Retro: Detroit; Tuesday, September 11, 2001 (Before Attacks)

[FulbyMichiganian]

Hello, everyone, this is my first post on this site, so please bear with me. What you're about to see is what Detroiters would've watched exactly twelve years ago if there weren't any terrorist attacks that day.

Source: Toledo Blade via Google News Archive

2 WJBK Detroit (Fox)
4 WDIV Detroit (NBC)
7 WXYZ Detroit (ABC)
9 CBET Windsor (CBC)
20 WDWB (now WMYD) Detroit (WB)
50 WKBD Detroit (UPN)
56 WTVS Detroit (PBS)
62 WWJ Detroit (CBS)

5 AM
2 Power of Attorney (?)
4 7 News
20 Every Woman
50 Paid Programming (until 6 AM)

5:30
2 News
20 Paid Programming

6 AM
9 CBC Morning News
20 Charles in Charge
50 Headline News
62 Paid Programming

6:30
20 Full House
50 Diff'rent Strokes
62 CBS Morning News

7 AM
4 Today
7 Good Morning America
9 Arthur
20 City Guys
50 Sister, Sister
56 Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat
62 The Early Show

7:30
9 The Magic School Bus
20 Garfield and Friends
50 Sailor Moon
56 Arthur

8 AM
9 Clifford the Big Red Dog
20 Paid Programming
50 Bewitched
56 Dragon Tales

8:30
9 Dragon Tales
20 Kenneth Copeland
50 I Dream of Jeannie
56 Clifford the Big Red Dog

8:46
American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing all network stations to preempt all programming for breaking news reports. 2, 4, 7, 62 and probably all other Detroit channels preempted all programming, but 9 didn't start covering the attacks until noon.

-----ALL PROGRAMMING BELOW WAS PREEMPTED-----

9 AM

2 Montel Williams
7 Live with Regis and Kelly
9 Little Bear
20 The 700 Club
50 Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
56 Caillou
62 Rosie O'Donnell

9:30
9 Franklin
56 Teletubbies

10 AM
2 Divorce Court
4 Jerry Springer
7 Martha Stewart Living
9 Zoboomafoo
20 7th Heaven
50 Moral Court
56 Barney & Friends
62 Guiding Light

10:30
2 Power of Attorney
9 Mr. Dressup
56 Zoboomafoo

11 AM
2 The People's Court
4 Sally Jessy Raphael
7 The View
9 Sesame Park
20 Roseanne
50 Judge Mathis
56 Sesame Street
62 The Price Is Right

11:30
9 Slim Pig (?)
20 Mama's Family

Noon
2 4 7 News
9 This Hour Has 22 Minutes
20 Extra
50 Crossing Over with John Edward
56 Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
62 Family Feud

12:30
2 3rd Rock From the Sun
4 Jeopardy!
7 Port Charles
9 The Red Green Show
20 Arrest and Trial
50 Martin
56 Jay Jay the Jet Plane
62 The Young and the Restless

1 PM
2 Queen Latifah
4 Days of Our Lives
7 All My Children
9 North of 60
20 Street Smarts
50 Shipmates
56 Between the Lions

1:30
20 The Real World
50 227
56 Reading Rainbow
62 The Bold and the Beautiful

2 PM
2 Ricki Lake
4 Ananda
7 One Life to Live
9 Canadian Gardener
20 Family Matters
50 Suddenly Susan
56 The Parenting Puzzle: The Middle Years

2:30
9 Riverdale
20 The Parent 'Hood
50 Clueless
56 The Parenting Puzzle: The Middle Years

3 PM
2 Montel Williams
4 Jenny Jones
7 General Hospital
9 Coronation Street
20 Sailor Moon
56 Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat
62 Guding Light

3:30
9 Emmerdale Farm
20 Pokemon
56 Arthur
62 Family Feud

4 PM
2 Judge Judy
4 Maury Povich
7 Oprah Winfrey
9 Arthur
20 Pokemon
50 Legend of Tarzan
56 Zoom
62 Judge Mathis
Furniture sale.

4:30
2 Judge Judy
9 The Magic School Bus
20 Batman Beyond
50 Recess
56 Arthur

5 PM
2 4 7 News
9 Nancy Drew
20 The Cosby Show
50 Sabrina the Teenage Witch
56 Clifford the Big Red Dog
62 Judge Joe Brown

5:30
2 News
9 Music Works
20 In the House (incomplete title)
50 Moesha
56 Disabilities (incomplete title)
62 Crossing Over

6 PM
2 4 7 News
9 CBC News: Canada Now
20 Jamie Foxx
50 The Simpsons
56 The Newshour with Jim Lehrer
62 Frasier

6:30
2 Judge Hatchett
4 NBC News
20 Blind Date
50 Friend
62 CBS News

7 PM
2 Divorce Court
4 Wheel of Fortune
7 ABC News
9 Life & Times
20 The Drew Carey Show
50 Spin City
56 Business Report
62 Hollywood Squares

7:30
2 Seinfeld
4 Jeopardy!
7 Entertainment Tonight
20 Hollywood (incomplete title)
50 Friends
56 World News
62 Judge Joe Brown

8 PM
2 That 70's Show
Jackie asks Fex to be her partner in a roller-disco contest.
4 Fear Factor
Contestants must conquer challenging stunts for a chance to win the $50,000 prize. Host: Joe Rogan from Pennsylvania.
7 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
9 Ice: Beyond Cool
20 Gilmore Girls ("Emily in Wonderland")
50 Movie: "Set It Off" (1996)
Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah. Injustice and desperation drive four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles.
56 Nova ("The Vikings")
Retracing Viking voyages shows how bold and energetic the warriors were. (part 1 of 2)
62 Big Brother 2
Strangers totally cut off from the outside world coexist in an isolated house.

8:30
2 That 70's Show

9 PM
2 Love Cruise: The Maiden Voyage (premiere)
In a quest for love and prizes, 16 men and women on a cruise ship compete in challenges and vote others off.
4 Frasier
Frasier comforts a man (Patrick Breen) whose wife abandoned him and took their four children with her.
7 Dharma & Greg
Dharma and Greg learn never to take life or love for granted. (part 2 of 2)
9 Da Vinci's Inquest
20 Dead Last ("Teen Spirit")
56 A History of the Future ("Technology: The Global Village") (part 1 of 2)
62 The 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards

9:30
4 Frasier
The Cranes head to the Caribbean for a romantic getaway.
7 Spin City
When a gun shot lands Charlie in the hospital, he uses his condition to milk Caitlin for attention. (part 2 of 2)

10 PM
2 50 News
4 Dateline NBC
Consumer report on auto-crash tests.
7 NYPD Blue ("In the Wind")
Sorenson turns up missing and the stripper he dated is found dead in his apartment.
9 The National; The Magazine
20 Street Smarts

10:30
20 Wayans Bros.
56 Rattler!
Researchers study rattlesnakes. Host: Don Collier.

11 PM
2 3rd Rock
4 7 62 News
9 The National Update
20 Blind Date
50 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
56 Are You Being Served?

11:30
2 Cheers
4 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Guest: Charlie Sheen.
7 Nightline
Fighting in the Congo. (part 2 of 5)
9 Killer Net
20 Sex Wars
50 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
56 Chef! (incomplete title)

Midnight
2 M*A*S*H
20 Change of Heart
50 Star Trek: Voyager
56 Charlie Rose

12:30
2 M*A*S*H

1 AM
2 Married... With Children
50 Star Trek: The Next Generation
56 Nova

1:30
2 Family Ties

2 AM
2 News
20 Movie: "Eternity" (1990)
Jon Voight. Two men and a woman reincarnate a medieval love/war triangle, updated by themes of nuclear might and T.V.
56 A History of the Future

 

[Mike Stroud]

As Joe Don Baker said in his short-lived 1979 NBC cop show, "Eischied," "Ya done good!" your first time out! Welcome to our club, FM.

As for CBET, that of course meant CBC's coverage didn't start until Noon--note that Canada's national network only had a one-hour newscast at 6 a.m. But it is quite puzzling, since I am certain much of that country began shutting down in the minutes after the collapse of the first tower as the U.S. did. It's a shame that southwestern Ontario apparently didn't have a CTV station (commercial competition to CBC, for us Yanks reading), as I would surmise that CTV began coverage well before Noon, keyed as it was toward a greater focus upon American culture.

Anybody know any more about that? It would sure make for an interesting thread here.

 

[crainbebo]

What news channel did ch. 20 and 50 take? CNN?

-crainbebo

 

[FulbyMichiganian]

What news channel did ch. 20 and 50 take? CNN?

-crainbebo

Sadly, I don't remember. But, if you want me to, I may post listings for the same day from the same paper for the Cleveland and Toledo stations.

 

[cwf1701]

As Joe Don Baker said in his short-lived 1979 NBC cop show, "Eischied," "Ya done good!" your first time out! Welcome to our club, FM.

As for CBET, that of course meant CBC's coverage didn't start until Noon--note that Canada's national network only had a one-hour newscast at 6 a.m. But it is quite puzzling, since I am certain much of that country began shutting down in the minutes after the collapse of the first tower as the U.S. did. It's a shame that southwestern Ontario apparently didn't have a CTV station (commercial competition to CBC, for us Yanks reading), as I would surmise that CTV began coverage well before Noon, keyed as it was toward a greater focus upon American culture.

Anybody know any more about that? It would sure make for an interesting thread here.

CTV has a repeater in Sarina (CKCO-42). I could pick it up with a good pair of rabbit ears in southern Macomb county. CIII has transmitter on 22 (Windsor) and 29 (Sarina). And there is TVO (CICO) on Channel 32 in Windsor. anyone have listings for those 3 stations? and did TVO also go into breaking news coverage?

 

[anabate123]

Sadly, I don't remember. But, if you want me to, I may post listings for the same day from the same paper for the Cleveland and Toledo stations.

I would love to see the Before Attack listings for these...

TOLEDO:

5 - WT05 Toledo (WB, cable-only)
11 - WTOL Toledo (CBS)
13 - WTVG Toledo (ABC)
24 - WNWO Toledo (NBC)
36 - WUPW Toledo (Fox)
48 - WNGT Toledo (UPN)

CLEVELAND:

3 - WKYC Cleveland (NBC)
5 - WEWS Cleveland (ABC)
8 - WJW Cleveland (Fox)
43 - WUAB Lorain (UPN)

(Not Listed)
19 - WOIO Cleveland (CBS)
55 - WBNX Akron (WB)

 

[visaman]

I am in Vancouver, and I got to work at at 8:30 am (11:30 est) and I remember the TV in the break room had the CBC broadcasting the events. I think the coverage came from CBS (I could be wrong), but when Canada got involved (Canadian airports allowed planes to land) is when the CBC coverage started. Our Toronto office closed for the day, so the Vancouver office picked up the slack.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Here in Boston, WBZ-4, WCVB-5, WHDH-7, and WFXT-25 occasionally broke into network coverage (IIRC, Fox's broadcast network was simulcasting Fox News Channel's coverage) first to report that the special Congressional primary (what was then known as the 9th District was holding primaries to pick the two major-party candidates who would face each other a few weeks hence to replace the recently-deceased Congressman Joe Moakley) was going to continue as scheduled, then for a couple of reports from Logan Airport, where two of the hijacked planes originated from.

There may have been other cities where local affiliates likewise briefly broke into the network for related local developments.

And I'm pretty sure that the major New York TV stations all did nonstop locally-produced coverage and didn't pick-up the network. Of course, when the North Tower collapsed, the over-the-air signals for many of them ceased (I believe WCBS-2, and maybe one or two other stations, had backup transmitters atop the Empire State Building). But cable systems got a direct feed via fiber-optic cable so cable subscribers got no interruption in service from the major stations.

 

[liradioisbad]

And I'm pretty sure that the major New York TV stations all did nonstop locally-produced coverage and didn't pick-up the network. Of course, when the North Tower collapsed, the over-the-air signals for many of them ceased (I believe WCBS-2, and maybe one or two other stations, had backup transmitters atop the Empire State Building). But cable systems got a direct feed via fiber-optic cable so cable subscribers got no interruption in service from the major stations.

That's exactly what happened. For that matter, the cable feeds of WWOR and Telemundo's WNJU both were out for a bit. Cablewise, seemed like the vast majority of networks picked up coverage, and you could tell who owned who by which coverage they chose. As a matter of fact, I think VH1 carried WCBS-TV's coverage for a bit.

 

[mjlarochelle2]

I watched WUAB/43 from Cleveland on 9/11 and they were simulcasting CNN. My then-local station, CFPL/10 in London, Ont. was also simulcasting CNN but was doing local cut-ins, which I assume were also aired on co-owned CHWI in Windsor.

CBC in the Eastern Time Zone did indeed not air any 9/11 coverage until noon. In a statement, they had stated that they had made the "mistake" of interrupting Sesame Street for coverage of the Challenger explosion in 1986 which resulted in numerous complaints from viewers, and they decided not to repeat that mistake as they were airing childrens' programming at the time of the attacks. Also by then they had CBC Newsworld that they could air live coverage on anyways.

Windsor gets a marginal signal for CKCO/42, but it is carried on cable along with Global and some Toronto-area stations not available over-the-air.

9/11/01 was the one day I can remember virtually every single channel on TV airing exactly the same thing. Even though I did not know anyone in New York or anyone affected by the attacks, the attacks still make me emotional. I'll never forget when I visited Ground Zero five years later.

 

[johnnya2k6]

7:30
20 Hollywood (incomplete title)

I believe that was Access Hollywood.

 

[crainbebo]

And on 9/11, Food Network and HGTV had a still screen and soft piano music all day. Very eerie to this day. Also, QVC ceased with a still screen and v/o.
TBS Superstation took CNN for hours, pretty much every Fox station had Fox News simulcast all day and night that day, WGN Superstation took WGN-9's local coverage, ESPN/ESPN2 took ABC. MTV/CMT/VH1/TNN had CBS/WCBS coverage, and TLC took BBC World News. Several channels, like E!, Lifetime and Comedy Central, did nothing, which was very rude IMO. EVERY channel except for the kids networks should have suspended their broadcast, because 3,000 people did die, and it was the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

-crainbebo