Hi, I'm sxld079 and i'm new here to this forum and for those of you who live in Kittery, Maine do any of you remember what the TV Channel lineup in the Kittery area was like from between 1948 and the present day, like say when did Kittery viewers first got WGBH-TV Channel 2 PBS In Boston? And When Did Kittery First Got Cable TV Like When It Was With Continental Cablevision Sometime In The 1980s like around that decade I don't know? I really hope anyone here still remembers what their TV channel lineup was like back in those days from pre-cable to cable providers in Kittery like Continental Cablevision, MediaOne Cable, AT&T Broadband, and the present day digital cable provider Comcast Cable, Leave me a comment if you come up with any you remember from the past and present, Thanks!
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KITTERY, MAINE TV CHANNEL LINEUPS FROM 1948 TO THE PRESENT
- Thread starter sxld079
- Start date
I once lived in Old Orchard Beach, ME. (Same county at least!) By market definition, Kittery is still part of the Portland/Poland Spring DMA. While I didn't have cable when I lived there from 1985-87, I do remember the spotty TV reception. Both Saco and O.O.B. were served by Continental Cablevision. When I made a visit to the town in 1989, I know that channels 4, 5, 7, 38 and 56 from Boston/Cambridge were on the lineup. Remember, this was before SYNDEX (syndicated exclusivity) took effect in 1990. CKSH-TV channel 9 from Sherbrooke, PQ Canada (French language) was on the lineup as well. That's because O.O.B. is a tourist mecca in the summer, with half of the tourists coming from Quebec. As for the 1940s, there were no Maine stations. WABI-TV (CBS) channel 5 of Bangor was the first station. That wasn't until 1953.
I do have an old New England TV Guide from the 1955. I notice that 6 WCSH-TV, 8 WMTW and 13 WGAN-TV are on the air by this point. But oddly WMTW and WGAN-TV would often air the same CBS shows at the same time. WMTW had affiliations with ABC and Dumont but only ran a few of their shows. I guess it would be a while before WMTW would become the Portland area ABC affiliate, as well as serving as the de facto ABC affilate for Burlington-Plattsburgh and Montreal till Burlington got Channel 22.
Also I notice that Boston's Channel 5 had not signed on yet when this TV Guide was published. Boston only had Channels 2 (Educ.), 4 (NBC) and 7 (CBS) in 1955. If you wanted to watch an ABC program, you had to pull in WMUR 9 from Manchester NH, which I guess served as Boston's ABC affiliate till Channel 5 eventually signed on. While Hartford and Springfield had UHF stations at this point, Boston and Portland still didn't.
Also I notice that Boston's Channel 5 had not signed on yet when this TV Guide was published. Boston only had Channels 2 (Educ.), 4 (NBC) and 7 (CBS) in 1955. If you wanted to watch an ABC program, you had to pull in WMUR 9 from Manchester NH, which I guess served as Boston's ABC affiliate till Channel 5 eventually signed on. While Hartford and Springfield had UHF stations at this point, Boston and Portland still didn't.
I have a January 1955 New England edition TV Guide. Here's the channel listings:
4 - WBZ/Boston (NBC)
7 - WNAC/Boston (ABC/CBS/DuMont)
8 - WNHC/New Haven (ABC/CBS/DuMont/NBC)
8 - WMTW/Poland Springs (ABC/CBS/DuMont)
9 - WMUR/Manchester (ABC/DuMont)
10 - WJAR/Providence (ABC/CBS/DuMont/NBC)
18 - WGTH/Hartford (ABC/DuMont)
30 - WKNB/Hartford (ABC/CBS)
55 - WHYN/Springfield (CBS/DuMont)
56 - WTAO/Cambridge (ABC/DuMont)
61 - WWLP/Springfield (ABC/NBC)
It would seem that WBZ, WNAC, WMTW and WMUR would be visible in Kittery. The other channels are either too far south/west and/or are upper UHF channels that were hard to get under the best of circumstances. WGBH would sign on later in the year. WCSH and WGAN were on but weren't listed (I have some TV Guides from later in 1955 and 1956 that do list those stations.)
WNAC was primarily CBS but did clear some ABC programming out of pattern. The network knew that the chances that their programming being seen on WTAO was not good and hence they got to keep the secondary affiliation.
4 - WBZ/Boston (NBC)
7 - WNAC/Boston (ABC/CBS/DuMont)
8 - WNHC/New Haven (ABC/CBS/DuMont/NBC)
8 - WMTW/Poland Springs (ABC/CBS/DuMont)
9 - WMUR/Manchester (ABC/DuMont)
10 - WJAR/Providence (ABC/CBS/DuMont/NBC)
18 - WGTH/Hartford (ABC/DuMont)
30 - WKNB/Hartford (ABC/CBS)
55 - WHYN/Springfield (CBS/DuMont)
56 - WTAO/Cambridge (ABC/DuMont)
61 - WWLP/Springfield (ABC/NBC)
It would seem that WBZ, WNAC, WMTW and WMUR would be visible in Kittery. The other channels are either too far south/west and/or are upper UHF channels that were hard to get under the best of circumstances. WGBH would sign on later in the year. WCSH and WGAN were on but weren't listed (I have some TV Guides from later in 1955 and 1956 that do list those stations.)
WNAC was primarily CBS but did clear some ABC programming out of pattern. The network knew that the chances that their programming being seen on WTAO was not good and hence they got to keep the secondary affiliation.
The old WTIC-TV channel 3 of Hartford wouldn't sign until September of 1957. Channel 18 of Hartford was our CBS affiliate before channel 3 was. As for Channel 30, they're actually licensed to New Britain, CT, but was common to have them as "Hartford" for reference. BTW, I think they've actually been a primary NBC affiliate since they signed on in 1953.
KML-224:
Hartford/New Britain's Channel 30 has been an NBC affiliate for most of it's existence, but was a CBS affiliate for the first couple of years (1953-55) of it's existence.
During it's CBS days, some of that network's top programs (like "I Love Lucy"??) were seen on WNHC-8 in New Haven; WNHC was a primary NBC affiliate prior to 1955 which also carried top ABC and CBS shows. Whatever CBS shows WNHC didn't pick-up were on 30; channel 18 (then WGTH; later WHCT) carried whatever ABC shows WNHC didn't clear.
In the Fall of 1955, Channel 30 got full-time NBC affiliation and WNHC (now WTNH) became primary ABC; CBS went to the old WHCT for three years, then to Channel 3 about a year after it went on the air (Channel 3 was in fact an independent for it's first few months on the air).
Hartford/New Britain's Channel 30 has been an NBC affiliate for most of it's existence, but was a CBS affiliate for the first couple of years (1953-55) of it's existence.
During it's CBS days, some of that network's top programs (like "I Love Lucy"??) were seen on WNHC-8 in New Haven; WNHC was a primary NBC affiliate prior to 1955 which also carried top ABC and CBS shows. Whatever CBS shows WNHC didn't pick-up were on 30; channel 18 (then WGTH; later WHCT) carried whatever ABC shows WNHC didn't clear.
In the Fall of 1955, Channel 30 got full-time NBC affiliation and WNHC (now WTNH) became primary ABC; CBS went to the old WHCT for three years, then to Channel 3 about a year after it went on the air (Channel 3 was in fact an independent for it's first few months on the air).
Thank you for the heads up! Silly me always thought channel 30 was NBC only! It has been in my lifetime anyways (I'm 41 years old). Now then, as Wikipedia puts it:
Early years
WVIT signed on for the first time on February 13, 1953 as WKNB-TV, a sister station to WKNB radio (840 AM, now WRYM). The calls stood for Kensington-New Britain. It is Connecticut's second-oldest television station, and the first on the UHF band. It has always been an NBC affiliate. However in the early years, it carried some CBS programming as well.
Early years
WVIT signed on for the first time on February 13, 1953 as WKNB-TV, a sister station to WKNB radio (840 AM, now WRYM). The calls stood for Kensington-New Britain. It is Connecticut's second-oldest television station, and the first on the UHF band. It has always been an NBC affiliate. However in the early years, it carried some CBS programming as well.
Folks, I actually just happend to come across an old Broadcasting Yearbook Book From 1981 That Talks About Cable TV Lineups In The USA, And They Even List Continental Cablevision Of Kittery, ME In The Book! And This Is What Their TV Channel Lineup Was Like Back In 1981:
(1) Time/Weather
(2A) WGBH (PBS) Boston
(2B) WMEG (PBS) Biddelford
(3) WSBK (IND) Boston
(4) WBZ (NBC) Boston
(5) WCVB (ABC) Boston
(6) WCSH (NBC) Portland
(7) WNAC (CBS) Boston
(8) WMTW (ABC) Poland Springs
(9) WMUR (ABC) Manchester
(10) WLVI (IND) Boston
(11) WENH (PBS) Durham
(12) WSMW (IND) Worcester
(13) WGAN (CBS) Portland
Channel G HBO
Channel H Cinevue
(1) Time/Weather
(2A) WGBH (PBS) Boston
(2B) WMEG (PBS) Biddelford
(3) WSBK (IND) Boston
(4) WBZ (NBC) Boston
(5) WCVB (ABC) Boston
(6) WCSH (NBC) Portland
(7) WNAC (CBS) Boston
(8) WMTW (ABC) Poland Springs
(9) WMUR (ABC) Manchester
(10) WLVI (IND) Boston
(11) WENH (PBS) Durham
(12) WSMW (IND) Worcester
(13) WGAN (CBS) Portland
Channel G HBO
Channel H Cinevue
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