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Retro: Boston/Providence/New Hampshire Mon 8/22/88

from TV Guide, Boston edition
TVG didn't list WHRC-46 Norwell, WMFP-62 Lawrence or WHSH-66 Marlborough

WGBH 2-PBS Boston
6:45 AM Weather
7:00 Sesame Street
8:00 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
8:30 Sesame Street
9:30 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
10:00 World of Survival
10:30 Reading Rainbow
11:00 3-2-1 Contact
11:30 Sesame Street
12:30 Evening at Pops
1:30 Conversation in Maine with Margaret Chase Smith
2:30 Art of William Alexander
3:00 Collectors
3:30 Sesame Street
4:30 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
5:00 Reading Rainbow
5:30 3-2-1 Contact
6:00 MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour
7:00 Sesame Street Special
8:00 Simon & Garfunkel: The Concert in Central Park
9:30 Pledge Break
10:00 American Masters
11:00 Pledge Break
11:10 16 Days of Glory
12:10 News
12:40 sign-off

WBZ 4-NBC Boston
5:00 Before Hours
5:30 Business This Morning
6:00 NBC News at Sunrise
6:30 Eyewitness News
7:00 Today
9:00 Hour Magazine
10:00 Sale of the Century
10:30 Concentration
11:00 Wheel of Fortune
11:30 Scrabble
Noon Eyewitness News
12:30 People are Talking
1:30 Superior Court
2:00 Days of Our Lives
3:00 Santa Barbara
4:00 Love Connection
4:30 Win, Lose or Draw
5:00 People's Court
5:30 Live on 4
6:00 Eyewitness News
7:00 NBC Nightly News
7:30 Evening Magazine
8:00 ALF
8:30 Hogan Family
9:00 Movie "Dress Gray" (conclusion)
11:00 Eyewitness News
11:30 Tonight Show (guest host Jay Leno)
12:30 Late Night with David Letterman
1:30 Eyewitness News
2:00 Evening Magazine
2:30 Wil Shriner
3:30 News Conference
4:00 People are Talking

WCVB 5-ABC Boston
5:00 Chronicle
5:30 NewsCenter 5
7:00 Good Morning America
9:00 Good Day!
10:00 Geraldo
11:00 Sally Jessy Raphael
11:30 Ryan's Hope
Noon NewsCenter 5
12:30 Loving
1:00 All My Children
2:00 One Life to Live
3:00 General Hospital
4:00 Phil Donahue
5:00 Oprah Winfrey
6:00 NewsCenter 5
7:00 ABC World News Tonight
7:30 Chronicle
8:00 NFL Exhibition: Chicago-Dallas
11:00 NewsCenter 5
11:30 Nightline
Mid. Hill Street Blues
1:00 Divorce Court
1:30 Judge
2:00 NewsCenter 5
2:30 Dynasty
3:30 Hit Squad
4:00 Good Day!
4:55 Morning Glory

WNEV 7-CBS Boston
5:00 CBS News Nightwatch
6:00 Ready to Go (children's show)
7:00 Today
9:00 Hollywood Squares
9:30 Family Feud
10:00 Talk of the Town (Matt Lauer)
11:00 Price is Right
Noon The New England News
12:30 Young & the Restless
1:30 Bold & the Beautiful
2:00 As the World Turns
3:00 Guiding Light
4:00 Perry Mason
5:00 Live at 5:00
6:00 The New England News
6:30 CBS Evening News
7:00 Wheel of Fortune
7:30 Jeopardy!
8:00 Newhart
8:30 Cavanaughs
9:00 Kate & Allie
9:30 Designing Women
10:00 Magnum, PI
11:00 The New England News
11:35 Jeopardy!
12:05 Hunter
1:15 Movie "Blind Date"
2:35 $100,000 Pyramid
3:05 The New England News
3:35 Talk of the Town
4:35 CBS News Nightwatch

WFXT 25-Fox Boston
(WFXT used a WNYW-style logo at the time)
6:30 Macron I
7:00 Top Cat
7:30 Dinosaucers
8:00 Mighty Mouse
8:30 Casper
9:00 Mayberry RFD
9:30 Catholic Mass
10:00 Alias Smith & Jones
11:00 Movie "Boardwalk"
1:00 Rawhide
2:00 Defenders of the Earth
2:30 Popeye
3:00 Alvin Show
3:30 Bugs Bunny & Friends
4:00 Jetsons
4:30 Flintstones
5:00 Double Dare
5:30 Happy Days
6:00 Diff'rent Stokes
6:30 WKRP in Cincinnati
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 A Current Affair
8:00 Movie "To Live & Die in LA"
10:00 Jerry Williams
11:00 Late Show
Mid. Get Smart
12:30 I Love Lucy
1:00 sign-off

WSBK 38-Ind Boston
5:00 Home Shopping Overnight
6:00 20 Minute Workout
6:30 Rambo
7:00 Ghostbusters
7:30 He-Man & the Masters of the Universe
8:00 She-Ra: Princess of Power
8:30 Bravestarr
9:00 Spiral Zone
9:30 Beverly Hillbillies
10:00 Andy Griffith
10:30 Alice
11:00 Dick Van Dyke
11:30 AM Boston (host Meg LaVigne)
Noon Lou Grant
1:00 Trapper John, MD
2:00 Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
2:30 Saber Rider & the Star Sheriffs
3:00 Scooby-Doo
3:30 Beverly Hills Teens
4:00 Comic Strip
4:30 DuckTales
5:00 White Shadow
6:00 Quincy
7:00 Family Ties
7:30 Barney Miller
8:00 Movie "Swept Away..." (aka Swept Away...by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August)
10:30 Hersey's Hollywood
11:00 M*A*S*H
11:30 Morton Downey Jr.
12:30 Twilight Zone
1:00 Jeffersons
1:30 Alice
2:00 Home Shopping Overnight

WGBX 44-PBS Boston
8:00 Soap Box Derby (from Derby Downs, Akron OH)
9:30 David "Fathead" Newman
10:00 Movie "The Southerner"
11:30 Wild America
Noon National Geographic
1:00 Movie "Slightly Honorable"
2:30 Movie "The Mill on the Floss"
4:00 Movie "Scrooge"
5:00 John McLaughlin's One on One
5:30 Open Mind
6:00 Sesame Street
7:00 Nightly Business Report
7:30 MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour
8:30 Bodywatch
9:00 Make Prayers to the Raven
9:30 America's Black Forum
10:00 News
10:30 Nightly Business Report
11:00 MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour
Mid. sign-off

WLVI 56-Ind Boston
6:00 Bionic Six
6:30 Zoobilee Zoo
7:00 Jem
7:30 Mighty Mouse
8:00 Popeye
8:30 Tom & Jerry
9:00 Dennis the Menace
9:30 Bugs Bunny & Friends
10:30 Transformers
11:00 De Todo Un Poco (CNN Headline News normally aired 11-noon)
11:30 Classified Express
Noon Good Times
12:30 That Girl
1:00 Bewitched
1:30 I Dream of Jeannie
2:00 Woody Woodpecker & Friends
2:30 My Little Pony 'n Friends
3:00 Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
3:30 Smurfs' Adventures
4:00 Real Ghostbusters
4:30 GI Joe
5:00 Fall Guy
6:00 Three's Company
6:30 Laverne & Shirley
7:00 Three's Company
7:30 Benson
8:00 Movie "Baby Sister"
10:00 The News at Ten
11:00 Newlywed Game
11:30 Dating Game
Mid. INN News
12:30 Infomercial
1:00 sign-off

WQTV 68-Ind Boston
6:30 Morning Bible Lesson
7:00 Pink Panther
8:00 Littlest Hobo
8:30 Addams Family
9:00 Munsters
9:30 Leave It to Beaver (x2)
10:30 Movie "The Invisible Man" (pilot for the series)
Noon Bonanza
1:00 Big Valley
2:00 The Saint
3:00 Ironside
4:00 Streets of San Francisco
5:00 Scarecrow & Mrs. King
6:00 Barnaby Jones
7:00 Star Trek
8:00 National Geographic (x2)
10:00 Rockford Files
11:00 Carol Burnett & Friends
11:30 Star Trek
12:30 Bonanza
1:30 Movie "Blanche Fury"
3:30 Movie "Utopia"

WHLL 27-Ind Worcester
5:30 Banana Splits & Friends
6:00 Heritage Ministries
7:00 Bodies in Motion
7:30 World of Super Adventures
8:00 Infomercial
8:30 Green Acres
9:00 Jimmy Swaggart
9:30 Nanny & the Professor
10:00 700 Club
11:00 Success N Life
Noon Julia
12:30 Superior Court
1:00 Dynasty
2:00 Barnaby Jones
3:00 Ghost & Mrs. Muir
3:30 Room 222
4:00 Addams Family
4:30 Batman
5:00 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
6:00 Little House on the Prairie
7:00 Love Boat
8:00 Movie "The Painted Desert"
10:00 Untouchables
11:00 Infomercial
Mid. Movie "South Pacific"
3:00 Movie "The Nelson Affair"

WWLP 22-NBC Springfield
5:45 Before Hours
6:00 NBC News at Sunrise
6:30 NewsCenter 22
7:00 Today
9:00 Sally Jessy Raphael
10:00 Family Ties
10:30 Concentration
11:00 Wheel of Fortune
11:30 Win, Lose or Draw
Noon NewsCenter 22
12:30 Scrabble
1:00 Days of Our Lives
2:00 Another World
3:00 Santa Barbara
4:00 Phil Donahue
5:00 Cheers
5:30 NewsCenter 22
6:30 NBC Nightly News
7:00 Wheel of Fortune
7:30 Jeopardy!
8:00 ALF
8:30 Hogan Family
9:00 Movie "Dress Gray" (conclusion)
11:00 NewsCenter 22
11:30 Tonight Show
12:30 Late Night with David Letterman
1:30 sign-off

WLNE 6-CBS Providence
5:00 CBS News Nightwatch
5:30 Business This Morning
6:00 Action News (?)
7:00 This Morning
9:00 Movie "Billion Dollar Brain"
11:00 Price is Right
Noon Action News
12:30 Young & the Restless
1:30 People's Court
2:00 As the World Turns
3:00 Guiding Light
4:00 Movie "Busting"
6:00 Action News
6:30 CBS Evening News
7:00 Win, Lose or Draw
7:30 Love Connection
8:00 Newhart
8:30 Cavanaughs
9:00 Kate & Allie
9:30 Designing Women
10:00 Magnum, PI
11:00 Action News
11:35 A Current Affair
12:05 Hunter
1:15 Movie "Blind Date"
2:35 Action News
3:10 CBS News Nightwatch

WJAR 10-NBC Providence
5:45 Before Hours
6:00 NBC News at Sunrise
6:30 Newswatch 10
7:00 Today
9:00 Phil Donahue
10:00 Sale of the Century
10:30 Concentration
11:00 Wheel of Fortune
11:30 Win, Lose or Draw
Noon Newswatch 10
12:30 Sally Jessy Raphael
1:00 Days of Our Lives
2:00 Another World
3:00 Santa Barbara
4:00 Hour Magazine
5:00 Three's Company
5:30 Newswatch 10
6:30 NBC Nightly News
7:00 PM Magazine
7:30 Entertainment Tonight
8:00 ALF
8:30 Hogan Family
9:00 Movie "Dress Gray" (conclusion)
11:00 Newswatch 10
11:30 Tonight Show
12:30 Late Night with David Letterman
1:30 Newswatch 10
2:00 sign-off

WPRI 12-ABC Providence
5:00 CNN Headline News
6:00 ABC World News This Morning/Channel 12 Eyewitness News
7:00 Good Morning America
9:00 Ryan's Hope
9:30 Loving
10:00 Wil Shriner
11:00 Growing Pains
11:30 Home
Noon Channel 12 Eyewitness News
12:30 Jeopardy!
1:00 All My Children
2:00 One Life to Live
3:00 General Hospital
4:00 Oprah Winfrey
5:00 WKRP in Cincinnati
5:30 Channel 12 Eyewitness News
6:30 ABC World News Tonight
7:00 Wheel of Fortune
7:30 Jeopardy!
8:00 NFL Exhibition: Chicago-Dallas
11:00 Channel 12 Eyewitness News
11:30 Nightline
Mid. CNN Headline News
1:00 Channel 12 Eyewitness News
1:30 sign-off

WNAC 64-Fox Providence
6:00 Bionic Six
6:30 Jem
7:00 ThunderCats
7:30 Smurfs' Adventures
8:00 Scooby-Doo
8:30 My Little Pony 'n Friends
9:00 Little House on the Prairie
10:00 Bewitched
10:30 Green Acres
11:00 700 Club
Noon Mister Ed
12:30 I Dream of Jeannie
1:00 Benson
1:30 Happy Days
2:00 Addams Family
2:30 Woody Woodpecker & Friends
3:00 Dennis the Menace
3:30 Real Ghostbusters
4:00 DuckTales
4:30 Double Dare
5:00 Silver Spoons
5:30 Gimme a Break!
6:00 Private Benjamin
6:30 Barney Miller
7:00 Fall Guy
8:00 Movie "Soldier of Fortune"
10:00 Morton Downey Jr.
11:00 Infomercial
Mid. Dog Racing
12:30 Movie "The Painted Desert"
2:30 sign-off

WFSB 3-CBS Hartford
5:00 CBS News Nightwatch
6:00 Business This Morning
6:30 Eyewitness News
7:00 This Morning
9:00 Family Feud
9:30 Card Sharks
10:00 Geraldo
11:00 Price is Right
Noon Eyewitness News
12:30 Young & the Restless
1:30 Bold & the Beautiful
2:00 As the World Turns
3:00 Guiding Light
4:00 Oprah Winfrey
5:00 Eyewitness News
6:30 CBS Evening News
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 PM Magazine
8:00 Newhart
8:30 Cavanaughs
9:00 Kate & Allie
9:30 Designing Women
10:00 Magnum, PI
11:00 Eyewitness News
11:35 Magnum, PI
12:35 Love Boat
1:35 Wil Shriner
2:35 Eyewitness News
3:10 CBS News Nightwatch

WMUR 9-ABC Manchester
6:00 ABC World News This Morning
6:45 News
7:00 Good Morning America
9:00 Richard Roberts
10:00 Geraldo
11:00 Ryan's Hope
11:30 Home
Noon News
12:30 Loving
1:00 All My Children
2:00 One Life to Live
3:00 General Hospital
4:00 Newlywed Game
4:30 Dating Game
5:00 Hollywood Squares
5:30 5:30 Live
6:00 News
6:30 ABC World News Tonight
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 Win, Lose or Draw
8:00 NFL Exhibition: Chicago-Dallas
11:00 News
11:30 Nightline
Mid. Morton Downey Jr.
1:00 Enterainment Tonight
1:30 News
2:00 sign-off

WENH 11-PBS Durham
6:30 To Life! Yoga with Priscilla Patrick
6:45 AM Weather
7:00 Body Electric
7:30 To Life! Yoga with Priscilla Patrick
7:45 AM Weather
8:00 Sesame Street
9:00 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
10:00 Pizza Gourmet
10:30 Reading Rainbow
11:00 3-2-1 Contact
11:30 Boomerang
11:55 Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler
Noon Sesame Street
1:00 We're Cooking Now
1:30 Newton's Apple
2:00 Wild America
2:30 National Geographic
3:30 Reading Rainbow
4:00 3-2-1 Contact
4:30 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
5:00 Sesame Street
6:00 MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour
7:00 Nightly Business Report
7:30 Home Free: Retrun of the Bald Eagle
8:00 Winds of Everest
9:00 National Geographic
10:00 First Among Equals
11:00 Best of Your Show of Shows
11:30 Houdini!
Mid. MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour
12:55 Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler
1:00 sign-off

WNHT 21-CBS Concord
6:00 20 Minute Workout
6:30 CBS Morning News
7:00 This Morning
9:00 Sally Jessy Raphael
9:30 Three's a Crowd
10:00 Family Feud
10:30 Card Sharks
11:00 Price is Right
Noon Jeopardy!
12:30 Young & the Restless
1:30 Bold & the Beautiful
2:00 As the World Turns
3:00 Guiding Light
4:00 Oprah Winfrey
5:00 Phil Donahue
6:00 News
6:30 CBS Evening News
7:00 Facts of Life (x2)
8:00 Newhart
8:30 Cavanaughs
9:00 Kate & Allie
9:30 Designing Women
10:00 Magnum, PI
11:00 News
11:30 Hunter
12:40 Movie "Shadowlands"
2:00 News
2:30 sign-off

WNDS 50-Ind Derry
7:30 Business This Morning
8:00 CNN Headline News
8:30 Hour Magazine
9:30 Bob Newhart
10:00 Hangin' In
10:30 Matchmaker
11:00 CNN Headline News
11:30 Carol Burnett & Friends
Noon I Love Lucy
12:30 Mary Tyler Moore
1:00 Eight is Enough
2:00 Quincy
3:00 Ghostbusters
3:30 Spiral Zone
4:00 Incredible Hulk
5:00 Hogan's Heroes
5:30 CNN Headline News
6:00 Knight Rider
7:00 House Calls
7:30 Simon & Simon
8:30 Magnum, PI
9:30 CNN Headline News
10:00 Hill Street Blues
11:00 All in the Family
11:30 Twilight Zone
Mid. sign-off

WGOT 60-Ind Merrimack
6:30 Ag Day
7:00 Hit Video USA
7:30 Double Dare
8:00 New Zoo Revue
8:30 Zoobilee Zoo
9:00 Ask Washington
10:00 Movie "The Bus is Coming"
Noon Ask Washington
1:00 Movie "Dead of Night"
3:00 Hit Video USA
3:30 New Zoo Revue
4:00 Zoobilee Zoo
4:30 Double Dare
5:00 Hit Video USA
7:00 Crook & Chase
7:30 Movie "Mother & Daughter: The Loving War"
9:30 Hit Video USA
10:00 INN News
10:30 Movie "The Painted Desert"
12:30 sign-off

WPIX-Ind New York
5:00 Twilight Zone
5:30 INN News
6:00 Insight
6:30 Spiral Zone
7:00 Heathcliff
7:30 Smurfs' Adventures
8:00 Jem
8:30 Bionic Six
9:00 Ghostbusters
9:30 GI Joe
10:00 Eight is Enough
11:00 White Shadow
Noon Movie "The Canterville Ghost"
2:00 Best Talk in Town
2:30 Voltron
3:00 Heathcliff
3:30 Tom & Jerry (x2)
4:30 Transformers
5:00 Little House on the Prairie
6:00 Gimme a Break!
6:30 Jeffersons
7:00 Cheers
7:30 INN News
8:00 Mother-Daughter International Pageant (from Guam, hosted by Bert Parks)
10:00 INN News
10:30 Odd Couple (x2)
11:30 Honeymooners
Mid. Star Trek
1:00 Celebration of Caring
1:30 INN News
2:00 Infomercials
3:00 Movie "Mysterious Mr. Moto"
4:30 Twilight Zone

WWOR-Ind Secaucus/New York
5:00 Home Shopping Overnight
6:00 Zoobilee Zoo
6:30 Comic Strip
7:00 Beverly Hills Teens
7:30 Jetsons
8:00 Bugs Bunny & Friends
8:30 Dinosaucers
9:00 My Favorite Martian
9:30 I Dream of Jeannie
10:00 People are Talking
Noon The News at Noon
1:00 High Rollers
1:30 Love Connection
2:00 Newlywed Game
2:30 Dating Game
3:00 Cannon
4:00 Barnaby Jones
5:00 Hawaii Five-O
6:00 T.J. Hooker
7:00 $100,000 Pyramid
7:30 Barney Miller
8:00 Evening Magazine
8:30 Entertainment Tonight
9:00 Morton Downey Jr.
10:00 The News at Ten
10:30 Baseball: NY Mets-Los Angeles
1:00 Kiner's Korner
1:30 Benny Hill
2:00 Home Shopping Overnight
 
> WNHT 21-CBS Concord

Anyone know the history of this station? i.e. when did it lose CBS, when did it become WPXG, etc.
 
> > WNHT 21-CBS Concord
>
> Anyone know the history of this station? i.e. when did it
> lose CBS, when did it become WPXG, etc.
>

I don't remember when this station went on the air (sometime early 1980's I think.) The original owner, Flatley, purchased an interest in WNDS-50 Derry,NH in the spring of 1990 (March I think) and the FCC ownership regulations required him to take this station dark. Boston University purchased the station in 1995 (I think) and make it a relay of WABU-Boston. PAX purchased it a couple years later along with 68 in Boston and 58 on Cape Cod.
 
> > > WNHT 21-CBS Concord
> >
> > Anyone know the history of this station? i.e. when did it
> > lose CBS, when did it become WPXG, etc.
> >
>
> I don't remember when this station went on the air (sometime
> early 1980's I think.) The original owner, Flatley,
> purchased an interest in WNDS-50 Derry,NH in the spring of
> 1990 (March I think) and the FCC ownership regulations
> required him to take this station dark. Boston University
> purchased the station in 1995 (I think) and make it a relay
> of WABU-Boston. PAX purchased it a couple years later
> along with 68 in Boston and 58 on Cape Cod.
>
I remember watching WNHT when I was in college in the mid 80s. They ran "Lucy Show" reruns @ 8p. They had lost a ton of money on having a newsroom, which was required by CBS as a condition for the affiliation.
 
WNHT/21...

WNHT/21 Concord, NH signed on in 1984 as an independent station. The transmitter was located northeast of Concord in the hamlet of Gossville, NH. (The transmitter is still there to this day). The (Thomas J.) Flatley Co. owned WNHT. To this day, Flatley is a large real-estate developer in the Boston area.

The early 1980s was somewhat of a TV boom in the Granite State. A year prior to WNHT's sign on, WNDS/50 in Derry, NH also signed on as an independent. WNHT's programming was somewhat similar to WNDS'- plenty of old reruns and movies. Also, during that time, Golden Triange TV 60 Corp. received a construction permit for Channel 60 in Merrimack, NH.

WNHT and WNDS went head-to-head with similar programming throughout the mid-1980s. In fact, Channel 50 even offered a newscast, which was somewhat comparable to WMUR/9's newscast of the day. That situation changed in the mid-1980s when WMUR was sold to Imes Communications and Imes poured in tons of $$ to Channel 9.

During 1987, Channel 60 Merrimack signed on as WGOT, another independent serving a small state. There was simply not enough advertising $$ to float between three independents in the Granite State. During 1988, Flatley decided to affiliate Channel 21 with CBS. This seemed like a logical move, as the nearest CBS affiliates to Concord were WNEV/7 (now WHDH) in Boston, WGME/13, Portland, ME and WCAX/3 in Burlington, VT. Concord was located in the fringes of all of these stations' coverage area.

The CBS affiliation stipulated that Channel 21 offer a newscast, so Flatley decided to set up a newsroom in Concord. By this time, WNDS had discontinued their newscast- leaving only the weatherman, Al Kaprelian, who continues to this day on Channel 50. Channel 21 lost tons of $$ on their newscast, but it was stipulated in their affiliation contract to have one. Although the station was now a CBS affiliate, some of the old-reruns remained, such as "The Lucy Show."

The nation entered a recession in 1989 and it hit New England especially hard. Flatley put WNHT on the block, but there were no takers. At the same time, they began negotiations with CTV of Derry (the licensee for WNDS) to purchase a minority interest in their station. An agreement was reached in December 1989, and the FCC gave approval in March 1990. Duopolies were not yet allowed by the FCC.

One day in the Fall of 1989, the Channel 21 11 PM news aired. The news anchor announced that the owner of WNHT was pulling the plug and Channel 21 would be going off the air permanently after the news. And, it did just. The station signed off, and for the next 5+ years there was nothing on the Channel 21 frequency. All of the employees were laid off.

In the days immediately after the sign off, there were rumors that WGOT was going to take the CBS affiliation. There were also rumors that Channel 60 was going to move to the now vacant 21. It never happened. WGOT continued as a struggling independent for a few more years before it was sold to PAX.

During the early 1990s, there were rumors that the Channel 21 license was going to be sold to Stephen Mindich, the publisher of the "Boston Phoenix" newspaper. Mindich could not find the financing to put Channel 21 on the air and the station remained dark.

In 1993, Boston University purchased WQTV/68 in Boston and renamed it WABU. Channel 68 was always handicapped in Boston by having the weakest signal of any of the Boston-based TV signals. In an attempt to rectify the problem, BU purchased the long-dark license of WNHT. It took BU over a year to make repairs to the Channel 21 transmitter and tower and to secure FCC approval to simulcast 68 on 21. Once the FCC granted permission and repairs were made to the Channel 21 transmitter, WNHT returned to the air as WNBU, a full-time satellite of WABU. (Boston University also purchased the dormant license of WCVX/58 in Vineyard Haven, MA). WCVX also returned to the air as a satellite of WABU in circumstances much like Channel 21.

Boston University lost a lot of money on WABU and its two satellites and eventually sold out to PAX. PAX has continued to this day on the three stations, but it programming is mostly "infomericals".

-Mike






> > WNHT 21-CBS Concord
>
> Anyone know the history of this station? i.e. when did it
> lose CBS, when did it become WPXG, etc.
>
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by mdamico23 on 10/08/05 01:27 PM.</FONT></P>
 
Re: WNHT/21...

> During 1987, Channel 60 Merrimack signed on as WGOT,
> another independent serving a small state. There was simply
> not enough advertising $$ to float between three
> independents in the Granite State. During 1988, Flatley
> decided to affiliate Channel 21 with CBS. This seemed like a
> logical move, as the nearest CBS affiliates to Concord were
> WBZ/4 in Boston, WGME/13, Portland, ME and WCAX/3 in
> Burlington, VT. Concord was located in the fringes of all of
> these stations' coverage area.

CBS in Boston at that time was WNEV-TV channel 7. Today they are WHDH-TV, an NBC affiliate. They switched networks with WBZ-TV channel 4 in 1995.
 
Re: WNHT/21...

> > During 1987, Channel 60 Merrimack signed on as WGOT,
> > another independent serving a small state. There was
> simply
> > not enough advertising $$ to float between three
> > independents in the Granite State. During 1988, Flatley
> > decided to affiliate Channel 21 with CBS. This seemed like
> a
> > logical move, as the nearest CBS affiliates to Concord
> were
> > WBZ/4 in Boston, WGME/13, Portland, ME and WCAX/3 in
> > Burlington, VT. Concord was located in the fringes of all
> of
> > these stations' coverage area.
>
> CBS in Boston at that time was WNEV-TV channel 7. Today they
> are WHDH-TV, an NBC affiliate. They switched networks with
> WBZ-TV channel 4 in 1995.
>
Oops- I was living in NH in the early 90s and don't know why I didn't remember that. Anyhow I changed the post to reflect the CBS in Boston during that era was on Channel 7. Thanks for the proofread.

-Mike
 
Re: WNHT/21...

> During 1988, Flatley decided to affiliate Channel 21 with CBS.

WNHT became a CBS affiliate in February of 1988. They began their 11 PM newscast shortly after. Their 6 PM newscast was begun in May of 1988.

> Although the station was now a CBS affiliate, some of the old-reruns > remained, such as "The Lucy Show."

Actually most of the reruns were gone by the Summer of 1988 and Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy would be added. By the Fall of 1988 WNHT looked like a typical CBS affiliate.

> The nation entered a recession in 1989 and it hit New
> England especially hard. Flatley put WNHT on the block, but
> there were no takers.

The station did lose money after affiliating with CBS but if Flatley gave the station another couple years or so it would have turned a profit. If the same circumstances occurred in 1993, chances are that WNHT would have LMAd the station to either WMUR or a Boston station.

> At the same time, they began
> negotiations with CTV of Derry (the licensee for WNDS) to
> purchase a minority interest in their station. An agreement
> was reached in December 1989, and the FCC gave approval in
> March 1990. Duopolies were not yet allowed by the FCC.

Actually WNDS was also for sale and Flatley bought an interest in WNDS back in February 1989. WNHT still was up for sale and noone had any interest at that point.

> One day in the Fall of 1989, the Channel 21 11 PM news
> aired. The news anchor announced that the owner of WNHT was
> pulling the plug and Channel 21 would be going off the air
> permanently after the news. And, it did just. The station
> signed off, and for the next 5+ years there was nothing on
> the Channel 21 frequency. All of the employees were laid
> off.

Actually WNHT CBS 21 went dark at Midnight on April 1, 1989. They in fact only announced the demise at 10 AM on March 31. Newspeople were pulled from their stories and their newscast that day did not occur. In its places at Noon, 6 PM, and 11 PM were replaced with Three's Company and Barney Miller reruns that had been rested since the Spring of 1988. On the bottom of the screen the announcement was scrolled out.
 
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