Retro: Eastern New England - Monday, May 30, 1960 (Memorial Day)

[MCarney]

Because I'm waiting for better weather and baseball...

Source – TV Guide Eastern New England edition

2 - WGBH Boston (Educational) – also some network public affairs and news programs
10:30a 21” Classroom
01:15p Humanities – education
03:30p Teacher Workshop
04:00p Symphony – Woodworth
04:30p Ordeal by Fire – history
05:00p Beverlee’s Clipper Ship
06:00p The Friendly Giant
06:15p Mr. Murgle’s Musee
06:30p News – Louis Lyons
06:45p Backgrounds – Louis Lyons
07:00p West German Newsreel
07:15p Americans at Work
07:30p Prospects of Mankind (special) – “China: Shadows of the Summit” hosted by Eleanor Roosevelt
08:30p Laboratory – history “Lincoln-Portrait of a Man”
09:00p Search for America (in a mix-up the Guide lists the description of the “Peter Gunn” episode for this show)
09:30p I’ve Been Reading – “Eclipse of the Community” by Maurice R. Stein, who is the guest (live)
10:00p News – Robert Black

4 – WBZ Boston (NBC)
06:00a To Be Announced
06:30a Sign On Seminar – Zulli
06:45a Daily Almanac
06:55a Weather – Don Kent
07:00a Today – Dave Garroway
07:25a News, Weather
07:30a Today
08:25a News, Weather
08:30a Today
09:00a Today at Home – Adams
09:30a Truth or Consequences (delayed from 12:00p)
10:00a Dough Re Mi – quiz
10:30a Play Your Hunch
11:00a The Price is Right – Emcee Bill Cullen returns from a month’s vacation (color)
11:30a Concentration
12:00p News – Jack Chase
12:10p Weather – Don Kent
12:15p Big Brother – Bob Emery
12:45p Movie “Road to Singapore” 1940 – Bing Crosby
02:20p News – Leo Egan
02:30p Loretta Young
03:00p Young Dr. Malone
03:30p From These Roots
04:00p The Thin Man
04:30p Metropolitan Handicap (special) – The Metropolitan Handicap, $100,000 added, one mile, three-year-olds and up; Fred Capossela and Win Elliot report from Aqueduct Race Track, Ozone Park, N.Y. (live)
05:00p Movie “The Maverick Queen” 1956 – Barbara Stanwyck
06:30p News, Weather
06:45p The Huntley/Brinkley Report
07:00p Brave Stallion “Earthquake”
07:30p Riverboat “About Roger Mowbray”
08:30p Tales of Wells Fargo “Man for the Job”
09:00p Peter Gunn “Letter of the Law”
09:30p Alcoa Theater “Operation Spark” starring David Wayne
10:00p Steve Allen – guests: Opera singer Patrice Munsel, comedians Phil Harris and Jonathan Winters, and the North American Air Defense Command band (color)
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Movie Double Feature – “Indianapolis Speedway” 1939 and “Boston Blackie and the Law” 1936

5 – WHDH Boston (ABC (primary)/CBS/NBC)
06:30a Cartoons – kids
07:00a Big Mac – cartoons
07:30a Captain Bob – variety (color)
08:30a Ding Dong School
09:00a Romper Room (color)
09:45a Chris Evans (color)
10:00a News (color)
10:15a We Believe – religion (color)
10:30a Movie “Limping Man” 1953 – Lloyd Bridges, Moira Lister
12:00p Restless Gun
12:30p Farm and Home (color)
01:00p About Faces
01:30p Way of Life “Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts”
02:00p Baseball – Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore; Curt Gowdy and Art Gleeson report (live)
Day in Court, Gale Storm, Beat the Clock and Who Do You Trust? are preempted
04:00p American Bandstand
05:00p Bozo the Clown (color)
05:30p Rin Tin Tin “The White Wolf”
06:00p Dateline Boston – Jim Britt; Dr. Edwin Booth, Boston University, speaks on Memorial Day (color)
06:30p Burns and Allen
07:00p Douglas Edwards with the News (CBS)
07:15p News, Sports (color)
07:25p Weather – Loring (color)
07:30p Cheyenne “Town of Fear”
08:30p Bourbon Street Beat “Green Hell”
09:30p Adventures in Paradise “The Derelict” (Ricardo Montalban is the guest star)
10:30p Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour – guests include Captain Alston’s drill team
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Jack Paar – Joey Bishop is guest host (NBC)

6 – WCSH Portland (NBC)
06:20a Farm Report – Jack Brofee
06:30a Sign On Seminar – Zulli
07:00a Today – Dave Garroway
07:25a News, Weather
07:30a Today
08:25a News, Weather
08:30a Today
09:00a Romper Room – Connie Roussin
09:30a To Be Announced (usually Science education class)
10:00a Dough Re Mi – quiz
10:30a Play Your Hunch
11:00a The Price is Right (color)
11:30a Concentration
12:00p Truth or Consequences
12:30p It Could Be You (color)
01:00p Weekday on Six – variety
02:00p Queen for a Day
02:30p Loretta Young
03:00p Young Dr. Malone
03:30p From These Roots
04:00p The Thin Man
04:30p Yancy Derringer
05:00p Popeye – cartoons
05:30p Robin Hood
06:00p Quick Draw McGraw
06:30p News, Sports, Weather
06:45p The Huntley/Brinkley Report
07:00p Youth Cavalcade – amateurs
07:30p Riverboat “About Roger Mowbray”
08:30p Tales of Wells Fargo “Man for the Job”
09:00p Peter Gunn “Letter of the Law”
09:30p Alcoa Theater “Operation Spark” starring David Wayne
10:00p Steve Allen – guests: Opera singer Patrice Munsel, comedians Phil Harris and Jonathan Winters, and the North American Air Defense Command band (color)
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Jack Paar – Joey Bishop is guest host

7 – WNAC Boston (CBS)
07:00a Laurel and Hardy – comedy
08:15a Captain Kangaroo – The Captain explains the meaning of Memorial Day and sings “America the Beautiful”; he shows how to make a game called “Feed the Animals”; Tom Terrific cartoon
09:00a Morning Star Time
10:00a My Little Margie
10:30a I Married Joan
11:00a I Love Lucy
11:30a December Bride
12:00p Love of Life
12:30p Search for Tomorrow
12:45p The Guiding Light
01:00p Louise Morgan – women
01:30p As the World Turns
02:00p For Better or Worse
02:30p House Party
03:00p The Millionaire
03:30p The Verdict is Yours
04:00p The Brighter Day
04:15p The Secret Storm
04:30p Amos ‘n’ Andy “The Insurance Policy”
05:00p Movie “Gung Ho” 1942 – Randolph Scott
06:30p Quick Draw McGraw
07:00p Charlie Chan “Three Men on a Raft”
07:30p The Kate Smith Show – guest: songwriter-producer Jule Styne
08:00p The Texan
08:30p Father Knows Best “A Day in the Country”
09:00p Danny Thomas – Milton Berle guest stars
09:30p Ann Sothern “Katy and the New Girl” (Eva Gabor guest stars)
10:00p Hennesey – Bobby Darin guests as a young entertainer who’s unhappy about life in the Navy
10:30p The DuPont Show with June Allyson – “Edge of Fury” with June and Dan O’Herlihy
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Movie double feature “Swing Fever” 1944 and “The Woman in the Window” 1944

8 – WMTW Poland Springs (ABC)
08:45a Teddy Bear Cartoons
10:00a Farmer Al Falfa – cartoons
10:30a Movie “Summer Holiday” 1947 – Mickey Rooney, Gloria De Haven
12:00p Restless Gun
12:30p Love that Bob!
01:00p About Faces
01:30p Inside Sports
02:00p Baseball – Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore; Curt Gowdy and Art Gleeson report (live)
Day in Court, Gale Storm, Beat the Clock and Who Do You Trust? are preempted
04:00p American Bandstand
05:30p Rin Tin Tin “The White Wolf”
06:00p Movie “Indianapolis Speedway” 1939
07:20p News, Weather
07:30p Cheyenne “Town of Fear”
08:30p Bourbon Street Beat “Green Hell”
09:30p Adventures in Paradise “The Derelict” (Ricardo Montalban is the guest star)
10:30p Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour – guests include Captain Alston’s drill team
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Movie “The Duchess and the Bandit” 1957

9 – WMUR Manchester (ABC)
10:00a Cartoons – kids
10:30a Movie (title not listed)
11:30a Woman’s World – Drake
11:50a News – Gus Bernier
12:00p Restless Gun
12:30p Country Store – Clyde Joy
01:00p About Faces
01:30p Catholic Thought – religion
01:45p Air Force Story
02:00p To Be Announced (ABC aired “Day in Court” at this time – WMUR cleared it the rest of the week)
02:30p To Be Announced (ABC aired “Gale Storm” at this time – WMUR cleared it the rest of the week)
03:00p To Be Announced (ABC aired “Beat the Clock” at this time – WMUR cleared it the rest of the week)
03:30p To Be Announced (ABC aired “Who Do You Trust?” at this time – WMUR cleared it the rest of the week)
04:00p American Bandstand
05:00p Popeye – cartoons
06:00p Captain Grief – adventure
06:30p News, Sports, Weather
06:45p To Be Announced
07:00p Wrestling – Chicago
08:00p Damon Runyon Theater “Cleo”
08:30p I Spy – adventure
09:00p Gov. Wesley Powell – talk
09:30p Movie “Grand Canyon” 1949
11:00p News, Weather
11:05p Movie “My Dog Shep” 1948

10 – WJAR Providence (NBC/ABC)
07:00a Today – Dave Garroway
07:25a News, Weather
07:30a Today
08:25a News, Weather
08:30a Today
09:00a Movie “Sahara” 1943 – Humphrey Bogart
11:00a The Price is Right (color)
11:30a Concentration
12:00p Truth or Consequences
12:30p It Could Be You (color)
01:00p Movie “So Well Remembered” 1947 – John Mills, Martha Scott
02:15p Fashion Firsts – Julie Dane
02:30p Loretta Young
03:00p Young Dr. Malone
03:30p From These Roots
04:00p The Thin Man
04:30p Yancy Derringer
05:00p Movie “Whispering Smith Speaks” 1935
06:30p News, Weather
06:45p The Huntley/Brinkley Report
07:00p Death Valley Days “Emma is Coming”
07:30p Cheyenne “Town of Fear” (ABC)
08:30p Tales of Wells Fargo “Man for the Job”
09:00p Peter Gunn “Letter of the Law”
09:30p Alcoa Theater “Operation Spark” starring David Wayne
10:00p Steve Allen – guests: Opera singer Patrice Munsel, comedians Phil Harris and Jonathan Winters, and the North American Air Defense Command band (color)
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Jack Paar (1st night on WJAR – it had been airing on WPRO since 1957)

11 – WENH Durham (Educational)
01:15p New Hampshire History
02:15p Driver Education
02:45p Careers – New England
03:30p Teacher Workshop
05:00p Beverlee’s Clipper Ship
06:00p Classical Music
06:25p Events – New Hampshire
06:30p News – Louis Lyons
06:45p Backgrounds – Louis Lyons
07:00p Quest for Adventure
07:30p Continental Classroom
08:00p Survival in the Sea
08:30p Laboratory – history “Lincoln-Portrait of a Man”
09:00p Symphony – Woodward
09:30p Heritage – C.N. Parkinson

12 – WPRO Providence (CBS/ABC)
07:00a Popeye - cartoons
07:30a Storytime – Beth Chollar
08:00a News – Dave Mohr
08:15a Captain Kangaroo – The Captain explains the meaning of Memorial Day and sings “America the Beautiful”; he shows how to make a game called “Feed the Animals”; Tom Terrific cartoon
09:00a Romper Room – Bonnie Riker
09:30a Movie “Flaming Fury” – Roy Roberts
10:45a News – Stuart, Mohr
11:00a I Love Lucy
11:30a December Bride
12:00p Love of Life
12:30p Search for Tomorrow
12:45p The Guiding Light
01:00p Medic “When Comes the Autumn”
01:30p As the World Turns
02:00p Baseball – Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore; Curt Gowdy and Art Gleeson report (live)
For Better or Worse, House Party, The Millionaire and The Verdict is Yours are preempted
04:00p The Brighter Day
04:15p The Secret Storm
04:30p The Edge of Night
05:00p Woody Woodpecker –cartoons
05:30p Salty Brine’s Shack
06:30p News, Sports, Weather
06:45p Douglas Edwards with the News
07:00p The Texan (CBS, delayed from 8p)
07:30p Bourbon Street Beat “False Identity” (ABC, delayed from 8:30p)
08:30p Father Knows Best “A Day in the Country”
09:00p Danny Thomas – Milton Berle guest stars
09:30p Ann Sothern “Katy and the New Girl” (Eva Gabor guest stars)
10:00p Hennesey – Bobby Darin guests as a young entertainer who’s unhappy about life in the Navy
10:30p The DuPont Show with June Allyson – “Edge of Fury” with June and Dan O’Herlihy
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Movie “The Road to Denver” 1955 – John Wayne

13 – WGAN Portland (CBS)
08:00a News
08:15a Captain Kangaroo – The Captain explains the meaning of Memorial Day and sings “America the Beautiful”; he shows how to make a game called “Feed the Animals”; Tom Terrific cartoon
09:00a Movie (title not listed)
10:30a On The Go – Jack Linkletter
11:00a I Love Lucy
11:30a December Bride
12:00p Love of Life
12:30p Search for Tomorrow
12:45p The Guiding Light
01:00p Way of Life – drama
01:30p As the World Turns
02:00p For Better or Worse
02:30p House Party – Art Linkletter
03:00p The Millionaire
03:30p The Verdict is Yours
04:00p The Brighter Day
04:15p The Secret Storm
04:30p The Edge of Night
05:00p Comedy Time – kids
05:30p Grey Ghost – adventure
06:00p Silent Service – drama “Cargo for Creavalle”
06:30p News, Sports, Weather
06:45p Douglas Edwards with the News
07:00p Lock Up
07:30p The Kate Smith Show – guest: songwriter-producer Jule Styne
08:00p The Texan
08:30p Father Knows Best “A Day in the Country”
09:00p Danny Thomas – Milton Berle guest stars
09:30p Ann Sothern “Katy and the New Girl” (Eva Gabor guest stars)
10:00p Hennesey – Bobby Darin guests as a young entertainer who’s unhappy about life in the Navy
10:30p The DuPont Show with June Allyson – “Edge of Fury” with June and Dan O’Herlihy
11:00p News, Weather
11:15p Movie “High Tension” 1936

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Some thoughts:

I was surprised that WGBH-2 had classroom programs listed from 10:15 A.M. to 1:15 P.M.....unless they were sample programs of in-school fare that would be broadcast starting in the Fall which were being previewed for the benefit of teachers and parents.

Perhaps the reason WMUR-9 had "To Be Announced" from 2 to 4 P.M. may have been that the station picked-up ABC network programs off-air from the old WHDH-5 Boston.

If they did, and since they were not (to my knowledge) ever on the Sox' TV network, they had time to fill.

I also would think that unless the baseball game was joined in progress, at least part of "American Bandstand" on Channel 5 (and maybe 9) was also pre-empted.

Of unusual interest is that during the Spring of 1960, WMUR carried very few ABC prime-time programs. Instead, most of the station's prime-time schedule was old movies and syndicated programs. Maybe they were "testing the waters" for an eventual dumping of ABC and becoming an independent. But with the Great TV Affiliation Swap Of 1961 leaving ABC on WNAC-7, which then had a smaller signal area than Channels 4 or 5, WMUR was probably pressured to stay with ABC and resuming clearing the network's prime-time lineup.

Could the "To Be Announced" at 6:45 on WMUR had actually been ABC's newscast??

Also note that a couple of TV stations in the region carried the 1939 movie "Indianapolis Speedway", a film about race car drivers hoping to get to the "Brickyard", since May 30th was race day.

Back then, there was no TV coverage of the "500". Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials were worries about the impact of TV.

There was radio coverage of the "500" in those days; the speedway actually produced and syndicated the radio broadcast itself. The IMS went into the radio syndication business after the 1950 running of the race. Mutual aired the radio broadcast, but only did live coverage of the start, two fifteen minute "progress reports" on the race, and the finish. The 1950 race was cut short by rain, forcing Mutual to break into "Queen For A Day" to carry the finish. The IMS decided that once their contract with MBS ended following the 1951 event, they would insist on having the race be broadcast "(opening green) flag to (checkered) flag" on radio. No network wanted to do that, so the speedway produced and syndicated the race itself starting in 1952, and has to this day.

 

[MCarney]

If WMUR picked up the ABC feed from WHDH, what did they do in January 1961, when WNAC became the ABC affiliate? WNAC was preemption crazy, especially for afternoon movies.

Also did ABC have an evening newscast at this time?

 

[Tim L]

WAKR-TV 49 in Akron, Ohio had a similar schedule to WMUR as far as Prime time from the late 50's to the 1963-64 season..While WAKR carried ABC Daytime pretty consistently (WEWS in Cleveland pre-empted large parts of ABC daytime for local fare)..Channel 49 many nights would carry a 7:30 and 9:30 Movie, or Akron University Basketball or other local programs instead of ABC Prime Time.

In the 1963-64 fall season, they (ch. 49) were "Now carrying "The Full ABC-TV Lineup on WAKR"

 

[DaveArnold]

My dial would be set on WHDH-TV this day Red Sox baseball followed by American Bandstand.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Back then, there was no TV coverage of the "500". Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials were worries about the impact of TV.

There was radio coverage of the "500" in those days; the speedway actually produced and syndicated the radio broadcast itself. The IMS went into the radio syndication business after the 1950 running of the race. Mutual aired the radio broadcast, but only did live coverage of the start, two fifteen minute "progress reports" on the race, and the finish. The 1950 race was cut short by rain, forcing Mutual to break into "Queen For A Day" to carry the finish. The IMS decided that once their contract with MBS ended following the 1951 event, they would insist on having the race be broadcast "(opening green) flag to (checkered) flag" on radio. No network wanted to do that, so the speedway produced and syndicated the race itself starting in 1952, and has to this day.

Per Wikipedia (FWIW)--it wasn't until 1965 when ABC first aired the 500 on evening tape-delay (it would remain on tape delay until 1985). 1986 would be the first "500" that aired live in its entirety (but that year the race was rain-delayed twice and didn't run until the Saturday after Memorial Day--May 31, 1986).

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I had thought that from 1961 through 1964, ABC showed a few minutes of highlight clips of the Indianapolis "500" the following weekend on "Wide World Of Sports", then from 1965 through 1970 carried a more extended (but still highly edited) version of the race on the next weekend's "Wide World", then began showing a taped (and edited) version of the race in prime-time the day of the race in 1971.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

I had thought that from 1961 through 1964, ABC showed a few minutes of highlight clips of the Indianapolis "500" the following weekend on "Wide World Of Sports", then from 1965 through 1970 carried a more extended (but still highly edited) version of the race on the next weekend's "Wide World", then began showing a taped (and edited) version of the race in prime-time the day of the race in 1971.

That sounds more accurate. I still remember marveling at how fast they could produce the Firestone commercial that ran at the end of the race that mentioned that day's winner, not realizing they probably had several versions with various favorites already produced.