Largest Market Not Covering The Jerry Lewis Telethon

[dxtrfn]

Greensboro has not carried the telethon in years, the last I remember was in the early 90's on WFMY.

 

[bpatrick]

Jerry even came to WFMY to make a personal
appeal to then-g.m. Mike Conly to pick up the
telethon. It had been airing on Channel 45 (now
ABC affiliate WXLV), which could scarcely get a
picture from its tower into its control room.

Conly agreed and had the station's two biggest
names in the '80s and early '90s--Lee Kinard and
Sandra Hughes--host the local segments. No soap.

In fact, the telethon has aired on three different
stations in the Triad: WXII in the '70s, WXLV (then
WNRW) in the early and mid-'80s, and WFMY (late
'80s, early '90s), and none has had any success
with it.

Interestingly, WGHP used to do fairly well with the
United Cerebral Palsy telethon, hosted by Dennis James,
Henry Winkler, and John Ritter. It aired in January back
in the late '70s/early '80s.

 

[Keeth]

I have a question and maybe someone can answer it for me---hope it's not considered TOO off-topic. I'm primarily a radio guy but I worked in Montana back in the late 80's/early 90's as a local TV host for the MDA Telethon. We were told in no uncertain terms that our local break was from :45-:59 and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES were we to go over....and we toed the line on that every year. I've been in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market for 16 years now and I'm amazed that the station that carries it here not only goes over their time limit but actually obliterates large segments of the national telethon. It's not uncommon for them to break at :45, go back to the national at :30 (in the next hour) show 15 minutes of the national then go back to local at :45 for another half hour to 45 minutes. I had to explain to one lady I worked with that is the reason she never sees any entertainers anymore. ANYWAY is this allowed in the larger markets...or is a blind eye turned because the local station (WNEP) really rakes in the bucks every year? I watch it on WPIX (ch 11, NYC) on cable and they do it the old fashioned way.
Anyone? Anyone?

 

[Markxxx]

A couple of questions

Is there a cost to a station for carrying the program?

Do you have to have a local part? Supposing you run a tiny television station, can you just run the national feed for the whole time?

Are any stations running it on a subchannel?

If there is no cost then it seems to me the only reason not carry it, is the station would lose the ad time revenue they could sell.

 

[azumanga]

We were told in no uncertain terms that our local break was from :45-:59 and UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES were we to go over....and we toed the line on that every year. I've been in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market for 16 years now and I'm amazed that the station that carries it here not only goes over their time limit but actually obliterates large segments of the national telethon...is this allowed in the larger markets...or is a blind eye turned because the local station (WNEP) really rakes in the bucks every year?

Here in Tampa Bay, WFTS, the local telethon broadcaster since 1995, always begins and ends their local segments on time -- though I recall a couple of times when the local tote was cut off, just so they can get back to Jerry on time. I recall WGN also being very timely with their segments.

Besides WNEP, another notable offender was New York's WWOR -- when I watched their telethon back in the superstation days, they always seen to rejoin the national segments in the middle of a guest's performance. Back in Tampa Bay, when WTSP had the telethon from 1984 to 1994, they would not only occasionally be late back for the national segments, but also, on occasion, shrink the national picture down to show the telephone back and remind viewers to call. WFTS, despite being the only Love Network affil in Florida to join the show Labor Day morning, had otherwise handled the telethon really well.

Is there a cost to a station for carrying the program?

Someone mentioned earlier that MDA pays the station to carry the telethon. However, the costs of the hosts, technical staff and other extras are, I think, on the station.

Supposing you run a tiny television station, can you just run the national feed for the whole time?

Don't know if anyone shows it this way, though the raw telethon feed, on satellite and internet, includes archival material from the past year or two for stations that would like to skip a break or two.

Are any stations running it on a subchannel?

Don't know if they're allowed, though if breaking news arises, I imagine some stations would shunt the telethon to a digital subchannel, minus the local segments. WFTS did so in Labor Day 2004, when Frances ravaged Florida. I have a feeling that Love Network affiliates from Mobile to Houston may do just that, when Gustav comes hither early next week.

If there is no cost then it seems to me the only reason not carry it, is the station would lose the ad time revenue they could sell.

Though it does give them an opportunity to showcase this fall's network and syndicated shows -- many stations usually devote 30 seconds or so to run a promo before or after the local break. I know WFTS and WGN does this.

 

[Studio20]

Bad economy...Another hurricane...Ed McMahons on the disabled list....

While I"m here, whats the actual start and end time of the network portion of the telethon?

 

[TroyG]

I feel terribly sorry about Mr. McMahon's financial woes. Apparently, Mr. Trump really did rescued him. McMahon recently sold his house in Secluded Beverly Hills. Looks like he won't be around, as will Jerry.

 

[azumanga]

...whats the actual start and end time of the network portion of the telethon?

Actual start is 9PM ET -- I think it was like this for as long as I can remember.

End time -- I think it's now 6PM ET. Last year, WFTS presented the final national tote and Jerry's song before a brief local segment and their final tote -- before going to their 6PM newscast at 6PM sharp. Don't know if they still do, but in the past, the telethon would run to 6:30PM ET on many stations. I think some still run to 6:30PM, some to 7PM. I think WGN always presented their telethon until 8PM ET, ever since the start of The WB.

 

[azumanga]

Looks like [Ed McMahon] won't be around, as will Jerry.

You sure about that? MDA's website said that Ed will be making his annual appearance with Jerry, as he always did the last 42 years.

 

[bpatrick]

...whats the actual start and end time of the network portion of the telethon?

Actual start is 9PM ET -- I think it was like this for as long as I can remember.

End time -- I think it's now 6PM ET. Last year, WFTS presented the final national tote and Jerry's song before a brief local segment and their final tote -- before going to their 6PM newscast at 6PM sharp. Don't know if they still do, but in the past, the telethon would run to 6:30PM ET on many stations. I think some still run to 6:30PM, some to 7PM. I think WGN always presented their telethon until 8PM ET, ever since the start of The WB.

WGN usually interrupts the telethon for a Cubs game, and the last three hours or
so of the national part of the telethon are on tape, so the station does run the
telethon in its entirety. It was running the telethon until 8 PM (ET) even before
the start of the WB.

 

[BrigThomson]

While the MDA is certainly a worth-while charity, the Telethon seems like a trip back to the 60's. Variety programming..Vegas-style shows. I know they raise a significant amount of money, but I can honestly say, I don't personally know a single person who watches it. I've sort of been surprised that it's still on. Although I'm sure the stations make a pretty decent dime on what would be an otherwise slow revenue time.

 

[azumanga]

[WGN] was running the telethon until 8 PM (ET) even before
the start of the WB.

I seem to recall WGN running the telethon until 10PM ET one year, sometime in the 1990s.

 

[bpatrick]

I seem to remember that, too. A Cubs game
that went into extra innings, perhaps?

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

We still have it here in the Cleveland market - WBNX/55 (CW affiliate) carries it from Sunday night at 10 PM ET until Monday at 7 PM ET. And we also get WGN America's coverage on analog cable 13.

 

[Tim L]

We still have it here in the Cleveland market - WBNX/55 (CW affiliate) carries it from Sunday night at 10 PM ET until Monday at 7 PM ET. And we also get WGN America's coverage on analog cable 13.

WJW-TV 8 in Cleveland had the Telethon for a number of years before being affiliated with, then bought by FOX

In Canton, The former WJAN-TV 17 had the telethon from about 1972-76 after which WAKR 23 Akron and WOAC 67 Canton ran it for a few years in the 80's..

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I suppose I could look at the listings, but does WMFD in Mansfield (now officially 68.1 only) run it? I know they run one of those telethons, but forgot which one.

Do you get WMFD-DT over there, Tim?

And did WBNX pretty much pick up the Jerry Lewis Telethon in the mid-90's, after WJW dropped it?

 

[Madmansam]

In SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, it was carried on KCRA-TV Channel 3 from 1971-90. Then in 1991, The Telethon moved over to KOVR-TV Channel 13 for 2 years, then in 1993 moved over to Channel 31 (KRBK-KPWB-KMAX) but it was broadcast ONLY on MONDAYS from 8:AM-5M. After 13 years, The Telethon moved yet again this time to KQCA-TV Channel 58. Channel 58 now carries the Telethon from Sunday at 6M until 5M Mondays. (with breaks for the News from 10M-10:30PM Sunday and again from 7:AM-9:AM Monday).

 

[Tim L]

Ive never even seen WMFD-DT here (Canton) as yet, I only have an indoor antenna, all I get here really consistently on digital:

17-WDLI Canton
21 WFMJ Youngstown
27-WKBN Youngstown
49 WEAO Akron

Part of the time I get
44 WOUC Cambridge
45 WNEO Alliance
55 WBNX Akron

Sometimes I'll get 5, 8, and 61 Cleveland (Never channel 3)and 9 Steubenville

On a real good night I'll pick up Pittsburgh and Altoona, Pa.

Back on topic, WKBF-61 Cleveland carried the Jerry Lewis Telethon before 8 picked it up, and it seems that 55 picked up the telethon right after 8 dropped it.

I used to think it was redundant for a Cleveland and Akron/Canton station both to carry the telethon at the same time. I imagine Channel 17 had its biggest viewership and most publicity around Telethon time..

 

[Newname]

KTVU in San Francisco has carried the telethon each year since '72. They started on time (6PM Pacific), and almost always carried the entire show, with extended local coverage usually til 4 or 5 o'clock Labor Day, well beyond Jerry's sign-off (I recall a memorable exception in 1989, for a Giants baseball game, in which the Giants rallied from an 8-0 deficit in Cincinnati; the national portion had already concluded, so the station just dropped its local coverage an hour early, though it took donations off-air during the game.)
However, they began reducing their coverage in 1991, delaying til 11 PM for Fox programming and the 10 o'clock news. Since 1996, they have only aired coverage from 9 AM to 5 PM on Labor Day-with the same sloppy approach to rejoining thenational feed as other posts have mentioned.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Here's your official MDA list, which includes the number of years each station has carried it:

http://www.mda.org/telethon/findyourstation.html

The list shows WBNX-TV 55 in the Cleveland market has carried the telethon for 10 years.

Of course, it also shows WBNX as a WB affiliate, and lists numerous UPN and WB stations, so...maybe they should fix that. The list does say up at the top that it was updated this month, despite the page header showing "2007 Telethon".