Retro: New York City - Sunday July 27, 1958

[MCarney]

Source – TV Guide, New York City Metro Edition

2 – WCBS New York (CBS)
08:45a Previews
08:50a Give Us This Day – religion
08:55a News
09:00a Agriculture U.S.A.
09:30a Way to Go – religion
10:00a Lamp Unto My Feet
10:30a Look Up and Live
11:00a Eye on New York
11:30a Camera Three – James Macandrews discusses the poetry of W.B. Yeats
11:55a News – Harry Reasoner
12:00p Movie “Thunder Afloat” 1939
01:00p Picture for a Sunday Afternoon “Once Upon a Time” 1944
02:30p Picture for a Sunday Afternoon “Battle Taxi” 1955
04:00p Movie “Nine Girls” 1944
05:00p Last Word – panel; guests: Mary Margaret McBride, Alfred de Liagre, John Mason Brown; moderator: Bergen Evans
05:30p Face the Nation – interview
06:00p Search – documentary; subject: study following cardiovascular disorders
06:25p News – Allan Jackson
06:30p Air Power “The Cold Decade – Airlift”
07:00p Lassie – Timmy finds a penguin
07:30p Brothers
08:00p Ed Sullivan – from Hollywood; guests: Ernie Kovacs, Gisele MacKenzie, Gordon MacRae, Mickey Rooney
09:00p G.E. Theater “God is My Judge”
09:30p Alfred Hitchcock “Bull in a China Shop”
10:00p $64,000 Challenge – Teddy Nadler returns to continue against three challengers
10:30p What’s My Line?
11:00p News – Walter Cronkite
11:15p Late Show “David Copperfield” 1934
01:45a Late Late Show “Make Your Own Bed” 1944
03:20a News
03:25a Give Us This Day

3 – WTIC Hartford (Independent)
11:00a The Christophers
11:30a Gift of Life “Financing the Later Years”, a discussion on retirement planning
12:00p Cartoon Express
12:15p Christie Comedies
12:30p American Legend “A Message to Garcia”
01:00p We Believe
01:30p I Search for Adventure “Africa, 1928”
02:00p Playhouse Three – drama
02:30p Baseball – Red Sox; Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox from Comiskey Park
05:00p Jungle Jim “Return of the Tauregs”
05:30p The Falcon “The Stevedore Kid”
06:00p Dr. Christian
06:30p Susie
07:00p 26 Men
07:30p Movie “The Malta Story” 1954
09:15p Yesterday’s Newsreel
09:30p Mr. District Attorney
10:00p News – Dick Bertel
10:10p Weather
10:15p Movie “Twentieth Century” 1934
11:50p News and Weather
11:55p Moment of Meditation

4 – WRCA New York (NBC)
07:00a Modern Farmer
08:00a Sunday Schedule
11:30a Report from America “Automation”
12:00p Mathematics – education (debut)
12:30p Open Mind – panel “War, Peace and National Sovreignity”
01:00p Citizens Searchlight
01:30p Movie “Canyon Crossroads” 1955
03:15p Movie “Operation Manhunt” 1954
04:00p Mr. Wizard “Geology”
04:30p Youth Wants to Know – movie producer Stanley Kramer is interviewed
05:00p Frontiers of Faith
05:30p Comment
06:00p Meet the Press – Kwame Nkumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, is interviewed
06:30p Outlook – Chet Huntley “The Arkansas Primary”
07:00p Noah’s Ark “The Cure-All” (color)
07:30p No Warning! “The Subway”
08:00p Lawrence and Gorme – Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme; guests: Tony Bennett, Don Adams, Eddie Bracken (color) (RIP Eydie )
09:00p Chevy Show – comedians Eddie Foy, Jr. and Mickey Shaughnessy visit with regulars Janet Blair, John Raitt and Edie Adams (color)
10:00p Decision ”The Tall Man”
10:30p Movie Four “Fifty Roads to Town” 1937
11:00p News – Ken Banghart
11:10p Movie Four “Fifty Roads to Town” 1937
12:20a Movie “Act of Love” 1954
02:00a Sermonette

5 – WABD New York (Independent)
08:25a Previews: Call to Prayer
08:30a Pathways to Faith
09:00a Cartoons – Herb Sheldon
09:00a Wonderama
10:00a The Magic Clown
10:15a Wonderama
11:30a Pet Center (return)
12:00p Wonderama
12:30p Between the Lines
01:00p Mr. and Mrs. North
01:30p Movie “Captain Boycott” 1947
03:00p Movie “Tulsa” 1949
05:00p Sherlock Holmes “Royal Murders”
05:30p Mr. District Attorney
06:00p Cavalcade of Stars
06:30p Frontier “Devil and Doc O’Hara”
07:00p Lilli Palmer “Suicide Club”
07:30p Mickey Rooney “Mulligan and the Mummy”
08:00p Uncommon Valor “Tarawa”
08:30p Count of Monte Cristo “Athens”
09:00p TV Reader’s Digest “No Horse, No Wife, No Mustache”
09:30p Errol Flynn “The Transfer”
10:00p Movie “Tulsa” 1949
12:00a Previews; Call to Prayer

7 – WABC New York (ABC)
07:56a Morning Prayer
08:00a Cartoon Festival
10:00a Movie “Stage Coach War” (Hopalong Cassidy)
11:00a Focus – documentary
11:30a This is the Life
12:00p This is the Life
12:30p Faith for Today
01:00p This is Music – pantomime to hit recordings
01:30p College News Conference – panel; Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D., Minn) is interviewed
02:00p Movie “Golden Boy” 1939
03:30p Sunday Playhouse “Heartbeat” 1946
05:00p Baseball Corner – host: Buddy Blattner; guests: former Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez, Cincinnati Redlegs manager Birdie Tebbetts, Cincinnati second baseman Johnny Temple, Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks
05:30p The Lone Ranger
06:00p Annie Oakley “Escape from Diablo”
06:30p Hawkeye “The Stubborn Pioneer”
07:00p You Asked for It
07:30p Maverick “Trail West to Fury”
08:30p Anybody Can Play
09:00p Traffic Court
09:30p Damon Runyon Theater “Bred for Battle”
10:00p Scotland Yard
10:30p Sunday Night Movie “The Lisbon Story” 1946
12:00a Evening Prayer

8 – WNHC New Haven (ABC)
08:45a Christian Science
09:00a This is the Life
09:30a The Christophers
10:00a Faith for Today
10:30a This is the Answer
11:00a Movie “Stagecoach Kid” 1949
12:00p This is Connecticut
12:30p Movie “Main Street After Dark”
01:30p Baseball – doubleheader: Cleveland Indians vs. N.Y. Yankees from Cleveland; Mel Allen and Phil Rizzuto report the action. Ch. 8 picks up 1st game only.
04:00p Movie “Dangerous Mission” 1954
06:00p The Lone Ranger
06:30p Harbor Command
07:00p You Asked for It
07:30p Maverick “Trail West to Fury”
08:30p Anybody Can Play
09:00p Movie “The Mayor of 44th Street” 1942
10:30p News – David Kiernan
10:40p Weather – Len Bennett
10:45p Movie “Sister Kenney” 1946
12:30a News

9 – WOR New York (Independent)
11:45a American Heroes – today’s subject is Alexander Hamilton
12:00p Oral Roberts
12:30p Bible and Science “The Fiery Furnace”
12:45p Of Atoms and Space “Energy from the Sun”
01:00p Baseball – doubleheader: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies from Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia
06:30p Farmer Alfalfa – cartoons
07:00p Cartoons
07:30p Million Dollar Movie “Fighting Man of the Plains” 1949
09:00p Paris Precinct “A Thief Gets Robbed”
09:30p Star Attraction “It Happened in a Pawnshop”
10:00p Million Dollar Movie “Fighting Man of the Plains” 1949
11:30p Strange Stories “The Bet”
12:00a Beat the Champions – quiz

11 – WPIX New York (Independent)
12:30p Continental Miniatures
01:00p Sportscholar – Uttal; questions on the Indianapolis Speedway, golf, wrestling, English horse riding and baseball are among those answered
01:15p Sports – Bill Stern
01:30p Baseball – doubleheader: Cleveland Indians vs. N.Y. Yankees from Cleveland; Mel Allen and Phil Rizzuto report the action.
07:20p Sports – Bob Wolff
07:30p Guy Lombardo
08:00p I Search for Adventure “Head Hunters of the Amazon”
08:30p Kingdom of the Sea “Frozen Sea”
09:00p David Niven “Man on the Train”
09:30p Charter Boat “The Shipwreck of Crunch and Des”
10:00p Studio 57 “Terrible Discovery”
10:30p Victory at Sea “Two If by Sea”
11:00a Combat Sergeant “Trap of the Killers”

13 – WNTA New York (Independent)
12:45p Sports – Bert Lee, Jr.
12:55p Baseball – Giants; doubleheader: San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates from Pittsburgh. Jack Buck reports; sportscaster Bert Lee, Jr. interviews Mrs. Lou Gehrig, wife of the late Yankees baseball star, between games.
06:45p Sports – Bert Lee, Jr.
07:00p Political Talk
07:15p Jungle – documentary “Artic Hunters of the North”
07:30p Movie Night “Second Honeymoon” 1937
09:05p News
09:10p Movie Night “Second Honeymoon” 1937
10:50p News
10:55p Movie Night “Second Honeymoon” 1937

43 – WICC Bridgeport (ABC)
05:00p Film Shorts
06:00p The Christophers
06:30p This is the Life
07:00p Film Shorts
07:30p To Be Announced
09:00p Movie “Double Exposure” 1944
10:00p Film Shorts
11:00p Film Shorts

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

"This is Music" shown on WABC, Channel 7, at 1:00 P.M. was shown on the ABC-TV Network that year on Friday nights, but delayed showing on WABC until this time. It originated lived from WCPO-TV in Cincinnati featuring personalities from the station pantomiming records. The M.C. of the show was Colin Male who went on to announce the opening of "The Andy Griffith Show".

 

[MarcB]

What year did WTIC Channel 3 in Hartford take the CBS affiliation away from WHCT Channel 18, which at the time was a CBS O&O?

 

[DToTheJ]

4 – WRCA New York (NBC)
09:00p Chevy Show – comedians Eddie Foy, Jr. and Mickey Shaughnessy visit with regulars Janet Blair, John Raitt and Edie Adams (color)

Can anyone confirm if this show got better ratings than The Chevy Chase Show?

 

[MCarney]

WTIC became a CBS affiliate on November 16, 1958. I posted the 1st day of CBS programming on a previous thread:

http://radiodiscussions.com/smf/index.php?topic=238557.0

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

At least in 1958 (and perhaps in 1959, 1960, or even 1961), WOR-9 probably broadcast some San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers games originating from the opposing team's flagship station (i.e. a game between the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds broadcast by WLWT-5 Cincinnati would be fed to WOR as well).

In 1958, the only Dodgers' games locally televised in Los Angeles were away games from San Francisco, and I don't think the Giants televised in San Francisco at all for a couple of years, then did away games from L.A. (and maybe also the first home game once Candlestick Park was opened in 1960). Thus, line charges were probably too great (not to mention the 11:05 P.M. EDT start times during the week) for WOR to bring head-to-head games between the Dodgers and Giants back to the East Coast.

Today, a satellite backhaul from Los Angeles to New York costs the same as one from Pittsburgh to New York.

The old WNTA-13 apparently also carried a handful of Dodgers and Giants games in 1958. They appear to have been games from Philadelphia that were being locally telecast there on WFIL-6 and from St. Louis locally televised there (KPLR-11)??

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I recall visiting my aunt & uncle in northern New Jersey for a week in the summer of 1958 and seeing the feed of some Phillies' games on one of the New York City TV stations. For those who are not familar with it, both the Giants and Dodgers moved to California after the 1957 season leaving New York without National League baseball until the Mets arrived in 1962.

 

[MCarney]

I used to wonder how any VHF station in the NYC area could fail. Then I saw the WNTA listings (aside from the baseball games) and wondered no more. They didn't sign on weekdays until 2:30pm and the programming other than movies didn't look good. I have a NYC edition from 1955 that shows then-WATV signing on at 9:30am, with more local and ethnic programming - was it not getting enough return or NTA's issues that were the downfall?

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I have a guess as to why the old WNTA-13 failed as a commercial independent:

(1) Based on a limited number of old TV Guide and New York Times listings I have seen, it appeared that WNTA didn't have all that many good movies. It's true that until the end of the 1950's, very few movies made after 1948 were available to TV (and until the mid 1960's, most post-1948 movies were on the networks in prime-time and thus, not yet available to local stations).

(2) NTA should have gone in bigger for local sports. They probably, if their pockets were deep enough and if they were passionate enough, could have tried to pry the Yankees away from WPIX-11. And I think WNTA could have, again if they wanted to spend the money for rights and for line charges for away games, tried to get rights to the Rangers and Knicks, and carry most away games of the two teams (and even convince them to allow the station to cover home playoff games, given that in the late 1950's, the NHL's network TV deal was for regular-season games only, while the NBA's covered only four or five weekend-afternoon nationally-televised playoff games).

(3) Although WNTA's parent was itself a syndicator of programs, the station should also have tried to get top-flight syndicated shows from other distributors. One problem was that NTA had just one station, while the parent companies of the O&O's could have cleared a syndicated show not just in New York, but in several markets as well.

(4) Perhaps NTA should have invested a lot of money on facilities so WNTA could have converted to color for both studio and remote equipment. If WNTA had local color, it would have been one of only two stations (WRCA-4 being the other) capable to originate local live color programs, and if they also got a color remote unit, they might have been able to get the Yankees by telling the team "We'll televise all our home games in color".

It should also be noted that for independent stations in general, it was a problem building a program schedule other than local sports during that era. There weren't, as of yet, all that much off-network syndicated product, and they would have to "battle" stronger network affiliates for first-run syndicated fare. And if my memory serves me correct, the amount of first-run syndicated programming available to TV stations plunged around 1960, when more off-network programs became available, and didn't increase until the Prime-Time Access Rule was implemented in 1971.

 

[MCarney]

According to Wikipedia, WNTA put a bid in for the Mets TV package in 1962 in case the non-commercial conversion did not come through. I don't know how serious or close the bid was, but I can imagine that Mets management didn't want any part of a station that might disappear mid-season.