrol) and I believe the talk show host whose last name was Herman. Sally
Starr went to 48 after she was booted from 6 (even though her ratings were
higher than the morning competition). My most vivid memories of 48 were the
Saturday afternoons. They ran predictable schedules with series of movies
(Rocky Jones, John Wayne ???? brothers, Blondie,) and the dance shows. I
think Ed Hirst went to 48 and did his show from Willow Grove Park there. Hy
Lit had a dance show on 48 also.
29 was the first UHF on the air (I know about a former WPCA 17 and WUHY).
They were owned by the same people who owned WIBF in Jenkintown fromt he
Benson East Apartments. I don't remember that much about their shows, but
they did do some interesting things. They had a 9 to 4 stock market show
called "Market" and Allen Scott and Dorrie Lenz were on it. It was probably
way ahead of its time. It had prices on the top and bottom of the screen
scrolling across (NY on top and American on the bottom) and they did
commentary and features . It was very much a forerunner of some of the cable
services. 29 also had its dance show with Joe Niagara and a sidekick named
Super Lou.
17 was the third station to come on the air. Their slogan was "The Best Seats
in the House." They had your standard rerun fare like Fury in the afternoon.
Bill Webber moved his cartoon show there. I know they had their own dance
show in the early days (not referring to dance fever), but can't remember who
did it. 17 got into a bit of hot water for broadcasting the bullfights from
Mexico City. I believe they took them off due to negative public reaction.
>I think originally all programming was 100% reruns. Ads
>got a little disappointing--lots of mail order slicer/dicer stuff.
>
>For kids, we did like being able to see reruns of some pretty
>classic TV shows, like the 1950s Superman.
>
>
Lisa or Jeff
> things you did with regards to the introduction of UHF. Our first UHF
> station was on 26, and it was an "educational" station, WETA, affiliated
We had a Ch 35 which was the sister station of Ch 12, the PBS outlet.
One tended to be more school programs.
Ch 35 is now an independent public broadcasting station. I'm not
exactly sure how they survive--their costs are low, but where do
they get money from? (They show lots of foreign p/r stuff.)
> (somewhat loosely, I later learned) with something called NET. 26 is
> still around these days as Washington's PBS station. During the day
> back in the early 1960s, WETA carried what was considered to be
> educational programming. The second UHF station in Washington was 14,
> WOOK. It was an all-black station, something almost unheard of in those
> days. The station lasted a few years and then went bankrupt. The third
> UHF station, channel 20, WDCA, which came on the air on April 20, 1966,
> was the Washington area's first commercial UHF station meant to appeal
> to a broad market.
>
> As in the Philadelphia area, only the newest TV's picked up the UHF
> stations. And for many years, tuning into a UHF station was a tricky
> thing, since the dials were more like radio dials, and it was difficult
> to go right to the station one wanted.
>
> > Could someone refresh our memories as to who the original owners
> > were and the evolution of the stations into serious broadcasters?
>
> Although I am not from this area, I have heard that William Fox, father
> of Montgomery County career politician (and ex-Congressman) Jon Fox,
> owned Channel 29 in its early days. Also, I know that Milt Grant, who
> started Washington's Channel 20, was involved in the ownership of either
> Channel 57 or, after William Fox, Channel 29. It is a coincidence,
> however, that Channel 29's current network affiliation bears the same
> name as one of its early owners.
>
Captain Sarcastic
news:7l0tuu$6do$1...@tikehau.netreach.net...
> Actually, 29 was first followed shortly by 48. 48 at that time was owned
> by Kaiser Broadcasting. They did a lot of interesting stuff in the early
> years. Stu Nahan (sportcaster) also did a kids show called Captain
> Philadelphia which ran old space serials like Rocky Jones. They had
> an afternoon movie with a live host who did commentary. The first host
> was John Carlton (of the Go Patrol) and I believe the talk show host
> whose last name was Herman.
I remember the afternoon movie on Channel 48 and you're right, it was Bernie
Herman, the former (I think former anyway) WWDB talk show host.
> My most vivid memories of 48 were the Saturday afternoons. They ran
> predictable schedules with series of movies (Rocky Jones, John
> Wayne ???? brothers, Blondie,) and the dance shows
Every Saturday afternoon, Channel 48 would air Blondie and Tarzan and I
think maybe an Abbott and Costello film as well. They also had horror films
on, too, with "The Son of Svengali" as the host of the films.
Does anyone remember Dr. Don Rose doing announce duties for Channel 48 when
they aired cartoons. It seems to me he'd speak in all these weird voices
and do a bunch of weird sound effects.
> 29 was the first UHF on the air (I know about a former WPCA 17 and WUHY).
> They were owned by the same people who owned WIBF in Jenkintown fromt he
> Benson East Apartments. I don't remember that much about their shows, but
> they did do some interesting things. They had a 9 to 4 stock market show
> called "Market" and Allen Scott and Dorrie Lenz were on it.
I thought Dorie Lenz was always on Channel 17?
> 17 got into a bit of hot water for broadcasting the bullfights from
> Mexico City. I believe they took them off due to negative public
> reaction.
I think the SPCA and the animal rights people complained and took them off.
Odd UHF fare.
Captain Sarcastic
news:3772E4CD...@erols.com...
> I actually remember that first showing of the CD, don't ask me why it
> stuck in my mind but it did, as I remember they had some people
> from Phillips who developed the CD on and were talking who great the
> machine was and the dropped the bomb that it would cost a thousand
> dollars or so.
I don't know why it stuck in my mind, either. I can even remember that they
were playing the soundtrack from "Fame" on the CD, and Marty Jacobs was
sitting there listening to it and commenting on how clear it sounded, then
the Phillips representative mentioned the $1,000 price tag. I think Jacobs
had a look on his face as if to say "I'm not getting one of these any time
soon." :-)
deepstblu
>
> "Captain Sarcastic" <capt...@captain.sarcastic> wrote:
>
> >Does anyone remember Dr. Don Rose doing announce duties for Channel 48 when
> >they aired cartoons. It seems to me he'd speak in all these weird voices
> >and do a bunch of weird sound effects.
>
> Francisco, mostly, where he was a radio legend (with similarly weird
> voice effects)...
He was a radio legend here, too...morning drive on WFIL, late '60s/early
'70s. I think he had heart surgery while here and left for San Francisco
shortly after he recovered, opening the 'FIL morning slot for Jim
O'Brien. (And the long-term fill-in while Rose was in the hospital was
Joe Niagra...lots of legends in one slot in a short time.)
Rick B. in NJ
Hey
>deepstblu wrote:
>
>>WRBV originally, like 57, carried a pay-TV service during prime time
>>and most weekend hours; theirs was called WHT (Wometco Home Theater).
>
>For what it's worth, in the NYC area, WHT was on WWHT/68/Newark and
>WSNL/67/Smithtown LI. Both are now HSN stations owned by Barry Diller. I
>know 65 runs HSN, but is that a Diller station too?
Yes, it is. And all of them will eventually go independent, with
local trendy programming (gossipy news, talk shows) and syndicated
fare plus sports, ala Miami's WAMI (and the station it shamelessly
apes, CITY-TV Toronto).
Hey
CA (was) in NJ
>Yes, it is. And all of them will eventually go independent, with
>local trendy programming (gossipy news, talk shows) and syndicated
>fare plus sports, ala Miami's WAMI (and the station it shamelessly
>apes, CITY-TV Toronto).
Well, they've been saying that for years now. :) I still remember reading
an article on CItyVision in Electronic Media (trade paper) back at least 3
years ago. Called WHSE (current calls of Ch68) and they said they'd get
back to me when it was being put together. That was 2 years ago. Even the
WAMI stuff in Miami is being scaled back now. I hope it works, but it's not
looking good right now.
Hey
>Well, they've been saying that for years now. :) I still remember reading
>an article on CItyVision in Electronic Media (trade paper) back at least 3
>years ago. Called WHSE (current calls of Ch68) and they said they'd get
>back to me when it was being put together. That was 2 years ago. Even the
>WAMI stuff in Miami is being scaled back now. I hope it works, but it's not
>looking good right now.
WAMI made a lot of mistakes, but they seem to believe that sports is
the ticket- Diller's bidding big on pro sports rights in some of the
next group of markets (I know he bid on Chicago local rights for most
of the teams, and bid on the Red Sox before they signed with WLVI).
They always said it would take a few years, and Philly (which has an
app in to move the tower to Roxborough) is a lower priority than NY,
LA, and Chicago. Meanwhile, they're hiring promo staff for the group
(to be based in Miami) and tech staff to run many of the stations
remotely from what is presently their "LA" facility (about an hour
east of the city in Ontario),
Bruce Momjian
: Rush Wickes <ru...@south-side.org> wrote in message
: news:37722284...@news.erols.com...
:> Wasn't channel 29 originally owned by Taft Broadcasting - hence it's
:> call letters (up until their late 1980's buy-out) WTAF ?
: Correct.
:> I remember when Channel 48 (I can't recall the call letters off hand)
:> went off the air in the mid-80's for about 10 years. At the time, it
:> wasn't doing much besides showing old 70's reruns. Now it's back
:> showing a mix of infomercials and Extreme Championship Wrestling on
:> Friday nights.
Anyone remember Channel 48 used to show Star Trek in original format,
and used to announce before each show that they were showing in with
fewer commercials than the FCC allowed.
--
Bruce Momjian | http://www.op.net/~candle
ro...@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 853-3000
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