SAD NEWS: Augie Hiebert, who brought television to Alaska in the 1950's with KTVA in Anchorage and later KTVF in Fairbanks, died today (9/13) at the age of 90. In his memory, here's a schedule from 1955, when Fairbanks TV was only a few months old:
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
KFAR-TV 2 (NBC/ABC)
Saturday:
4:30-Uncle Pancho
5:00-Will's Rangers ("Ridin' On")
6:00-Zoo Parade
6:30-Mr. Wizard
7:00-Tanana Valley News (Channel 2's first newscast title followed by "The Big 30" and others to follow)
7:15-Channel 2 Weather Map
7:20-Sports Parade
7:30-The Lone Ranger ("The Fugitive")
8:00-Kodak Request Performance ("No Place to Live")
8:30-Abbott & Costello ("Car Trouble")
9:00-The Lawrence Welk Show
10:00-Mark Saber ("Fashions of Death")
10:30-The Ted Mack Show
11:00-Sign off
Sunday:
4:30-Youth on the March
5:00-Super Circus
5:30-Children's Corner
6:00-Pinky Lee
6:30-This is the Life
7:00-Your Play Time
7:30-It's a Great Life
8:00-Dragnet
8:30-Ford's Theater
9:00-The Loretta Young Show
9:30-Break The Bank
10:00-Mrs. and Mrs. North
10:30-Duffy's Tavern
11:00- Sign off
KTVF CHANNEL 11 (CBS/Dumont)
Saturday:
4:30-Test Pattern
5:30-To Be Announced
6:00-Answers for Americans
6:30-What's Your Trouble
6:45-The Christophers
7:00-CBS & Fairbanks Newsreel
7:30-The House That Faith Built
8:00-Wrestling from Hollywood
9:00-The Lone Wolf
9:30-Weather Forecast
9:35-Today in Sports
9:50-News Capsule
10:00-Feature Theater
11:00-Sign off
Sunday:
4:00-Test Pattern
5:00-The Christophers
5:30-The Big Picture
6:00-Wrestling Workouts
6:30-Soldiers of Fortune
7:00-You Are There
7:30-Amos and Andy
8:30-Meet Corliss Archer
8:00-Meet Millie
9:00-Appointment with Adventure
9:30-The Hunter
10:00-Feature Theater
11:00-Sign off
So as you can see, radio with KFAR and KFRB (now KCBF) was still king of the airwaves, but television in Fairbanks was just in its embryonic stages in 1955. Both station's broadcast days were only 6 1/2 hours on the weekends from 4:30 to 11:00, compared to the almost 24 hours they and four others are on the air now!
Jonathan Allen
Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
KFAR-TV 2 (NBC/ABC)
Saturday:
4:30-Uncle Pancho
5:00-Will's Rangers ("Ridin' On")
6:00-Zoo Parade
6:30-Mr. Wizard
7:00-Tanana Valley News (Channel 2's first newscast title followed by "The Big 30" and others to follow)
7:15-Channel 2 Weather Map
7:20-Sports Parade
7:30-The Lone Ranger ("The Fugitive")
8:00-Kodak Request Performance ("No Place to Live")
8:30-Abbott & Costello ("Car Trouble")
9:00-The Lawrence Welk Show
10:00-Mark Saber ("Fashions of Death")
10:30-The Ted Mack Show
11:00-Sign off
Sunday:
4:30-Youth on the March
5:00-Super Circus
5:30-Children's Corner
6:00-Pinky Lee
6:30-This is the Life
7:00-Your Play Time
7:30-It's a Great Life
8:00-Dragnet
8:30-Ford's Theater
9:00-The Loretta Young Show
9:30-Break The Bank
10:00-Mrs. and Mrs. North
10:30-Duffy's Tavern
11:00- Sign off
KTVF CHANNEL 11 (CBS/Dumont)
Saturday:
4:30-Test Pattern
5:30-To Be Announced
6:00-Answers for Americans
6:30-What's Your Trouble
6:45-The Christophers
7:00-CBS & Fairbanks Newsreel
7:30-The House That Faith Built
8:00-Wrestling from Hollywood
9:00-The Lone Wolf
9:30-Weather Forecast
9:35-Today in Sports
9:50-News Capsule
10:00-Feature Theater
11:00-Sign off
Sunday:
4:00-Test Pattern
5:00-The Christophers
5:30-The Big Picture
6:00-Wrestling Workouts
6:30-Soldiers of Fortune
7:00-You Are There
7:30-Amos and Andy
8:30-Meet Corliss Archer
8:00-Meet Millie
9:00-Appointment with Adventure
9:30-The Hunter
10:00-Feature Theater
11:00-Sign off
So as you can see, radio with KFAR and KFRB (now KCBF) was still king of the airwaves, but television in Fairbanks was just in its embryonic stages in 1955. Both station's broadcast days were only 6 1/2 hours on the weekends from 4:30 to 11:00, compared to the almost 24 hours they and four others are on the air now!
Jonathan Allen