October 1948-WNBK Channel 4 signs on-Cleveland's Second Television Station

Test Pattern for WNBK Channel 4 in Cleveland..Courtesy WKYC/National Broadcasting Company

I'd like to begin a weekly series today through the rest of October celebrating Channel 3's 60th anniversary,,WKYC-TV 3 came on the air for the first time October 31, 1948..as WNBK channel 4. Owned and operated by the National Broadcasting Company, WNBK was the second station in Cleveland, following Scripps-Howard's WEWS Channel 5 by just over 10 months

WNBK shared space with co-owned WTAM AM 1100 and FM 105.7 at 815 Superior Avenue in Cleveland. Channel 4's first program was the Philco Televison Playhouse from NBC at 9PM Oct. 31, 1948..As with most early TV stations, WNBK's sign on was in the early afternoon, eventually at 1PM weekdays..Most of the afternoon programming was local..with network programming, of course, in prime time..By January 14, 1952, when NBC's "Today" premiered, WNBK came on the air at 7AM..


From Channel 3's 50 Golden Years..Del Donahoo talks about the earliest days of WNBK, and what Cleveland was like then..Courtesy Gannett/NBC

Here is a full week WNBK Program Guide from Cleveland Entertainment Weekly Tele-Vue Magazine-February 5-12 1949..WNBK was on the air about 4 months at this time. If the sponsor name is not in the title, it will be in parentheses



Saturday, February 5, 1949

6:45 Bulletin Board-This may have been like a program preview show
6:50 Children's Film
7:00 Sportsdesk
7:30 The Armchair Travels
8:00 "Scattergood Baines"
9:00 "NBC Television Newsreel"



Sunday, February 6, 1949

7:10 Bulletin Board
7:15 Feature Film
8:30 "Golden Wedding"
9:00 Philco Television Playhouse-"The Late Christopher Bean" with Lillian Gish and Bert Lytell-NC (Network Commercial)
10:00 NBC News Review-(Disney Hats)-NC
10:15 Program Previews

Monday, February 7, 1949

4:55 Bulletin Board
5:00 These Are My Children-NS- Network Sustaining (no outside sponsors)
5:15 The Last Frontier
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 WNBK Presents
6:45 Bob Reed Show
7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie-NC (RCA)
7:30 WNBK Presents Film
7:50 Camel Newsreel Theater (News Caravan) John Cameron Swayze-NC
8:00 Television Screen Magazine
8:30 Chevrolet On Broadway-NC
9:00 Colgate Theater-NC
9:30 Americana-Ben Grauer-NC (Firestone)
10:00 Program Previews

Tuesday, February 8, 1949

4:55 Bulletin Board
5:00 These Are My Children-NS
5:15 The Last Frontier
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 WNBK Presents
7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie-NC (RCA)
7:30 The Troubador with John Bankhurst
7:50 Camel Newsreel Theater (News Caravan) John Cameron Swayze-NC
8:00 Texaco Star Theater-Milton Berle-NC
9:00 Startime Serenade-Maureen and the WNBK Golden Strings
9:30 Musical Merry-Go-Round
10:00 NBC Television Newsreel
10:15 Wrestling-St. Nicholas Arena, New York City
11:00 Program Previews

Wednesday, February 9, 1949


4:55 Bulletin Board
5:00 These Are My Children-NS
5:15 The Last Frontier
5:30 Howdy Doody(5:45-6:00 sponsored by Mason Mints)
6:00 WNBK Presents
6:45 Bob Reed Show
7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie-NC (RCA)
7:30 You Are An Artist-Jon Gnagy
7:50 Camel Newsreel Theater (News Caravan) John Cameron Swayze-NC
8:00 Girl About Town-NC (Bates Fabrics)-Kyle McDonnell, Earl Wrightson
8:20 WNBK Presents Film
8:30 This Is Your World-Edward Wallace-Possibly the first local Newscaster on WNBK-Guests Professors Henry Miller Bush and John Culver of Cleveland College discussing "Russia"
9:00 Kraft Television Theater-NC
10:00 Program Previews

Thursday February 10, 1949

4:55 Bulletin Board
5:00 These Are My Children-NS
5:15 The Last Frontier
5:30 Howdy Doody
6:00 WNBK Presents
7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie-NC (RCA)
7:30 Helen Hollis
7:50 Camel Newsreel Theater (News Caravan) John Cameron Swayze-NC
8:00 Phil Silvers Arrow Show-NC-(Arrow Shirts)
8:30 Swift Show-Lanny Ross-NC (Swift & Co. Meats)
9:00 Word Quiz
9:30 Bigelow Show-NC-Mind reader Dunninger and Paul Winchell/Jerry Mahoney, Hosts.(Bigelow-Sanford)
10:00 Program Previews

Friday, February 11, 1949

4:55 Bulletin Board
5:00 These Are My Children-NS
5:15 The Last Frontier
5:30 Howdy Doody(5:45-6:00 sponsored by Mason Mints)
6:00 WNBK Presents
6:45 Bob Reed Show
7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie-NC (RCA)
7:30 America Song-Music and Ballet with Dancers Nelle Fischer and Ray Harrison with guitarist Paul Arnold
7:50 Camel Newsreel Theater (News Caravan) John Cameron Swayze-NC
8:00 Admiral Broadway Review (Revue)-NC
9:00 WNBK Presents
9:30 Your Show Time-NC (American Tobacco Co.)
10:00 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports-Boxing-NC-Madison Sqare Garden
11:00 Chesterfield Supper Club-Perry Como
11:15 Program Previews

Saturday February 12, 1949

6:45 Bulletin Board
6:50 Children's Film
7:00 Sportsdesk
7:30 The Armchair Travels
8:00 Feature Film
9:00 Pro Basketball from New York (Brooklyn Gothams)

Next:More of "50 Golden Years"..Tom Haley looks back to the early 1950's..and more..