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Charlotte's WSOC-TV @ 50

M

Matt

To the best of my recollection, WSOC-TV signed on Channel 9 in Charlotte in April of 1957. Fifty years on the air is a significant milestone for many businesses, and especially for broadcasters.

Since I don't live within their viewing area any more, they may have done something to commemorate the even on the air. But a check of their website shows no mention other than a brief historical anecdote on the station written 4 years ago.

Certainly I would have expected to see some film or early video tape of Jack Callaghan, Doug Bell, Bill Walker, Jerry Peterson, "Kilgo's Canteen" or "Joey's Clown Carnival" show up either on air or on the website.

Would someone living in that market tell me if they did anything on the air for the occasion?

Later....
Matt Smith, WGSR-TV
 
They finally made notice on the TV station's website http://www.wsoctv.com

It looks like it was hastily thrown together, with some tape from their 25th anniversary, a few pictures of the station through the years (mainly late-80's through 2006) and some "behind the scenes" special they did in 1982.

Overall, not very impressive stuff, but they did show Jimmy Kilgo and Brooks Lindsey (a.k.a. Joey the Clown). That'll get me my "fix" on old WSOC-TV memories for a few years.

Later,
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
Matt,

You know I worked at WSOC-AM from '81-'85. WSOC has never been big on history.

WBT/WBTV on the other hand used to be a living tribute to early TV and radio with murals made up of pictures of their early performers. Their studios are named after various performers who have worked there in the past and in the old lobby that faced the parking lot there were display cases with old broadcasting items. WBT also had old transcriptions (records) of the station stored at the transmitter.

I'm not sure why WSOC isn't equally interested in preserving it's past. I guess it comes from forever being number 2.
 
I guess WSOC-TV especially suffers from an inferiority complex. For so many years #2 in the ratings, ALWAYS #2 or lower priority in corporate decision-making behind the WSB folks.

With that kind of attitude, probably they think nothing they did in the past was worthy of preservation. I disagree. I was watching. I remember morning remote broadcasts from the CharlotteTown Mall with Jack Knight (simulcast on WSOC-AM, of course). I remember Jimmy Kilgo doing the weather every night (sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas), and Kilgo's Canteen every Saturday.

Part of WSOC's historical problem is the close ties of its founders to WBT/WBTV people. If they mention their history, they also mention their competitors in a favorable light...which is a BIG no-no on North Tryon Street.

That's always been problematic for me...WBTV will do a positive story that involves WSOC-TV, but the reverse is NEVER true. Just more of that inferiority complex I suppose.

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
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