CBS 75th anniversary question

[oldvnewschool]

In November 2003, CBS "celebrated" it's 75th anniversary.Yet I'm confused.I have done constant research stating that it started in September 1927as a radio network.Yet on the CBS at 75 website, it states it starts in September 1928 when William Paley bought 16 stations to launch CBS.I know that isn't accurate, but why would CBS, at least on the tv side, startwith that claim while the radio side proudly mentions 1927?Are they simply paying omage to the late Bill Paley?

 

[fred flintstone]

It wasn't that long ago, they claimed their 50th anniversary.They use whatever date meets the need of the moment - like a sweeps period retrospective special.For the record, it wasn't called CBS until after Paley took over and Columbia Records bought some stock (to provide badly needed cash). Later the record company sold their holding and still later a now prosperous CBS bought Columbia Records (and much later sold it to Sony). Originally, CBS was United Independent Broadcasters.

 

[bpatrick]

The network we know as CBS started in September 1927 asUnited Independent Broadcasters. The man behind it wasan agent for a number of musicians, Arthur Judson, who hadbeen unable to get any of his clients on NBC. Sometime inlate 1927 or early 1928, UIB was sold to Columbia Records,which renamed it the Columbia Phonograph BroadcastingSystem; Paley had indeed bought the network by the fallof 1928 and dropped the "Phonograph" from the network'sname (CBS bought Columbia Records in 1938). So 1928could logically be considered the starting date for CBS.BTW, in 1928 and part of 1929 CBS had two affiliates inNew York: WABC (the present WCBS, as ABC stood forAtlantic Broadcasting Company, the station's previous owner)and WOR. In 1929 Paley decided to go fulltime with WABC;a few years later WOR became one of the first affiliates ofthe Mutual network. (Trivia note: the modern WABC wasthen WJZ, currently the call letters of the CBS o&o inBaltimore.)

 

[oldschooler1]

Anniversaries, indeed. In 1978, Not to be outdone by CBS and NBC, who had recently celebrated 50th's, ABC "found a reason" to do their 25th anniversary -- when United Paramount Theatres bought into the cash-strapped ABC network. never mind the network technically existed since 1943, when it was the old NBC Blue, which was forced to sel it off - busted up by the government.The best anniversary show ever done, I think, was NBC's 50th -- done either on November 13 or 14 (can't remember) -- either the exact anniversary, or just one day off from, the exact anniversary of that net's first radio broadcast -- also on a Sunday night, in 1926. Four-and-one-half hours -- with some nice, long clips -- hosted by Orson Welles. Wish I had a tape of it....It was part of NBC's series "the Big Event" -- that same month, I'm pretty sure, they ran the famous made-for-TV movie "Sybil". (Who are you today, Sybil?")In fact, Wikipedia says: "Due to high viewer demand, a 30th anniversary edition of Sybil will be released on DVD in North America on July 18, 2006."

 

[fred flintstone]

You can take ABC back to the founding of NBC in 1927. NBC started with two networks from day one. Actually, you could take ABC back further because NBC absorbed both the network fed by WEAF over AT&T lines and the network fed by Westinghouse's WJZ over Western Union lines.And Westinghouse (Group W) bought channel 13 Baltimore, WAAM-TV in 1958 and re-claimed the historic call letters. WJZ-TV is the station depicted in the John Waters' movie (and Broadway musical) Hairspray. WJZ-TV, as an ABC affiliate, did not show American Bandstand in the late 50's and early 60's because Blacks and Whites both danced on the show (although Bandstand did not allow them to dance with each other). WJZ-TV's Buddy Deane show was all-White, except for every other Friday, when it was all-Black (except for Deane). Deane had a small role as a TV reporter in Hairspray. Oprah did local news and hosted a local talk show on WJZ-TV in the late 70's and early 80's. A station in Ann Arbor, Michigan now has the WAAM calls.

 

[bpatrick]

ABC's "25th anniversary" show in 1978 came about ONLY becauseNBC and CBS had done 50th anniversary shows. The highlight ofthat show was Alan King's monologue, complete with year-by-yearABC schedules from 1953-1978. He tossed each one away as hejoked about ABC's repeated failures up to 1976 and the strategiesthe network employed ("Cancel Tuesdays!"). Then, seriously at theend, he looked at the pile of schedules on the floor and said, "Thereare a lot of lives on that floor."Considering that when the FCC approved the ABC-United ParamountTheaters merger (which brought Leonard Goldenson into the CEO'schair), ABC had about two hits, "The Lone Ranger" and "Ozzie AndHarriet," is it any wonder that the network downplays the NBC-Blueera and the Ed Noble era (1943-53)?BTW, I think NBC's 50th anniversary show was the best of the bunch,too. That show was a nostalgia treasure trove. IIRC, the airdate wasNovember 14, 1976, one day before the actual 50th anniversary.

 

[oldvnewschool]

I'm impressed with everybody's knowledge of the big three.It makes me wish I had put this on classic radio.For ABC I can answer that one.The TV Network and Radio Network are seperate by nature.ABC chooses 1953 for TV because that symboled when UPT & ABC becamea new company. Today it still exists as American Broadcasting Company, INC.(Formerly known as United Paramount-American Broadcasting until 1965)ABC, INC. (Formerly Capitol Cities/ABC, INC.) serves as the parent company forboth the TV & Radio operations. The parent company for ABC Radio is ABC Radio Networks, INC. which was founded in 1943 (Originally known as American Broadcasting Systems, INC. until Noble changed the name in 1944).It will merge with Citadel next year.I assume the NBC 50th special was in 1976 because I know the 75th one was in2002 in May.

 

[fred flintstone]

NBC did have a 50th anniversary special - in the fall of 1976 - for both radio and TV. I heard the radio special but didn't have the ability to record it back then (besides my market had no NBC Radio affiliate so I was listening to WNBC, New York and the sound quality on tape would have been terrible). Anybody know if the radio special from '76 is posted online anywhere?By the time the next milestone anniversary came around, there was no NBC Radio Network. NBC-TV also did a 60th anniversary special, which I did record on video tape (I probably should check to see how well the tape is holding up) and in 1987, there was a 40th anniversary Howdy Doody Special, which NBC declined to produce or carry so it was syndicated.

 

[bk77]

ABC's "25th anniversary" show in 1978 came about ONLY becauseNBC and CBS had done 50th anniversary shows. The highlight ofthat show was Alan King's monologue, complete with year-by-yearABC schedules from 1953-1978. He tossed each one away as hejoked about ABC's repeated failures up to 1976 and the strategiesthe network employed ("Cancel Tuesdays!"). Then, seriously at theend, he looked at the pile of schedules on the floor and said, "Thereare a lot of lives on that floor."Considering that when the FCC approved the ABC-United ParamountTheaters merger (which brought Leonard Goldenson into the CEO'schair), ABC had about two hits, "The Lone Ranger" and "Ozzie AndHarriet," is it any wonder that the network downplays the NBC-Blueera and the Ed Noble era (1943-53)?BTW, I think NBC's 50th anniversary show was the best of the bunch,too. That show was a nostalgia treasure trove. IIRC, the airdate wasNovember 14, 1976, one day before the actual 50th anniversary.

Don't know about the other anniversary shows but you can buy online the ABC-TV 25th one from 78 online. Not sure where though but a friend of mine did just that several years ago. My favorite part of it was watching a very bored Tom Bosley smoking a cigar in the audience with the look on his face that he wished he was somewhere else. Ken Berry looked like he was on a different planet.While we are on the sane subject, didn't FOX do one when they turned 10? 15? I don't think they did. Maybe they will do one this year since they will turn 20.

 

[bk77]

And Westinghouse (Group W) bought channel 13 Baltimore, WAAM-TV in 1958 and re-claimed the historic call letters. WJZ-TV is the station depicted in the John Waters' movie (and Broadway musical) Hairspray. WJZ-TV, as an ABC affiliate, did not show American Bandstand in the late 50's and early 60's because Blacks and Whites both danced on the show (although Bandstand did not allow them to dance with each other). WJZ-TV's Buddy Deane show was all-White, except for every other Friday, when it was all-Black (except for Deane). Deane had a small role as a TV reporter in Hairspray. Oprah did local news and hosted a local talk show on WJZ-TV in the late 70's and early 80's. A station in Ann Arbor, Michigan now has the WAAM calls.

Even though it is correct that movie Hairspray was indeed based on the old Buddy Deane show/ WJZ, the movie I believe filmed some of their scenes at rival WMAR-TV. Not sure why though, maybe it was a John Waters thing since other than Cry-baby and Hairspray, a lot of his movies aren't for everyone. Either you love it or hate it. His latest film A Dirty Shame with Tracy Ullman/ Johhny Knoxville is an example of that. Despite being as popular as he is, quite a few Baltimore area businesses ( including their TV stations ) for the most part won't allow Waters to feature them in his movies though I do seem to remember in one of his movies seeing a WBAL-TV mic flag being used.

 

[KML0224]

The NBC 60th Anniversary program of 1986 was mentioned. That's where the current 6-color peacock logo was introduced to the world.

 

[oldschooler1]

Is that so? Regarding the modern peacock -- I did not know that. I have the 60th on tape -- I will have to give it a closer look, someday. I was also unaware of a 50th anniversary show for NBC radio. Did it run that same day as did the TV version? That Sunday? Sure wish I had a tape of that NBC 50th anniversary special on TV. Anyone have it? Know how to get your hand son a copy? BTW, it proved so popular, anyone remember how NBC did two follow-ups -- one based on their comedy, another based on their drama? They ran in about 1977-78. Also -- a wonderful Charles Kuralt special from that same era -- "When Television Was Young"? Anyone have that on tape?

 

[bhayes1016]

ABC's "25th anniversary" show in 1978 came about ONLY becauseNBC and CBS had done 50th anniversary shows. The highlight ofthat show was Alan King's monologue, complete with year-by-yearABC schedules from 1953-1978. He tossed each one away as hejoked about ABC's repeated failures up to 1976 and the strategiesthe network employed ("Cancel Tuesdays!"). Then, seriously at theend, he looked at the pile of schedules on the floor and said, "Thereare a lot of lives on that floor."Considering that when the FCC approved the ABC-United ParamountTheaters merger (which brought Leonard Goldenson into the CEO'schair), ABC had about two hits, "The Lone Ranger" and "Ozzie AndHarriet," is it any wonder that the network downplays the NBC-Blueera and the Ed Noble era (1943-53)?BTW, I think NBC's 50th anniversary show was the best of the bunch,too. That show was a nostalgia treasure trove. IIRC, the airdate wasNovember 14, 1976, one day before the actual 50th anniversary.

Don't know about the other anniversary shows but you can buy online the ABC-TV 25th one from 78 online. Not sure where though but a friend of mine did just that several years ago. My favorite part of it was watching a very bored Tom Bosley smoking a cigar in the audience with the look on his face that he wished he was somewhere else. Ken Berry looked like he was on a different planet.While we are on the sane subject, didn't FOX do one when they turned 10? 15? I don't think they did. Maybe they will do one this year since they will turn 20.

FOX has never done an aniversary show, nor observed any of their milestone anniversaries.The Fox Broadcasting Company started in 1986 as a vehicle to present the ill-fated Late Show with Joan Rivers. They started Sunday night prime-time broadcasts in 1987.

 

[bk77]

has any of the cable nets done an anniversary show?I know ESPN had one for their 25th and Nick@Nite did on for their 10th, but but many of these networks have been around 25-30 years now. HBO has been around in one form or another since 1972, next year would be their 35th. However the only time I can recall HBO celebrating their past was in 1982 when Dick Cavett was doing on of those HBO Sneak Previews back then and for a few moments said that "this is our 10th anniversary" and showed a 1972 clip of some old people dancing to polka music at a VFW in Pennsylvania and saying that was one of HBO's first specials. The whole flashback lasted no more than 5 minutes.