Source – Boston Globe (via Globe archives)
WTAO was Boston’s first UHF station. Besides the lack of UHF receivers, the station suffered from a high channel position (the higher the channel, the more energy it took to put out a picture and the tougher reception was) and a transmitter on Mt. Zion in Woburn, which didn’t reach large portions of the market. It was a DuMont and ABC affiliate, but both networks kept secondary affiliations with both WBZ and WNAC. For example, WNAC continued to air “Life is Worth Living” and “The Plainclothesman” and WBZ aired “Rocky King”, among others. WTAO left the air in 1956, but for some reason they were included in the channel listings in the Globe until 1957. When channel 56 came back on the air in 1966 as WKBG, it used the same license and transmitter site as WTAO. (The transmitter was moved about 18 months later, giving better coverage into the suburbs.)
Sunday, September 27, 1953
7:00p News
7:05p Operation Crossroads
7:30p Frank Leahy Show (he was the Notre Dame football coach)
7:45p Notre Dame-Oklahoma (filmed highlights of the football game played the day before)
9:00p Your Evening Theater
Monday, September 28, 1953
5:30p Captain Video (DuMont, delayed from 7p – Wikipedia has this listed as a 15 minute program at the time)
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p What’s Your Trouble
8:00p Front Page Detective (DuMont, delayed from Friday @ 8p)
8:30p Safari, film
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Tuesday, September 29, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Paradise Island, music
8:00p Sports on Parade
8:30p Adventure at Sea
9:00p Evening Theater
(10:30p news was not listed)
Wednesday, September 30, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Meet the Victim, mystery
8:00p Wrestling Matches, film
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Thursday, October 1, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Concert Hall
8:00p Wings to Anywhere
8:30p Jackson and Jill
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Friday, October 2, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Public Prosecutor, mystery
8:00p Hollywood Half Hour
8:30p Anywhere U.S.A.
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Saturday, October 3, 1953
5:40p Crusader Rabbit
5:45p Telecomics
6:00p Dinner Date Theater
7:25p TV Close-Up
7:30p Progress on Parade
8:00p Roller Derby
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News, Weather, Sports
WTAO was Boston’s first UHF station. Besides the lack of UHF receivers, the station suffered from a high channel position (the higher the channel, the more energy it took to put out a picture and the tougher reception was) and a transmitter on Mt. Zion in Woburn, which didn’t reach large portions of the market. It was a DuMont and ABC affiliate, but both networks kept secondary affiliations with both WBZ and WNAC. For example, WNAC continued to air “Life is Worth Living” and “The Plainclothesman” and WBZ aired “Rocky King”, among others. WTAO left the air in 1956, but for some reason they were included in the channel listings in the Globe until 1957. When channel 56 came back on the air in 1966 as WKBG, it used the same license and transmitter site as WTAO. (The transmitter was moved about 18 months later, giving better coverage into the suburbs.)
Sunday, September 27, 1953
7:00p News
7:05p Operation Crossroads
7:30p Frank Leahy Show (he was the Notre Dame football coach)
7:45p Notre Dame-Oklahoma (filmed highlights of the football game played the day before)
9:00p Your Evening Theater
Monday, September 28, 1953
5:30p Captain Video (DuMont, delayed from 7p – Wikipedia has this listed as a 15 minute program at the time)
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p What’s Your Trouble
8:00p Front Page Detective (DuMont, delayed from Friday @ 8p)
8:30p Safari, film
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Tuesday, September 29, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Paradise Island, music
8:00p Sports on Parade
8:30p Adventure at Sea
9:00p Evening Theater
(10:30p news was not listed)
Wednesday, September 30, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Meet the Victim, mystery
8:00p Wrestling Matches, film
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Thursday, October 1, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Concert Hall
8:00p Wings to Anywhere
8:30p Jackson and Jill
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Friday, October 2, 1953
5:30p Captain Video
6:00p News
6:15p Dinner Date Theater
7:30p The World We Live In
7:45p Public Prosecutor, mystery
8:00p Hollywood Half Hour
8:30p Anywhere U.S.A.
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News
Saturday, October 3, 1953
5:40p Crusader Rabbit
5:45p Telecomics
6:00p Dinner Date Theater
7:25p TV Close-Up
7:30p Progress on Parade
8:00p Roller Derby
9:00p Evening Theater
10:30p News, Weather, Sports