H
halerickson
Guest
How many of you recall the manner in which local network stations filled the "down-time" between 6 and 7:30PM (E.S.T.) before most newscasts (local and network) expanded to 30 minutes, and LONG before the PRIME TIME ACCESS RULE resulted in such "strip" shows as JEOPARDY, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, etc?
Many stations in the E.S.T. simply ran weekly syndicated (first-run or off-net) film programs in these "access" slots (a few C.S.T. stations did the same in the 6-6:30PM slot). A few ran locally produced shows. Some good examples of what seen back then can be found in the January 30, 1960 Cincinnati edition of TV GUIDE.
Here's what the Cincinnati net affiliates showed:
WLW-T (NBC) Ch. 5: M-F: 6-6:30PM MOVIE (began at 5PM)
M-F: 6:30PM LOCAL NEWS
M-F: 6:45PM HUNTLEY-BRINKLEY REPORT
7PM: Mon.: TREASURE (synd. documentary) in color
Tues.: SPARKLE SHOWCASE (off-net drama anthology reruns, usually from
ALCOA-GOODYEAR THEATER)
Wed.: SEVEN LEAGUE BOOTS (synd. documentary)
Thurs: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama series)
Friday: RESCUE 8 (synd. adventure series)
WCPO (ABC) Ch. 9: M-F: 6-6:30 THREE STOOGES
6:30PM: Mon: SUPERMAN (synd. adventure)
Tues: QUICK DRAW McGRAW (synd. cartoon)
Wed: HUCKLEBERRY HOUND (synd. cartoon)
Thurs: UNION PACIFIC (synd.western)
Fri: ROY ROGERS (synd. western)
M-F: 7-7:30PM LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER
WKRC (CBS) Ch. 12: M-F: 6-6:45PM MOVIE (began at 5PM)
M-F: 6:45PM LOCAL NEWS
7PM: Mon: JEFF'S COLLIE (off-net reruns of LASSIE)
Tues: MAN WITHOUT A GUN (synd. western)
Wed: MOVIE (until 8:30PM)
Thurs: PHIL SILVERS SHOW (off-net reruns)
Fri: DEATH VALLEY DAYS (synd. western)
Much the same formula was followed by the Columbus and Dayton stations in the same edition:
Here's the Columbus lineup:
WLW-C (NBC) Ch. 4: MON-FRI 6-7PM: MOVIE (from 5PM), followed by LOCAL and NBC NEWS
7PM: Mon: CORONADO 9 (synd. adventure)
Tues: U.S. BORDER PATROL (synd. cop drama)
Wed: TOMBSTONE TERRITORY (off-net/synd. western)
Thurs: MANHUNT (synd. cop drama)
Fri: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama)
WTVN (ABC) Ch. 6: 6PM: Mon, Wed, Thur.: HIGHWAY PATROL (synd.cop drama)
Tues: JEFF'S COLLIE (off-net LASSIE)
Fri: CISCO KID (synd. western)
6:30PM: Mon: MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (synd. cop drama)
Tues: QUICK DRAW McGRAW (synd. cartoon)
Wed: SUPERMAN (synd. adventure)
Thurs: HUCKLEBERRY HOUND (synd. cartoon)
Fri: GLENCANNON (synd. comedy series)
7PM: Mon: CANNONBALL (synd. adventure)
Tues: CASEY JONES (synd. adventure)
Wed: SAN FRANCISCO BEAT (off-net reruns of THE LINEUP)
Thurs: WHIRLYBIRDS (synd. adventure)
Fri: STATE TROOPER (synd. cop drama)
WBNS (CBS) Ch. 10: 6PM Mon, Wed: BOZO THE CLOWN (synd/franchise cartoon show)
Tues, Thurs., Fri.: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO (synd. comedy series)
6:30PM: TRAFFIC COURT (locally produced public-affairs show)
OUTDOORS WITH DON MACK (locally produced recreation show)
SHERIFF OF COCHISE (synd. cop drama)
FLORASCOPE (locally produced gardening show)
JIM BOWIE (off-net reruns)
M-F: 7PM CBS NEWS WITH DOUGLAS EDWARDS
7:15PM LOCAL NEWS
In the case of one- and two-station markets, a station's "access" time was often used to show secondary- network programs (usually ABC) that they couldn't clear because of conflicts with their primary network affiliation. Curiously, this was NOT the case with Dayton, Ohio, which had only two stations. Though the NBC affiliate ran a number of ABC shows during prime time (sometimes favoring ABC over NBC), both stations tended to go for syndicated fare in the "access" periods. Here's the lineup for Dayton
WLW-D (NBC, ABC) Ch. 2: 6PM Mon, Wed: CURTAIN TIME (network dramatic anthology reruns)
Tues: DANGER IS MY BUSINESS (synd. documentary)
Thurs: RESCUE 8 (synd. adventure)
Fri: OUTDOOR RAMBLER (synd. recreation series)
M-F: 6:30-7PM LOCAL AND NBC NEWS
7PM: Mon: DEATH VALLEY DAYS (synd. western)
Tues: MANHUNT (synd. cop drama)
Wed: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama)
Thurs: TOMBSTONE TERRITORY (off-net/synd.western)
Fri: I SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE (synd. documentary)
WHIO (CBS) Ch. 7: M-F: 6PM LITTLE RASCALS
M-F: 6:30PM LOCAL NEWS
7PM: Mon: U.S. MARSHAL (synd. cop drama)
Tues: THIS MAN DAWSON (synd. cop drama)
Wed: GRAND JURY (synd. drama)
Thurs: NOT FOR HIRE (synd. cop drama)
Fri: SHOTGUN SLADE (synd. western)
And the point of all this? How about sharing some other early-evening "access" schedules from the golden age (local fare was also sometimes seen at 10:30PM, if the network had "down time")? Or maybe you remember a favorite syndicated program shown just before the networks kicked in...or perhaps you can recall an exceptionally creative "local" show, a la Columbus' TRAFFIC COURT...
And this isn't confined to old geezers like me, since it wasn't until 1971 that local stations were expected to broadcast "in the public interest" in access time (a notion that died the minute THE GONG SHOW was born, no doubt).
Anyway, how about some feedback along these lines.
Many stations in the E.S.T. simply ran weekly syndicated (first-run or off-net) film programs in these "access" slots (a few C.S.T. stations did the same in the 6-6:30PM slot). A few ran locally produced shows. Some good examples of what seen back then can be found in the January 30, 1960 Cincinnati edition of TV GUIDE.
Here's what the Cincinnati net affiliates showed:
WLW-T (NBC) Ch. 5: M-F: 6-6:30PM MOVIE (began at 5PM)
M-F: 6:30PM LOCAL NEWS
M-F: 6:45PM HUNTLEY-BRINKLEY REPORT
7PM: Mon.: TREASURE (synd. documentary) in color
Tues.: SPARKLE SHOWCASE (off-net drama anthology reruns, usually from
ALCOA-GOODYEAR THEATER)
Wed.: SEVEN LEAGUE BOOTS (synd. documentary)
Thurs: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama series)
Friday: RESCUE 8 (synd. adventure series)
WCPO (ABC) Ch. 9: M-F: 6-6:30 THREE STOOGES
6:30PM: Mon: SUPERMAN (synd. adventure)
Tues: QUICK DRAW McGRAW (synd. cartoon)
Wed: HUCKLEBERRY HOUND (synd. cartoon)
Thurs: UNION PACIFIC (synd.western)
Fri: ROY ROGERS (synd. western)
M-F: 7-7:30PM LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, WEATHER
WKRC (CBS) Ch. 12: M-F: 6-6:45PM MOVIE (began at 5PM)
M-F: 6:45PM LOCAL NEWS
7PM: Mon: JEFF'S COLLIE (off-net reruns of LASSIE)
Tues: MAN WITHOUT A GUN (synd. western)
Wed: MOVIE (until 8:30PM)
Thurs: PHIL SILVERS SHOW (off-net reruns)
Fri: DEATH VALLEY DAYS (synd. western)
Much the same formula was followed by the Columbus and Dayton stations in the same edition:
Here's the Columbus lineup:
WLW-C (NBC) Ch. 4: MON-FRI 6-7PM: MOVIE (from 5PM), followed by LOCAL and NBC NEWS
7PM: Mon: CORONADO 9 (synd. adventure)
Tues: U.S. BORDER PATROL (synd. cop drama)
Wed: TOMBSTONE TERRITORY (off-net/synd. western)
Thurs: MANHUNT (synd. cop drama)
Fri: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama)
WTVN (ABC) Ch. 6: 6PM: Mon, Wed, Thur.: HIGHWAY PATROL (synd.cop drama)
Tues: JEFF'S COLLIE (off-net LASSIE)
Fri: CISCO KID (synd. western)
6:30PM: Mon: MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY (synd. cop drama)
Tues: QUICK DRAW McGRAW (synd. cartoon)
Wed: SUPERMAN (synd. adventure)
Thurs: HUCKLEBERRY HOUND (synd. cartoon)
Fri: GLENCANNON (synd. comedy series)
7PM: Mon: CANNONBALL (synd. adventure)
Tues: CASEY JONES (synd. adventure)
Wed: SAN FRANCISCO BEAT (off-net reruns of THE LINEUP)
Thurs: WHIRLYBIRDS (synd. adventure)
Fri: STATE TROOPER (synd. cop drama)
WBNS (CBS) Ch. 10: 6PM Mon, Wed: BOZO THE CLOWN (synd/franchise cartoon show)
Tues, Thurs., Fri.: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO (synd. comedy series)
6:30PM: TRAFFIC COURT (locally produced public-affairs show)
OUTDOORS WITH DON MACK (locally produced recreation show)
SHERIFF OF COCHISE (synd. cop drama)
FLORASCOPE (locally produced gardening show)
JIM BOWIE (off-net reruns)
M-F: 7PM CBS NEWS WITH DOUGLAS EDWARDS
7:15PM LOCAL NEWS
In the case of one- and two-station markets, a station's "access" time was often used to show secondary- network programs (usually ABC) that they couldn't clear because of conflicts with their primary network affiliation. Curiously, this was NOT the case with Dayton, Ohio, which had only two stations. Though the NBC affiliate ran a number of ABC shows during prime time (sometimes favoring ABC over NBC), both stations tended to go for syndicated fare in the "access" periods. Here's the lineup for Dayton
WLW-D (NBC, ABC) Ch. 2: 6PM Mon, Wed: CURTAIN TIME (network dramatic anthology reruns)
Tues: DANGER IS MY BUSINESS (synd. documentary)
Thurs: RESCUE 8 (synd. adventure)
Fri: OUTDOOR RAMBLER (synd. recreation series)
M-F: 6:30-7PM LOCAL AND NBC NEWS
7PM: Mon: DEATH VALLEY DAYS (synd. western)
Tues: MANHUNT (synd. cop drama)
Wed: FOUR JUST MEN (synd. drama)
Thurs: TOMBSTONE TERRITORY (off-net/synd.western)
Fri: I SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE (synd. documentary)
WHIO (CBS) Ch. 7: M-F: 6PM LITTLE RASCALS
M-F: 6:30PM LOCAL NEWS
7PM: Mon: U.S. MARSHAL (synd. cop drama)
Tues: THIS MAN DAWSON (synd. cop drama)
Wed: GRAND JURY (synd. drama)
Thurs: NOT FOR HIRE (synd. cop drama)
Fri: SHOTGUN SLADE (synd. western)
And the point of all this? How about sharing some other early-evening "access" schedules from the golden age (local fare was also sometimes seen at 10:30PM, if the network had "down time")? Or maybe you remember a favorite syndicated program shown just before the networks kicked in...or perhaps you can recall an exceptionally creative "local" show, a la Columbus' TRAFFIC COURT...
And this isn't confined to old geezers like me, since it wasn't until 1971 that local stations were expected to broadcast "in the public interest" in access time (a notion that died the minute THE GONG SHOW was born, no doubt).
Anyway, how about some feedback along these lines.