Back in the heyday of published newspaper TV guides/inserts and magazines (outside of TV Guide magazine), do you remember what publication had the most OTA stations and TV markets listed that you had ever seen in a SINGLE TV insert? If so, which one.
I don't have more information on this one than a childhood memory, nor have I seen much, if anything, mentioned about this non-TVG magazine elsewhere on the Internet. But back in summer 1990, when I was 13, I remember staying with family at a fairly new motel in a rural area near the Interstate 70 exit on Missouri Highway 19 near New Florence, Missouri. This motel only relied on an OTA MATV (Master antenna TV) system, no cable channels of any kind at that time. The motel is located at the periifery of both the St. Louis and Columbia/Jefferson City DMAs. But that motel had, in each room, a published weekly TV insert titled Happiness. And that "happiness" lineup really brought a lot of happiness if you like big TV inserts with lots of OTA stations in many markets listed in a single issue.
I don't remember each and every market that I saw listed in there--and of course this was long before you get photos on your cell phones (compared to now where I'd want to take a picture of the huge listing of OTA channels. But I do know that obviously, STL and Columbia/Jeff City were both listed. I also recall seeing all or parts of these markets' TV stations in that listing: Cape Girardeau/Paducah/Harrisburg/Carbondale, Springfield (MO), Joplin/Pittsburg, KS, and even KAIT-8 Jonesboro, AR (that was the only Arkansas-based station I remember seeing in that guide for sure). I am also certain that Quincy/Hannibal, plus most likely Kirksville/Ottumwa (KTVO-3) were also listed. And at least the Springfield and Decatur portions of the Springfield (IL)/Decatur/Champaign, if not the entire market including Champaign. I also thought I saw Peoria/Bloomington stations listed--and MAYBE even Tulsa and Terre Haute as well (but less sure on these three markets). Sure wish I would have swiped that issue that day.
The second-most stations/markets I saw in a TV insert was the Des Moines Register's Sunday TV inserts when it was divided into western and eastern Iowa portions. A copy of the Eastern Iowa version of the Register's TV book occasionally showed up in the part of the Perifery of the Peoria and Quad Cities DMAs. In addition to Des Moines, this one I know for a fact had all of the Mason City/Austin/Rochester stations, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Quad Cities, Quincy/Hannibal/Kirksville, Dubuque (when KFXB, formerly KDUB, was a standalone station). Plus WKBT LaCrosse, WI--but that was the only LaCrosse station I remember seeing. No Rockford or Peoria stations were listed.
I don't have more information on this one than a childhood memory, nor have I seen much, if anything, mentioned about this non-TVG magazine elsewhere on the Internet. But back in summer 1990, when I was 13, I remember staying with family at a fairly new motel in a rural area near the Interstate 70 exit on Missouri Highway 19 near New Florence, Missouri. This motel only relied on an OTA MATV (Master antenna TV) system, no cable channels of any kind at that time. The motel is located at the periifery of both the St. Louis and Columbia/Jefferson City DMAs. But that motel had, in each room, a published weekly TV insert titled Happiness. And that "happiness" lineup really brought a lot of happiness if you like big TV inserts with lots of OTA stations in many markets listed in a single issue.
I don't remember each and every market that I saw listed in there--and of course this was long before you get photos on your cell phones (compared to now where I'd want to take a picture of the huge listing of OTA channels. But I do know that obviously, STL and Columbia/Jeff City were both listed. I also recall seeing all or parts of these markets' TV stations in that listing: Cape Girardeau/Paducah/Harrisburg/Carbondale, Springfield (MO), Joplin/Pittsburg, KS, and even KAIT-8 Jonesboro, AR (that was the only Arkansas-based station I remember seeing in that guide for sure). I am also certain that Quincy/Hannibal, plus most likely Kirksville/Ottumwa (KTVO-3) were also listed. And at least the Springfield and Decatur portions of the Springfield (IL)/Decatur/Champaign, if not the entire market including Champaign. I also thought I saw Peoria/Bloomington stations listed--and MAYBE even Tulsa and Terre Haute as well (but less sure on these three markets). Sure wish I would have swiped that issue that day.
The second-most stations/markets I saw in a TV insert was the Des Moines Register's Sunday TV inserts when it was divided into western and eastern Iowa portions. A copy of the Eastern Iowa version of the Register's TV book occasionally showed up in the part of the Perifery of the Peoria and Quad Cities DMAs. In addition to Des Moines, this one I know for a fact had all of the Mason City/Austin/Rochester stations, Cedar Rapids/Waterloo, Quad Cities, Quincy/Hannibal/Kirksville, Dubuque (when KFXB, formerly KDUB, was a standalone station). Plus WKBT LaCrosse, WI--but that was the only LaCrosse station I remember seeing. No Rockford or Peoria stations were listed.
