Porter Wagoner:1927-2007

Title Slide from the Syndicated "Porter Wagoner Show"..Courtesy of the website of Australian Country singer/band Lonely Sheep

I feel we should mention Porter Wagoner, who passed away Sunday October 28, 2007 in Nashville as the result of lung cancer at the age of 80. Wagoner was born in 1927 near West Plains, Missouri and was a Star of the Grand Ole Opry for over 50 years. He first gained national attention as a singer on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee on ABC-TV from 1954-57. After joining the Opry in February 1957, he began a half-hour syndicated Country Music Show in 1960, airing in over 100 US TV markets, the show ran until 1981-an amazing 21 years!.. He was also known for Rhinestone-studded suits (Nudie suits)..Along with his Wagonmasters Band, His girl singers included the underrated Norma Jean and Dolly Parton, who gained national fame from the program. The Porter Wagoner Show stands as probably the first truly national Country music show, that introduced country music to many that had not heard much of it before..Prayers go out to family, friends and fans.

Official Porter Wagoner Website

http://www.porterwagoner.net

RFD-TV (mostly on satellite) airs The Classic Porter Wagoner Show Friday nights at 7:30 PM ET..as well as other times during the week.

Cleveland TV:August 1957 (Conclusion)

Creative Ad for the Linn Sheldon hosted Movie Package on WJW-TV 8..TV Guide February, 1957..Just months before Debuting "Barnaby" at KYW-TV 3


TV Guide Ad for "The Ford Show" Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford on Channel 3 and 21-February 1957


TV Guide Ad for WJW-CBS/Playhouse 90..February 1957


We conclude our look at August 1957 today by taking a closer look at Monday, August 5. Ron Penfound ws doing the "Noon Show" as Captain Penny on WEWS Channel 5, Not long after starting what would be a 14 year run (to 1971). Paige Palmer was on at 9:30..Tom Haley was hosting a weekday morning movie with "Cash on the Line" at KYW-TV 3. and earlier in 1957 Linn Sheldon was hosting a late afternoon movie on WJW-TV 8, very shortly before moving across to Channel 3 to begin his long stint as "Barnaby"..Possibly the most loved Childres's host ever in Cleveland..Network shows included Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes (ABC), Robin Hood and Burns and Allen (CBS) Arthur Murray and Ted Mack's Amateur Hour on NBC..Syndicated Shows included Frontier Doctor (Channel 3)Get Set, Go (49) Badge 714 (21) Stu Erwin (5) and Susie (Private Secretary) (5)

Schedule-Monday August 5, 1957

KYW-3 NBC Cleveland

7AM Today-Garroway-Among the Guests in-studio is Cleveland Indians Pitcher Herb Score, weeks (May 7) after being injured in the eye from a Line Drive from the New York Yankees' Gil Mc Dougald.

8:55 News-Jay Miltner
9AM-Cash on the Line Movie-Tom Haley-The Bamboo Blonde
10AM Home-Arlene Francis
10:30 Window-Women
10:45 Home-Conclusion
11AM Price Is Right-Cullen
11:30 Truth Or Consequences-Barker
Noon Tic Tac Dough
12:30 It Could be You
1PM Movie-Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men-1933
2:30 Bride And Groom
3PM Matinee Theatre-COLOR
4PM Queen For A Day
4:45 Modern Romances
5PM Open Cameras-Variety
5:30 Meet Corliss Archer
6PM Six-O-Clock Adventure
6:55 News-Tom Field
7PM Frontier Doctor
7:30 Georgia Gibbs
7:45 Huntley/Brinkley NBC News
8PM Charles Farrell
8:30 Action Tonight
9PM 21
9:30 Arthur Murray-COLOR
10PM Ted Mack's Amateur Hour
10:30 State Trooper
11PM News-Tom Field
11:10 Weather-Specs Howard (DJ on KYW-1100)
11:15 Sports-Bob Neal
11:20 Jungle-Animal Series
11:30 Movie-Outcasts of Poker Flat-1937
1AM News-Tom Field

WEWS-5 ABC Cleveland

8:55 News-Court Stanton
9AM Fun Farm-Captain Penny
9:30 Paige Palmer
10AM Movie-Penny Paradise
11:25 Liberace
11:55 News-Court Stanto
Noon Noon Show-Captain Penny
1PM Stu Erwin
1:30 Susie
2PM Star Performance
2:30 Dateline Europe
3PM American Bandstand-DEBUT Guests:Chordettes, Billy Williams
4:30 Theater Five-Kids
5PM Mickey Mouse Club-Kids
6PM Long John Silver
6:30 News-Dorothy Fuldheim
6:45 Weather- Bill Prentice
6:50 News-Paul Wilcox, Ron Penfound(Sports may have been here too)
7PM Waterfront
7:30 Wire Service
8:30 Bold Journey
9PM Quest For Adventure (ABC Presents)
9:30 Top Tunes-Lawrence Welk
10:30 Boxing-St. Nicholas Arena-Chris Schenkel-Syndicated..Last show of the DuMont Network, carrying on in Syndication
11:15 News-John B. Hughes
11:30 Lonely Heart-DEBUT
"A Lovely Lady each night will present advice to the "lovelorn" in a rather pleasant surrounding"..(One can only imagine..for just 5 minutes yet)

11:35 Bowling Time--Sammy Levine
12:30 News-Bill Prentice

WJW-8 CBS Cleveland

7AM Jimmy Dean
7:45 CBS News-Richard C. Hottelet
8AM Captain Kangaroo
8:45 CBS News-Hottelet
9AM Kid-Bits-Davey Herbert
9:30 Your Town-Maggie Wulff, Linn Sheldon
10AM Fred Waring
10:30 Arthur Godfrey
11:30 Strike It Rich-Hull
Noon Valiant Lady
12:15 Love Of Life
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Movie-Snafu-1946
2:30 House Party-Linkletter
3PM Big Payoff
3:30 Bob Crosby
4PM Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge Of Night
5PM As The World Turns
5:30 Our Miss Brooks
6PM Cartoon Carnival
6:40 Sports-John Fitzgerald
6:45 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
7PM You are There-Walter Cronkite
7:30 Robin Hood
8PM Burns And Allen
8:30 Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
9PM Those Whiting Girls
9:30 Richard Diamond
10PM Studio One
11PM Warren Guthrie-Sohio Reporter
11:10 Sports-Fitzgerald
11:15 Weather-Ken Armstrong
11:20 Movie-Let Us Live-1939

WFMJ-21 NBC Youngstown

7AM Today-Garroway
9AM Adelaide Snyder-Women
10AM Home-Arlene Francis
11AM Price Is Right-Cullen
11:30 Truth Or Consequences-Barker
Noon Tic Tac Dough
12:30 It Could be You
1PM News
1:15 Kitchen Corner-Mariner
2PM Club 60-COLOR
2:30 Bride And Groom
3PM Matinee Theatre-COLOR
4PM Queen For A Day
4:45 Modern Romances
5PM Fun House Gang
5:45 Popeye
6:30 News, Sports
7PM Star Performance
7:30 Georgia Gibbs
7:45 Huntley/Brinkley NBC News
8PM Charles Farrell
8:30 Action Tonight
9PM 21
9:30 Arthur Murray-COLOR
10PM Ted Mack's Amateur Hour
10:30 Badge 714
11PM News, Weather, Sports
11:20 Speaking Of Animals
11:30 Tonight-Jack Paar

WKBN-27 CBS/ABC Youngstown

7AM Jimmy Dean
7:45 CBS News-Richard C. Hottelet
8AM Captain Kangaroo
8:45 Cartoon Classics
9AM Captain Kangaroo (again)
9:45 Cartoon Classics
10AM Movie-TBA
11:30 Strike It Rich-Hull
Noon Cartoon Carnival
12:15 Love Of Life
12:30 Playhouse
1PM News
1:10 Stand Up and Be Counted
1:30 Movie-Merrily We Live-1938
3PM Big Payoff
3:30 Grizzly Pete
5PM Mickey Mouse Club-ABC
6PM High Adventure
6:30 News, Sports
6:45 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
7PM Bold Journey-Mon. 8:30 ABC
7:30 Crossroads-Fri. 8:30 ABC
8PM Studio 57-Dyndicated
8:30 Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
9PM Those Whiting Girls
9:30 Richard Diamond
10PM Studio One
11PM Warren Guthrie-Sohio Reporter
11:15 Movie-Crime Doctor's Hunt

WAKR-49 ABC Akron

1PM Movie-The Dark Man
2:30 Conrad Nagel-Drama
3PM American Bandstand-DEBUT
4:30 Flash Gordon
5PM Movie-Six-Gun Man
6PM Looney Tunes
6:40 Sports, Weather, News
7:15 ABC News-John Daly
7:30 Movie-Lost Moments
9PM Get Set, Go!
9:30 Top Tunes-Welk
10:30 TV Auction Tine
11PM Movie-Notorious

Comment:KYW-3 was carrying Tonight on delay in February 1957, but by August 1957, after Jack Paar began hosting Tonight had been dropped in favor of Movies on KYW. WEWS was not carrying "Tonight" in August..Presumably they started carrying Tonight in 1957 and would do so until fall 1965 when Tonight would return to NBC owned WKYC-TV 3. For a while in Cleveland, "The Tonight Show" was not being carried at all..

Listings courtesy TV Guide..Some information from the Brooks/Marsh Prime Time Directory

Looking at:August 1957 (Part One)

WJW-TV ad in TV Guide for their 2 daily and one weekend movie packages. One of them hosted by Alice Weston, already a veteran presence in Cleveland TV since 1947..

TV Guide Ad for KYW-TV's "One-o-Clock Movie" which was presented seven days a week.

Ad for the Syndicated "State Trooper" on KYW-3. Sponsored by Local Brewer Cleveland/Sandusky Brewing Co., makers of Gold Bond Beer


While this has nothing to do with TV directly, this ad was in TV Guide August 3-9, 1957. Superior Meats is based in Canton-Massillon, Ohio..Frankies was "The Keener Wiener" even 50 years ago..

We'll look today at August 1957..Around this time American Television was changing slowly, with Hollywood Studios, most notably Disney (since 1954) and Warner Brothers
getting into TV production.. There was less live production out of New York.."I Love Lucy" had just finished its last season in a half-hour format before 3 seasons as part of "Desilu Playhouse" as hour specials..

KYW-TV 3 was just getting established as a Westinghouse owned station..WEWS-TV 5 had just moved into newly built studios at 3001 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland in Spring 1957. WJW was in fairly new studios at 1630 Euclid Avenue,,abut 2 years into Storer ownership..There were several color shows on TV this week (Aug. 3-9, 1957) all on NBC stations (3, 21).

American Bandstand with Dick Clark debuted Monday August 5, 1957 at 3PM on Channels 5 and 49..Arlene Francis' Home program on NBC was canceled Friday, August 9, 1957, lasting about 3 years..

Cleveland TV Guide Listings

August 3 and 4 1957

KYW-3 NBC Cleveland
WEWS-5 ABC Cleveland
WJW-8 CBS Cleveland
WFMJ-21 NBC Youngstown
WKBN-27 CBS/ABC Youngstown
WAKR-49 ABC Akron

Saturday August 3, 1957

7:30
3 This Land Is Ours

8:30
3 American Literature
8 Movie-Overland Riders

8:55
5 News-Ron Penfound

9AM
3 Geography For Decision
5 Movie-Border Wolves

9:20
8 Ohio Story

9:30
3 Kartoons For Kids
8-27 Captain Kangaroo

10AM
3-21 Howdy Doody
5 Liberace

10:30
3-21 Gumby Show
5 Movie-Cowboy Roundup
8 Mighty Mouse
27 Cartoon Classics

11AM
3-21 Fury
8-27 Susan's Show

11:30
3-21 Captain Gallant
5 Movie-The Wild Frontier
8 Children's Playhouse-DEBUT
27 Its A Hit-Game-Happy Felton-Baseball Quiz Show apparently-Pitchers Bob Turley of the Yankees and and Bob Lemon of the Indians are "managers"

Noon
3-21 True Story
8-27 Big Top

12:30
3-21 Detective's Diary
5 Movie-Code Of the Outlaw-1942
49 Movie-Oath Of Vengeance

1PM
3 Movie-Strictly Dynamite-1934
8 Lone Ranger
21 Movie-TBA
27 Movie-Singing Cowboy

1:30
5 Warmup-Bill Veeck
8-49 Rex Humbard

1:55
5 Baseball-Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees-Ken Coleman, Jim Britt announcing

2PM
8 RFD
27 Movie-TBA
49 Mr. and Mrs. North

2:15
21 Bowling Time

2:30
3 Movie Gildersleeve's Bad Day-1943
21 Baseball-Brooklyn Dodgers at Milwaukee Braves-Leo Durocher, Lindsay Nelson
49 Film Drama

2:45
8 Film Short

3PM
8 Bandstand-Music
49 Movie-Force Of Evil

4PM
3 Movie-Fighting Frontier 1943
8 Camera Three

4:15
5 Baseball Scoreboard

4:30
5 Film Drama
8 Film Drama
21 Bowling Time
27 Frontiersman
49 Movie-Dead Or Alive?

5PM
3 Get Set, Go
5 Movie-Silver Bullet
8 Looney Tunes

5:30
3 TV Auction Party
8 Tomorrow-Ted Anthony
21 Popeye
27 Hopalong Cassidy
49 Looney Tunes

6PM
3 The Key-Public Service
5 Kit Carson
8 Frontier
27 Celebrity Theater
49 Movie-Jackie Robinson Story

6:30
3 Lights Camera, Questions
5 Gene Autry
8 Annie Oakley
21 Get Set, Go
27 Sports, News

7PM
3 City Detective
5 Liberace
8 Heart Of Yhe City-Drama
21 To Be Announced
27 Ozzie And Harriett-ABC Wed. 9PM

7:30
3-21 People Are Funny
5 Jim Bowie
8-27 Buccaneers

8PM
3-21 Julius LaRosa-COLOR
5-49 Billy Graham-Summer Series
8-27 Jimmy Durante

8:30
8 Jimmy Dean-Summer series from Washington, DC-CBS Sat. 10:30
27 Two For The Money

9PM
3-21 George Sanders-Anthology
5-27-49 Lawrence Welk
8 Oh Susanna

9:30
3-21 Dollar A Second
8 SRO Playhouse

10PM
3-21 Encore Theater
5 I Led Three Lives
8-27 Gunsmoke
49 Movie-TBA

10:30
3-21 Adventure Theater
5 Country Music Jubilee-Red Foley
8 Silent Service
27 Moment Of Decision

11PM
3 News-Tom Field
5 News-John B. Hughes
8 News-Jim Doney
21 Sports, Weather
27 Polka Party

11:05
3 Movie-The White Tower-1950

11:10
8 Sports-Jim Graner

11:15
5 Movie-Recoil
8 Movie-Ladies In Retirement-1941
21 Movie-The Paradine Case-1947

11:30
27 Wrestling Time
49 Movie-Dixie Dugan

12:30
3 News-Tom Field

1AM
5 News-Court Stanton
8 Movie-Behind Locked Doors-1948

Sunday, August 4, 1957

8AM
3 Sunday School

8:30
3 This Is The Answer

8:45
8 The Lord's Prayer

8:55
5 News-Court Stanton

9AM
3 Frontiers Of Faith
5 Prayer Meeting
8 Christophers

9:15
8-27 Living Word

9:30
3 Spirituals-Mary Holt
5 Movie-Wheels Of Deatiny
8 Looney Tunes
27 Christophers

10AM
8 Movie-Gentleman From Texas
27 This Is The Life

10:30
3 Christophers
27 Look Up and Live

11AM
3 Movie-Beyond The Rockies
5 Chrisstophers
8-49 Rex Humbard
27 Movie-Fast Bullets

11:30
5 Man-To-Man-Religion
21 Faith For Today

11:45
5 Charming Woman-Beauty

Noon
3 Highlights Of Opera
5 Gene Carroll
8-27 Let's Take A Trip
21 I Wonder Why
49 This Is The Life

12:30
3 Bride To Be
8-27 Wild Bill Hickock
21 Movie-TBA
49 Allen Revival-Religion

1PM
3 Movie-There Goes The Groom 1937
5 Polka Parade
8 Heckle and Jeckel-Cartoons
27 Oral Roberts
49 Movie-Nancy Steel Is Missing

1:30
5 Warmup-Veeck
8 Movie-West Of The Alamo-1946
21 Lift Every Voice
27 Movie-Too Late For Tears

1:55
5 Baseball-Indiand At Yankees-Coleman/Britt

2PM
21 Komedy Kut-Ups

2:30
3 Circle 3-Kids-Cartoons and a Western
8 Chapel
21 Conservation Club
49 Oral Roberts

3PM
8 Sacred Heart
21 Telerama
27 AAU Championship Swimming-SPECIAL
49 Movie-The Dark Man

3:15
8 Christian Science Heals
21 That We May See

3:30
3-21 Watch Mr. Wizard
8 This Is The Life

4PM
3-21 American Forum
8 Face The Nation

4:25
5 Baseball Scoreboard

4:30
3-21 Zoo Parade-COLOR
5 Televideo Theater-Drama
8 Movie-The Lady Is Willing-1942

5PM
3 Sermons From Science
5 Cross Current-Drama
21 Catholic Hour
27 You Are There

5:30
3-21 As Others See Us-SPECIAL
5 Movie-Border Wolves (same as 9AM Saturday)
27 Theater Time-Drama

6PM
3 Meet The Press
8 All Star Theater
21 Annie Oakley
27 Spike Jones
49 Movie-Texas Terror

6:30
3 Lassie-CBS 7PM Sunday
5 Whirlybirds
8 You Asked For It-ABC 7PM Sunday
21 Movie-Pardon My Gun-1943 (Cowboy Theater)
27 Disneyland-ABC 7:30 Wednesday

7PM
3 Matin Kane
5 Range Rider
8 Amos N Andy
49 Duffy's Tavern

7:30
3-21 Circus Boy
5 Rin Tin Tin-ABC Fri. 7:30
8-27 My Favorite Husband

8PM
3-21 Steve Allen
5 Film Drama
8-27 Ed Sullivan

8:30
5 Crossroads-ABC Fri. 8:30
Religious drama series-Vincent Price Guest stars

9PM
3-21 TV Playhouse-COLOR
5 Club Playhouse
8 GE Theater
27 Phil Silvers CBS Fri. 9PM
49-Movie-Tonight And Every Night

9:30
5 Midwestern Hayride-Paul Dixon
8-27 Alfred Hitchcock

10PM
3-21 The Web
5 Mike Wallace Interviews
8-27 $64,000 Challenge

10:30
3 Sheriff Of Cochise
5 Public Defender
8-27 What's My Line?
21 Waterfront
49 I Spy

11PM
3 News-Tom Field
5 Movie-Confessions Of Boston Blackie
8 News-Jim Doney
21-27 News, Sports
49 Rex Humbard

11:10
3 Sports-Paul Bedford
8 Sports-Jim Graner
21 Movie-4 Jills In A Jeep
27 Movie-Blind Date

11:15
3 Movie-Kept Husbands-1931
8 Weather-Ken Armstrong

11:20
8 Movie-The Sign Of The Ram-1948

12:30
3 News-Tom Field
5 News-Randy Culver

Next:Monday August 5, 1957..All schedules, graphics courtesy TV Guide

Dorothy throws to Don...With Ted and Jeff

WEWS-TV 5's "Golden Era" of News was the early 1970's to the Mid 1980's with "Eyewitness News. Courtesy of YouTube Poster Superedit, here is a clip of Miss Dorothy Fuldheim "throwing" to Don Webster..with the result that Don loses much of his weathercast time! Also in on the fun..News Anchors Jeff Maynor and Ted Henry.

Many of the "related videos" are Channel 5 Eyewitness News clips featuring Webster, Gib Shanley, Howard Sudberry and others..When news could be "fun"..I believe much of this is from the early 1980's.

The First big TV affiliate swap in Cleveland-March 2, 1955.

Akron Beacon Journal Ad for Paige Palmer's new program on channel 49 (2-28-55)

A TV Guide Ad for WXEL-TV 8's new transmitter..From the February 26-March 4, 1955 TV Guide Cleveland Edition-Notice the notation at the bottom: "A Storer Station"
(I apologize for the quality of some of the images, especially off microfilm..40 year old film of a 50 year old magaine unfortunately isnt going to look pristine)



Advertisement for NBC's Steve Allen Tonight Show on WNBK-3 "A Service of RCA"

Most of us recall the Channel 8 CBS-To Fox affiliate swap in 1994..I have heard there are some people in Northeastern Ohio who still think Channel 8 is CBS..even after 13 years! We will look today at the FIRST Northeast Ohio affiliate swap..Storer Broadcasting had bought WXEL-TV 8 from Herbert Mayer's Empire Coil Company in December 1954. WXEL had been a DuMont TV affiliate, sharing ABC shows with Channel 5 since it's (WXEL's) inception in 1949. Scripps-Howard owned WEWS-TV 5, the first station in Ohio, was affiliated with CBS from its sign-on in 1947. George B. Storer, President of Storer Broadcasting, used his position on the CBS Board of Directors to take the CBS affiliation from Channel 5. This left Channel 5 to fill several hours a day of programming locally that they hadnt had to before, While Channel 8 was now affiliated with one of "The big two" Networks, with the resulting programming and ratings boost CBS affiliation would provide. I want to look at the March 1 and 2, 1955 Schedules to highlight the varied changes on both stations..But first, The Cleveland Dateline in TV Guide for Feb. 26-Mar. 4, 1955...This is actually a large part of a January 14, 2007 posting from Radioinsight.com..Most of the column is intact with a few edits and comments of my own..

TV's Week: Wednesday's [March 2] the day of the "Big Switch" in programming on channels 5 and 8. On that date, shows originating with the CBS Network will be seen on WXEL. The ABC and DuMont shows will move to 5. Check TV Guide's complete listings and eliminate dialing confusion.

Almost lost in the changeover of all the programs this week is the debut of the new "Eddie Cantor Show" Banjoeyes premieres on 5 Thursday at 7:30 PM. The Show, Picked up locally by Fisher Foods, is a weekly half-hour production on film featuring plenty of guest stars-From Eddie Fisher to Brian Aherne.

Channel Chatter: Jackie Gleason was head, shoulders, and tummy ahead of all other shows in the Cleveland area last month according to the American Research Bureau's survey. Second to his 58.4 rating was I Love Lucy with a 49.9 rounding out the top ten were:

You Bet Your Life
Your Hit Parade
Disneyland
Toast Of The Town
Dragnet
[Arthur] Godfrey and Friends
Talent Scouts
This Is Your Life

Paige Palmer starts a new daily routine "It's Worth Knowing" on 49 daily at 6:30 PM. She'll still exercise on 5 each morning at 9:30 AM.

Eddie Elias, lawyer-athlete-sportscaster, makes his "Trophy Room" a twice-a-week feature on 49. The sports show will be seen on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:50 PM..

(A few years later, Elias would become founder of the Professional Bowlers Associstion)

Other news (my edits) Arthur Godfrey says no date has been set for his hip surgery, which is expected to keep him off the air up to 5 months..Also rumored changes in Godfrey's programs for the 1955-56 season are denied by CBS brass.

First-season sitcom Father Knows Best is canceled by CBS for a "New Live Show" to start April 3 despite a letter writing campaign by fans.


(Father Knows Best is subsequently picked up by NBC where it remained from 1955-58 until CBS regained the show for its last two first run seasons..[1958-60]


TV Guide Schedule

3 WNBK-NBC
5 WEWS CBS (As of 8:55 AM 3-2-55 ABC/DuMont)
8 WXEL DuMont/ABC (As of 7AM 3-2-55 CBS)
21 WFMJ NBC Youngstown
27 WKBN CBS/ABC/DuMont Youngstown
49 WAKR ABC Akron

Tuesday March 1, 1955

7AM
3-21 Today-Dave Garroway
5-27 Morning Show-Jack Paar

8:25
5 On Wings Of Song

8:30
5-27 Morning Show

8:55
5 On Wings Of Song
8 Preview Corner
21 Health and Happiness Club

9AM
3 Movie-Song Of Mexico
5 Western Reserve (University)-College Classes
8-27 To Be Announced
21 Movie-(Morning Matinee)-That Certain Feeling

9:30
5 Paige Palmer

10AM
3-21 Ding Dong School
5-27 Garry Moore Show
8 Alice Weston

10:30
3-21 Way Of The World
5 Arthur Godfrey Time
8 Charming Children
27 Movie-TBA

10:45
3-21 Sheliah Graham-John Wayne Guest

11AM
3-21 Home-Arlene Francis
8 Nancy Dixon-Shopping

11:05
8 Maggie Wulff

11:30
5-27 Strike It Rich-Hull

Noon
3-21 Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
5 Valiant Lady
27 Noon Show

12:15
5 Love Of Life

12:30
3-21 Feather Your Nest-Game
5 Search For Tomorrow
8 Rena And Bob

12:45
5 Guiding Light

1PM
3 Movie-Forced Landing
5 Woman's Window
8-27 Portia Faces Life-CBS
21 News

1:15
8 Road Of Life-CBS
21 Hal's A Poppin-Hal Fryar-Local Variety
27 Home Cooking-Hendricks

1:30
5 Welcome Travelers
8 All For You-Weston

1:45
27 Movie-(Feature Matinee) Ginger

1:50
21 Strange Experiences

1:55
21 International Playhouse

2PM
5 Robert Q Lewis
8 Movie-Thunder Pass

2:30
3 Maggi Byrne-Fashion
5 Linkletter's House Party-Jack Slattery Guest Host while Art is on Vacation
21-Kitchen Corner-(Marjorie) Mariner

2:45
27 Casteel's Carousel

3PM
3-21 The Greatest Gift-Soap
5-27 Big Payoff

3:15
3-21 Golden Windows-Soap

3:30
3-21 One Man's Family
5 Bob Crosby
27 Paul Dixon-DuMont-As DuMont was on the critical list as a network by this time, many of their longer running shows were canceled or moved to other networks..Paul Dixon's last DuMont show was April 8, 1955. Of course, Dixon remined a fixture on the "Crosley" Network in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, etc..Through 1974.

3:45
3-21 Miss Marlowe-Soap

4PM
3-21 Nawkins Falls
5 Mixing Bowl-Cooking
8 Brighter Day-CBS
27 The Little Show
49 Movie-Scared To Death

4:15
3-21 First Love-Soap
8 Secret Storm-CBS
27 Grizzly Pete-Kids

4:30
3-21 World Of Mr. Sweeney
5 On Your Account
8 King Jack-Kids

4:45
3-21 Modern Romances

5PM
3 Pinky Lee
5-8 Captain Video-DuMont-Shown on both 5 and 8 here, on 5 only starting the next day. However, Captain Video would be canceled April 1, 1955.
21 Susie Sidesaddle-Kids
49 Hinky Dinks-Kids

5:15
5 Dinner Platter-Bob Dale
8 Desert Deputy-Kids

5:30
3-21 Howdy Doody
5 Uncle Jake's House-Gene Carroll
49 Quick On The Draw

5:50
27 Ohio Story-Documentary program produced in the 1950's..I'd love to know if any of these still exist.

6PM
3 Abbott and Costello
5 Little Eascals
21 What's Your Trouble
27 You Are There-CBS
49 News

6:15
21 Mr. Mayor
49 Tail Waggers

6:30
3 Sports
5 News-Fuldheim
8 News Parade-Bob Lang
21 Sports
27 News
49 Paige Palmer-Doing double duty as she was on 5 in the mornings

6:40
3 Weather Vane
27 News At Home

6:45
3 Today's News-Tom Field
5-27 Sports
8-21 Weather

6:50
8 Ohio Story
21 Sports-Eddie Lane
49 Trophy Room-Eddie Elias

6:55
5-27 Weather

7PM
3 Ella Raines Show (Janet Dean, Registered Nurse)
5 Pooch Parade-Would later become a major part of Ron Penfound's Captain Penny Show
8 7:00 Playhouse
21 The Visitor (The Doctor reruns)
27 The Vise-ABC Fri. 9:30
49 News Jack Fitzgibbons

7:10
49 Sports

7:15
5 Meet Your Schools
49 John Daly-ABC News

7:30
3-21 Dinah Shore
5-27 Doug Edwards-CBS News
8 Cavalcade Of America-ABC Tues. 7:30
49 Chef Lorenzo-Cooking-He had been on Cleveland stations earlier

7:45
3-21 News Caravam-John Cameron Swayze-NBC News
5-27 Jo Stafford

8PM
3-21 Bob Hope
5 Forian Zabach-Syndicated
8-27-49 Bishop Fulton J. Sheen-DuMont-His last DuMont show was April 26, 1955. He would move to ABC in October 1955.

8:30
5 Halls Of Ivy
8 Twenty Questions-ABC
27 Treaury Men In Action-ABC Thurs. 8:30
49 Liberace-Syndicated

9PM
3-21 Fireside Theater
5-27 Meet Millie
8-49 Danny Thomas Show

9:30
3-21 Circle Theater
5 Red Skelton
8-27 US Steel Hour-ABC
49 Wrestling-Hollywood

10PM
3-21 Truth Or Consequences
5 Mr. District Attorney-Syndicated

10:30
3-21 It's A Great Life-Comedy
5-27 See It Now-Edward R. Murrow
8 To Be Announced
49 Stop The Music

11PM
3-8-21-27-49 News (8, 27 Sohio Reporter-Warren Guthrie)
5 Movie-TBA

11:05
3 Weather-Joe Finan

11:10
3-8-21-49 Sports

11:15
3 Fame-Story Of Henry Ford
8-27 Weather
21 Movie Museum

11:20
8 Movie-Cheer The Brave
27 Movie (Stage Door) The Broken Horseshoe

11:30
3-21 Tonight-Steve Allen

12:30
5-27 News

1AM
3 News

Wednesday March 2, 1955

7AM
3-21 Today-Dave Garroway
8-27 Morning Show-Jack Paar (Tv 8's first official CBS show, though thye had been running some CBS afternoon soaps for awhile.

8:55
5 News
21 Health and Happiness Club

9AM
3 Movie-Life, Liberty and Orrin Dooley
5 Western Reserve (University)-College Classes
8 Movie-TBA
21 Movie-(Morning Matinee)Interrupted Journey
27 To Be Announced


9:30
5 Paige Palmer
8 Charming Children

9:55
5 News

10AM
3-21 Ding Dong School
5 Little Rascals
8-27 Garry Moore

10:30
3-21 Way Of The World
5 Movie-TBA
8 Arthur Godfrey
27 Movie-TBA

10:45
3-21 Sheliah Graham-John Wayne Guest

11AM
3-21 Home-Arlene Francis


11:30
8-27 Strike It Rich-Hull

11:55
5 News

Noon
3-21 Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
5 Bob Dale
8 Valiant Lady
27 Noon Show

12:15
8 Love Of Life

12:30
3-21 Feather Your Nest-Game
8 Search For Tomorrow

12:45
8 Guiding Light

1PM
3 Movie-Pistol-Packin Mama
5 Woman's Window
8-27 Portia Faces Life
21 News

1:15
8 Road Of Life
21 Hal's A Poppin-Hal Fryar-Local Variety
27 Home Cooking-Hendricks

1:30
5 To Be Announced
8 Welcome Travelers


1:45
27 Movie-(Feature Matinee) Army Wives

1:55
21 Pantomime Quiz

2PM
5 Robert Q Lewis
8 Alice Weston

2:25
3 Amy Vanderbilt

2:30
3 Maggi Byrne-Fashion
5 To Be Announced
8 Linkletter's House Party
21-Kitchen Corner-(Marjorie) Mariner

2:45
27 Casteel's Carousel

3PM
3-21 The Greatest Gift-Soap
5 Paul Dixon-DuMont
8-27 Big Payoff

3:15
3-21 Golden Windows-Soap

3:30
3-21 One Man's Family
8-27 Bob Crosby

3:45
3-21 Miss Marlowe-Soap

4PM
3-21 Nawkins Falls
5 Mixing Bowl-Cooking
8 Brighter Day
27 The Little Show
49 Movie-To Be Announced

4:15
3-21 First Love-Soap
8 Secret Storm
27 Grizzly Pete-Kids

4:30
3-21 World Of Mr. Sweeney
5 Uncle Jake's House
8 On Your Account

4:45
3-21 Modern Romances
27 Clubhouse-Kids

5PM
3 Pinky Lee
5 Captain Video
8 Story Lady-Pat Ryan
21 Susie Sidesaddle-Kids
27 Grizzly Pete
49 Hinky Dinks-Kids

5:15
5 Dinner Platter-Bob Dale
8 Barker Bill-CBS (Terrytoons)



5:30
3-21 Howdy Doody
8 Adventure Theater
49 Quick On The Draw

5:45
5 Captain Video

6PM
3 Wild Bill Hickock
5 Little Eascals
21 Norby
27 Superman
49 News

6:15
49 Spotlight On Sports

6:30
3 Sports
5 News-Fuldheim
8 News Parade-Bob Lang
21-27 News
49 Paige Palmer

6:40
3 Weather Vane
27 News At Home

6:45
3 Today's News-Tom Field
5-8-21 Weather

6:50
5 Sports-Paul Wilcox
8 Joe Portaro-Beauty
21 Sports-Eddie Lane
49 Ohio Story

6:55
27 Weather

7PM
3 Norby
5 Waterfront-Syndicated
8 Matchless Theater
21 Badge 714 (Dragnet)
27 Stu Erwin-ABC Wed. 8:30
49 News, Sports

7:15
49 John Daly-ABC News

7:30
3-21 Eddie Fisher
5 Disneyland (First ABC show as a full affiliate)
8-27 Doug Edwards-CBS News
49 Chef Lorenzo-Cooking

7:45
3-21 News Caravam-John Cameron Swayze-NBC News
8-27 Perry Como

8PM
3-21 I Married Joan
8-27 Arthur Godfrey And Friends
49 Spelling Bee

8:30
3-21 My Little Margie
5-49 Stu Erwin

9PM
3-21 Kraft Television Theater
5 Liberace-Syndicated
8-27 The Millionaire
49 Masquerade Party

9:30
5 Who Said That?-Bob Consideie, June lockhart, Gene Raymond-ABC Wed. 9PM
8-27 I've Got a Secret
49 Junior Town Meeting

10PM
3-21 This Is Your Life
5 To Be Announced
8-27 Best Of Broadway (Blue Ribbom Boxing Pre-empted)
49 Movie-Rolling Home

10:30
3-21 Big Town

11PM
3-8-21-27-49 News (8, 27 Sohio Reporter-Warren Guthrie)
5 Movie (Playhouse) Raw Deal

11:05
3 Weather-Joe Finan

11:10
3-8-21-49 Sports

11:15
3-21 Theater 15
8 Weather
27 Weather, Sports

11:20
8 Movie-TBA
27 Twenty Questions-ABC Tues. 8:30

11:30
3-21 Tonight-Steve Allen

11:50
27 Movie (Playhouse) A Man About the House

12:45
8 News

12:50
27 News

1AM
3 News


Comments:Storer Broadcasting acquired WJW-AM and FM (850, 104.1) from William O'Neil in late 1954..By 1956 WXEL's Call Letters were changed to WJW-TV..Things were still unsettled for a while as several "To Be Announced" slots indicate..These were the last days of DuMont as a viable national TV network..So by the end of 1955 WEWS was exclusively an ABC affiliate..WKBN had ABC shows all over the schedule, even in just the few days shown here..WKST 45 New Castle, Pa. Would begin Broadcasting in 1957 As Youngstown's ABC affiliate..(Now WYTV-33)

Images from The Akron Beacon Journal and TV Guide Cleveland Edition-Other information from Wikipedia and the Complete Prime Time Guide to Network/Cable Shows-Tim Brooks/Earle Marsh

Surprise visitor:Joe Mosbrook

As I have said in the past..This blog has taken off beyond what I have expected. I got a nice e-mail yesterday from retired TV-3 reporter Joe Mosbrook, answering a quuestion I had about a TV Guide ad for Barons NHL Hockey..I did not have a name for the gentleman in question..(play-by-play man)..Joe tells me it was ex-channel 3 weekend sports anchor Dick Hammer. It humbles me when people who are, or who have been in broadcasting, stop by the blog and write kind words..Thank you Joe...

Explanation:

Those that visit the site this evening may notice that my second attempt at posting a Dumont Network ID has been deleted. The reason is that the YouTube poster that originally had the video..His account was suspended as of today..The other YouTube poster that had several DuMont ID's that I put on the blog a few weeks ago..He closed his YouTube account just a couple days ago..The connection appers to be they were the only 2 that had DuMont ID's posted..I dont know if anyone is claiming ownership of the DuMont Id's or if this was just a coincidence..Erring on the side of caution, I figured I'd better just delete it here..Sorry for any inconvenience..

February 1955:Change on the Horizon

A very cool ad (I think)touting WFMJ-TV 21 and it's claim as Youngstown's "Most powerful" TV station.

"Ol' Banjoeyes", Eddie Cantor, premiered his syndicated comedy/variety show Thursdays at 7:30 on WEWS-5 beginning March 3, 1955

Saturday Nights at 7PM in early 1955, WNBK-3 Presented "The Whistler", a syndicated series based on the Radio Drama series of the same name..


WNBK-3 Presented a young David Wayne in the sitcom, "Norby" Wednesday nights at 7PM in February/March, 1955. Wayne, among his other roles, would be known as "The Mad Hatter" in the ABC Batman Series.

Today we're going back to the year 1955.Looking at the weekend of February 26-27 In TV Guide..This weekend is noteworthy becomes it comes a few days before the first big "network swap" In Cleveland. WEWS Channel 5 moved from CBS to ABC and WXEL (soon WJW) Channel 8 from ABC to CBS. I expect to have more on the "big swap" over the next week or so as I gather some newspaper articles and do a bit more research..

Saturday February 26, 1955

Cleveland

WNBK 3 NBC

7AM Test Pattern-COLOR
9AM Movie:The Gay Cavalier (Early Bird Theater)
10AM Happy Felton
10:30 Paul Winchell/Jerry Mahoney
11AM Funny Boners
11:30 Tom Corbett Space Cadet

Noon Why Lawyers? Panel Discussion
12:30 Podium-Music
1PM Movie:Tell It To A Star (1:00 Playhouse)
2PM Teen Twirl-Dance show probably
3PM NBA Basketball-Milwaukee Hawks/New York Knicks
From New York's 69th Regiment Armory rather than Madison Square Garden
Milwaukee won 79-72 from http://www.shrpsports.com/nba
5PM Go! Ed Wallace
5:30 Movie-Texas Terror

6:30 Annie Oakley-Syndicated
7PM The Whistler-Syndicated
7:30 Horace Heidt-Music
8PM Mickey Rooney Show
8:30 This Is Hollywood-Anthology
9PM Imogene Coca Show
9:30 Jimmy Durante Show
10PM George Gobel Show
10:30 Your Hit Parade
11PM News-Tom Field
11:05 Movie:Casbah (Theater)
12:15 News Bulletin

WEWS 5 CBS

8:55 News
9AM Western Reserve
9:30 Winky Dinks
10AM Safety Poster Awards
10:30 Film Shorts
10:45 Green Thumb-Gardening
11AM Captain Midnight-CBS
11:30 Abbott And Costello

Noon Big Top-CBS
1PM Lone Ranger
1:30 Uncle Johnny Coons-CBS-Based In Chicago, This kid show host showed silent films and commented on them similar to what Mystery Science Theater 3000 would years later.

2PM Bandstand-McLean-Assuming a TV Dance show, but 2 years before American Bandstand
4PM Movie-Strange Experiment
5PM Rocky Jones, Space Ranger-Syndicated
5:30 Contest Carnival

6PM To Be Announced
6:30 Inside Catholic Schools
6:45 Industry On Parade
7PM Gene Autry
7:30 Beat The Clock-Collyer
8PM Jackie Gleason
9PM Two For The Money-Fred Allen substitutes for Herb Shriner
9:30 My Favorite Husband
10PM Professional Father-Sitcom
10:30 Willy-Sitcom
11PM Movie-To Be Announced
12:30 News Bulletins


WXEL 8 DuMont/ABC

10AM Smilin Ed-ABC
10:30 Space Patrol-Syndicated
11AM Merry-go-Round-Kids
11:30 Movie-Lightnin' Crandall

1PM Movie-Gun Lords Of Stirrup Basin
3PM College Basketball-Michigan At Iowa
4:45 Flamingo Handicap-Horse Race?
5PM Main Event-Wrestling

6PM Big Picture
6:30 Travel Time
6:45 Cheerful House-Betty Ott
7PM Lights, Camera, Questions-Local Quiz
7:30 Compass-ABC
8PM Dotty Mack-ABC (From Cincinnsti)
9PM Ozark Jubilee-ABC
10PM The Stranger-DuMont (Last Show Of The Series)
10:30 Let's Go Bowling
11PM Chronoscope-News
11:15 Movie-The Village Idiot

Akron

WAKR 49 ABC

2PM This Is Our World
2:30 Faith For Today
3PM Movie-Double Feature 1. Tulsa Kid 2. Desert Patrol (Bar 49 Theater)
5PM Movie-To Be Announced

6PM This Is The Life
6:30 Mark Saber-Synd.
7PM The Wanderer Travel
7:30 Compass-ABC
8PM Dotty Mack-ABC
8:15 College Bsketball-Akron Univ. Vs. Heidelberg College
10PM Movie-Slippy McGee

Youngstown

WFMJ 21 NBC

10AM Happy Felton
10:30 Paul Winchell/Jerry Mahoney
11AM Funny Boners
11:30 Tom Corbett Space Cadet

Noon Komedy Kut-Ups-Probably Cartoons or Comedy Shorts
1PM Movie-Treasure Of Monte-Cristo (Movie Party)
2PM Movie-Small Black Room (Movie Party)
3PM Big Picture
3:30 Original Rumpus Room
4PM Movie Blazing Guns (Golden West Theater)
5PM Wishing Well
5:15 Wrestling

6:15 News
6:30 Roller Derby
7PM Amos N Andy
7:30 Horace Heidt-Music
8PM Mickey Rooney Show
8:30 This Is Hollywood-Anthology
9PM Imogene Coca Show
9:30 Jimmy Durante Show
10PM George Gobel Show
10:30 Your Hit Parade
11PM News
11:10 Best Theater
11:40 Movie-The Second Woman-(Skyline Theater)

WKBN 27 (CBS/ABC/DuMont)

10:30 Winky Dink And You
11AM Western Theater

1PM The Plainsman (This could have been the movie from 1936-very much edited-No record of a series by that name)
2PM Six Shooters-Western Shorts?
3PM Movie-Charlie Chan "Dead Men Tell"
4PM Movie-Oriental Evil (Saturday Playhouse)
5PM Hopalong Cassidy

6PM Juke Box
6:30 News
6:45 Sports
7PM Masquerade Party-ABC
7:30 Beat The Clock-Collyer
8PM Jackie Gleason
9PM Two For The Money-Fred Allen substitutes for Herb Shriner
9:30 TV Reader's Digest-ABC
10PM Professional Father-Sitcom
10:30 Willy-Sitcom
11PM Weather
11:05 Sports
11:20 Wrestling-Chicago-DuMont
Midnight News Bulletin

Sunday, February 27, 1955

Cleveland

WNBK 3 NBC

8AM Test Pattern-COLOR
8:30 TV Sunday School
9AM Frontiers of Faith
9:30 Youth Wants to Know
10AM American Forum
10:30 Tomorrow-Science
11AM Norman Vincent Peale
11:15 Cartoon Time
11:30 Hoot Gibson
Noon Pet Show
12:15 News-House
12:30 Funny Funnies (Glenn) Rowell-Rowell and Gene Carroll of the Gene Carroll Show on WEWS-5 were a comedy team for years in radio. Here their shows air opposite each other.

1PM Movie-Tv Theater:Three Desperate Men
2:30 NBC Opera Theater-The Would Be Gentleman-with Wally Cox, Charlotte Rae and George Gaynes-SPECIAL
4PM Juvenile Jury
4:30 Zoo Parade-Perkins
5PM Hallmark Hall Of Fame
5:30 Captain Gallant
6PM Meet The Press
6:30 Roy Rogers
7PM People Are Funny
7:30 Big Time-COLOR-Milton Berle, Martha Raye and Ray Bolger-Max Liebman Spectacular
9PM Philco or Goodyear TV Playhouse
10PM Loretta Young
10:30 Bob Cummings(Love That Bob!)
11PM Movie-Caged Fury
12:30 News

WEWS 5 CBS

9:55 News
10AM Lamp Unto My Feet
10:30 Look up and Live
11AM Big Picture-Soldier In Panama
11:30 Christophers
Noon Gene Carroll
1PM Polka Parade-Vadnal
1:30 Urban League-Dudley
2PM These 40 Days-Lent
2:15 Movie-Sunday Matinee:Five Pound Man
3PM University Circle
3:30 Lassie (Sunday 7PM CBS)
4PM Ohio Congressmen-Guest Estes Kefauver
4:30 Fun With Charades-Local
5PM Omnibus-Cooke
6:30 You Are There-Cronkite
7PM Range Rider-Syndicated
7:30 Private Secretary
8PM Toast Of The Town-Sullivan
9PM Fred Waring
9:30 Stage 7
10PM Foreign Intrigue-Syndicated
10:30 What's My Line?-Reginald Gardner-Guest Panelist
11PM CBS News-Cronkite
11:15 Danger (Tues. 10PM CBS)
11:45 News

WXEL 8 DuMont/ABC

10:45 Christophers
11AM Talent Parade-Joe Berg
Noon Faith For Today
12:30 Big Picture
1PM Johns Hopkins Review-DuMont
1:30 Teen Press-Panel
2PM Movie-When The West Was Young
3PM Movie-Come Back Peter
4:30 Prescription For Living-Local/Skin Care
5PM Super Circus-ABC
6PM Jimmy Wakely Show-Country Music
7PM You Asked For It-ABC
7:30 Pepsi TV Playhouse-ABC
8PM Key To The Ages-ABC-DEBUT
8:30 This Is The Life-Syndicated
9PM Walter Winchell-ABC
9:15 Compass-ABC
9:30 Life Begins At 80-DuMont
10PM Break The Bank-ABC
10:30 Pantomime Quiz-ABC (Sun. 9:30-Hour delay)
11PM Movie-Charlie Chan In Honolulu

Akron

WAKR 49 ABC

1:15 These 40 Days-Lent
1:30 The West
2:30 Oral Roberts
3PM Double Feature Theater
5PM Super Circus
6PM Western Playhouse
7PM You Asked For It
7:30 Pepsi TV Playhouse
8PM Movie-TBA
9PM Walter Winchell
9:15 Compass
9:30 Pantomime Quiz
10PM Break The Bank
10:30 Movie-Feature Film:Sky Liner

Youngstown

WFMJ 21 NBC

12:45 Serial Theater
1:15 Fun With Music
1:30 Polka Party-Ament
2PM To Help Themselves
2:30 NBC Opera Theater-The Would Be Gentleman-with Wally Cox, Charlotte Rae and George Gaynes-SPECIAL
4PM Juvenile Jury
4:30 Zoo Parade-Perkins
5PM Hallmark Hall Of Fame
6PM Kit Carson
6:30 Roy Rogers
7PM People Are Funny
7:30 Big Time-COLOR-Milton Berle, Martha Raye and Ray Bolger-Max Liebman Spectacular (Listing only has 3 carrying this and no listing for 21..Since they nearly always carried NBC shows on pattern, I am assuming this is a misprint)

9PM Philco or Goodyear TV Playhouse
10PM Loretta Young
10:30 Bob Cummings(Love That Bob!)
11PM Sports
11:10 Movie-Theater:Impact

WKBN 27 CBS/ABC/DuMont

11:30 Western Theater
12:30 Contest Carnival-Kids
1PM This Is The Life
1:30 Polka Party-Music
2PM Big Picture
2:30 These 40 Days-Lent
2:45 Panorama
3PM Now And Then
3:30 Adventure-Documentary
4PM Name's The Same-ABC (Mon. 7:30)
4:30 Prescription For Living
5PM Frontiersman:Stagecoach- John Wayne
6:30 Disneyland-ABC (Wed. 7:30)
7:30 Ramar Of The Jungle-Syndicated
8PM Toast Of The Town-CBS
9PM Mark Saber-Syndicated
9:30 Stage 7
10PM Father Knows Best-CBS
10:30 What's My Line
11PM Movie-Premiere Playhouse:Man In The Iron Mask
12:30 News

All Schedules and Advertisements courtesy TV Guide Cleveland Edition

1946-Saturday Night Radio

1946 "Radio Time Table" from the Akron Beacon Journal Saturday Night, September 14, 1946.

I have written very little about Radio to this point, mainly because I have about 3-4 more times the amount of material related to TV as I do Radio. This schedule is in the heyday of "Old Time Radio", though Television was already in a few cities and would become more widespread in 1947-48..
A Couple Comments:

WADC 1350 was CBS and a full service station before moving to Country as WSLR in 1964..Since 2001 1350 has been Soul Music, Sports, Liberal Talk and now Sports again..

WHKK 640 (Mutual) moved to Akron from Columbus in '44 (swapped out for 610, which had been in Cleveland)..The station was co-owned by the Plain Dealer with WHK-1420..The station was sold to Susquehanna of York, Pa. in 1960, changing Call Letters to WHLO-"Hello Radio" with a Top 40 music format, then News and Talk in the early 1970's, Then Mortenson and Salem with Religious/Southern Gospel..Now back to News Talk under Clear Channel..

Alan Freed was at WAKR in 1946..Several years before becoming famous in Cleveland.

Schedule represented by the grid above..

Saturday, September 14, 1946

WADC 1350 Columbia (CBS) Akron

5PM Washington
5:15 Musical Show
5:30 Bill Griffiths
5:45 Charles Collingwood
6PM Sweeney-March (Bob Sweeney, Hal March)
6:30 Tony Martin
7PM Hollywood Star Time Judy Garland in "Holiday"
7:30 Mayor Of The Town
8PM Your Hit Parade
8:45 Press Box Party
9:15 Oklahoma Roundup-Country/Western Music
9:45 Popular Tunes
10PM News
10:15 Ray Anthony
10:30 Randy Brooks
11PM News-Music
11:15 Orchestra
11:30 Stardust Serenade


WAKR 1590 American (ABC)Akron

Slogan:"Tops In Radio from The Top Of the Dial"

5PM News-Churches
5:15 Goss Memorial (Church?)
5:45 Labor USA
6PM It's Your Business
6:15 News-Sports
6:30 Rev. Charles Billington (Akron Baptist Temple)
7PM Dark Venture
7:30 Famous Jury Trials
8PM Gangbusters
8:30 Detect-Collect
9PM American Melodies
9:30 Hayloft Hoedown-ABC Country Music Show
10PM News
10:15 Collectors Item
10:30 Walter Tracy Orchestra
11PM News
11:15 Request Review-Alan Freed-Akron West HS Students are guests of Freed

WTAM 1100 Cleveland National (NBC)

5PM Rhapsody Of The Rockies
5:30 Dinner Music
5:45 Art Of Living
6PM News-Music
6:15 Tom Manning Sports
6:30 Ohio Hayride
7PM Life Of Riley
7:30 Truth Or Consequences
8PM National Barn Dance
8:30 Can You Top This
9PM Judy Canova Show
9:30 Prince Albert Grand Ole Opry
10PM Our Foreign Policy
10:30 Curtain Time
11PM News-Music
11:15 Starlight Serenade
11:30 Sammy Watkins
11:45 Lee Sims

WHKK 640 Mutual Akron

5PM Schubert Reports
5:15 Kay Charles
5:30 Kenny Strong
6PM Treasury Salutes
6:15 Sports Corner
6:30 This Is Our Duty
6:45 Korn Kobblers-Country Music
7PM Twenty Questions
7:30 Juvenile Jury
8PM Gold And Silver Minstrels
8:30 Leave It To The Girls

At this point (9:00 PM) WHKK had to sign-off..The rest of the schedule represents co-owned WHK 1420 in Cleveland

WHK 1420 Cleveland
9PM Chicago Theater of the Air
10PM Vera Holly Sings
10:30 Concert Hour
11PM Melody Parade
11:30 Turner's Singers

Source:Akron Beacon Journal

(Those that may not be aware..You can click pictures, ads to make them more readable..)

Back to 1949....TELE-VUE Magazine

Channel 5 Schedule Ad in Televue March 1949..I would Have a WNBK-TV 4 ad..But Channel 5 was the only TV station to have ad space in TeleVue..WNBK In the issues I saw, didnt have any ads...Notice the mention of Linn Sheldon..as a host of "comedy dj" show..Lip Syncing Records..

Early Channel 5 personality Paul Hodges..Host of local quiz show "Dress And Guess" (TeleVue)


Advertisement for WERE-FM 98.5 (TeleVue) from March 1949..Now WNCX

I thought today we would go back to 1949 again through TELE-VUE. Cleveland's early version of "TV Guide". There are about 5 issues from 1949 at Cleveland Public Library. Fascinating time warp into the Broadcasting and night life of Cleveland in the 1940's..Not only did Televue cover Television with listings and features of WNBK-4 and WEWS-5, but It was a complete weekly entertainment magazine, telling about dining at places like Sweden Manor, the Alhambra Tavern, Borsellino's Supper Club. and the Zephyr Room. Play and Concert Venues like the Hanna Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Lakewood Little Theater and Public Music Hall. as well as Severance Hall. Also Schedules for the Cleveland Arena for Local College Basketball and Cleveland Barons AHL Hockey. They even had early FM Schedules for WERE-FM 98.5 and WEWS-FM 102.1..All in 16 pages for a thin dime a week..$3.00 a year..

The TV listings themselves are interesting to me, in that they listed the sponsor and originating city..WNBK of course was NBC Owned and operated WEWS was carrying ABC, CBS and DuMont..Months before WXEL-9 came on the air..WEWS was listed before WNBK in the listings..

Tuesday, March 22, 1949
WEWS-TV 5-CBS/ABC/DuMont

10AM Test Pattern/Tunes

2PM Test Pattern/Tunes

3:30 Test Pattern/Tunes

4PM Distaff-Women's Show-Sponsor:General Electric Supply Co.
5PM Test Pattern/Tunes
5:30 Uncle Jake's House-Gene Carroll, Candy Lee Sponsors:Jack and Jill Shop, Richard W. Kaase Co.

6PM Small Fry Club (DuMont-New York)
6:30 Lucky Pup (CBS-New York)
6:45 Oky Doky (DuMont-New York)
7PM News (ABC-New York)
7:15 Film Shorts (ABC-New York)
7:30 Oldsmobile Presents:News (CBS-New York) [Douglas Edwards]
7:45 Carling's Sports Album
7:50 Tune Time-Crandall Hendershott, Organ Music
8PM Cross Question-Courtroom Drama (CBS-Chicago)
9PM DuMont Presents:The Kenny Delmar Schoolhouse (DuMont-New York)
9:30 WEWS Presents-Film
10PM Miles Auto Stores Present:Midwest Amateur Boxing Tournament-Rainbow Arena, Chicago-(ABC-Chicago)
11PM Coming Attractions

WNBK-TV 4-NBC

5;25 Bulletin Board
5;30 Howdy Doody
6PM Western Feature
7PM Kukla, Fran and Ollie (RCA)
7:30 The Troubador-John Bankhurst
7:45 Camel News Caravan-John Cameron Swayze
8PM Texaco Star Theater-Milton Berle
9PM Quiz Kids-Joe Kelly (Miles Laboratories)
9:30 Believe It Ot Not-Bob Ripley
10PM NBC Television Newsreel
10:15-Wrestling-St. Nicholas Arena-New York
11PM Program Previews

FM Radio-Tuesday, March 22, 1949

WERE-98.5 (WNCX)

8AM Sign-On
8:01 Strike Up The Band
8:15 Moments of Devotion
8:30 Random Review
10AM Cavalcade Of Music
11AM Musical Scrapbook
11:30 Amusement Guide
Noon News Digest
12:15 Stock Market Quotations
12:20 Organ Melodies
12:30 The Three Suns
12:45 Les Brown's Orchestra
1PM US Navy Band
1:15 The Ambassadors
1:30 Lean Back and Listen
2:30 Symphonic Matinee
3:30 Airplane Melodies
3:45 The Four Knights
3:55 News
4PM Music In The Morgan Manner
4:15 Blue Barron Presents
4:30 Musical Cocktail
5PM Rush Hour Roundup
5:30 Amusement Guide
6PM News Digest
6:15 Emile Cole Glee Club
6:30 Menu Musicale
7PM Sammy Watkins-from the Vogue Room
8PM The Council Chamber
8:30 Salon Serenade
8:45 Piano Interlude
8:55 News
9PM Calvacade Of Music
9:55 News
10PM Call For Classics
10:55 News
11PM WERE Symphony Hall
Midnight Sign-Off

WEWS-FM 102.1 (WDOK)

5 minute newscasts top of the hour from sign on to sign off

7AM Sign-On-News
7:05 Musical Clock (Farm Front 7:30)
9:05 Accent On Music
10:45 Brunch Exchange
11AM News
11:05 Hymn for Today
11;15 Social Secretary
11:20 Three-Quarter Melody Time
Noon News
12:15 Melody For Lunch
1:05 Salon Music
2:05 Musical Matinee
2:45 Memos from Marcia
3:05 Spotlight Varieties
4:05 Tea For Two
5:05 Musical Cocktail
6PM News (15 minutes)
6:15 Dorothy Fuldheim
6:30 Dinner Dance
6:45 Women's Institute of Banking
7:05 Romance In Music
7:45 Guest Star-Government sponsored show with a current musical or comedy star as host.

8:05 Footlight Review
8:30 Little Theater
9:05 Evening Symphony
10:05 Curtain Call
11:05 Nocturne
11:55 News
Midnight Sign-Off

Seems that WEWS and WERE-FM hadnt figured out about Long-Form Radio as yet.Most of the titles were probably the same kind of music under different names..

All Schedules and images courtesy TeleVue Magazine..

It's Hockey Night in Cleveland!!

Secondary Logo for the Lake Erie Monsters-New AHL team owned by Dan Gilbert..Which began play tonight at the Q..Losing to Grand Rapids 3-2

Cleveland Barons 2001-06 AHL Logo..The San Jose Sharks in my mind set this team up to fail, doing almost no promotion or marketing..

Cleveland Lumberjacks International Hockey League Logo 1993-2001

WHA Cleveland Crusaders Logo 1972-76

Mid 1960's Cleveland Barons AHL Logo

Local Newspaper ad for Radio Broadcasts of NHL Barons Hockey..Larry Hirsch was on PBP sometimes joined by Harry Howell, Barons General Manager..Hirsch went on to broadcast for the New Jersey Devils and The Tampa Bay Lightning.



Presumably a TV Guide Ad for the 1976-78 NHL Clevelamd Barons on WUAB-43..The team wa a failure om and off the ice for many reasons..I do believe Pete Franklin provided color commentary for the TV Games, but I have no idea who the gentleman in the picture is. Supposedly the play-by play guy..EDIT:Retired WKYC-TV reporter Joe Mosbrook e-mailed me to say that the man in the picture is former WKYC-TV weekend sports anchor Dick Hammer. Thanks, Joe!

One of my other interests is Pro Hockey..and With the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League set to begin play tonight, I thought I'd mention some Hockey TV and Radio folks in Cleveland as well as give a primer on Hockey in Cleveland..

The first team to call Cleveland Home ws call the "Indians" in the late 20's early 30's..The team played at the 7,000 seat Elysium..By 1937 Sportsman Al Sutphin had built the Cleveland Arena and renamed the team the Barons..With great players like Fred Glover, Johnny Bower, Les Cunningham and others..The team won 10 division titles and 9 American Hockey League Calder Cups, the last in 1964..The team was the class of the AHL. The NHL in the 1940's invited Cleveland into the League, but Sutphin declined, fearing it would cripple the AHL..Cleveland was later denied admission several times..WGAR and WERE had Barons Radio with Bob Neal at the mike for the most part..WEWS-TV 5 had Barons Games in 1948-49 for certain..dont know beyond that..

Nick Mileti bought the Barons in 1968. He founded the Cavaliers in 1970..Then went into the World Hockey Association in 1972 with the Crusaders while still owning the Barons.Two teams in town didnt work so the Barons left in early 1973..Radio/TV announcers included Steve (He Shoots He Scores) Albert, Lee Hamilton, Les Levine, with Frank Sweeney and Ted Patterson on WUAB-43 and Mileti-owned WWWE-AM 1100.The Crusaders were mostly competitive, with HOF Goalie Gerry Cheevers, but the move to the Coliseum really hurt the team as the fanbase was too spread out for the team to be a success..the team moved to Minnesota in 1976 as the NHL was arriving..

Mel Swig and George Gund brought the California Golden Seals to Clevelamd in 1976-78..Two bad winters, very bad teams, no promotion and the Coliseum location did the team in..It would take too much money to build the fanbase..The team was merged with the Minnesota North Stars..the Best players were probably Goalie Giles Meloche and Center Dennis Maruk..Larry Hirsch and Harry Howell were announcers on WJW-850 and WKNT 100.1 Kent-Akron (WNIR)..

After a gap of 14 years between 1978-1992 Larry Gordon moved his Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League to Cleveland..Playing at the Coliseum for 2 years (1992-94) before moving to downtown Cleveland at Gund Arena in 1994. The team drew better, though the on ice success was mixed..Jock Callender, one of the greatest players in IHL history, starred with the Lumberjacks along with Dave Michayluk. The IHL tried to somewhat compete with the NHL, moving to larger cities and paying bigger salaries..The plan ultimately backfired and the IHL folded in 2001..6 teams joined the AHL..Channel 43 and 55 had games variously along with WKNR-1220/850..Tim Saunders was one of the announcers..

The AHL's Kentucky Thoroughblades moved to Cleveland in 2001 and stayed till 2006..Again, not much promotion or marketing..It was if the San Jose Sharks didnt want to be here..playing to sparse crowd for 5 years, they moved to Worcester, Mass. in 2007..Jamie Smock was the announcer on WKNR-850..No TV games

Dan Gilbert then bought the dormant Utah AHL franchise..Following a year of preparation, The team was named the Lake Erie Monsters..Affiliated with the NHL Colorado Avalanche, Opening night was tonight..Despite a disappointing loss, the crowd was 15,132..A great start for the new franchise..Fox Sports Ohio and WKNR-850 are the broadcast homes, with AHL veteran announcer John Michael announcing..

I beleve Cleveland has been given a bad rap over the years as far as being a Hockey City..There has been a lot of High School Hockey played in the Cleveland area for years..Each of the situations outlined..If the owners (Except for the first Barons AHL team) could have done a little more or just stuck it out, we wouldnt have had so many teams over the years..

Logos:
Crusaders:From the former Minor League Hockey Logo Page/Ralph Slate (Now Logoserver
http://www.logoserver.com/Hockey.html

Lumberjacks:Wikipedia
Original AHL Barona:Wikipedia
2001-2006 Barons:clevelandpress.com
Monsters:Cleveland.com


Other Images
Cleveland Barons (NHL) History Pages
http://members.aol.com/gowhalers8/history.html

Tribe Radio/TV..Historical Overview..

TV Guide Ad for A Cleveland Indians-Chicago White Sox Game May 10, 1958..On WTRF-TV 7 Wheeling, W. Va. This was the CBS Game of the Week with announcers Dizzy Dean and Buddy Blattner. (White Sox won 5-4) TV Guide Ad for early 1970 Indians Game on WJW-TV 8. (Indians won 9-4) TV Guide Closeup for a Pirates/Philadelphia game on May 16, 1958. Pirate Network stations represented are KDKA 2 Pittsburgh, WJAC 6 Johnstown, Pa., WSTV 9 Steubenville, Oh, and WKST 45, New Castle, Pa. (Youngstown Market)(Phillies won 6-2)

With the Indians heading into the playoffs with the New York Yankees, I thought it would be kind of fun to go into some of the Cleveland Indians Broadcast History.

RADIO

Former Tribe Player Jack Graney was the first Radio announcer for Indians Baseball, beginning in 1932 on WJW-AM going all the way to 1944 with several partners, Though Tom Manning did some games for WTAM in the 1929-31 period, but he also was League Park Announcer. In a unique situation, Four stations broadcast the June 28, 1946 game, Shortly after Bill Veeck bought the team..WJW (Earl Harper) WTAM (Tom Manning) WHK(Don Campbell) and WGAR (Jack Graney, Bob Neal) WGAR then held the rights for 1947 with Jack Graney solo. WJW gained the rights for 1948-49 with Jimmy Dudley and Graney..WERE 1300 then acquired Broadcast rights from 1950-72..Jimmy Dudley was play by play man from 1950-67 with a number of color men..including Graney (1950-53) Ed Edwards (1954-55) Tom Manning (1956) Bob Neal (1957-61, 65-67) and Harry Jones (1962-64)..Dudley left the Indians after the 1967 season..It was said he didnt get along well with Bob Neal..Dudley announced Seattle Pilots games in 1969 before retiring in Arizona. Bob Neal was then partnered with Herb Score from 1968-72 (My first baseball memories are in 1970 with Herb Score and Bob Neal) WWWE-1100 gained the Broadcast rights in 1973, with Joe Tait, Cavaliers broadcaster joining Herb Score until 1980..when Nev Chandler of Channel 5 joined Herb Score through the 1984 season..1985 saw Steve LaMar opposite Herb..Lamar was here through 1987..Paul Olden joined Herb in 1988..Olden had an uncanny knack for sounding like Vin Scully..Olden stayed through 1989.. Tom Hamilton joined the broadcast team in 1990..and has been with the team since then..WKNR-1220 gained radio rights from 1992-97, with the Score-Hamilton duo intact..Herb Score Retired after the 1997 season, but not before calling two Indians World Series..(1995, 97) WTAM-1100 (WWWE) acquired radio rights once again in 1998, with the Tribe going to a 3-man broadcast booth..Hamilton, former MLB player Mike Hegan and Former Tribe coach Davey Nelson were the team in 1998-99, with Channel 5 sports staffer Matt Underwood replacing Nelson from 2000-2006..In 2007, Underwood went to Sports Time Ohio as Indians annoiuncer with Rick Manning..Leaving just Tom Hamilton and Mike Hegan as the radio team..
UPDATE:Hamilton/Hegan in 2011 will be joined by Jim Rosenhaus, pregame host who will do a few innings a game to spell Hegan or Hamilton

TELEVISION

Cleveland Indians TV coverage began as early as 1948 on WEWS Channel 5 with Van Patrick in the booth, being replaced by Tris Speaker and Bob Neal in 1949..1950 saw WXEL-9 get the TV rights..Holding them at first through 1955 (as WJW-8 by this time) Announcers were Jimmy Dudley/Jack Graney in 1950, Hal Newell in 1951, Bob Neal and "Red" Jones in 1952-53..Ken Coleman and Jim Britt 1954-55 on WXEL/WJW. WEWS got the rights back from 1956-60..with Coleman/Britt in 1956-57, Coleman and Bill McColgan from 1958-60. WJW-TV 8 would get the rights once again in 1961-holding them through 1979..Ken Coleman partnered with Harry Jones in 1961, then Bob Neal in 1962-1963..Coleman left the Indians after the 1963 season. Herb Score joined Bob Neal in 1964, then Score was joined by Harry Jones from 1965-67..Harry Jones was joined by Yankee legend Mel Allen in 1968..1969-71 saw the team of Harry Jones and Dave Martin..Jones then partnered with Rocky Colavito in 1972, then Mudcat Grant in 1973-74..(Little bit of chin music there..) 1975-76 had Bob Brown and Rocky Colavito as the broadcast team..1977 it was back to Harry Jones and Mudcat Grant..1978 (WJKW) saw Jim Meuller and Eddie Doucette of Milwaukee as the TV Team..In 1979 it was Joe Castiglione and Bruce Drennan.. WUAB-TV 43 gained broadcast rights in 1980-2001..Joe Tait and Bruce Drennan as the team from 1980-82..Then Joe Tait was joined by retired Browns(?) receiver Reggie Rucker from 1983-84..Joe Tait then was with Jack Corrigan in 1985-87 (now part of the Rockies' Radio team).Corrigam teamed with Steve LaMar in 1988..then with Mike Hegan from 1989-2001, joined by Matt Underwood as the 3rd man in the booth in the 2000 season only.. In 2006..WKYC-TV 3 began airing a limited number of broadcast games through Cable home SportsTime Ohio..with Rick Manning and Jim Donovan

CABLE

Early unsuccesful attempts at Cable included Ted Stepien's TenTV in 1982..With Joe Castiglione and Bob Feller as announcers..Then the Sports Exchange in 1983, with Feller, Jack Corrigan and Denny Schreiner.. 1990 saw the debut of SportsChannel Ohio(FOX Sports Ohio as of 1998), with Rick Manning and Plain Dealer writer Dan Coughlin. Coughlin was replaced in 1991 bu Pittsburgh Sports TV Veteran John Sanders. They were joined in 2002 by Mike Hegan through 2005.. The Indians in 2006 took their TV production in house with the advent of SportsTime Ohio..While Sanders, Manning and Hegan were the team in 2006, it was decided in 2007 not to bring Sanders back..Hegan went exclusively to Radio and Matt Underwood joined Rick Manning as the Current Broadcast TV Team..
2010 UPDATE:Jim Donovan is no longer announcing the Channel 3 games..They are now straight simulcasts with STO..

Longest serving announcers..

Radio
Jack Graney 1932-53
Jimmy Dudley 1948-67
Herb Score 1968-97
Bob Neal 1946, 1957-61, 1965-72
Tom Hamilton 1990-2007

TV (broadcast and Cable)
Ken Coleman 1954-63
Harry Jones 1961, 1965-74, 1977
Joe Tait 1980-87
Jack Corrigan 1983, 1985-2001
Rick Manning 1990-2007
John Sanders 1991-2006
Mike Hegan 1989-2006

I realize this has been exhaustive, but it points out how many talented broadcasters have come through Cleveland, and some not so talented (Rucker) and colorful personalites (Feller, Mudcat Grant, Drennan).. Baseball scores provided by shrpsports.com..Information provided by the Cleveland Indians..

Cleveland Indians 2007-Central Division Champions!

In Honor of the AL Central Division Champion Cleveland Indians, Here is a nice video put together by YouTube member THorsman88, using as background music 2 classic Indians Themes, "Talkin'Baseball, Talkin Tribe", "Indian Fever" and Michael Stanley's "This Town is My Town", which was reworked by the Indians into "This Team is My Team" for "Tribe 85"...The latter part of the Video has some Cavs and Browns footage..In my next Blog, I hope to go into some Cleveland Indians Broadcast History..Thanks to THorsman88..Very well done..Go Tribe!!

WJAN-TV 1970-77..Growing Pains

TV Guide Ad For a Thursday December 19, 1974 showing of an Oral Roberts Christmas Special on WJAN-TV-17. Of the few Complete TV Guides I have from the 1970's, this was the only ad with Channel 17 even mentioned. Channel 17 as far as I know, never bought TV Guide Ad space on its own..always as part of generic producer-bought ads for shows like this one and Billy Graham Specials.

As the 1970's approached, Channel 17 was building its broadcast day slowly. As we saw earlier, they were on only 5 days a week to start..

By April 1970, they were starting to do local color programming..Saturdays were filled with Country Music, as seen here on Saturday, April 24, 1970 from TV Guide:Other than the known Syndicated shows and Jerry Edwards, I have no idea who a lot of the names below are..

1:45 Unity
2PM Hi Jerry-Kids-Jerry Edwards
2:30 Youth Crusade
3PM US Navy Film
3:30 It is Written
4PM Soap Box Derby
4:30 Porter Wagoner-Currently seen on RFD-TV Friday Nights at 7:30 ET
5PM Paul Stowers-Local?
6PM Little Art-Music
6:30 TV Country Time
7PM Country Place-Blake Emmons, Jim Ed Brown
7:30 Cardinal Sweethearts-I think this may have been live from the Cardinal Bar In Canton
8PM Bob Ramey-Music
8:30 Arley Hall-Music
9PM To Be Announced
9:30 Country Carnival-Billy Walker or Del Reeves
10PM Country Western Music
10:30 Country Western Music
11PM Roy Lively-Music
11:30 Wilburn Brothers-Also on RFD-TV Thursday 9PM
Midnight Novie-TBA

Sunday, April 25, 1970

8:30 Oral Roberts
9AM Faith/Hope/Inspiration
9:30 Herald Of Truth
10AM Canton Baptist Temple-BW (They did eventually get color cameras)
11:15 Film-BW
11:30 Bible Story
Noon This Is The Life
12:30 Insight
1PM Wrestling
2PM Gospel Singers
3:30 Enloes Quartet
4PM Inspirational Singing
4:15 Bishop Mayle
4:30 Embers Quartet
5PM Harmony Time
5:30 Homestead USA
6PM To Be Announced
6:30 Youth Crusade
7PM Humbards
7:30 Call Of The West (Death Valley Days)-BW
8PM The Untouchables-BW
9PM Movie-TBA
11PM Movie-TBA



Monday-Friday April 20-24, 1970-Typical Weekday:

10:30 Milton The Milkman-Kids Eventually moved to 4PM..Probably the last station to show "Linus The Lionhearted"..Very bad prints.

11AM Ronnee Furman-Radio personality at WOIO-AM 1060 in Canton before beginning a long stint at WHBC-AM 1480..

Noon Available Jobs
12:20 Louisville Speaks
12:25 Paul Harvey
12:30 Movie-TBA
2:30 Here's Barbara-Washington News Reporter Barbara Coleman, hosted a syndicted program in 1969-70
3PM Big Valley
4PM Alfred Alligator-Cartoons
5PM Jerry Edwards-Eventually moved on to a long career at Liberty University's WRVL-FM in Lynchburg, Va. as General Manager
6PM News-Variously called "Update" and "Our Day In Canton"..The News was anchored by Randy Gerber(To Youngstown) and Allen Davis on Sports-Davis had a long career in Cleveland at WEWS and WKYC and worked in the Cleveland Indians offices for awhile.
6:30 Ben Werk-Live Interview show
7:30 Big Valley

8:30 Monday-Call Of The West-BW
Tuesday-Rosey Grier Show Guest:Daniel Boone Co-Star Darby Hinton
Wednesday-Orrville Scene
Thursday-Alliance Scene
Friday-Minerva Scene

9PM Here's Barbara

9:30 Monday Wilburn Brothers
Tuesday C/W Music
Wednesday Porter Wagoner
Thursday Country Place
Friday Country Carnival

10PM Monday-Startime
Tuesday Jerry's Scene-Jerry Edwards
Wednesday Suspense Theater
Thursday-Startime
Friday Suspense Theater

11PM Paul Harvey
11:05 Movie

High School Sports was a regular feature, with Allen Davis, Steve Bozeka (Spotter for ABC's Monday Night Football for years) and Denny Hazen, with the highest rated game being the Live Massilon/Canton McKinley Football showdown yearly. High School Basketball was shown mostly from Canton Memorial Fieldhouse or Canton Civic Center, with Occassional Live Canton City Doubleheaders from the Fieldhouse with Canton Timken, Canton Lehman, Canton Lincoln and of course, Canton McKinley..

The Cool Ghoul (George Cavender) had Saturday Night Horror Flicks Later in the 1970's..Local Model-Actress Sherry Lee hosted several interview shows on 17 and later WOAC-67. TV 17 was also the Akron-Canton Affiliate for the Jerry Lewis Telethon until 1977. Other personalities included Chuck Healy and Carl Day..
They also broadcast live from the Stark County Fair..

While the quality of Syndicated shows was improving by 1973-74, including Dragnet (1967-70 version), The Bold Ones, Adam 12,The Virginian, Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk, Channel 17 had cut back their sign-on time to 2PM..Not a good sign.

A major programming acquisition was Jim Bakker's PTL Club in 1974, just getting established nationally. The show aired 6 nighs a week..Ultimately Janson Industries decided they couldnt make a go of Channel 17, selling out to Jim Bakker In August 1977..The Station became all religious at that point..

Because of FCC irregularities regarding donations to the station, the Bakkers sold WJAN to Lonnie Rex and David Livingstone Missionary Foundation of Oklahoma in December 1982, changing the Call Letters to WDLI..Denny Hazen assumed a larger role at the station, hosting various religious talk shows and doing High School Play-By Play. Demond Wilson and Roosevelt Grier were frequent visitors to the station..Of course, Jim Bakker's troubles were just beginning in 1983..

TBN's "Praise The Lord" began on 17 in the mid-1980's..Ultimately Lonnie Rex sold the station to Paul and Jan Crouch/TBN in April 1986. TBN currently owns the station, operating TBN's 5 digital channels from a location near Akron, Ohio.. I remember the final Denny Hazen Ministry broadcast on Channel 17-Lots of tears and a little bitterness..Hazen has been running "Plus or Minus 60" since then on various stations..

Commentary:Prime Example of a company (Janson Industries) getting into television woefully undercapitalized..No wonder it was a struggle..The Schedules from 1970 indicate the most extensive programming the station ever had in terms of number of hoours broadcast, but instead of expanding more, they cut back..If Channel 17 had been started by say, the owners of WHBC Radio or another real broadcast company, it might have had a much better chance at success..

A lot of what I've written comes from memory and whatever TV Guides I have, etc..Being the era before VCR's there is no known video of the WJAN days, except a bit of the "Cool Ghoul" from George Cavender's website..The names in some of these listings arent really easy to find online..I just feel, that even with its shortcomings, this station needed to be recognized and the people involved for trying to make a go of it..