Retro: North Georgia Saturday, July 7, 1973

[bpatrick]

From TV Guide, North Georgia Edition:

WSB Ch. 2 Atlanta (NBC)

7 AM Talking With A Giant (Bobby Darin discusses
time--he didn't have much left as he would
pass away later that year, delay from 12:30 PM)
7:30 Popeye
9 AM Jetsons
9:30 Pink Panther
10 AM Underdog
10:30 The Barkleys
11 AM Sealab 2020
11:30 Runaround
12 N In2ition (quiz bowl for middle schoolers)
12:30 Wimbledon Championships (men's final, won by
Jan Kodes of Czechoslovakia)
2 PM Baseball Pre-Game Show
2:15 Baseball: Yankees-Twins (backup game: Red Sox-
White Sox)
5 PM Wimbledon Championships (women's final, won by
Billie Jean King; men's doubles final, won by Jimmy
Connors and Ilie Nastase, time approximate)
6 PM News
6:30 NBC News (Garrick Utley)
7 PM Hee Haw (Tennessee Ernie Ford, Sammi Smith, Charlie
McCoy)
8 PM Emergency!
9 PM NBC Movie: "The Honey Pot"
11:30 News
12 M Movie: "Strategic Air Command"
2 AM News
2:05 Movie: "The Redhead And The Cowboy"

WRCB Ch. 3 Chattanooga (NBC)

6:30 Agricultural Science In Action
7 AM John Swafford (gospel music)
8 AM Houndcats
8:30 Roman Holidays
9 AM Jetsons
9:30 Pink Panther
10 AM Underdog
10:30 The Barkleys
11 AM Sealab 2020
11:30 Runaround
12 N Countdown To Destiny
12:30 Wimbledon Championships (see Ch. 2)
2 PM Baseball Pre-Game Show
2:15 Baseball (see Ch. 2)
5 PM Wimbledon Championships (see Ch. 2)
6 PM Porter Wagoner
6:30 NBC News
7 PM Hee Haw
8 PM Emergency!
9 PM NBC Movie: "The Honey Pot"
11:30 UFO
12:30 Movie: "Night Of The Witches"

WAGA Ch. 5 Atlanta (CBS)

6:15 Video College
6:45 Box 5 R.F.D.
7:15 Metro Forestry
7:30 4-H Club
8 AM Bugs Bunny
8:30 Sabrina, The Teenage Witch
9 AM Vision On
9:30 New Scooby Doo Movies: "The Frickert Fracas,"
with Jonathan Winters as the voice of Maude Frickert
10:30 Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space
11 AM Flintstones Comedy Hour
12 N Archie's TV Funnies
12:30 Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids
1 PM CBS Children's Film Festival ("The Little Ones," '65 from England)
2 PM World Of Survival
2:30 Soul Train (actor Max Julien ("The Mack"), Chuck Berry, Maxayn,
Willie Hutch)
3:30 Flipside
4 PM Car And Track
4:30 Movie: "The Voyage Of The Yes" (this may have been CBS's Tuesday
movie, which Ch. 5 pre-empted for "Name Of The Game")
6 PM News
6:30 CBS News (Roger Mudd)
7 PM Bobby Goldsboro (guest: Jerry Reed)
7:30 Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
8 PM All In The Family
8:30 Bridget Loves Bernie
9 PM Mary Tyler Moore
9:30 Bob Newhart
10 PM Mission: Impossible
11 PM News
11:30 Movie: "Rampage"

WGTV Ch. 8 Athens/Atlanta (PBS)

7 PM Varoom (the 1972 Canadian-American Cup Race)
7:30 Faces And Places (life in Prague)
8 PM The Session (folk-rock singer Don Crawford)
8:30 Speaking Freely
9 PM Country Hayride (guest: Dallas Frazier)
10 PM Movie: "Miss Annie Rooney" (no cracks about Andy Rooney,
this one has Shirley Temple, from '42)
11:30 Just Jazz (pianist Art Hodes, who once worked with Benny
Goodman)
12 M TBA

WTVC Ch. 9 Chattanooga (ABC)

6:30 Science In Action
7 AM Bullwinkle (delay from Sun 11 AM)
7:30 Make A Wish (delay from Sun 11:30 AM)
8 AM H.R. Pufnstuf
8:30 Jackson Five
9 AM The Osmonds
9:30 ABC Saturday Superstar Movie: "Nanny And The Professor"
10:30 Brady Kids
11 AM Bewitched
11:30 Kid Power
12 N Singing Convention
1 PM Action '73 (Vicki Lawrence, Foster Sylvers, the Heywoods)
2 PM Bob Brandy
3 PM Know Your Bible
3:30 Country Carnival
4 PM Boxing: Sammy Goss vs. Jose Fernadez, junior-lightweights,
12 rounds, from Madison Square Garden
5 PM Wide World Of Sports (Schaefer 500, USAC race from Pocono
International Raceway; U.S.-USSR wrestling meet)
6:30 Reasoner Report
7 PM Lawrence Welk (salute to Canada)
8 PM Partridge Family
8:30 Paul Lynde Show
9 PM Burns And Schreiber Comedy Hour (Ruth Buzzi, singer
Maxine Weldon)
10 PM Jigsaw
11 PM Movie: "Blood Of The Vampire"
12:30 ABC News (Sam Donaldson)

WQXI (WXIA) Ch. 11 Atlanta (ABC)

6:30 Adventures In Living
7 AM Romper Room
7:30 Funky Phantom (delay from 12 N)
8 AM H.R. Pufnstuf
8:30 Jackson Five
9 AM The Osmonds
9:30 ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
10:30 Brady Kids
11 AM Bewitched
11:30 Kid Power
12 N News
12:30 Lidsville
1 PM Action '73
2 PM Ebony Beat Journal
2:30 Lost In Space
3:30 Movie: "The Deadly Companions"
5 PM Wide World Of Sports
6:30 News
7 PM Movie: "Guns Of Darkness"
8:30 Paul Lynde Show
9 PM Burns And Schreiber Comedy Hour
10 PM Jigsaw
11 PM News
11:40 ABC News
11:55 Movie: "The Deep Six"
1:30 Movie: "Attack Of The Robots"
3 AM News

WDEF Ch. 12 Chattanooga (CBS)

7:30 Uncle Hank
8 AM Bugs Bunny
8:30 Sabrina, The Teenage Witch
9 AM Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan
9:30 New Scooby Doo Movies
10:30 Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space
11 AM Flintstones Comedy Hour
12 N Archie's TV Funnies
12:30 Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids
1 PM CBS Children's Film Festival
2 PM Soul Train
3 PM Roller Derby
4 PM Daniel Boone
5 PM Wrestling
6 PM News
6:30 CBS News
7 PM Lassie
7:30 Gentle Ben
8 PM All In The Family
8:30 Bridget Loves Bernie
9 PM Mary Tyler Moore
9:30 Bob Newhart
10 PM Mission: Impossible
11 PM Movie: "Conquest Of Space" (watch for Eric Fleming ("Rawhide"),
William Hopper ("Perry Mason"), and Ross Martin ("Wild Wild West")
in this one from '55)

WMAZ Ch. 13 Macon (CBS/ABC)

7 AM Navy Film
7:30 Georgia TV Monitor
8 AM Bugs Bunny
8:30 Sabrina, The Teenage Witch
9 AM Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan
9:30 New Scooby Doo Movies
10:30 Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space
11 AM Flintstones Comedy Hour
12 N Archie's TV Funnies
12:30 Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids
1 PM CBS Children's Film Festival
2 PM Baseball: Braves-Mets
4:30 Movie: "The Ox-Bow Incident" (time approximate)
6 PM Porter Wagoner
6:30 CBS News
7 PM Lawrence Welk
8 PM All In The Family
8:30 Bridget Loves Bernie
9 PM Mary Tyler Moore
9:30 Bob Newhart
10 PM Travelin' With Roger Miller
11 PM News
11:20 Movie: "Down To The Sea In Ships"

WDCO Ch. 15 (WMUM Ch. 29) Cochran/
WCLP (WNGH) Ch. 18 Chatsworth (PBS)

8:30 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
9 AM Sesame Street
10 AM Electric Company
10:30 Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
11 AM Sesame Street
12 N Electric Company
12:30 Sesame Street
1:30 Electric Company
2 PM Zoom
2:30 Electric Company
3 PM Fashion Focus
3:30 America Be Fit
3:45 Living Better
4 PM Baseball With Bobby Richardson (batting and bunting)
4:30 Book Beat (Robert Payne discusses "The Life And Death
Of Adolf Hitler")
5 PM Erica And Theonie
5:30 Between The Lines
6 PM Garden Show
6:30 Who Is Man?
7 PM Firing Line (protecting reporters' confidential sources:
Buckley--who opposes--debates New York attorneys
Charles Rembar and C. Dickerman Williams)
8 PM The Session
8:30 Playhouse New York Biography (the Wright Brothers)
10 PM Portrait Of The Hero As A Young Man (George Washington
in the French and Indian War)
sign off 11:30 PM

WTCG (WPCH) Ch. 17 Atlanta (Ind.)

7 AM Popeye
7:30 Cartoon Carnival
8 AM Spiderman
8:30 Ultraman
9 AM Little Rascals
9:30 Speed Racer
10 AM Flipper
10:30 Cartoons
11 AM Roller Game
1 PM Wagons Ho! ("Wagon Train" reruns)
2 PM Baseball: Braves-Mets
4:30 Fishing Hole (time approximate)
5 PM This Is Your Life (Mrs. Spencer Tracy is surprised
by Walter Pidgeon, Pat O'Brien, and her two children)
5:30 Lassie
6 PM Georgia Championship Wrestling
7 PM All South Wrestling
8 PM That Good Ole Nashville Music
8:30 Buck Owens
9 PM Porter Wagoner
9:30 Bill Anderson
10 PM Boxing From The Forum (John Gant vs. Ely Yares, welterweights)
11 PM Tube Trip
11:30 Open Up
1 AM Movie: "Timbuktu"

WETV (WPBA) Ch. 30 Atlanta (PBS)
off air on Saturday

WCWB (WMGT) Ch. 41 Macon (NBC)

8 AM Houndcats
8:30 Roman Holidays
9 AM Jetsons
9:30 Pink Panther
10 AM Underdog
10:30 The Barkleys
11 AM Sealab 2020
11:30 Wrestling
12:30 Wimbledon Championships (see Ch. 2)
2 PM Baseball Pre-Game Show
2:15 Baseball (see Ch. 2)
5 PM Wimbledon Championships (see Ch. 2)
6 PM Lee Trevino's Golf For Swingers
6:30 NBC News
7 PM Hee Haw
8 PM Emergency!
9 PM NBC Movie: "The Honey Pot"
11:30 Rollin' (Lighthouse joins Kenny Rogers and the
First Edition)
12 M Saturday Tonight Show (Burns and Schreiber,
Harry Chapin)

WTCI Ch. 45 Chattanooga (PBS)
off air on Saturday

WHAE (WGCL) Ch. 46 Atlanta (Ind.)

7 AM Mr. Piper
7:30 Fury
8 AM Heckle And Jeckle
8:30 Astronut
9 AM Deputy Dawg
9:30 Mighty Mouse
10 AM Hardy Boys (animated)
10:30 Circus Boy
11 AM Jungle Jim
11:30 Journey To The Center Of The Earth
12 N TBA
1 PM Cowtown Rodeo
2 PM Call Of The West (selected "Death Valley Days" reruns)
2:30 Trails West (more "Death Valley Days" reruns)
3 PM TBA
4 PM Lone Ranger
4:30 My Friend Flicka
5 PM Batman (Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, x2)
6 PM Dennis The Menace
6:30 Mayberry R.F.D.
7 PM Honeymooners
7:30 Rawhide
8:30 Of Lands And Seas
9:30 The Lesson
10 PM Waters Family
10:30 New Directions

WRIP (WDSI) Ch. 61 Chattanooga (Ind.)

2:30 Cartoon Carnival
3 PM Lee Trevino's Golf For Swingers
3:30 Jimmy Swaggart
4 PM Wrestling
5 PM Rollin'
5:30 Church Service
6 PM Movie: "Bride Of The Gorilla" (watch for Raymond Burr--
he couldn't be the gorilla, could he?--from '51)
8 PM Movie: "Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla"
10 PM Movie: "The Navy vs. the Night Monsters"
11:30 Movie: "Women Of The Prehistoric Planet"

 

[Ultimajock]

WSB Ch. 2 Atlanta (NBC)

7 AM Talking With A Giant (Bobby Darin discusses
time--he didn't have much left as he would
pass away later that year, delay from 12:30 PM)

...although this was probably a rerun, originally produced to cross-promote Darin's NBC variety series that had left the air back in April, I'm pretty sure this was the last time Darin appeared on network TV during his lifetime...

WRIP (WDSI) Ch. 61 Chattanooga (Ind.)

3:30 Jimmy Swaggart
4 PM Wrestling

...anyone wanna speculate on which of the two used the higher level of kayfabe? ;D ...

 

[Gregg]

Two things strike me... so little news on the Chattanooga and Macon network affiliates. And no 24 hour station!

WRCB 3, Chattanooga's NBC station, only runs NBC Network News at 6:30pm. No local news at 6 or 11. Sam for Macon's NBC affiliate, WCWB 41. I can understand a UHF network affiliate not staffing its newsroom on weekends. But an NBC affiliate on Channel 3?

WTVC 9, Chattanooga's ABC station, only runs something called The Reasoner Report at 6:30pm, I assume hosted by Harry Reasoner but not running on the Atlanta ABC station, and a 15 min. ABC newscast just before signing off. No local news at 6 or 11.

WDEF 12, Chattanooga's CBS station, does a 30 min. newscast at 6pm but they go right into a movie at 11pm... no late local news.

WMAZ 13, Macon's CBS-ABC station, does a 20 min. newscast at 11pm, then goes to a movie. They didn't have enough material, news, weather and sports, to go 30 minutes? And no 6pm local news, just CBS at 6:30.

And how can a market the size of Atlanta not have any all-night station? By this time, in NYC, the CBS station had been going all night since the early 60s. Same for LA with Indy station KTTV 11. And that was seven days a week. In most markets the size of Atlanta, someone would at least go all-night on Fridays and Saturdays.

When Ted Turner took over Ch. 17, he made it a 24 hour station, although you might say he did that knowing it would become a cable superstation, so it had to be 24 hours to serve viewers in all time zones. But I'm pretty sure he put in a 24 hour schedule well before he was on cable.


Gregg
[email protected]

 

[Ultimajock]

Two things strike me... so little news on the Chattanooga and Macon network affiliates. And no 24 hour station!

...standard for the period in markets of that size. Green Bay didn't get a 24-hour station until WLRE/26 signed on in December 1980...

And how can a market the size of Atlanta not have any all-night station? By this time, in NYC, the CBS station had been going all night since the early 60s. Same for LA with Indy station KTTV 11. And that was seven days a week. In most markets the size of Atlanta, someone would at least go all-night on Fridays and Saturdays.

When Ted Turner took over Ch. 17, he made it a 24 hour station, although you might say he did that knowing it would become a cable superstation, so it had to be 24 hours to serve viewers in all time zones. But I'm pretty sure he put in a 24 hour schedule well before he was on cable.

...Turner already had control of WTCG for three and a half year by this time...

 

[Mike Stroud]

Ultimajock's right, children. News was not a big deal on weekends in olden times, even in the largest markets. Most stations of that period still had other types of local programs during the week, such as women's shows, farm reports, public affairs and the like, and budgets were generally not large enough to afford those and a full complement of early and late evening weekend newscasts. And that was particularly so when one considers that cheap syndie fare and old movies could easily bring as much if not more ad sales at only a fraction of the cost of having a newsroom going full blast on Saturday and Sunday. All about economics, nothing more. Put that together with the beginnings of a severe recession (though, to be honest, nothing like these days) and you had a no-brainer at many small-market stations.

Atlanta was profoundly different, even in those days, from southeast Tennessee and middle Georgia. More urban and suburban and more professional/white-collar, the demographics most interested in news. Down on the farm, bring on the country music and "rassling," after folks get in from milking the cows and hoeing the cotton. The good homefolks didn't want to hear Roger Mudd or Garrick Utley drone on about arms-limitation treaties and inflation; they'd gotten enough of that during the week. They wanted old-fashioned entertainment like that they went to see at the county fair every year--that's why shows like that lasted for such a long time. Country music shows and local Southern wrestling promotions were precisely keyed to a rural audience. With the precipitous decline of that population beginning in the 1980s and the rise of cable, those shows went by the wayside on OTA, replaced by the Nashville Network and the rise of the WWF (now WWE) and other national promotions. It was only then that most stations began running seven-day-a-week newsrooms and newscasts early and late on Saturday and Sunday, because by then, news had become a moneymaker in most places, rather than a mere public service that was simply the cost of holding a broadcast license.

BTW, even so, industry insiders laughed until they emptied their bladders in their pants when they heard about Ted Turner's plans to launch the Chicken Noodle Network in '80. "That g-----n fool! Nobody's gonna want to watch NEWS all the blasted day long!!! Why, he'll have to simulcast WTBS on Saturday nights and Sundays, because nothing happens on the weekends." It took about ten years, but we know how that story ended.

 

[rnigma1]

I remember "Talking with a Giant" was originally called "Take a Giant Step." It changed its title when it was reformatted as a straight interview program, albeit for kids.