Imagine an entire publication, similar to TV Guide, devoted to the listings of just one station. That was the case with Tele-Views Central Iowa edition in 1951. You can see what's on channel 4, WOI-TV for the 2nd week of February, 1951 courtesy of DesMoinesBroadcasting.com
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Retro: Central Iowa, February 9-15, 1951
- Thread starter joebtsflk1
- Start date
LOVE the fact the list "test pattern" in the listings
And the letters to the editor! "Evelyn" wanted to know Kate Smith's marital status! "Mrs. Walt" (remember when married women used to refer to themselves using their husbands' names?) wanted to know how the Gagne-Thesz wrestling match in Chicago turned out! Great stuff!
Was this a publication put out by WOI itself, the Des Moines Register or some independent publisher? I see that WOI was indeed Des Moines' only TV station in 1951 (competition wouldn't arrive for another three years), so whoever put out "Tele-Views" had lots of space to fill with features.
The address to subscribe is in Davenport, and it says it's "Midwest's finest weekly program-fan magazine" so it must have been in more markets than Des Moines, although I'm not sure how many stations operated in 1951. Most of them came on in 1953.
You could subscribe for $5 per year and also received a FREE filter for your TV that reduced cloudiness, softened the glare, and fit all screens!
You could subscribe for $5 per year and also received a FREE filter for your TV that reduced cloudiness, softened the glare, and fit all screens!
I'm assuming with the Davenport mailing address that Tele-Views had a Quad-Cities (they might have been just using Tri-Cities in 1951) edition, which had listings for ch. 4 WHBF across the river in Rock Island and ch. 5 WOC-TV Davenport.
But you're right, there weren't many stations available in Iowa pre-1953, just the two above, WOI-TV in central Iowa, and channels 3 and 6 from Omaha.
But you're right, there weren't many stations available in Iowa pre-1953, just the two above, WOI-TV in central Iowa, and channels 3 and 6 from Omaha.
LOVE the fact the list "test pattern" in the listings
And here's your test pattern! (WOI would use the same pattern right up through the early 70s, updated to channel 5 and Iowa State University by then)
Found a bit of info on Tele-News. It was apparently based in the Quad Cities, started in January of 1951, and in June of 1952, became Mid-States Edition TV-Forecast, which was based in Chicago.
https://www.tvhistory.tv/Pre Nat TV Guide Timetable.htm
https://www.tvhistory.tv/Pre Nat TV Guide Timetable.htm
Actually, this edition was from Feb. 9-15, 1952. (The giveaway to me was the mention of "Search for Tomorrow" on the WOI schedule, which began its 35-year run Sept. 3, 1951 (1951-Mar. 1982 on CBS, Mar. 1982-Dec. 26, 1986 on NBC with low affiliate clearances).
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