1960's programming on Channel 17.Minimal and Monochrome

Tuesday, May 7, 1968 Canton Repository



Canton Repository ad-December 1969...

As we saw in our last installment..John Baker appeared to be the only "personality" involved locally with Channel 17 at first..Here is the first full week of programming as listed in the Canton Repository:

Monday, January 9, 1967
4:30 Tall Man
5PM Shotgun Slade
5:30 News
6PM Ray Milland
6:30 Thriller
7:30 News
8PM Movie-Dragon Wells Massacre-1957
9:30 News


Tuesday, January 10, 1967
4:30 Wide Country
5:30 News
6PM Bachelor Father
6:30 Johnny Midnight
7PM Soldier Of Fortune
7:30 News
8PM Movie-Junior Miss 1945
9:30 News

Wednesday, January 11, 1967
4:30 Kit Carson
5PM Restless Gun
5:30 News
6PM Love that Bob
6:30 Checkmate
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

Thursday January 12, 1967
4:30 Overland Trail
5:30 News
6PM Pride Of The Family-Paul Hartman Sitcom
6:30 M Squad
7PM Coronado 9
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

Friday, January 13, 1967
4:30 State Trooper
5PM Tales of Wells Fargo
5:30 News
6PM Leave it to Beaver
6:30 Riverboat
7:30 News
8PM Movie-TBA
9:30 News

Interesting Schedule:The average TV watcher then would have said:"All these old moldy shows? I'd rather watch 3, 5, or 8!"..These days, we would love a similar schedule on TV Land..

At first all they had was News and the filmed programming as shown above..and all Black and White at first. Plus they were only on 5 days a week..By 1968 They had added Sunday Hours but only from 8:25 AM-1:30 PM!

Sunday May 12, 1968:
8:25 Sign-On
8:30 Faith, Hope and Inspiration
9AM Faith For Today
9:30 Hour of St. Francis
10AM Canton Baptist Temple-Harold Henniger-Eventually the evening 7PM service would be carried live as well. This was the longest running local program on 17-from 1967-86 when TBN took over and it left the air on 17 shortly after..Still airing locally on channel 52 and Time Warner Local Access
11AM Insight
11:30 This Is The Life
Noon Wrestling
1:30 Sign-Off

At first, any Saturday programming would be minimal. wrapped around a High School Football or Basketball game..Mostly from Canton's Fawcett Stadium or Memorial Field House or Canton Civic Center. Eventually there would be some local programming such as Sidelight 17 and Talkback, which appears to be a phone-In show..Movies were not the blockbuuster hits..Mostly very old..and not good prints, either..

Next:1970-77..The best attempts at programming..17 goes color..

SideNote:I'd like to thank the Stark County District Library Periodical Department for help with copying the Channel 17 pages I got the ads from, etc..the Lady spent a lot of time trying to make the copies look as good as possible..It was very hard finding much about the early days of this station..This is probably the first time anyone has done much with anything online about WJAN-TV 17..

Serving the City of Canton...WJAN-TV 17

The Only Logo used by WJAN-TV 17 in it's Janson Industries ownership that I know of...Canton Repository, May 7, 1968


January 2, 1967 Ad in the Canton Repository for the "Electronics Center" on Canton's Cherry Avenue NE..Selling UHF converters to receive WJAN-TV 17, due to sign on January 3. The Electronics Center was open into the 1990's and still may be. It was rumored they still had some UHF converters at that time, too..


Also from May 7, 1968..Ad for Stark CATV, which ultimately became Warner Amex..Then Time Warner Cable..the dominant Cable TV franchise in Northeast Ohio...

Today we'll look at the history of WJAN-TV 17 in Canton. TV in Canton/Stark County has sort of a sparse history until the mid 1960s. In the earliest days of commercial television, there were allocations for "Channel 1" as what would be known as "community stations" Low-Power units that would serve small areas..Canton was listed for a Channel 1 allocation in 1946.

Around the mid 1950's plans were laid for Tri Cities Telecasting to operate Channel 29 as WTLC-TV in Canton. The 1958 Canton City directory shows this station at 324 Market Ave. N. In Canton, with Morton Frank and Loren Sourers jr. as officers. I have never seen that this station ever made it on the air. There was also planned WMAC-TV on Channel 23 in Massillon, which also never made it on the air.

Forward to 1967. Channels 25 in Cleveland and 49 in Akron were the only UHF's on the air in the Cleveland/Akron/Canton region. Cleveland Commercial UHF's were a year away. Channel 17 had been licensed to Marion, Ohio at one point, but Janson Industries, a Stage Curtain/Equipment manufacturer, secured the license for Channel 17 and moved it to Canton..Taking the Call Letters WJAN (In recent years Radio stations in Vermont and a Spanish Language TV station in Miami have used WJAN)

Below is a short article (one column) of WJAN-TV's Sign-On..

FIRST CANTON TV BROADCAST SET TUESDAY

Canton's first television station, WJAN Channel 17, will broadcast its first programs beginning at 4:30 PM Tuesday, General Manager John E. Hamm announced Saturday (12-31-66)


Eollowing its opening day of broadcasting, the 105kw station will be on the air from Monday through Friday fron 4:30-10PM with transmitting equipment designed to provide a strong signal anywhere in Stark County.

The daily program schedule includes three news programs, a feature movie at 8PM, and film series in the Western, Mystery and Comedy categories.

John Baker is the station's News Director and he will be seen weekdays at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 PM.

(Editor's note:It doesnt say here, but John Baker was also News Director at WHBC-AM 1480 in Canton at this time as well.)

Harold Gorsuch,former superintendent of electronic systems for the Ohio State University, is chief engineer at the station, While Frank Buchtel, former manager of Canton radio stations WCNS/WCNO (900 AM/106.9 FM-Ed.) is director of sales.

Studio transmitter and tower are located on Route 62 at California Ave. NE. Five miles northeast of Canton. The Station is owned by Janson Industries of Canton.

Canton Repository
Monday, January 2, 1967.

Next:A more specific look The Earliest days of Channel 17-from 1967-69

Some updates..

TV Cooking show from 1953 hosted by Francois Pope and his sons Bob and Frank, aired Saturday mornings at 11AM on WNBK-TV 4-From TV Guide

Editors Note:I was under the assumption this show originated from WNBK-when it actually was from WNBQ-TV 5 Chicago..


TV Guide Ad for ABC's Ozzie and Harriet. In it's second season (1953-54) on WXEL-TV 8 Friday nights at 8PM


Hello:
Wev've been here for nearly 6 months and the response has been fantastic..I appreciate all who stop by and check us out..Just want to mention a few things..

First, I honestly appreciate those who take the time to leave comments, even to correct me on facts, dates, etc..Also, I have only had to delete 2 comments, and those were for spam rather than anything really offensive..

Secondly, regular readers will notice that I have started using some You Tube for posts.You Tube makes it very easy to add text to any video and send it directly to Blogger.com. A side benefit is the YouTube player includes "related" video in thumbnail form one can play as well..I should mention though that some of the "related" video in my mind isnt all that related, and a few videos might not all be family-oriented..I will try to look to make sure everything is as G-rated as possible,,and see if there is a way to remove potentially offensive videos before I post them..

Thirdly, I have added some new links recently..Clarke Ingram's fine DuMont History site..Michiguide-Daily updates of Michigan Radio and TV..Nostalgia Links-Martin Grams is a fine Old Time Radio Author..His wife is collecting Links related to Nostalgia Radio, TV and other subjects and offering a clearinghouse for nostalgia and information about by-gone days..

Cleveland area TV
Saturday December 19, 1953
Lake Erie Edition TV Guide


Channel 4 WNBK Cleveland

9AM Youth Wants to Know
9:30 Cartoon Time
10AM Buckskin Billy-Western Host
11AM Creative Cookery-Francois Pope
Noon Here's Looking at You-Beauty
12:30 To Be Announced
12:45 Industry On Parade
1PM Movie-Time Of Your Life-James Cagney, William Bendix
2:30 Movie-Little Men-Kay Francis, Jack Oakie
4PM Stagecoach Theater-Western-Deadline-Ken Maynard
5PM Bowlers' Jackpot-Sammy Levine, Loraine Andre
6PM Cisco Kid
6:30 Johnny Mack Brown
7PM Citizen's League-Service
7:30 Ethel And Albert-Comedy
8PM Bonino-Comedy
8:30 Ted Mack Amateur Hour
9PM Your Show Of Shows-Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca
10:30 Your Hit Parade
11PM Tom Field-News
11:05 Movie-Batttling Hoofer-James Cagney, Evelyn Dow, William Frawley

Channel 5 WEWS-CBS Cleveland

9:30 Western Reserve Telecourse
9:55 Morning News
10AM Cabbages and Queens-Home Type show with Paige Palmer
10:45 Jon Gnagy-Learn To Draw
11AM Space Patrol
11:30 Rod Brown, Rocket Ranger
Noon Big Top-Circus
1PM-Lone Ranger
1:30 Hobbytown USA
2PM Views and Reviews-Cleveland Public Library Chorus sings carols
2:30 Movie-Grand Escapade
5PM Ramar Of The Jungle-DEBUT-Jon Hall Stars
5:30 Polka N Fun
6PM Beat The Clock-Bud Collyer (CBS Saturday 7:30)
6:30 Inside Catholic Schools
7PM Life With Father
7:30 To Be Announced
8PM Jackie Gleason
9PM Two For The Money-Quiz-Herb Shriner
9:30 My Favorite Husband-Comedy
10PM Medallion Theater
10:30 Revlon Mirror Theater
11PM Movie-We're Going to be Rich-Gracie Fields, Brian Donlevy
12:30 Movie-Lighthouse-News following the movie

Channel 8 WXEL DuMont, ABC Cleveland

9:30 Film Short
9:45 Animal Fun-Film
10AM Smilin Ed McConnell-ABC
10:30 Tootsie(Roll) Hippodrome-ABC
11AM Merry Go-Round-Walt "Kousin" Kay
11:30 Tom Corbett, Space Cadet-ABC
12:30 By Jupiter-Kids
1PM Movie-Quadruple Feature-Mostly short subjects

1.Tough to Handle-Frankie Darrow
2. Shadow On Th Range-Johnny Mack Brown
3. Oil Raider-Buster Crabbe
4. Gangster Den-Buster Crabbe

3PM Pro Basketball (NBA)-Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics-DuMont
5PM One World City-Sidney Andorn
6PM Bible Forum
6:30 Colonel Humphrey Flack-Comedy-DuMont (Wed. 9PM on the DuMont Net)
7PM Dotty Mack-ABC
7:30 Leave It To The Girls-ABC
8PM Talent Patrol-ABC-Armed Services Talent Show
8:30 Music From Meadowbrook-ABC
9PM Pro Boxing-ABC
9:45 Fight Talk-ABC
10PM Rocky King-DuMont
10:30 Movie-Wooden Horse
Midnight Sports Showcase
12:15 Wrestling-Hollywood

Channel 49 WAKR ABC Akron

2:30 Akron Univ. Basketball
4:30 "Bar 49" Theatre-Western movies
6:30 Dotty Mack
7:30 Royal Playhouse-Syndicated
8PM Talent Patrol
8:30 Music From Meadowbrook
9PM Pro Boxing
9:45 Fight Talk
10PM Madison Square Garden
10:30 Wrestling

Channel 27 WKBN CBS, ABC, DuMont Youngstown

10AM Western Movie
11AM Winky Dink-CBS
11:30 Captain Video-DuMont
Noon-Big Top-CBS
1PM Johnny Jupiter-CBS
1:30 What In The World-Panel
2PM Double Feature-Movie
4:30 Movie-Western
5:30 Boxing-Film
6:30 News This Week
6:45 Don Gardner
7PM Meet Millie-CBS-Comedy
7:30 Beat The Clock-CBS
8PM Jackie Gleason-CBS
9PM Two For The Money-CBS
9:30 Talent Patrol-ABC
10:30 Revlon Mirror Theater-CBS
11PM Wrestling-Chicago
11:05 Sports Showcase
11:20 Wrestling continues
Midnight News

Channel 73 WFMJ-TV NBC Youngstown

11AM Movie-O' Malley, Mounted
1PM Movie-Double Feature

1.Forged Passport
2. Delinquent Parents

5:30 Christmas Preview
6PM Week In Review
6:30 Serial Theater
7PM Mr. Wizard
7:30 Ethel And Albert-Comedy
8PM Bonino-Comedy
8:30 Ted Mack Amateur Hour
9PM Your Show Of Shows-Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca
10:30 Your Hit Parade
11PM Movie-Stage 73-The Outlaw Land
Midnight-News

DuMont Television Network in Ohio..and the Pittsburgh Connection.

1953 WDTV-Channel 2 Logo-Courtesy Clarke Ingram..He has an outstanding DuMont history website..Linked at the right.

The DuMont (pronounced Dooh-Mont) TV Network ID's in the previous post serve as an introduction to today's topic. Allen B. DuMont founded DuMont Laboratories in 1931. Although involved in many areas of electronics, his company was best known as a manufacturer of TV sets. DuMont began the first US television network in 1946, with WABD-5 in New York and WTTG-5 in Washington, DC. DuMont added a third station, WDTV-3 in Pittsburgh on January 11, 1949. It was at that date that the East-Midwest Coaxial Cable was completed, allowing live broadcasting as far west as Chicago to be seen in the East and Vice-Versa.

By the time DuMont arrived in Pittsburgh, NBC and CBS were established as the main TV network players in the US..ABC was just starting and effectively was the "forrth network" in the early 1950'a. DuMont had a decent shot to be a viable network early on..

WDTV was the first and only VHF TV station in Pittsburgh for over 8 years, Only competition being 2 UHF's (16, 53 both on the air-and off the air quickly) and Educational WQED-TV 13. till WIIC-11 came along (NBC) in 1957 and WTAE-4 (ABC) in 1958. This created a unique situation for DuMont in Pittsburgh, The 7th largest US Market at the time. Closest VHF-TV to Pittsburgh were channels 7 and 9 from Steubenville/Wheeling and Johnstown's Channel 6.

WDTV cleared many of the DuMont Network shows in pattern but were able to cherry pick the other networks' best shows, running them at all hours of the day and night. DuMont used its leverage in Pittsburgh to gain affiliates in other parts of the country. Westinghouse paid a premium to get Studio One live clearance in Pittsburgh over WDTV. These arrangements helped keep DuMont in Business..After ABC merged with United Paramount Theaters in 1953, the ready infusion of cash helped ABC to upgrade its programming.

DuMont, which had always run the network on a shoestring anyway as far as program production and talent was concerned, was in worse shape. Desperate for cash, DuMont by 1955 had sold WDTV (now Channel 2)to Westinghouse, which promptly changed the call letters to KDKA-TV after it's pioneer radio station. Prrimary Network was now CBS. The money helped for a while, but the writing was on the wall..DuMont was out of the network business by the end of 1956. They couldnt acquire more stations to help with program clearance and with ABC doing more filmed shows in Hollywood...DuMont as a tv network was pretty well done. WABD and WTTG were sold to Metromedia and eventually in 1986 became the cornerstone for the FOX Network..

In Ohio, as in most other areas, DuMont TV, if it was seen at all, was part time of course..sharing affiliation with another network. WXEL/WJW channel 9/8 Cleveland was considered one of the strongest DuMont affiliates..showing primarily DuMont Shows from 1949-early 1955, when WEWS-5 took over..About the only DuMont Show Channel 5 showed regularly was "Captain Video". Other Ohio affiliates include:

Cincinnati WCPO-9(ABC)
Columbus WTVN-6 (ABC)
Dayton WHIO-7 (CBS)
Lima WLIO 73/35 (NBC)
Toledo WSPD-13 (NBC)
Youngstown WKBN-27 (CBS)
Zanesville WHIZ-18 (NBC)
Erie, Pa. WICU-12 (NBC/ABC)

Typical Schedule of WDTV-2 February 28-March 6 1953
From TV Digest of Pittsburgh-Only carried channel 2, WJAC 6 and WKBN 27 Youngstown. Three stations in a radius of 223 miles.

PRIME TIME

Saturday, Feb. 28, 1953 8PM-Sign-Off


8PM Burns And Allen-CBS (Monday 8PM)

8:30 Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars-CBS (Friday 9PM)

9PM Your Show Of Shows-NBC-Caesar/Coca

10PM Boston Blackie-Syn.

10:30 Your Hit Parade-NBC

11PM Ford Theater-NBC (Thursday 9:30 PM)

11:30 News

11:35 Four Star Playhouse-CBS
(Thursday 8:30)

12:05 Sports Final-Nick Perry

12:10 Hollywood Opening Night-NBC (Monday 9PM)

12:40 Movie-Swing Shift Theater (double feature)
I Met My Love Again
Ship's Reporter

Sunday March 1, 1953 8PM-Sign-Off

8PM Colgate Comedy Hour-NBC
Bob Hope, George Jessel

9PM Rocky King, Inside Detective-DuMont
Said to be DuMont's most popular Drama show

9:30 Plainclothesman-DuMont

10PM Arthur Murray-DuMont

10:30 Youth On The March-DuMont

11PM News-Dave Murray

11:15 Double Play-Leo Durocher and wife Laraine Day-Interview-Syn.

11:30 Sports Roundup-Hank Stahl

11:35 Movie-Dock Of New York-East Side Kids

Monday, March 2, 1953 8-11PM

8PM Lux Video Theater-CBS (Thursday 9PM)

8:30 Voice Of Firestone-NBC


9PM China Smith-Dan Duryea Syndicated

9:30 Big Story-Syndicated

10PM Studio One-CBS
Sponsored by Westinghouse, Which happened to be headquartered in Pittsburgh. It was said that the company paid a premium to buy the Monday 10PM time from DuMont.

Tuesday, March 3, 1953 8-11PM

8PM Life Is Worth Living-DuMont (Fulton J. Sheen)

8:30 Keep Posted-Discussion-DuMont
Martha Rountree Moderator-Guest was Sen. John Kennedy


9PM Where Was I? John Reed King-Game Show-DuMont

9:30 Wisdom Of The Ages-DuMont
Hosted by Jack Barry

10PM March Of Time-Syn.

10:30 This Is Your Life-NBC (Wednesday 10PM)

Wednesday, March 4, 1953 8-11PM

8PM Arthur Godfrey And Friends-CBS
6 in Johnstown and 27 Youngstown aired this at the same time-The Only show on all 3 channels at once.

9PM Red Buttons-CBS ( Monday 9:30 PM)

9:30 Guest To Ghost-Local Game show/Bill Burns

10PM Boxing -CBS

10:45 Sports Spot-Mel Allen-CBS


Thursday, March 5, 1953 8PM-11PM

8PM Counterpoint Syndicated


8:30 I'm The Law George Raft-DuMont (Monday 8:30)

9PM Curtain Time-Drama-Syndicated

9:30 Foreign Intrigue-Syndicated

10PM Favorite Story-Adolphe Menjou-Syndicated

10:30 I've Got A Secret-CBS

Friday, March 6, 1953

8PM Mama-Peggy Wood-CBS

8:30 Life Of Riley-NBC

9PM Files Of Jeffery Jones-Syndicated

9:30 Encore Theater-Movie
Almost A Bride-Shirley Temple, David Niven

10:45 World Tonight-Dave Murray/Ray Scott
(Early News because of Golden Gloves Tourney at 11PM)

Saturday, March 28 1953 6AM-8PM
6AM Test Pattern
7AM Morning Varieties
8AM Rootie Kazootie-Puppets-ABC
9:30 Space Patrol-ABC
10AM Smilin' Ed McConnell-ABC
10:30 Happy's Party-DuMont (orig. in Pittsburgh)
11:30 Kids And Company-DuMont -Hosted by Johnny Olsen Would later gain greater fame as a premier TV announcer,,
Noon The Big Top-CBS
1PM Meet Me at the Zoo-CBS
1:30 Lash LaRue-Western
1:45 Roller Derby
2PM Saturday Theater
3PM Big Picture
3:30 Life With The Erwins (Stu Erwin Show)-ABC
4PM The Name's The Same-ABC-Robert Q. Lewis
4:30 Fireside Theater-NBC
5PM Superman
5:30 Hopalong Cassidy
6PM Polka Party-Nick Perry
6:30 TeleSports Digest-Sports
6:45 Vimco Varieties-Musical
Sponsor-Probably Pasta Manufacturer
7PM Lone Ranger-ABC
7:30 Yesterday's Newsreel-Syndicated-Ziv TV
7:45 Time Out-Slim Bryant/Wildcats (Country Music)
WDTV had different programs 6 nights a week under the "Time Out" Banner-all Sponsored by Duquense/Silver Top Beer

Sunday March 1, 1953 10:15 AM-8PM
10:15 Test Pattern
11AM Frontiers of Faith-NBC
11:30 Magic Clown-NBC-Sponsor:Bonomo Turkish Taffy
Noon Tootsie Hippodrome-ABC Sponsor:Tootsie Roll
12:30 Mitzi's Kiddie Castle-Local kids show
1PM Pittsbirgh Story-Public Affirs/Discussion
1:30 Quiz Kids-Joe Kelly-CBS
2PM Music And Meditation
2:15 Film
2:30 Professor Yes `n` No-Bill Cullen-Syndicated
2:45 Earl Wheeler Show
3PM Robert Montgomery Presents-NBC
4PM You Asked For It-ABC
4:30 What's My Name-ABC
5PM Super Circus-ABC
5:30 Terry And The Pirates-Syn.
6PM Amateur Hour-Ted Mack-NBC
7PM You Bet Your Life-NBC
7:30 I Love Lucy-CBS

Monday-Friday March 2-6, 1953 Daytime/Late Night

7AM Today-NBC
9AM Ding Dong School-NBC
9:40 Morning Chapel-DuMont
9:45 Garry Moore-CBS
10AM Home Edution-Local Women's
10:30 Arthur Godfrey-CBS
11AM Buzz and Bill-Local Variety
11:15 Bride And Groom-CBS-John Nelson
11:30 M/W/F Strike It Rich-CBS
Tues.Pittsburgh Public Schools
Thurs. Film

11:45 Thurs. Welcome Travelers-Tommy Bartlett-NBC
Noon News At Noon-Dave Murray, Nick Perry

12:15 Love Of Life-CBS


12:30 Search For Tomorrow-CBS
12:45 Guiding Light-CBS
1PM Ladies' Date-Local
1:30 Kay's Kitchen-Local
2PM MWF Bob Caldwell Music Shop
Tues. Thurs. Let's Visit

2:15 Stars On Parade-Film
2:30 Meet Your Neighbor-Local Interview
3PM Mon., Wed. Fri. Big Payoff-CBS
Tues. Thurs. Double Or Nothing-Bert Parks CBS

3:30 Mon, Fri.Bill Brant Show-Variety (Local)
Tues. Thurs. Ask The Girls-Local Women's
Wed. Paul Dixon-DuMont



4PM Kate Smith Hour-NBC
4:15 Mon. Film
4:30 Mon. Kate Smith Hour (conclusion)
(They put a film in the middle of the Kate Smith Hour On Monday Only)

5PM EZ C Ranch Gang-Country Western
5:30 Mon. Wild Bill Hickok-Syn.
Tues.-Thurs. Howdy Doody-NBC
Fri. Cisco Kid-Syn.

6PM Video Adventures-Western
6:30 Chevrolet News-Ed Wood
6:45 Pitt Parade-Happenings In Pittsburgh
6:55 Viz Quiz-Phone Quiz
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
DuMont's Longest running Non-Sports Program-from 1949-55

7:30 Monday-Herman Hickman-Sports-CBS
Tuesday, Thursday Room With A View-Bob Caldwell, Johnny Costa Local Variety
Wednesday-Drew Pearson News-DuMont
Friday-Town And Country-Interviews

7:45 Time Out-Sponsored by Duquense/Silver Top Beer
Monday-Hobbies
Tuesday-Photography
Wednesday-Horticulture
Thursday-Duquense Basketball
Friday-Hunting

11PM Mon.-Thur. World Tonight-News Dave Murray, Ray Scott
Friday-Golden Gloves Boxing (News 10:45 This Friday Only)



11:15-Sign-Off

Monday

11:15 Monday Century Theater-Movie
Mississippi Rhythm
12:30 Monday Sports Roundup-George Eisenhauer
12:35 Swing Shift Theater-Movie
Star Reporter

Tuesday

11:15 Pulse Of The City-Drama
11:30 Dragnet NBC (Network Showing Thursday 9PM)
Midnight Sports Scholar
12:15 Sports Show Final-Nick Perry
12:20 Swing Shift Theater-Movie
Stagecoach

Wednesday

11:15 Feature Playhouse-Movie
Daughter Of The West
12:30 Sports Show Final-Nick Perry
12:35 Swing Shift Theater
Heading For Heaven

Thursday

11:15 Feature Theater
Crimson Key
12:30 Sports Show Final-Nick Perry
12:35 Swing Shift Theater
Tomorrow's Youth

Friday

11PM Golden Gloves Boxing
Midnight Sports Show Final-Nick Perry
12:05 Martin Kane, Private Eye-NBC (Network Thursday 10PM)
12:35 Swing Shift Theater
Case of The Babysitter




WXEL-8 Cleveland
Monday, December 21, 1953
TV Guide, Lake Erie Edition

9AM Movie-Kiss Of Araby
10:30 Charming Children
11AM Alice Weston
11:30 Movie-Warren Case
12:30 Rena and Bob-Shopping (Garage sale on TV)
1PM Movie-Scarlet Clue
2:40 You are What You Eat
2:45 All For You-Alice Weston
3PM Maggie Wulff
3:30 Paul Dixon-DuMont
4PM Turn To A Friend-Dennis James-ABC
4:30 King Jack's Toy Box-Kids
5PM Santa Claus-According to a Cleveland Press photo I saw, Max Ellis was Santa..he would go on to become the first "Mr. Jingeling" for WEWS-TV 5 from 1956-64
5:15 Comedy Carnival
5:30 Desert Deputy
6:10 Bob Rowley News
6:20 Al Rosen Sports
6:30 TV Weatherman-Dr. Annear
6:40 Les Paul/Mary Ford
6:45 Home With the Grahams (Browns QB Otto Graham and Family)
7PM Captain Video-DuMont
7:15 News Parade-Bob Lang/Jimmy Dudley
7:30 Jamie-ABC
8PM Twenty Questions-DuMont
8:30 The Big Issue-ABC Hubert Humphrey, Dmocratic Senator from Minnesota and Representative Noah Mason (Rep. Illinois) discuss a National Sales Taz.
9PM Lingo-Local Game Show
9:30 This Is The Life-ABC
10PM Boxing-DuMont
10:45 Ringside Interviews
11PM Warren Guthrie-News
11:10 Ted Malone-Today's Top Story
11:15 John Fitzgerald Sports
11:20 Movie-Fear

Some Information courtesy Wikipedia and Clarke Ingram

WKBF-TV Channel 61-RIP 1968-75

WKBF-TV broadcast the NBA Cincinnati Royals TV Games in at least the 1967-68 season' Notice the full channel 61 logo notating, "Kaiser Broadcasting"

October 1973 Friday Night "Drive-In Movie" Ad for a Vincent Price Double Feature..Very Campy Stuff Indeed..

Few would know that Channel 61 was actually licensed to Akron in the 1950's (Incidentally, there was WERE-TV 65 Cleveland that never made it to the air as well as a WHK-TV 19 but I digress...)

However, the Story of Cleveland's first independent station goes back to 1958, whe the Henry J. Kaiser Corporation bought KULA-TV 4 in Honolulu, Hawaii..After changing the call letters to KHVH, Kaiser sold the Honolulu Station in 1965 to finance expansion in the US Mainland through construction permits for several UHF stations..

The first of these stations to hit the air was WKBD-TV 50 Detroit in January 1965 (Now CW 50) followed by WKBS-TV 48 Burlington NJ/Philadelphia in October '65 (Now WGTW-TBN under a different license)

In December 1966, Kaiser partnered with the Boston Globe in buying long dormant Channel 56 (WKBG) in Cambridge, Mass.(Boston) (Now CW 56).

In January 1968, Kaiser built WKBF-61 Cleveland (Now WQHS-Univision) and KBHK-44 San Francisco..(Now CW 44)

In 1971 Kaiser bought KMTW-52 in Los Angeles (Renamed KBSC)..For some reason this station was never developed as well as the others..52 is now a Spanish Language outlet (KVEA)

Channel 61's sign-on date was January 19, 1968 after delays due to winter storms. Kaiser stations were the first UHF Indys in most of their markets, so Channel 61 had a head start in Cleveland which should have been an advantage..61 was the typical Kaiser station with some original programming (Lou Gordon from Detroit, Philadelphia DJ Hy Lit)..They also had "Captain Cleveland" with a puppet buddy named Clem to show Cartoons..Double and Triple Feature Movies. Some featuring the "Ghoul" (Ron Sweed)

WKBF-TV also had a lot of Syndicated product that other Cleveland Stations either didnt want or had no room for..Such as..Les Crane, Donald O'Connor, Woody Woodbury, Alan Burke, Joe Pyne, David Susskind, etc...They also had I Love Lucy, Star Trek (Uncut-Original rinning order), Mr. Ed, Dennis The Menace and many other off-network shows

The station had some sports such as Cincinnati Royals NBA Basketball and the World Football League (1974) They also had the area's first 10:00 PM News under News Director Alan DePetro with the late John Herrington, arriving from Kansas City. Herrington then would spend 23 years at WKYC-TV 3..

Kaiser was unique, too in that it had the same "look" for all their station logos..Block white letters inside a black TV screen..

With WUAB-43 showing up in Sept. 1968, things becsme difficult financially for both as Cleveland supposedly couldnt support 2 full power independent stations..WUAB came out with more sports and local programming from the start..Kaiser bought a share of WUAB-TV from United Artists in 1975..By April 1975, WKBF was shut down and its programming was merged into WUAB-43, under United Artists Control..
The Kaiser stations were eventually merged into Field Communications of Chicago, owners of WFLD-32..

Channel 61 was a great idea for its time..I wish it could have held on..Was nice to have more than one Independent to choose from..

Channel 61 Schedule Saturday February 10, 1968-C=Color
(First week listed in TV Guide)
10:30 Movie-The Lost Tribe 1949 Tarzan
Noon Roller Derby
1PM Wrestling-C
2PM Dennis The Menace
2:30 Rawhide
3:30 One Step Beyond
4PM Twilight Zone
5PM Movie-Count Of Monte Cristo 1934
7PM Combat!
8PM Hazel-C
8:30 Woody Woodbury-C Guests JoAnne Worley,Leonard Barr
10PM Alan Douglas-DEBUT
11:30 Alan Burke

Sunday, February 11, 1968
10:30 Hy Lit-C Guests:Marvin Gaye,Arthur Prysock, John Fred and the Playboys, 1910 Fruitgum Company, Soul Survivors
11:30 Superman
Noon Movie-Journey to the Lost City 1960
2PM Midwestern Hayride
3PM Movie-Blondie's Lucky Day
4:30 Dennis The Menace
5PM McHale's Navy
5:30 Perry Mason
6:30 Movie Court Martial (English) 1955
8:30 David Susskind
10:30 Joe Pyne-C

Monday February 12, 1968

10AM Jack La Lanne-C
10:30 Carlton Fredricks
11AM Virginia Graham-C
11:30 Gypsy Rose Lee-C
Noon Cartoons-C (Capt. Cleveland probably)
1PM Movie-A Night To Remember 1943
3PM Mr. Ed
3:30 Cartoons-C (Capt. Cleveland)
5PM Superman-C
5:30 Eighth Man
6PM Flintstones-C
6:30 McHale's Navy
7PM Twilight Zone
7:30 I Love Lucy
8PM Hazel-C
8:30 Alfred Hitchcock
9PM Movie-Seduced and Abandoned French/Italian 1964
11PM Les Crane-C-DEBUT-Guests inclde Timothy Leary

Informaton from various Wikipedia articles..Schedules and Ads from TV Guide Cleveland Edition..

Big Chuck and Lil John - Hoolihan Nite 1994 - Part 1 Tribute to Bob Wells

Today, In honor of the recent Ghoulardifest and especially of Bob "Hoolihan" Wells, the featured video will be "Hoolihan Nite" on Big Chuck ond Lil John on September 24, 1994..Bob Wells was the noon weatherman on Channel 8 in 1966 and auditioned as solo host on "Shock Theater" after Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson left for the west coast..He enlisted Director Chuck Schodowski, who worked with Ghoulardi, to help him with the audition..Channel 8 liked the chemistry so much, they teamed "Hoolihan and Big Chuck" starting December, 1966. Hoolihan stayed until 1979 when he went to a Christian TV station in Florida.He has been living in retirement in Clearwater Florida..doing outdoor theater with his wife Barb, who recently passed away..A fine broadcaster and by all accounts a really nice man..

There will be some other Hoolihan/Big Chuck/Lil John clips in the menu..including part 2 of Hoolihan Nite

Franz the Toymaker Show.-WJW-TV 8

Yet another amazing You Tube find: A WJW-TV 8 Franz The Toymaker episode.Showing the Kids how to make a homemade Kite..(2 part video-second part should be in the "related" videos" menu.) In the video itself:Part of a McDonalds Ad..A WJW station ID brsgging on "176 color programs" This week..The second part of the Video has Milky Way and Three Musketeers Ads..

This is special to me because I have never seen Franz up to now..We couldnt get channel 8 in my location when i was little..The Video looks to be from around 1969-70..

Channel 43-They Played Our Favorites-Conclusion

WUAB-43 logo from 1991-97


Current Channel 43 Logo.."My 43" Branding..for the My TV Network

Top logo couretsy ravennamiceli.com
Bottom Logo courtesy Wikipedia..Raycom Communications


By the early 1980's WUAB-TV had established a true dominance in independent TV in Northeast Ohio Under Gaylord ownership. WCLQ-61, with Pay Per view movies at night, and regular progams diring the day..couldnt compete with Channel 43.By 1990 WUAB had been sold again..this time to Cannell Communications, owned by TV-Movie producer Stephen J. Cannell. They prety much left things as they were..Marty Sullivan retired Superhost in 1989..Changes on the horizon would change the TV landscape in Cleveland for good by the mid-1990's....

WUAB's "Ten O Clock News" made it's debut in January 1988..The original anchors were Bob Hetherington, Romona Robinson, Frank Cariello and Gib Shanley previously of KYW-3 and WEWS-5, as Sports Director..The market was ready for a 10:00 news show and ratings grew steadily..Hetherington was replaced by Jack Marschall and Robinson left for WKYC-TV 3 eventually, where she has been for over 10 years. Sally Bernier handled weather chores for a time..The news continues under the "19 Action News" banner to this day..

As hinted above..changes took place in the mid 90's to television all over the country. The trigger for all this was the change of New World TV stations to FOX affiliation, including WJW-TV 8 in Cleveland. In September 1994, WOIO-19 owner Malrite signed a Local Marketing Agreement with WUAB-43..

In January 1995, WUAB became an affiliate of both UPN and WB Networks. Raycom bought Channel 19 in 1996 and with it, the LMA with Channel 43..In 1997 Channel 43 became solely an UPN affiliate..

Raycom bought WUAB in January 2000..Since then, 43 has lost the OTA Indians games to FSN Ohio, (now on Sportstime Ohio and WKYC-TV) and offers almost no local programming other than the 10:00 News, which is tied in to "19 Action News"..19 has been criticized for its "In Your Face", tabloid style of news..Channel 43 is now affiliated with "My TV" which is still I think trying to find its way as a network. Sadly, much of Channel 43's non-prime time programming consists on informercials..

Final Comment:It is sad that a once great TV station has been reduced to tabloid news, judge shows and informercials as its main programming. I would love to see Channel 43 hook up with "Retro Television Network" For some great classic programming..Maybe even have "43 Vault" with past local programming goodies..well we can dream, can't we?..

WUAB-43-They played our favorites-part 2

The Original WUAB-TV Logo..Variations of this logo were used into the Mid-Late 1970's. From TV Guide


Screen grab of the WUAB Test Pattern Slide-Used from 1968 till probably the station went 24 hours..courtesy You Tube

When Channel 43 hit the air in September 1968 as the second UHF commercial station in Cleveland, you would think that with WKBF-61 already well established with Kaiser Broadcasting ownership and a 9-month headstart, WUAB-TV would be at a distinct disadvantage..But with Cable already penetrating parts of the Cleveland/Akron/Canton market and United Artist's deep pockets, the field evened out rather quickly..WUAB-TV also went much more into local programming from the start with shows such as Lorain Conversation, hosted variously by Cleveland TV veterans Alice Weston and Linn Sheldon. Barnaby, coming over from WKYC-TV 3 was also hosted by Sheldon. News updates were provided by announcers Gary Short and Marty Sullivan. Radio veteran Jack Reynolds did local wrestling shows and also served as a staff announcer.. John Lanigan's Monday-Friday "Prize Movie" was a hit for many years..Sullivan created his trademark character "Superhost" as a host of Saturday horror movies..beginning in 1969 for a 20-year run..

Sports was always important to WUAB, with Ohio State and Notre Dame replays early on..The station then served as flagship station for Cavaliers Basketball on and off from 1973-present and WHA Cleveland Crusaders and NHL Cleveland Barons Hockey in the mid-1970s..The station's biggest coup in sports was grabbing the over the air broadcast rights for Cleveland Indians Baseball from WJW-TV 8 beginning in 1980..Keeping the Indians till 2001 when the Tribe moved all their games to Cable..

WKBF-61 did almost no local programming or sports, which was part of their downfall..It was also hard with 2 competing stations for both to make much of a profit..Kaiser shut down Channel 61 in 1975 and purchased a share of Channel 43 with UA keeping the majority interest. WUAB then took of the best channel 61 syndicated shows and began to establish it's dominance in the NE Ohio independent TV Market.

Kaiser Broadcasting sold its stations in 1977 to Field Communications..At this time, UA/Kaiser sold channel 43 to Gaylord Broadcasting, which continued to bolster channel 43's profile, putting the station on cable outlets in several states..WUAB moved into its Parma studios in 1970..remaining until the mid-1990's.

Monday Sept. 16, 1968
WUAB-43-First weekday schedule

2:45 News
3PM Bugs Bunny
4PM Ultraman
4:30 Batman
5PM Batman
5:30 Patty Duke
6PM Real McCoys
6:30 Farmer's Daughter
7PM Gilligan's Island
7:30 I Spy
8:30 Movie-Trapeze
10:30 The Untouchables
11:30 News

WKBF-61
9-16-68 By comparison

9AM Jack LaLanne
9:30 Mr. Ed
10AM Movie-The Come On
Noon-Cartoon Theater
1PM Movie-Catherine of Russia
3:30 Captain Cleveland
4:30 Dennis The Menace
5PM My Favorite Martian
5:30 Superman
6PM Flintstones
6:30 Mc Hales Navy
7PM Twilight Zone
7:30 I Love Lucy
8PM Hazel
8:30 Donald O'Connor-Talk/Entertainment
10PM News
10:30 Alfred Hitchcock
11PM Perry Mason
Midnight Les Crane Show.

Courtesy:Akron Beacon Journal

Next:Later years of Channel 43...

WUAB Ch. 43- Lorain-Cleveland-They played our Favorites-Part 1

July 1975 Ad for SuperHost..who brought you "Saturday Afternoon" with "Selected Shorts"..Usually the Three Stooges. Marty Sullivan was "Supe" from 1969-89..He also did nightly news updates and was one of several staff announcers..Sullivan is retired and living in Oregon..



Also from July 1975..A TV Guide Ad for John Lanigan's Prize Movie..Dig the cool threads..Lanigan, of course has been a morning show host at WMJI-105.7 Oldies in Cleveland since 1985.

WUAB-TV 43 was the second commercial independent UHF station in Cleveland and third in Northeast Ohio, after WJAN-17 Canton (January 1967) and Cleveland's WKBF-61 (January 1968)..Below is a story by Dick Shippy at the time of WUAB's beginning..Shippy was a longtime Akron Beacon Journal TV Radio writer..

WUAB (43) Joins The TV Family
By Dick Shippy
Beacon Journal Radio-TV Writer
Friday, September 15, 1968

Anyone for another helping of Elliot Ness?
Or Gilligan's Island, maybe? How about another round with Batman? And you certainly could do with 10 more movies each week!

Yes, the Networks are in the process of launching a new season, but elsewhere some old seasons are being revived too..

Like at WUAB (UHF Channel 43), the newest member of the northeastern Ohio television community.

Operated by United Artists Broadcasting as an Independent station, WUAB-TV starts broadcasting at 9AM Sunday. The new station will be using the WKBF(Channel 61) transmitter tower (installation was done Thursday, which accounts for Channel 61 being off the air until late afternoon) and with power comporable to the latter should be sending a strong signal into the Akron area.

WUAB temporarily is using WVIZ (channel 25) studio facilities while completing the construction of its own two-story studio building located next to the Parmatown Shopping Center.

As an Independent, WUAB will be programming syndicated reruns, motion pictures, interview shows and sports (including taped replays of Ohio State and Notre Dame football games this fall)

Among the shows from previous network seasons being carried on rerun basis by channel 43 are "The Untouchables", "Patty Duke", "Gilligan's Island", "I Spy", and "Batman" the station will be showing at least one motion picture feature each day.

WUAB becomes the area's fifth UHF station, the others being Akron's WAKR (23) Cleveland's WKBF (61) Canton's WJAN (17) and WVIZ (25) the Cleveland educational station.

Complete WUAB program schedules will be carried daily in these pages and weekly in Preview starting Sunday.

First day WUAB-43 Schedule-Sunday, September 15, 1968
Courtesy Akron Beacon Journal

9AM Bugs Bunny
10AM Lorain Conversation
10:30 Sports Central
11:30 Notre Dame Football Preview
1PM Ohio State Preview
2PM Quarterback Club
2:30 Movie-Trooper Hook
4PM Football Scoreboard
4:30 Outdoor Sportsman
5PM King Family Special
6PM Movie-Magnificient Seven
8:30 Gilligan's Island
9PM Naked City
10PM Bishop Sheen
10:30 Kup's Show (Irv Kupcinet-from Chicago)

Saturday, September 21, 1968-Beacon Journal

11:15 News
11:30 Bugs Bunny
Noon Real McCoys
12:30 Patty Duke
1PM Football Forecast
1:30 NFL Action
2PM AFL Action
2:30 Quarterback Club
3PM Olympic Boxing
3:30 Football Scoreboard
4PM Wrestling
5PM Outdoor Sportsman
5:30 Football Scoreboard
6PM Lou (King) Kirby
7PM Movie-Battle Of Bloody Beach
8:30 Movie-Day Of The Outlaw
10:30 Kup's Show

Next:Looking at personalites on channel 43..The first weekday schedule..demise of WKBF-61 and how it solidified channel 43 as the leading independent station in Cleveland..