Retro: Atlanta/Chattanooga/Macon Sunday, November 18, 1973

[bpatrick]

From TV Guide, North Georgia Edition:

WSB Ch. 2 Atlanta (NBC)

6:30 Light Unto My Path
7 AM All Night Gospel Sing
8 AM Gospel Singing Jubilee
9 AM Popeye
10 AM In2ition (College Bowl-type
competition for middle schoolers)
10:30 Sound Of Youth
11 AM Church Service
12 N News
12:30 Georgia Tech Football Highlights
(Georgia Tech-Navy)
1 PM NFL Football: Dolphins-Bills
4 PM TBA
4:30 Death Valley Days
5 PM Judd For The Defense
6 PM News
6:30 NBC News (Garrick Utley)
7 PM Inner Space
7:30 Wonderful World Of Disney: "The Flight
Of The White Stallions" (conclusion)
8:30 Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back (Frank Sinatra ends
a two-year "retirement.")
9:30 Dinah In Search Of The Ideal Man (Dinah
Shore and the following possibilities:
Don Knotts, Telly Savalas, Ed Asner,
McLean Stevenson, Peter Graves, Ricardo
Montalban, Andy Griffith, Mike Douglas,
Danny Thomas)
10:30 In2ititon
11 PM News
11:30 NHL Hockey: Atlanta Flames-Boston Bruins
(taped)

WRCB Ch. 3 Chattanooga (NBC)

6:30 Gospel Singing Jubilee
7:30 Amazing Grace
8 AM Arthur Smith
8:30 Rex Humbard
9:30 Day Of Discovery
10 AM Oral Roberts
10:30 It Is Written
11 AM Faith For Today
11:30 Eleventh Hour (religion)
12 N Georgia Tech Football Highlights
(see 12:30 PM Ch. 2)
12:30 NFL Game Of The Week
1 PM NFL Football: Dolphins-Bills
4 PM Jaycee Question (time approximate)
5 PM Movie: "Dayton's Devils"
6:30 NBC News
7 PM Wild Kingdom
7:30 Wonderful World Of Disney
8:30 Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back
9:30 Dinah In Search Of The Ideal Man
10:30 Meet The Press
11 PM Vanderbilt Football Highlights:
Vanderbilt-Tulane
12 M Grambling Football Highlights:
Southern University-Grambling

WAGA Ch. 5 Atlanta (CBS)

6 AM Sunrise Semester: "The World Of Islam"
6:30 Sacred Heart
6:45 Living Word
7 AM Insight
7:30 This Is The Life
8 AM Day Of Discovery
8:30 Oral Roberts
9 AM Church Service
9:30 Your Town
10 AM International Zone
10:30 Faith For Today
11 AM Church Service
12 N Georgians Speak
12:30 The NFL Today
1 PM NFL Football: Packers-Patriots
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Los Angeles Rams
(time approximate)
7 PM News (time approximate)
7:30 The Thanksgiving Treasure (sequel to
"The House Without A Christmas Tree,"
with Jason Robards and Mildred Natwick)
9 PM Once Upon A Mattress (Carol Burnett repeats
her 1959 off-Broadway hit)
10:30 Police Surgeon
11 PM News
11:30 CBS News (Bob Schieffer)
11:45 Movie: "The Brides Of Fu Manchu"

WGTV Ch. 8 Athens/Atlanta (PBS)

12 N Zoom
12:30 Electric Company
1 PM Sound Of Youth
1:30 Book Beat
2 PM Music And The Spoken Word (the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
2:30 Young Musical Artists
3 PM Story Of Jonah
3:30 Pharmacy
4:30 Forum
5 PM Black Is
5:30 Coach Lawson (explains rugby)
6 PM Soul Food
6:30 Film: "What's Happening In Norway"
7 PM Nation Time
7:30 Godspell Goes To Plimoth Plantation
8 PM Men Who Made The Movies (director
Howard Hawks)
9 PM Masterpiece Theatre: "The Man Who
Was Hunting Himself" (Part 2)
10 PM Kup's Show

WTVC Ch. 9 Chattanooga (ABC)

7 AM Gospel Hour
8 AM Call Of Calvary
8:30 Rev. T.L. Lowery
9 AM Word Of God School
9:30 Light Unto My Path
10 AM Lewis Family (gospel music, interspersed
with commercials for the Talmadge Lewis
used-car dealership in Augusta, GA)
11 AM Church Service
12 N College Football 1973 (Miami-Alabama and
Tennessee-LSU are among the highlights)
1 PM UT Football Highlights (Tennessee-LSU)
2 PM League Of Women Voters
2:30 Know Your Bible
3 PM Mull's Singing Convention
4 PM Movie: "Son Of Paleface" (Bob Hope)
5:30 Movie: "Nevada Smith" (Steve McQueen)
7:30 The FBI
8:30 ABC Movie: "The Hospital"
10:30 Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
11 PM ABC News (Bill Beutel)
11:15 Voice Of Victory
11:45 Death Valley Days

WQXI (becomes WXIA Christmas Day) Ch. 11
Atlanta (ABC)

5:30 Good Morning Atlanta
6 AM Crossroads
7 AM Messengers Quartet
7:30 Rex Humbard
8:30 Church Service
9 AM Hour Of Power (Robert Schuller)
10 AM Kid Power
10:30 The Osmonds
11 AM H.R. Pufnstuf
11:30 Make A Wish
12 N News
12:30 The Mayor And I
1 PM Countdown From Eleven
1:30 Issues And Answers
2 PM Crossroads
2:30 Movie: "Desperate Journey"
4:30 Movie: "Bachelor In Paradise"
6:30 News
7 PM Jimmy Dean
7:30 The FBI
8:30 ABC Movie: "The Hospital"
10:30 News
11 PM Mission: Impossible
12 M Ebony Beat Journal
12:30 Countdown From Eleven
1 AM ABC News
1:15 News

WDEF Ch. 12 Chattanooga (CBS)

7:30 Jimmy Swaggart
8 AM Ole Time Gospel Sing
8:30 Good News
9 AM Chaplain Of Bourbon Street
9:30 Ben Israel
10 AM Children's Gospel Hour
10:30 Bread Of Life
11 AM Here And Now
11:30 Don Clowers Crusade
12 N Point Of View
12:30 The NFL Today
1 PM NFL Football: Packers-Patriots
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Rams (time
approximate)
7 PM News (time approximate)
7:30 The Thanksgiving Treasure
9 PM Once Upon A Mattress
10:30 Dragnet
11 PM CBS News
11:15 CBS Movie: "The Creeping Flesh"
(delay from Fri 11:30)

WMAZ Ch. 13 Macon (CBS/ABC)

7 AM Day Of Discovery
7:30 Silver Bells
8 AM Georgia All-Stars
8:30 Clyde Martin (religion)
9 AM Scrunch (kids' show)
9:30 Insight
10 AM Sego Brothers And Naomi
10:30 Swilley Family
11 AM Mabel White Baptist Church
12 N Emphasis '73
12:15 Southern Sportsman
12:30 The NFL Today
1 PM NFL Football: Packers-Patriots
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Rams (time
approximate)
7 PM Brady Bunch
7:30 The Thanksgiving Treasure
9 PM Once Upon A Mattress
10:30 Close-Up
11 PM CBS News
11:15 Robins Report (Robins AFB)
11:20 High Chaparral

WDCO Ch. 15 (WMUM Ch. 29) Cochran/
WCLP (WNGH) Ch. 18 Chatsworth (PBS)

3 PM Story Of Jonah
3:30 Pharmaceutical Education
4:30 Speaking Freely
5:30 The Advocates
6:30 History Of The Motion Picture
7 PM Zoom
7:30 French Chef
8 PM Men Who Made The Movies
9 PM Masterpiece Theatre
10 PM Firing Line

WTCG (WPCH) Ch. 17 Atlanta (Ind.)

6:30 Agriculture U.S.A.
7 AM Rock Church
7:30 Revival Fires
8 AM Church Service
8:30 Speed Racer
9 AM Three Stooges/Little Rascals
10 AM Abbott And Costello
10:30 Movie: "Born Yesterday"
12:30 Untamed World
1 PM Movie: "Back To God's Country"
2:30 Movie: "Desperate Journey"
4:30 The Explorers
5 PM Movie: "Fireball 500"
7 PM Georgia Football Highlights (Auburn-
Georgia)
8 PM America (Alistair Cooke)
9 PM Tennessee Football Highlights
10 PM Auburn Football Highlights
11 PM Grambling Football Highlights

WETV (WPBA) Ch. 30 Atlanta (PBS)

4 PM Good New Days
4:30 Latin Atlanta
5 PM The Royal Family
6:30 The Session
7 PM Zoom
7:30 Godspell Goes To Plimoth Plantation
8 PM Men Who Made The Movies
9 PM Masterpiece Theatre
10 PM Firing Line

WCWB (WMGT) Ch. 41 Macon (NBC)

7:25 Living Word
7:30 Rev. Ike
8 AM Old Time Gospel Hour
9 AM Herald Of Truth
9:30 Rev. Ike
10 AM Hour Of Deliverance
10:30 Wrestling
11:30 Healing Hour
12 N Jim Herring (religion)
12:30 Georgia Tech Football Highlights
1 PM NFL Football: Dolphins-Bills
4 PM NFL Football: Browns-Raiders (don't
know how Ch. 41 could have gotten
this since it was CBS's week to have
the doubleheader) (time approximate)
7 PM Lassie (time approximate)
7:30 Wonderful World Of Disney
8:30 Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back
9:30 Dinah In Search Of The Ideal Man
10:30 Mike Meatheringham (don't remember
who this is)
11 PM Georgia Football Highlights

WTCI Ch. 45 Chattanooga (PBS)

6 PM Directions (don't think this is ABC's
religious program, but the topic is
the problem of housing)
7 PM Zoom
7:30 Godspell Goes To Plimoth Plantation
8 PM Men Who Made The Movies
9 PM Masterpiece Theatre
10 PM Firing Line

WHAE (WGCL) Ch. 46 Atlanta (Ind.)

7 AM Pattern For Living
7:30 Camp Meeting Hour
8 AM Old Time Gospel Hour
9 AM International Voice Of Victory
9:30 The Answer
10 AM Teach-In
11 AM Church Service
12 N The Story
12:30 Human Dimension
1 PM Billy James Hargis
1:30 Warren Roberts (gospel music)
2:30 Happy Hunters (more gospel music)
3 PM Encounter
3:30 Camp Meeting Hour
4 PM Kathryn Kuhlman
4:30 Oral Roberts
5 PM Assembly Of God Tabernacle
5:30 Deaf Hear
6 PM Ira Stanphil (religion)
6:30 River Of Life
7 PM 700 Club
9 PM Ernest Angley
sign off 10 PM

WRIP (WDSI) Ch. 61 Chattanooga (Ind.)

12 N Western Theatre
12:30 Insight
1 PM Jimmy Swaggart
1:30 Old Country Church
2 PM Human Dimension
2:30 Pastor Of The Week
3 PM Rocky And His Friends
3:30 Harbour Of Life Temple
4 PM Words Of Life
5:30 Rev. Harry Henderson (no cracks about
("Harry And The Hendersons")
6 PM Three Stooges
6:30 Our Gang Comedies
7 PM Gigantor
7:30 Biography
8 PM Movie: "Witness For The Prosecution"
10 PM Movie: "Legend Of The Lost"
11:30 Four Star Theatre

 

[David67]

Tennessee didn't play LSU in 1973

 

[bpatrick]

I thought there was something wrong. The listings
for the Bill Battle show (UT Football Highlights) show
Tennessee playing Ole Miss, not LSU. ABC's listing
was obviously a typo. I have several questions
about these listings; in particular, how Ch. 41 managed
to get an NFL game from NBC at 4 PM.

 

[Mike Stroud]

From TV Guide, North Georgia Edition:

WRCB Ch. 3 Chattanooga (NBC)
12 M Grambling Football Highlights:
Southern University-Grambling

WAGA Ch. 5 Atlanta (CBS)
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Los Angeles Rams
(time approximate)

WTVC Ch. 9 Chattanooga (ABC)
10 AM Lewis Family (gospel music, interspersed
with commercials for the Talmadge Lewis
used-car dealership in Augusta, GA)

WQXI (becomes WXIA Christmas Day) Ch. 11
Atlanta (ABC)
5:30 Good Morning Atlanta

WDEF Ch. 12 Chattanooga (CBS)
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Rams (time
approximate)

WMAZ Ch. 13 Macon (CBS/ABC)
4 PM NFL Football: 49ers-Rams (time
approximate)

WTCG (WPCH) Ch. 17 Atlanta (Ind.)
7 PM Georgia Football Highlights (Auburn-
Georgia)
8 PM America (Alistair Cooke)
9 PM Tennessee Football Highlights
10 PM Auburn Football Highlights
11 PM Grambling Football Highlights

WETV (WPBA) Ch. 30 Atlanta (PBS)
4:30 Latin Atlanta

WCWB (WMGT) Ch. 41 Macon (NBC)
7:30 Rev. Ike
9:30 Rev. Ike
4 PM NFL Football: Browns-Raiders (don't
know how Ch. 41 could have gotten
this since it was CBS's week to have
the doubleheader) (time approximate)
10:30 Mike Meatheringham (don't remember
who this is)
11 PM Georgia Football Highlights

Yeah, bp, I do too. One by one:

WRCB, 12 Noon and WTCG, 11 p.m.: Grambling must have had a large following among African-Americans throughout the South, mainly because they were THE premiere black college football program of their day. Eddie Robinson was the Bear Bryant, if you will, of black college coaches. This is somewhat analogous to Notre Dame's fan base among American Catholics--a main reason that school's highlights show was seen nationwide in the old days (and these days, the school has an exclusive contract with NBC).

CBS affiliates and WCWB, 4 p.m.: Since channel 41's game was different than the CBS feed (and given WMAZ's dominant position in the market), there is no way that game could be coming from CBS. Apparently, WCWB managed to persuade NBC to let it carry the West Coast game (only 1 p.m. Pacific Time), in probable violation of league-network agreements about scheduling. We have to remember that WCWB at the time was owned by Dothan, Alabama broadcaster Charles Woods, a sometimes third-party candidate for the presidency and Democratic candidate for the governorship of Alabama. Because of his political involvement, Woods probably had lawyers who knew how to get around restrictions, and he likely presented a dubious case to NBC for permission for his station to air the 4 p.m. game against WMAZ. Given, as mentioned above, WMAZ's David-and-Goliath relationship to channel 41, could you really blame him?

WTVC, 10 a.m.: This is truly strange. The show was obviously syndicated to WTVC, probably directly by the family or their managers, but don't you think they would allow the Chattanooga station to sell its own ads to cover the Augusta commercials? I wonder what people thought was going on between those gospel numbers--before you make a crack about gospel singers day jobbing as car salesmen, remember that the gospel tradition is a "sawdust" profession and very local one, to this day. Most singers of that genre do not make their living by singing, as many churches where they perform will only permit a "free will" or "love" offering at the end of the service (think a religious kind of tip jar). Since most of their fans are not particularly wealthy, they have to scrape by like anybody else.

WQXI, 5:30 a.m.: Although Good Morning America was a couple of years off, it is interesting to speculate whether this was a live morning show for Sundays. Was this the same show that aired on channel 11 on weekdays?

WTCG, 7 p.m.-12 Midnight: My, my, my. What could be better on Sunday nights than college football replays and Alistair Cooke? Wonder what Ted Turner did for promos? "Gridiron Masterpieces"?--!!!

WETV, 4:30 p.m.: When you consider that Atlanta in 1973 was nowhere near the size it is today, it seems odd that there would be enough Latin-Americans in the area to justify a public affairs program. But there it is, just like shows in New York, Miami, Chicago, and L.A. of that day (and today, on various outlets)

WCWB, 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.: Just in case you didn't wake up early enough to get your dose of "Green Power" (the Reverend's catchphrase), channel 41 gives you another chance right before Sunday School. (!!!)

WCWB, 10:30 p.m.: According to Wikipedia, Mike Meatheringham was a defensive tackle who played for the Georgia Bulldogs in the mid-1950s and got drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. Since he had probably retired from the pro game some time before then, speculations abound: a) he was a high school or small college coach who had his highlight show in the time slot, b) he was host of a general-interest (or football season only) sports talk show, or c) he might well have gone into the ministry, and this was his weekly televangelist bit. Anybody know about him?

 

[bpatrick]

I know that Talmadge Lewis advertised his automobile
dealership on WJBF Augusta, where the show originated.
Probably WTVC deleted the commercials, but not being
from Chattanooga I can't say for certain.

Although I was at UGA in '73 I wasn't up early enough
to tell you if there was a Sunday edition of "Good Morning
Atlanta" on Ch. 11; given that the station is the first one
I remember having noon newscasts on weekends (starting
in the fall of '72) it wouldn't surprise me if there was. The
daily version aired at 6:30 AM. (Note about weekend newscasts,
Ch. 11 gave up Saturday noon newscasts in the fall of '74 and
Sunday noon newscasts no later than the fall of '75; WSB, OTOH,
still has them.)

I'm going to check to see if Mike Meatheringham is listed anywhere
on the 'net.

I can't find where Mike Meatheringham either coached or became
an evangelist. Sounds like a possible general-football show, not
unlike what Fran Tarkenton did on Ch. 11 Friday nights in the 1979
football season (and ended because he was subbing for Don Meredith
on "Monday Night Football" as well as co-hosting "That's Incredible!",
both on ABC, when 11 moved to NBC in 1980).

 

[charlestondxman]

Channel 2 still does something like In2ition, only for high schoolers, and it is called High Q. It used to be on in a good time slot, like 11:30 on Saturday, and then they gradually moved it, and now it's on when almost nobody gets to see, at 7 on Sunday mornings.

They even used to televise the finals in primetime during sweeps. They don't do that anymore.

 

[bpatrick]

I've seen High Q, and recall that it was on
WAGA at one time, on Saturday afternoons.
I assume Glenn Burns will take over as host
when Chuck Dowdle retires (if he hasn't already).

 

[David67]

I thought there was something wrong. The listings
for the Bill Battle show (UT Football Highlights) show
Tennessee playing Ole Miss, not LSU. ABC's listing
was obviously a typo. I have several questions
about these listings; in particular, how Ch. 41 managed
to get an NFL game from NBC at 4 PM.

Tennessee beat Ole Miss 21-0 on November 17th 1973

 

[David67]

I thought there was something wrong. The listings
for the Bill Battle show (UT Football Highlights) show
Tennessee playing Ole Miss, not LSU. ABC's listing
was obviously a typo. I have several questions
about these listings; in particular, how Ch. 41 managed
to get an NFL game from NBC at 4 PM.

The Browns beat the Raiders in that game 7-3. The Browns went 7-5-2 in 1973,while the Raiders went 9-4-1.