Retro: Nashville--Fri, Feb 7, 1969

[Mike Stroud]

TV Guide, Nashville edition--cast of "High Chaparral," cover

Nashville, Tennessee:
(2) WDCN (National Educational Television)--now WNPT, on digital 8 (PSIP same)
(4) WSM (NBC)--now WSMV, on digital 10 (PSIP 4)
(5) WLAC (CBS)--now WTVF, on digital 5 (PSIP same)
(8) WSIX (ABC; CBS secondary)--now WKRN, on digital 27 (PSIP 2)
(17) WMCV (Ind.)--this station was operated on a different license than the later occupant of that analog channel, now WZTV, on digital 15 (PSIP 17); WMCV operated until March 1971

Bowling Green, Kentucky:
(13) WLTV (ABC)--now WBKO, on digital 13 (PSIP same)

MORNING
5:45
(5) Country Journal--probably local farm report

5:50
(8) Let's Give Thanks--probably local religious devotional

5:55
(8) WSIX News--Bob Bell, anchor (Bell was a longtime employee whose career at WSIX/WNGE/WKRN spanned over 30 years)

6:00
(4) Morning Show--although unspecified, hosted by either legendary country music DJ/interviewer Ralph Emery or Grand Ole Opry star Bobby Lord
(8) Family Theater--program content unknown

6:05
(5) CBS Morning News--Joseph Benti

6:30
(5) Country Junction--country music showcase hosted by former WSM-AM disc jockey Eddie Hill
(8) Bonnie Prudden--women's talk show hosted by fitness expert

6:55
(4) Paul Harvey--legendary broadcaster's five-minute syndicated political commentary

7:00
(4) Today Show--Edwin Newman standing in for Hugh Downs
(8) Bozo--Tim Hollis' book "Hi There, Boys and Girls!" can provide info about the WSIX version

7:55
(5) WLAC Weather

8:00
(5) Captain Kangaroo--the good Captain talks about emotions on this episode

8:15
(2) in-school programming until 2:45 p.m. (listed as "Classroom")

9:00
(4) Snap Judgment--Goodson-Todman celeb game hosted by Ed McMahon; played almost identically to "Password"
(5) Mike Douglas (60-minute version)
(8) Romper Room

9:25
(4) NBC News--Nancy Dickerson

9:30
(4) Concentration--after Hugh Downs left in January, Bob Clayton replaced him, then got shoved aside for six months beginning in March for Ed McMahon; NBC reversed itself in September and Clayton came back until the show's cancellation in 1973
(8) Lucille Ball--CBS rerun; preempted on WLAC; actually tape-delayed from 9 a.m.

10:00
(4) Personality--Bob Stewart celeb game that was essentially a yakfest; Larry Blyden, later of "What's My Line?," hosted
(5) Andy Griffith--CBS rerun
(8) Mister Ed--rerun

10:15
(13) Top O' The Day--local; Glenn Fisher, host

10:30
(4) Hollywood Squares
(5) Dick Van Dyke--CBS rerun
(8) Hazel--rerun
(13) 4-H Science Club--local

11:00
(4) Jeopardy!--at the peak of its ratings performance around this time
(5) Love of Life--stalwart CBS soap that enjoyed a 29-year run
(8) (13) Bewitched--ABC rerun

11:25
(5) CBS News--Joseph Benti

11:30
(4) Eye Guess
(5) Search for Tomorrow--expanded to 30 minutes only a few months earlier
(8) (13) Funny You Should Ask--comedy-driven Heatter-Quigley panel game (sound like any other show we know?--!)

11:55
(4) NBC News--Edwin Newman

AFTERNOON
12:00
(4) Noon Show--variety/women's hour hosted by longtime WSM newsman Jud Collins, who died earlier in 2009 (preempted an NBC soap, "Hidden Faces," at 12:30)
(5) WLAC News--Jon Johnson, anchor
(8) (13) Dream House--TV's only show that gave away houses to winning married couples; as things turned out, many of them never got off the ground, a scandal that led to this game's cancellation the following year

12:05
(5) Singing Convention--25 minutes of Southern Gospel music (and strangely enough, interspersed with the "Dialing for Dollars" giveaway--!!!)

12:30
(5) As the World Turns--"And now, presented live for the next 30 minutes ..."
(8) (13) Let's Make a Deal--about six weeks earlier, show moved from NBC because Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall wanted a prime-time version (see evening)

1:00
(4) Days of Our Lives--NBC's soap sked was starting to make dents in CBS' armor around this time
(5) Love is a Many Splendored Thing--soap based on a 1955 William Holden flick; ran for about six years
(8) (13) Newlywed Game

1:30
(4) The Doctors
(5) Guiding Light--longtime soap viewers are STILL finding it hard to believe that this show, seemingly destined to run in perpetuity, will disappear from the airwaves in September 2009
(8) (13) Dating Game

1:55
(17) Business News/Community Calendar--local

2:00
(4) Another World--"And now, the continuing story of ..."
(5) Secret Storm--told the story of the Ames family, particularly young Amy (Jada Rowland, who later turned up on "The Doctors")
(8) (13) General Hospital--a/k/a "Port Charles, U.S.A."
(17) Movie--"The Green Man," English; 1956 (WMCV re-broadcast its prime-time movie from the previous evening in this timeslot)

2:30
(4) You Don't Say!--Celebrity clue-guessing game hosted by Tom Kennedy; an unsuccessful revival was attempted in 1975 on ABC
(5) Edge of Night--more properly, "The Eddddddggggggge ... of Night"
(8) (13) One Life to Live--first year for youth- and ethnic-oriented sudser

3:00
(2) Sportsmanlike Driving--adult instruction (gee, wonder if a revival is in the works?--!)
(4) Match Game--of course, the original version, without the clowning and double entendres that would make the CBS revival a cultural phenom in the '70s
(5) Linkletter Show--a/k/a "House Party"; Art would end his long run on CBS in September and, after his daughter Diane tragically died in October, would attempt an unsuccessful comeback on NBC in early 1970 with son Jack as sidekick
(8) (13) Dark Shadows--thrilling to the last bite (!!!)

3:25
(4) NBC News--Floyd Kalber (a/k/a "The Big Tuna")
(5) CBS News--Douglas Edwards

3:30
(2) Sportsmanlike Driving (just in case you didn't get your lesson down the first time ...)
(4) Flintstones--time to let out that afternoon "Yabba-Dabba-Do!"
(5) Gilligan's Island
(8) Batman--villain: the Puzzler
(13) Movie--no title given

4:00
(2) All Aboard--children's show
(4) Truth or Consequences--syndicated
(5) Movie--"Raintree County," 1957
(8) Beverly Hillbillies
(17) Marty's Funclub--obviously local; note that the Nashville network affils had done away with their kiddie shows by this point, leaving an open field for indie WMCV

4:30
(2) Davey and Goliath
(4) Afternoon Show--whoever did not host the "Morning Show" at 6 a.m. hosted this program, which also had country music and star interviews
(8) I Love Lucy
(17) Topper--rerun of ghost-themed 1950s sitcom

4:45
(2) Friendly Giant--children's show
(13) Video Ranch--local children's show

**All network evening newscast information courtesy of Vanderbilt TV News Archive: http://tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/**

5:00
(2) Misterogers--still spelled that way in 1969
(8) ABC Evening News--Frank Reynolds
(13) America Sings--probably syndicated
(17) Seventeen Time--variety show; WMCV apparently made an ambitious attempt at local programming, in the early going

5:25
(4) WSM Weather--Boyce Hawkins, weathercaster
(5) WLAC Weather--Bob Lobertini, weathercaster

5:30
(2) What's New--educational children's show
(4) Huntley-Brinkley Report (Chet Huntley off)
(5) CBS Evening News--Walter Cronkite
(8) Maverick--Jack Kelly as Bart in this episode (no local early evening news on WSIX)
(13) Market Report, Weather

5:40
(13) WLTV News

EVENING
6:00
(2) Big Picture--U.S. Army information film
(4) WSM News
(5) WLAC News
(13) ABC Evening News
(17) Bat Masterson--rerun of 1958-61 NBC Western with Gene Barry in title role

6:30
(2) NET Festival--topic, "The Film Generation on Dance"
(4) High Chaparral
(5) Wild Wild West--show that didn't know whether it was a Western or "Mission Impossible"
(8) (13) Tom Jones--international pop star begins variety show, which featured on this episode Peter Sellers, Joey Heatherton, the Moody Blues, and, of all things, an early Richard Pryor (censors beware!)
(17) White Hunter--unknown if rerun or first-run syndicated

7:00
(17) Movie--"Men Are Such Fools," 1938

7:30
(2) Folk Guitar Plus--adult instruction
(4) Name of the Game--pioneering "wheel series;" Robert Stack appeared in this episode
(5) Gomer Pyle, USMC--Gomer's girl friend, Lou Ann, joins him in his hijinks this week
(8) (13) Generation Gap--gimmicky game noted for two different hosts during its short run: 1) Dennis Wholey, who resurfaced years later on PBS as a late-night talk show host, and 2) Jack Barry, who made his first national appearance as a host after being blacklisted for the 1950s scandals

8:00
(2) City Makers--NET discussion show about urban issues
(5) Movie--"Penelope," 1966
(8) (13) Let's Make a Deal--Monty Hall finally got his wish to make deals in primetime, something NBC wouldn't let him do during that show's five-year daytime run there

8:30
(2) Book Beat--discussion/interview
(8) (13) Guns of Will Sonnett--Western starring Walter Brennan and Dack Rambo
(17) to be announced

9:00
(2) NET Playhouse--"The Boss's Son"
(4) Experiment in Television--"This is Sholom Aleichem," a look at the writer who inspired "Fiddler on the Roof"; narrated by Edward Binns (preempted "Star Trek")
(8) (13) Judd for the Defense--courtroom drama starring Carl Betz in the title role
(17) Upbeat--unsure if local or syndicated

10:00
(4) WSM News
(5) WLAC News
(8) WSIX News
(13) WLTV News
(17) High School Basketball--apparently local highlights of that evening's games

10:30
(4) Tonight Show--Flip Wilson, guest host
(5) Ray Anthony--variety show apparently hosted by 1950s bandleader (?)
(8) Movie--"Spartacus," 1960; tape-delayed from ABC Wednesday evening
(13) Joey Bishop--ABC late-night potshot at Johnny Carson's monopoly with the erstwhile "Rat Packer" as host and a young Regis Philbin sidekicking

11:30
(5) Movie--"The Lone Hand," 1953
(17) Saber of London--1950s British private-eye import (a/k/a "Mark Saber")

12:00 a.m.
(4) Merv Griffin--original syndicated version by Group W (90 minutes)

12:30
(8) WSIX News

 

[bpatrick]

I moved to Birmingham in June 1969 and Chs. 4, 5,
and 8 were in the Northern Alabama edition of TV
Guide. I don't recall "Truth Or Consequences" being
on Ch. 4, but I know that, in 1972 when the access
rule began to require first-run programming on all
top-50 market network affiliates, "T or C" ran at
6 PM on Ch. 8. I also recall that in September 1969
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" went into syndication, and
Ch. 8 ran it at 5:30, between ABC News and its own
"Eyewitness News" (BTW, their sports guy was Larry
Munson, voice of the Dawgs at Georgia). By the early
'70s, in the Smith/Reasoner era, ABC News aired at 5,
and "Eyewitness News" at 5:30.

I also recall "The Lucy Show" running at 9 AM, followed
by "The Beverly Hillbillies" at 9:30 on Ch. 8; both were
pre-empted for Mike Douglas on Ch. 5.

I wouldn't call Bonnie Prudden's show a talk show, but
rather an exercise show (sort of a female Jack LaLanne).
And "White Hunter" is an old syndicated show from the
late '50s; I'd never heard of it until Ch. 12 in New Bern,
NC, ran it in 1967.

I have posted listings for the three affiliates from June 1973;
in daytime Ch. 4 was still pre-empting 12:30 ("Three On A
Match"), but Ch. 5 was running the entire CBS schedule in
pattern (a move it made at least by the time CBS started
its game-show block of "Joker's Wild," "Price Is Right," and
"Gambit" in September 1972) and Ch. 8 was pre-empting
"Bewitched" (10:30 AM) and "Love, American Style" (3 PM).
Interestingly, Ch. 8 had Andy Griffith at 3 and Merv Griffin
at 3:30. Think about it.

 

[Stanislav]

(8) WSIX News--Bob Bell, anchor (Bell was a longtime employee whose career at WSIX/WNGE/WKRN spanned over 30 years)

Not to be confused with the "other" Bob Bell, longtime "Bozo the Clown" at Chicago's WGN-TV.

(5) As the World Turns--"And now, presented live for the next 30 minutes ..."

ATWT was still going out live in 1969??

(4) NBC News--Floyd Kalber (a/k/a "The Big Tuna")

I vaguely recall someone using that nickname for Kalber -- what did it refer to, and who bestowed it upon him? (Wikipedia is no help here...)

(2) Big Picture--U.S. Army information film

Wasn't it rather unusual for a PBS (er...excuse me...still NET in '69) outlet to air one of these ubiquitous "fillers?" (Usually found plugging holes in weekend afternoon schedules on commercial stations...)

 

[firepoint525]

WOW!! Every TV station in our market has changed call letters since then! And that PBS/ABC channel swap took place in 1973, I think.

 

[Braves2005]

Actually, NBC did let Monty Hall have an evening version of Let's Make A Deal during the spring of 1967 but it lasted through the summer. NBC also had an evening version of Hollywood Squares in 1968 but that lasted through the summer as well.

 

[Tim L]

Re:WMCV-17

"Upbeat" was likely the Rock and Roll dance show with Don Webster, syndicated from WEWS-TV 5 Cleveland..

As far as NET showing "fillers", Ive seen several schedules from the late 50's to the late 60's where many NET stations showed "fillers"..Even religious shows like "Insight"..Programming wasnt always easy to come by if you werent doing it yourself..especially just after the stations went on the air..

I mentioned this before, but in 1958 WQED-13 Pittsburgh was showing a mixture of Sunday News and Public affairs programs from ABC, CBS and NBC..Network affiliates werent clearing them at the time..

 

[mleach]

WOW!! Every TV station in our market has changed call letters since then! And that PBS/ABC channel swap took place in 1973, I think.

What exactly was the purpose of that flip between Nashville's channel 2 and 8? I remember reading awhile back it was due to power. True?

Also I have seen tapes of WSIX channel 8 doing "Eyewitness News" from the early 70s, yet by the mid 70's WLAC was doing "Eyewitness News". Talk about a short gap. Wonder how WLAC was able to get that name? Reason I ask, many years ago in Washington DC, WUSA was branding their news "Eyewitness News' but dropped it I believe around 1996 (?). A few years later not long after WJLA started using the circle 7 logo, I was chatting online with a guy from WJLA who was telling me that WJLA really wanted to pick up the name "Eyewitness News" only to have WUSA deny them the rights even though WUSA wasn't using that name for a number of years. Looking back now, maybe it wasnt a question of "rights" but rather WJLA getting anchors Gordon Peterson, Doug Hill and a few others from WUSA and by picking up "Eyewitness News" perhaps that could confuse viewers as to whom they were watching.

 

[Mike Stroud]

Actually, NBC did let Monty Hall have an evening version of Let's Make A Deal during the spring of 1967 but it lasted through the summer. NBC also had an evening version of Hollywood Squares in 1968 but that lasted through the summer as well.

Whoops! As they say on my street, 'scuse me. What actually happened was that NBC wouldn't make "Deal" permanent. It's also likely ABC sweet-talked Hatos and Hall into switching with some other incentives as well.

 

[Mike Stroud]

WOW!! Every TV station in our market has changed call letters since then! And that PBS/ABC channel swap took place in 1973, I think.

What exactly was the purpose of that flip between Nashville's channel 2 and 8? I remember reading awhile back it was due to power. True?

From what I know, pretty much. WSIX owners General Electric had been frustrated in its attempts to compete with WSM and WLAC (a situation still holding true for successor WKRN as of 2009), and thought a boost of power would help the station get a stronger signal, particularly in the fringe counties of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. Of course, it had probably been operating at the legal limit on the channel 8 frequency, so cranking up the wattage there was likely not an option as far as the FCC was concerned. ABC was likely on WSIX's case also for being in third place, given the strength of the network in nearby Southern markets like Birmingham (WBRC) and Memphis (WHBQ).

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County (consolidated government) Public Schools had been running WDCN on channel 2 since 1962. It started out sharing the facilities of WSM in south Nashville until the latter station built its current building in 1966. Nevertheless, the studios did not have color broadcasting facilities, and being on a school board's line item did not allow for much wiggle room, to say the least, in a lot of other technical and business matters. We must remember that pledge drives did not become a fixture on public TV until well into the mid-1970s, as a regular means of raising money.

Furthermore, as engineers know, the channel 2 signal travels a considerable distance, bringing it into potential interference with other stations on that channel within 200-250 miles. To make a long story short, WDCN had too much power, power that it really did not need, because the state government of Tennessee in the late 1960s started filling in the rest of the state with ETV service, which had previously been available only in Nashville and in Memphis (WKNO).

So, GE and the school board began talks to do something almost exactly like what happened in New Orleans in 1970, when ABC affil WVUE (then on channel 12) traded channels with ETV outlet WYES (then on channel 8), in order to benefit both stations. In 1972, the two reached an agreement for WSIX to go to channel 2 (where it would be renamed WNGE) and WDCN to channel 8. WSIX/WNGE would get a stronger signal and greater reach, while WDCN would get financial consideration to make possible its goal of building a state-of-the-art, full-color facility, which eventually happened in 1976, two and a half years after the December 1973 swap. At the time, this was a rare occasion, to witness two existing broadcasting entities exchange frequencies; perhaps the most famous was the 1995 Miami WCIX/WFOR and WTVJ trading of channels 4 and 6. This actually began to happen quite often to radio frequencies beginning in the late 1990s, but has seldom happened with American television, probably because of the great expense that in some cases would have outweighed the benefits for either outlet.

Incidentally, the switch occurred during prime time one evening, with a short film airing simultaneously on both stations featuring Robert Young of ABC's "Marcus Welby, M.D.," representing WSIX/WNGE, and Big Bird of "Sesame Street," representing WDCN, instructing viewers to tune to the new channels for their favorite programs. Despite having occurred when a large number of viewers were watching, and the matter was surely getting oodles of local newspaper coverage, I am sure that staff and officials of both stations, particularly what was now WNGE, got severe headaches over the next few weeks dealing with confused and angry viewers who either didn't get the news or couldn't get themselves to break their old habits. That, in and of itself, is a disincentive right there.

Hope that helps answer your question ...

 

[azumanga]

Incidentally, the switch occurred during prime time one evening, with a short film airing simultaneously on both stations featuring Robert Young of ABC's "Marcus Welby, M.D.," representing WSIX/WNGE, and Big Bird of "Sesame Street," representing WDCN, instructing viewers to tune to the new channels for their favorite programs.

I read New Orleans' WVUE and WYES also switched during prime-time in 1970 -- I recall reading a trade ad for WVUE around that time where they switched at 8PM, during a break of a movie that they were showing.

 

[w9wi]

From what I know, pretty much. WSIX owners General Electric had been frustrated in its attempts to compete with WSM and WLAC (a situation still holding true for successor WKRN as of 2009), and thought a boost of power would help the station get a stronger signal, particularly in the fringe counties of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. Of course, it had probably been operating at the legal limit on the channel 8 frequency, so cranking up the wattage there was likely not an option as far as the FCC was concerned. ABC was likely on WSIX's case also for being in third place, given the strength of the network in nearby Southern markets like Birmingham (WBRC) and Memphis (WHBQ).

...

Furthermore, as engineers know, the channel 2 signal travels a considerable distance, bringing it into potential interference with other stations on that channel within 200-250 miles. To make a long story short, WDCN had too much power, power that it really did not need, because the state government of Tennessee in the late 1960s started filling in the rest of the state with ETV service, which had previously been available only in Nashville and in Memphis (WKNO).

As of 1966 both stations were operating at maximum available power for their channels. (100kw for channel 2, 316kw for channel 8) However, channel 2 had a relatively low antenna - about 680 feet - channel 8 was at their current height of about 1,300 feet. WDCN (WNPT) got the better end of the deal as far as power/antenna height is concerned: their antenna on channel 8 is considerably higher than it was on channel 2, with no decrease in power. However...

Low-band VHF covers better for a given number of watts. (hence the lower power limit)

Today, most homes in the city don't have a decent antenna; and most do have many computerized noise sources. This has more than erased the low-VHF advantage. But in 1969, that wasn't the case.

Operating at the same antenna height and maximum power, WSIX was considerably better off on channel 2 than they were on channel 8.

I suspect WSIX's troubles in the early days stemmed from a lack of radio resources and tradition to draw on. Their radio affiliation (WSIX, then on 980) was a LOT weaker than those of their competition on channels 4 (WSM) and 5 (WLAC).

 

[firepoint525]

I had always heard that the switch was for "better dial position." Back in the days of "get up, walk across the room, and turn the 'clicker'," there was probably some truth to that. But in this day of remote controls, that really doesn't make a difference.

And I've always been able to get AM 980 just fine (since I've lived here), but they aren't "clear channel" like the other two are.

And that "channel 8)" thing was hilarious, too! ;D

 

[mleach]

Incidentally, the switch occurred during prime time one evening, with a short film airing simultaneously on both stations featuring Robert Young of ABC's "Marcus Welby, M.D.," representing WSIX/WNGE, and Big Bird of "Sesame Street," representing WDCN, instructing viewers to tune to the new channels for their favorite programs.

I wonder if this film still exists? My guess is that chances are the film is still around but I am sure it hasnt been seen since 1973 but still I would love to see that film. Robert Young & Big Bird? That is actually quite funny

But then again that may not be as funny as what I saw at work about 10 years ago, an audio tape ( psa ) that I had found of Bob "Gilligan" Denver for West Virginia Broadcasters. Back in the early 90s many viewers in West Virginia were getting on those big home satellite dishes, Denver, Colorado TV such as KWGN, KCNC, KUSA, KMGH, KRMA and KDVR and because of that many of those viewers were NOT watching their local TV instead was watching Denver's. Yes its ironic..a man with the name of Bob DENVER telling people they shouldn't be watching DENVER television. And of course the psa tied in "Gilligan's Island" to that comparing West Virginia viewers watching Denver TV to those on an "uncharted desert isle" and for the viewers to be Gilligan's "little buddy"..to give up watching Colorado TV and watch West Virginia's instead. And yes they were using the theme for Gilligan's Island as background music.

For some reason we never did air that PSA, mainly because the PD at the time had met Bob Denver at some function and thought he was a total jerk. I would say what he had called Bob Denver but I have my doubts Radio-Info would allow such language ;D

 

[Mike Stroud]

AFTERNOON
12:00
(4) Noon Show--variety/women's hour hosted by longtime WSM newsman Jud Collins, who died earlier in 2009 (preempted an NBC soap, "Hidden Faces," at 12:30)

CORRECTION: Collins actually died on December 26, 2008, before the beginning of the year. (Info courtesy www.nashvilletv.org)

 

[radiorob2.0]

Hindsight being 20/20, Channel 8 has some advantages especially with indoor antennas. I found my 1966 TV fact book. They don't offer Channel 2's info since they were a non-com. However, it looks like Channel 8 market reach was respectable. The shortcoming was to the north since the tower was south of WSM-TV and WLAC-TV.

 

[bpatrick]

I know that at one time WBKO/13 Bowling Green, KY,
was independent but became an ABC affiliate. Was
this to fill in the gap caused by WSIX's poor reach
north of Nashville?

 

[Mike Stroud]

bp, I would suppose so. ABC probably lobbied WLTV's owners (or vice versa) because of the WSIX situation. Neither NBC nor CBS were interested, of course, because of, respectively, WSM and WLAC's strength in the southernmost counties of Kentucky.

Also, remember that the closest ABC signals to the north were WTVW in Evansville, Indiana, to the northwest (probably a rimshot in the westernmost counties of WLTV's reach) and WLKY in Louisville, well out of reach due to being on UHF. This certainly moved WLTV decisively toward ABC.

Of course, after WSIX moved to channel 2 and became WNGE in 1973, things got a lot stickier, now that there was direct competition, a la the WEWS/Cleveland-WAKR/Akron situation of that time. Still, WBKO's newscast was the only local TV news covering only Southern Kentucky, so it certainly got far above a 50 share for its news and perhaps translated that into strength in other dayparts also.

 

[w9wi]

bp, I would suppose so. ABC probably lobbied WLTV's owners (or vice versa) because of the WSIX situation. Neither NBC nor CBS were interested, of course, because of, respectively, WSM and WLAC's strength in the southernmost counties of Kentucky.

Also, remember that the closest ABC signals to the north were WTVW in Evansville, Indiana, to the northwest (probably a rimshot in the westernmost counties of WLTV's reach) and WLKY in Louisville, well out of reach due to being on UHF. This certainly moved WLTV decisively toward ABC.

Of course, after WSIX moved to channel 2 and became WNGE in 1973, things got a lot stickier, now that there was direct competition, a la the WEWS/Cleveland-WAKR/Akron situation of that time. Still, WBKO's newscast was the only local TV news covering only Southern Kentucky, so it certainly got far above a 50 share for its news and perhaps translated that into strength in other dayparts also.

As I understand it, WBKO had to have at least a 50 share signon-to-signoff for the Bowling Green market to exist -- otherwise it would have been part of the Nashville market. (if there had been more than one commercial station in Bowling Green, they would have had to have a minimum 50 share between them)

Not that I know where this fits into the discussion, but note that Jackson was also a single-station market with only ABC represented until just a few years ago.