tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post6982186464683462680..comments2024-03-27T22:27:16.556-04:00Comments on It's About TV: What's on TV? Thursday, November 8, 1962Mitchell Hadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-7387560565377723312015-11-06T22:47:55.697-05:002015-11-06T22:47:55.697-05:00Fixed - thanks!
Fixed - thanks!<br />Mitchell Hadleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08695771505209080030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-43710984868157635762015-11-05T14:17:27.921-05:002015-11-05T14:17:27.921-05:00Providence didn't get a fulltime ABC affiliate...Providence didn't get a fulltime ABC affiliate until January 1st, 1963, when WTEV (now WLNE) signed-on in nearby New Bedford.<br /><br />Prior to that, WJAR and WPRO (now WPRI) each cleared a few ABC programs each week.<br /><br />Only two weekday daytime programs, Tennessee Ernie Ford and "Queen For A Day", were cleared in Providence, both on a delay (I think that on the weekend, a couple of ABC children's shows and "Wide World Of Sports" got cleared by WJAR). About a dozen prime-time ABC shows were cleared in Providence, most of those on WJAR, some on WPRO, with a handful on a delayed broadcast basis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-86468184141191234092015-11-03T23:01:45.242-05:002015-11-03T23:01:45.242-05:00Interesting that in Boston, the CBS affiliate was ...Interesting that in Boston, the CBS affiliate was more heavily into color than the NBC affiliate--the exact opposite of their networks. And not surprisingly, ABC affiliates don't bother with color at all.<br />Note Douglas Edwards in that 5 minute daytime newscast; just a few months before, he'd been dropped from the nightly news in favor of Cronkite. Amazingly enough, Edwards would do that newscast until CBS dropped it in 1980. How many other reporters would have stuck with the network that forced such an embarrasing demotion on them?Al Leosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6042603612494762084.post-77777054111007267442015-11-02T16:45:42.574-05:002015-11-02T16:45:42.574-05:00Here, there, and back ...:
- Noting that local p...Here, there, and back ...:<br /><br /> - Noting that local pre-emptions of network shows were commonplace during this period of TV:<br />Take particular notice of the fact that several of the stations here were joint affiliates of more than one network.<br />That's how Tennessee Ernie Ford's ABC show turned up on the CBS station in Providence.<br /><br /> - Oh, by the way, Ol' Ern's guest was Patsy <i>Cline</i>, a prominent C&W star of the time (prominent enough that a movie was made of her life [<i>Sweet Dreams</i>, starring Jessica Lange]).<br />In my Chicago edition, Miss Cline's name is spelled correctly; perhaps the New England edition had a substandard proofreader (made the same error with Floyd <i>Kalber</i> - again).<br /><br /> - That Merv Griffin show with Danny Kaye is sort of legendary.<br />Before Merv finished introducing him, Danny came on stage, smoking a cigarette and rhapsodizing about the joys of smoking - all the while coughing and hacking as loudly as possible.<br />Merv kept clear of Kaye's phlegmy paean, which had the audience roaring - and NBC executives jittery (I believe that the show had at least one major cigarette sponsor; if I recall the story correctly, Kaye mentioned the brand name during his catarrh-ridden tribute).<br />NBC's custom at that time was to erase and reuse video tape, so this scene probably doesn't exist any more.<br /><br /> - Correcting an earlier post:<br />Merv Griffin's talk show actually had <i>four</i> (4) separate incarnations:<br /> - The NBC daytime show, which no longer exists.<br /> - The first syndicated show for Westinghouse, which started a year after the NBC show ended, and continued through the rest of the '60s.<br />This is the one with Arthur Treacher, and the one that Merv Griffin owned (which is why the tapes still exist today).<br /> - The CBS late-night show, which started out just like the Westinghouse show, but was overtaken by CBS micromanagement; this one doesn't exist anymore either.<br />- The second syndie show, this time for Metromedia, where Merv got back full control, which he maintained through to the end of its run.<br />As you can see, it wasn't a continuous run; Merv had to stand down briefly each time he changed venues.<br /><br /> - Off-topic:<br />This morning, I took delivery of Kliph Nesteroff's new book, <i>The Comedians</i>.<br />A quick skim shows that Kliph has toned down some of the reminiscences that may still be found on his blogs; I imagine he's saving them up for a sequel.<br />Anyway , the book is worth the effort to get it.Mike Dorannoreply@blogger.com