Retro: Golden Horseshoe/Buffalo/Rochester Thurs, Apr 7, 1960

[Bluenoser]

from TV Guide-Lake Ontario edition
CBC stations' prime-time lineups may be interrupted for Stanley Cup playoff coverage

WGR 2-NBC Buffalo
6:30 Continental Classroom (c)
7:00 Today (Spunky and Tadpole at 7:25 and 8:25)
9:00 Byline, Steve Wilson
9:30 Helen Neville
10:00 Dough Re Mi
10:30 Play Your Hunch
11:00 Price is Right (c)
11:30 Concentration
noon Truth or Consequences
12:30 It Could Be You (c)
1:00 Mid-Day Matinee "Winterset"
2:00 Queen for a Day
2:30 Loretta Young
3:00 Young Dr. Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4:00 Thin Man
4:30 Buckskin
5:00 Three Stooges
5:30 Huckleberry Hound
6:00 Bengal Lancers
6:30 News
6:45 NBC News
7:00 Shotgun Slade
7:30 Plainsman
8:00 Bat Masterson
8:30 Producers' Choice "Cowboy Five Seven"
9:00 Bachelor Father
9:30 Tennessee Ernie Ford (c/guest Shari Lewis)
10:00 Groucho Marx
10:30 Tombstone Territory
11:00 News
11:30 Jack Paar

CKVR 3-CBC Barrie
10:45 Living Word
11:00 Romper Room
noon Cartoons
12:30 News
1:00 Afternoon Movie "Life Begins at 40"
2:30 Open House
3:00 CBC Playhouse
3:30 Women's Show
4:00 Popeye
4:30 Just Mary (premiere)
4:45 Children's Newsreel
5:00 This Living World
5:30 Roy Rogers
6:00 Ernie Lindell
6:25 Farm Market Report
6:30 News
7:00 Gunsmoke
7:30 San Francisco Beat
8:00 Deputy
8:30 Talent Caravan (live from New Westminster, BC-where it's 5:30 in the afternoon ;D)
9:00 Close-Up
9:30 Man from Blackhawk
10:00 Country Junction
10:30 Detective's Diary
11:00 CBC News
11:15 News
11:30 Fabulous Films "The Sullivans"

WBEN 4-CBS Buffalo
7:30 Rise & Shine
8:00 CBS News
8:15 Captain Kangaroo
9:00 Cartoons
9:30 Life of Riley
10:00 Red Rowe
10:30 On the Go
11:00 I Love Lucy
11:30 December Bride
noon News/Weather
12:15 Speaker of the House
12:30 Search for Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1:00 Meet the Millers
1:30 As the World Turns
2:00 For Better or Worse
2:30 House Party
3:00 Millionaire
3:30 Verdict is Yours
4:00 Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge of Night
5:00 Fun to Learn
5:15 Big Mac
6:00 William Tell (premiere)
6:25 Weather/News/Sports
6:45 CBS News
7:00 State Trooper
7:30 To Tell the Truth
8:00 Betty Hutton
8:30 Johnny Ringo
9:00 Zane Grey "Seed of Evil"
9:30 Markham
10:00 Night Club, New York
11:00 News
11:30 Play of the Week "The Closing Door"

WROC 5-ABC/NBC Rochester
6:00 Continental Classroom (x2, 6:30 show is c)
7:00 Today
9:00 Ding Dong School
9:30 Burns & Allen
10:00 Dough Re Mi
10:30 Play Your Hunch
11:00 Price is Right (c)
11:30 Concentration
noon Truth or Consequences
12:30 It Could Be You (c)
1:00 Feature Movie "Blonde Alibi"
2:30 Home Cooking
3:00 Young Dr. Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4:00 Thin Man
4:30 Buckskin
5:00 Playhouse Five "Skabenga"
6:30 News
6:45 NBC News
7:00 Detectives
7:30 US Border Patrol
8:00 Bat Masterson
8:30 Real McCoys
9:00 Bachelor Father
9:30 Tennessee Ernie Ford (c/guest Shari Lewis)
10:00 Groucho Marx
10:30 Not for Hire
11:00 News
11:30 Jack Paar

CBLT 6-CBC Toronto
12:15pm Movie: TBA
1:45 News
2:00 Chez Helene
2:15 Nursery School Time
2:30 Open House
3:00 CBC Playhouse
3:30 Fighting Words
4:00 Popeye
4:30 Just Mary (premiere)
4:45 Children's Newsreel
5:00 This Living World
5:30 Roy Rogers
6:00 News
6:15 Bob Cummings
6:45 CBC News
7:00 Tabloid
7:30 Political Talk
7:45 Scan (Don Messer & the Islanders are interviewed)
8:00 Deputy
8:30 Talent Caravan
9:00 Close-Up
9:30 Man from Blackhawk
10:00 Manhunt
10:30 On the Scene "Crisis on Wheels" (looks at Toronto's traffic problems-some things never change )
11:00 CBC News
11:15 Viewpoint
11:20 Sports
11:30 International Detective

WKBW 7-ABC Buffalo
7:30 Window on the World
8:00 Buffalo AM
9:00 Comedy Corner
9:30 Romper Room (Miss Mary Klein)
10:30 Morning Show "The Irish in Us"
noon Restless Gun
12:30 Love That Bob!
1:00 About Faces
1:30 Divorce Hearing
2:00 Day in Court
2:30 Gale Storm
3:00 Beat the Clock
3:30 Who Do You Trust?
4:00 American Bandstand
5:30 Rocky & His Friends (Bullwinkle)
6:00 Early Show "The Walking Dead"
7:15 News/Weather
7:30 Black Saddle
8:00 Donna Reed
8:30 Real McCoys
9:00 Pat Boone (guest Carol Lawrence)
9:30 Untouchables
10:30 US Border Patrol
11:00 News
11:15 First Run Playhouse "International Lady"

WHEC/WVET 10-ABC/CBS Rochester
7:30 On the Farm
8:00 Katie's House
8:15 Captain Kangaroo
9:00 Coffee Cup Theater "Final Appointment"
10:15 Assignment: The World
10:30 On the Go
11:00 I Love Lucy
11:30 December Bride
noon Love of Life
12:30 Search for Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1:00 Stage One
1:30 As the World Turns
2:00 For Better or Worse
2:30 House Party
3:00 Millionaire
3:30 Verdict is Yours
4:00 Brighter Day
4:15 Secret Storm
4:30 Edge of Night
5:00 Life of Riley
5:30 Popeye
6:00 Bugs Bunny
6:30 News
6:45 CBS News
7:00 Bourbon Street Beat
8:00 Betty Hutton
8:30 Johnny Ringo
9:00 Zane Grey "Seed of Evil"
9:30 What's My Line? (guest panelist Mort Sahl joins regulars Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen, and Arlene Francis)
10:00 Night Club, New York
11:00 News
11:20 Premiere Theatre "The House of Rothschild"

CHCH 11-CBC Hamilton
8:55 Thought for Today
9:00 Romper Room
9:30 Morning Movie "Road Show"
11:00 Jane Gray
11:30 Bob McLean
12:30 News
12:45 Movie Matinee "Nancy Steele is Missing"
2:15 Nursery School Time
2:30 Open House
3:00 CBC Playhouse
3:30 For the Ladies
3:35 Music for You
3:55 News
4:00 Popeye
5:00 Family Theatre "Emergency Hospital" (sports/news at 5:40 and 6:05)
6:25 Family Theatre "The Flying Saucer" (weather at 6:50)
7:45 Political Talk (Ontario AG A. Kelso Roberts)
8:00 Deputy
8:30 Talent Caravan
9:00 Close-Up
9:30 Man from Blackhawk
10:00 Meet McGraw
10:30 Headline
11:00 News
11:30 Late Show "Brigham Young"

WICU 12-ABC/NBC Erie
7:00 Today
9:00 Cartoons
9:30 Adolphe Menjou
10:00 Dough Re Mi
10:30 Play Your Hunch
11:00 Price is Right (c)
11:30 Concentration
noon Truth or Consequences
12:30 It Could Be You (c)
1:00 Susie
1:30 Mary Lo
2:00 Future Farmers
2:15 Film Feature
2:30 Loretta Young
3:00 Young Dr. Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4:00 Thin Man
4:30 Buckskin
5:00 Bugs Bunny
5:30 Rocky & His Friends (Bullwinkle)
6:00 Huckleberry Hound
6:30 News
6:45 NBC News
7:00 Rifleman
7:30 Sea Hunt
8:00 Bat Masterson
8:30 Real McCoys
9:00 Bachelor Father
9:30 Tennessee Ernie Ford (c/guest Shari Lewis)
10:00 Groucho Marx
10:30 Ernie Kovacs
11:00 News
11:30 Jack Paar

CKCO 13-CBC Kitchener
6:30 This Morning
9:00 Elaine Cole
9:20 Slimnastics
9:35 From Hollywood "Carnival in Costa Rica"
11:00 Come Into the Kitchen
11:30 Minister's Study
11:40 Cartoon Carnival
noon Sky King
12:30 News
12:45 Telescope
1:00 Afternoon Playhouse "Scudda-Hoo! Scudda-Hay!"
2:30 Open House
3:00 CBC Playhouse
3:30 Bazaar
4:25 News
4:30 Just Mary (premiere)
4:45 Children's Newsreel
5:00 This Living World
5:30 Supper Show "The Girl from Manhattan"
6:45 News
7:00 TBA
7:30 San Francisco Beat
8:00 Deputy
8:30 Talent Caravan
9:00 Close-Up
9:30 Man from Blackhawk
10:00 Phil Silvers
10:30 Mr. Adams & Eve
11:00 CBC News
11:15 News
11:30 One for the Man (Men's fashion show)
11:35 Night Owl Theater "The Gallant Blade"

 

[RBW]

1:00 Meet the Millers

I remember my parents used to watch this when I was a little kid!

My other surprise is that CBLT was the ONLY Toronto station?? And EVERY Canadian station was CBC?? (ugh!)

I also thought there was a slew of UHF stations around Buffalo in those days. ???

 

[Stanislav]

WGR 2-NBC Buffalo

7:00 Today (Spunky and Tadpole at 7:25 and 8:25)

Spunky and Tadpole? During the Today local breaks? That's an oddball. I thought most NBC stations inserted local news or something more appropriate to what the network was offering. I doubt the kids were watching Today while getting ready for school, and I doubt parents or other adults were sticking around in front of the set to watch the 5 minutes of cartoons. Maybe just a good excuse to plop the tykes in front of the tube for a 5-minute respite for Mom and Dad during the morning rush.

CKVR 3-CBC Barrie

8:30 Talent Caravan (live from New Westminster, BC-where it's 5:30 in the afternoon ;D)

How common were such live broadcasts in circa 1960 Canada? Wasn't it the late 50's ('56, '57, something like that) before there was even a coax/microwave link uniting East and West there? I would think a relatively new link like that (probably single-channel) would be reserved in those early years for special events, not a routine variety show. (Or was Talent Caravan some sort of big nationwide competition?)

WICU 12-ABC/NBC Erie

10:30 Ernie Kovacs

I wonder if that would actually be the game show he hosted (Take a Good Look), rather than one of the monthly half-hour specials he did as his final work before his untimely death? (In either case, this would have been an ABC program.) TAGL was on in 1960, but I believe the specials didn't start airing until later that year, or maybe not until '61.

 

[Bluenoser]

WGR 2-NBC Buffalo

7:00 Today (Spunky and Tadpole at 7:25 and 8:25)

Spunky and Tadpole? During the Today local breaks? That's an oddball. I thought most NBC stations inserted local news or something more appropriate to what the network was offering. I doubt the kids were watching Today while getting ready for school, and I doubt parents or other adults were sticking around in front of the set to watch the 5 minutes of cartoons. Maybe just a good excuse to plop the tykes in front of the tube for a 5-minute respite for Mom and Dad during the morning rush.

CKVR 3-CBC Barrie

8:30 Talent Caravan (live from New Westminster, BC-where it's 5:30 in the afternoon ;D)

How common were such live broadcasts in circa 1960 Canada? Wasn't it the late 50's ('56, '57, something like that) before there was even a coax/microwave link uniting East and West there? I would think a relatively new link like that (probably single-channel) would be reserved in those early years for special events, not a routine variety show. (Or was Talent Caravan some sort of big nationwide competition?)

WICU 12-ABC/NBC Erie

10:30 Ernie Kovacs

I wonder if that would actually be the game show he hosted (Take a Good Look), rather than one of the monthly half-hour specials he did as his final work before his untimely death? (In either case, this would have been an ABC program.) TAGL was on in 1960, but I believe the specials didn't start airing until later that year, or maybe not until '61.

The listings make mention of panelists, so that sounds like it could be TaGL.

 

[Stanislav]

WICU 12-ABC/NBC Erie

10:30 Ernie Kovacs

I wonder if that would actually be the game show he hosted (Take a Good Look), rather than one of the monthly half-hour specials he did as his final work before his untimely death? (In either case, this would have been an ABC program.) TAGL was on in 1960, but I believe the specials didn't start airing until later that year, or maybe not until '61.

The listings make mention of panelists, so that sounds like it could be TaGL.

That was a show that was only incidentally a game show, and really just a framework for Kovacs and his players to present videotaped sketches and blackouts similar to the sorts of things that would later fill those half-hour specials. The rules and object of the game itself were rather abstruse. Hans Conreid, a friend of Kovacs and frequent panelist, once remarked about Zsa Zsa Gabor's appearance on the panel, "She became so confused that she forgot to get married."

 

[Bob1370]

"My other surprise is that CBLT was the ONLY Toronto station??"

That was true until the very end of 1960--CFTO signed on for the first time on December 31, 1960, and that also marked the premiere of the entire CTV network. The UHF band wouldn't be opened up in Canada and allow more stations to operate in Toronto for another ten years.

"And EVERY Canadian station was CBC?? (ugh!)"

For a while. It was expected, early on, that all stations would carry some CBC programming in any city that didn't have a full CBC owned and operated station with a city-grade signal...that was a federal rule. CBC later upgraded its signals in most major cities and more stations signed on during the 1960s and 1970s, permitting not only the expansion of CTV but the eventual emergence of a third English language network, Global, which launched in Ontario in the mid-70s and by the end of the 1990s was a coast-to-coast competitor with CTV and CBC.

 

[bk77]

I believe at the time of these listings Buffalo was still a top 10 TV market, if not at least within the top 15. I remember seeing in the past online some early ads for both WGR and WBEN and both stations were kinda bragging about that fact.

Oddly I have NEVER seen online any old ads as in pre-1970's for WKBW. WKBW-TV that is as the net is full of old ads dating back to the 40's of WKBW Radio.

 

[Bob1370]

"Oddly I have NEVER seen online any old ads as in pre-1970's for WKBW. WKBW-TV that is as the net is full of old ads dating back to the 40's of WKBW Radio."

In its earliest days WKBW-TV, like most fledgling ABC affiliates that signed on between about 1955 and 1960, was a startup operation just finding its feet. When Capital Cities took over WKBW radio and TV in 1961 (backed by Lowell Thomas' money) they put more into both marketing and the on-air product. KB radio was already strong. But for the TV station it made a big difference, allowing them to start building the news operation around Irv Weinstein which by the end of the 1960s would come to dominate the Western NY/Southern Ontario market--a dominance it would hold for 30 years until Weinstein and Tom Jolls retired in 1998.

 

[azumanga]

WGR 2-NBC Buffalo

7:00 Today (Spunky and Tadpole at 7:25 and 8:25)

Spunky and Tadpole? During the Today local breaks? That's an oddball. I thought most NBC stations inserted local news or something more appropriate to what the network was offering. I doubt the kids were watching Today while getting ready for school...

Of course, "Today" was the same program that brought viewers J. Fred Muggs, the chimpanzee who practically upstaged the show's first host, Dave Garroway, from 1952 to 1957. Apparently, the local slots were the stations', to do anything they please with.

CKVR 3-CBC Barrie

8:30 Talent Caravan (live from New Westminster, BC-where it's 5:30 in the afternoon ;D)

How common were such live broadcasts in circa 1960 Canada? Wasn't it the late 50's ('56, '57, something like that) before there was even a coax/microwave link uniting East and West there? I would think a relatively new link like that (probably single-channel) would be reserved in those early years for special events, not a routine variety show. (Or was Talent Caravan some sort of big nationwide competition?)

I would think there was alot of national microwave space to go around, as CBC was the only English network, and until 1960, most cities only had one channel.

 

[bpatrick]

WICU 12-ABC/NBC Erie

10:30 Ernie Kovacs

I wonder if that would actually be the game show he hosted (Take a Good Look), rather than one of the monthly half-hour specials he did as his final work before his untimely death? (In either case, this would have been an ABC program.) TAGL was on in 1960, but I believe the specials didn't start airing until later that year, or maybe not until '61.

The listings make mention of panelists, so that sounds like it could be TaGL.

That was a show that was only incidentally a game show, and really just a framework for Kovacs and his players to present videotaped sketches and blackouts similar to the sorts of things that would later fill those half-hour specials. The rules and object of the game itself were rather abstruse. Hans Conreid, a friend of Kovacs and frequent panelist, once remarked about Zsa Zsa Gabor's appearance on the panel, "She became so confused that she forgot to get married."

It was Take a Good Look, and Kovacs ignored the letters of viewers who got frustrated trying to play along. In his mind, the show was a satire of a game show. About a year or so later he began hosting Silents Please in the same timeslot; these were cutdowns, or multi-part showings, of old silent movies, and it was about this time that he began doing his monthly specials (the last of which aired a week or so after his death in 1962).

WSJS (now WXII), Ch. 12 in Winston-Salem, NC, is another station that ran Groucho and Kovacs back-to-back, since there was no fulltime ABC affiliate in the Triad and wouldn't be until WGHP signed on in 1963.

 

[mjlarochelle]

"My other surprise is that CBLT was the ONLY Toronto station??"

That was true until the very end of 1960--CFTO signed on for the first time on December 31, 1960, and that also marked the premiere of the entire CTV network. The UHF band wouldn't be opened up in Canada and allow more stations to operate in Toronto for another ten years.

Unlike in the United States, the process of starting a new TV station in Canada is - and has always been - extremely difficult. The CBC itself regulated broadcasting in Canada up until 1958, and they did not permit more than one station per language per city. The BBG began regulating broadcasting in 1958 and it wasn't until 1960 that they allowed second TV stations in cities. The United States went with more of a market-based model - whatever stations could make use of the FCC's allocations could exist, as long as they met basic rules.

Even today, there is a heck of a lot of red tape involved in starting a new station in Canada. The process of starting a new station in Canada gives existing broadcasters the right to intervene, and in most cases, the CRTC sides with existing broadcasters who cry foul about new competition. In 2005 the CRTC denied TV Niagara the chance to start the first-ever local television station in St. Catharines-Niagara, almost entirely due to the objections of Canwest Global, which at that time owned CHCH in Hamilton. In the United States there is a free market where everyone fends for themselves, while in Canada, the big broadcasters in partnership with the government have always run the show.

 

[RBW]

Sounds very "typically Canadian". The Government RULES!

I'll bet the BBC has a similar "hold" in England!