RETRO: Washington, DC/Baltimore, Tues. 4/15/1980

[MikeyBos]

Source: TV Guide, Washington Baltimore Edition

Channels Listed

Washington, D.C.
4 WRC-TV (NBC)
5 WTTG (Ind.)
7 WJLA-TV (ABC)
9 WDVM-TV (CBS)
14 (Same programs as 53)
20 WDCA-TV (Ind.)
26 WETA (PBS)

Annandale, Va.
53 WNVT (PBS)

Annapolis, Md.
22 WAPB (PBS)

Baltimore
2 WMAR-TV (CBS)
11 WBAL-TV (NBC)
13 WJZ-TV (ABC)
45 WBFF-TV (Ind.)
67 WMPB (PBS)

Hagerstown
25 WHAG-TV (NBC)
31 WWPG (PBS) (Same programs as 67)

Salisbury
16 WBOC-TV (CBS, NBC)
28 WCPB-TV (PBS) (Same programs as 67)

Lancaster, Pa.
8 WGAL-TV (NBC)

5:20
13 HEALTH FIELD

5:30
4 KNOWLEDGE

5:45
20 PTL CLUB

5:50
13 SUNDAY LIVE!

6 AM
4 HEALTH FIELD
5 EDUCATION
8 NEWS
9 CHRISTOPHER CLOSEUP

6:05
8 DIALOGUE

6:15
45 NEWS

6:20
8 AMERICAN TRAIL

6:25
8 NEWS

6:30
2 ED ALLEN
4 DAYBREAK
5 NEW ZOO REVUE
7 BLACK FORUM
8 PORTER WAGONER
9 TOWN MEETING
11 LEARNING TO DO
45 NEW ZOO REVUE

6:45
20 COMMUNITY NEWS
22-67 A.M. WEATHER

6:50
13 NEWS & AGRICULTURAL NEWS

6:55
16-25 AMERICAN TRAIL
20 NEWS

7 AM
2-9 TUESDAY MORNING
4-8-11-16-25 TODAY
5 TOM AND JERRY
7-13 GOOD MORNING AMERICA
20 WOODY WOODPECKER
22-67 IT'S EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS
45 THREE STOOGES

7:30
5 PORKY PIG
20 MIGHTY MOUSE
22-67 NEWS
45 LITTLE RASCALS/OUR GANG

7:45
22-67 A.M. WEATHER

8 AM
2-9 CAPTAIN KANGAROO
5-45 FLINTSTONES
20 GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
26 HATHA YOGA

8:30
5 BULLWINKLE
20 STAR BLAZERS
22-67 HUMAN RELATIONS AND MOTIVATION
26 MacNEIL/LEHRER REPORT
45 GILLIGAN'S ISLAND

9 AM
2 ROMPER ROOM
4 DINAH! & FRIENDS
5 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER
7 GOOD MORNING WASHINGTON
8-16 PHIL DONAHUE
9-11 PHIL DONAHUE
13 LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
20 CHANNEL 20 CLUB
25 U.S. FARM REPORT
26 SESAME STREET
45 PARTRIDGE FAMILY

9:30
2 GONG SHOW
5 MY THREE SONS
13 $20,000 PYRAMID
20 ROMPER ROOM
25 JOURNEY TO ADVENTURE
45 I LOVE LUCY

10 AM
2 DATING GAME
4-8-25-45 CARD SHARKS
5 I LOVE LUCY
7 EDGE OF NIGHT
9 MORNING BREAK
11 CHARLIE ROSE
13 PEOPLE ARE TALKING
16 JEFFERSONS
20 700 CLUB
26 SESAME STREET

10:30
2 PLAY THE PERCENTAGES
4-8-11-16-25 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
5 GHOST AND MRS. MUIR
7 $20,000 PYRAMID
45 DINAH! & FRIENDS

10:55
9 CBS NEWS

11 AM
2-16 PRICE IS RIGHT
4-8-11-25 HIGH ROLLERS
5 LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE
7 LAVERNE & SHIRLEY
9 ONE DAY AT A TIME
13 MATCH GAME
26 MISTER ROGERS

11:30
4-8-11-25 WHEEL OF FORTUNE
5 DATING GAME
7-13 FAMILY FEUD
9 JEFFERSONS
20 ROSS BAGLEY
26 ELECTRIC COMPANY

Noon
2 2's COMPANY
4-8-25-45 CHAIN REACTION
5-7-9-13 NEWS
11 HELLO BALTIMORE
16 FARM FRONT REPORT
20 CHANNEL 20 GOES TO SCHOOL
26 FOOTSTEPS

12:05
16 JOKER'S WILD

12:30
2-9-16 SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
4-25-45 PASSWORD PLUS
5 PANORAMA
7-13 RYAN'S HOPE
8 NOONDAY ON 8
20 NEWSPROBE
26 DICK CAVETT

1 PM
2-9-16 YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
4-8-11-25 DAYS OF OUR LIVES
7-13 ALL MY CHILDREN
20 MOVIE: "The Lady Has Plans" (1942)
26 JULIA CHILD AND MORE COMPANY
45 MOVIE: "Stowaway to the Moon" (1975)

1:30
26 LAW MAKERS

2 PM
2-9-16 AS THE WORLD TURNS
4-8-11-25 DOCTORS
5 MAYBERRY R.F.D.
7-13 ONE LIFE TO LIVE
26 MASTERPIECE THEATRE

2:30
4-8-11-25 ANOTHER WORLD
5 ARCHIES
20 HUCK AND YOGI

3 PM
2-9-16 GUIDING LIGHT
5 BUGS BUNNY/POPEYE
7-13 GENERAL HOSPITAL
20 MIGHTY MOUSE
26 ODYSSEY
45 CARTOONS

3:30
5 TOM AND JERRY
20 KROFFT SUPER
22-67 MODERN SUPERVISION
45 MUNSTERS
53 CONVERSATION

4 PM
2 TOM AND JERRY AND FRIENDS
4 BOB NEWHART
7 MOVIE: "Funny Girl" (Part 2)
8 MERV GRIFFIN
9 MIKE DOUGLAS
11 WHAT'S HAPPENING
13 EDGE OF NIGHT
16 ONE DAY AT A TIME
22-67 OVER EASY
25 PTL CLUB
26 SESAME STREET
45 LOST IN SPACE
53 AMERICAN SHORT STORY

4:30
2 GOOD TIMES
4 MARY TYLER MOORE
5 FLINTSTONES
11 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN
13 MIKE DOUGLAS
16 BEWITCHED
20 GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
22-67 MISTER ROGERS

5 PM
2 ALL IN THE FAMILY
4 MARY TYLER MOORE
5 SUPERMAN
11 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS
16 BONANZA
20 STAR TREK
22-67 SESAME STREET
26 MISTER ROGERS
45 GILLIGAN'S ISLAND
53 WORD ON WORDS

5:30
2-4-7-9 NEWS
5 BRADY BUNCH
8 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS
11 M*A*S*H
26 VILLA ALEGRE
45 CHICO AND THE MAN
53 SHROUD OF TURIN

6 PM
2-7-8-9-11-13-25 NEWS
5 I LOVE LUCY
16 HOGAN'S HEROES
20 GOOD TIMES
22-67 VILLA ALEGRE
26 ZOOM
45 GET SMART
53 ELECTRIC COMPANY

6:30
2-16 CBS NEWS
4-8-11-25 NBC NEWS
5 ANDY GRIFFITH
20 CAROL BURNETT AND FRIENDS
22-67 ELECTRIC COMPANY
26 OVER EASY
45 GOMER PYLE, USMC
53 VILLA ALEGRE

7 PM
2-8 TIC TAC DOUGH
4 NEWLYWED GAME
5 HAPPY DAYS AGAIN
7-13 ABC NEWS
9 CBS NEWS
11 FACE THE MUSIC
16 NEWS
20 SANFORD AND SON
22-67 BIG BLUE MARBLE
25 JACOBS BROTHERS
26 DICK CAVETT
45 HOGAN'S HEROES
53 GARDEN SPOT

7:30
2 JOKER'S WILD
4 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
5 M*A*S*H
7-16 TIC TAC DOUGH
8 HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
9 PM MAGAZINE
11 MATCH GAME PM
13 EVENING MAGAZINE
20 HOGAN'S HEROES
22-67 HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH
25 STAN HITCHCOCK
26 MacNEIL/LEHRER REPORT
45 SANFORD AND SON
53 OLD HOUSEWORKS

8 PM
2-9-16 WHITE SHADOW
4-8-11-25 SANFORD
5 STARSKY & HUTCH
7-13 HAPPY DAYS
20 MOVIE: "Dark Command" (1940)
22-26-67 NOVA
45 WILD WILD WEST
53 SHAKESPEARE PLAYS

8:30
7-13 LAVERNE & SHIRLEY

9 PM
2-9-16 MOVIE: "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (Part 1)
4-8-11-25 BIG SHOW
5 MERV GRIFFIN
7-13 THREE'S COMPANY
22-26-67 MYSTERY!
45 GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.

9:30
7-13 TAXI

10 PM
5 NEWS
7-13 HART TO HART
20 MIGHTY CONTINENT
22-67 MacNEIL/LEHRER REPORT
26 OPERA FROM SAN FRANCISCO: LA GIOCONDA
45 FRONT LINE MINISTRIES

10:30
4-8-11-25 UNITED STATES
22-67 DICK CAVETT

11 PM
2-4-7-8-9-11-13-16-25 NEWS
5 PRISONER: CELL BLOCK H
20 BENNY HILL
22-67 OF EARTH AND MAN
26 SNEAK PREVIEWS
45 I LOVE LUCY

11:30
2-9 BARNABY JONES
4-8-11-16-25 TONIGHT
5 ODD COUPLE
7-13 ABC NEWS
20 DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE
22-26-67 ABC CAPTIONED NEWS
45 MOVIE: "Big Rose" (1974)

11:50
7-13 MOVIE: "A Matter of Time" (1976)

Mid.
5 PERRY MASON
20 PTL CLUB

12:40
2-9 MOVIE: "Ode to a Dying Love" (1973)

12:55
45 NEWS

1 AM
4-8-11-25 TOMORROW
5 LIFE AND TIMES OF EDDIE ROBERTS
20 TWILIGHT ZONE

1:30
5 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
20 TWILIGHT ZONE

2 AM
8 NEWS
11 EMERGENCY!

2:05
13 NEWS

2:15
13 MOVIE: "Reno" (1939)

 

[azumanga]

11 AM
2-16 PRICE IS RIGHT
9 ONE DAY AT A TIME

11:30
9 JEFFERSONS

I believe "The Jeffersons" and "One Day at a Time" reruns were on CBS during this period -- wasn't pre-empting "live" network programming with delayed programming by the same network a big no-no?

 

[classictvfan]

Could you please post Washington-Baltimore listings for Saturday 4/12/80?

 

[KML0224]

Source: TV Guide, Washington/Baltimore Edition

Channels Listed:

Washington, DC
4 WRC (NBC)
5 WTTG (IND)
7 WJLA (ABC)
9 WDVM (CBS)
14 (Same programs as 53)
20 WDCA (IND)
26 WETA (PBS)

Annandale, VA
53 WNVT (PBS)

Annapolis, MD
22 WAPB (PBS)

Baltimore
2 WMAR (CBS)
11 WBAL (NBC)
13 WJZ (ABC)
45 WBFF (IND)
67 WMPB (PBS)

Hagerstown
25 WHAG (NBC)
31 WWPG (PBS) (Same programs as 67)

Salisbury
16 WBOC (CBS/NBC)
28 WCPB (PBS) (Same programs as 67)

Lancaster, PA
8 WGAL (NBC)

I believe the channel 14 station in DC is a Univision station today. Am I correct in guessing that channel 50 DC and channel 54 Baltimore weren't on the air yet? What about channel 47 from Salisbury? I always saw them listed there an an ABC primary affiliate.

 

[azumanga]

At the time, 14 was only a low-powered repeater of WNVT, even though it was a full-powered station in the past (as WOOK). Also, WMDT just signed on that week (4/11/1980) -- either it did not commence full-programming yet (sign-on days can mean various things), or it has yet to begun submitting listings to TV Guide.

 

[harrisburgpatv]

A comment and a question..

Re: WMDT - it actually was about two months away from signing on. June, 1980 was when it signed on the air.

I have an old TVG from May 1980 and that's when I first noticed that 9 pre-empted TPiR. When did they finally start to show it?

 

[mleach]

I have an old TVG from May 1980 and that's when I first noticed that 9 pre-empted TPiR. When did they finally start to show it?

WDVM really didn't begin to air The Price is Right on a FULL-TIME basis until 1983, maybe 1984. I say "Full-time" because even though TV Guide as early as 1982 had listed WDVM as actually airing TPIR, it wasn't uncommon for WDVM to air something else in its place. In other words, for a few weeks WDVM would air TPIR but for others ( and often not even announced ) they didn't. During those times WDVM would show reruns of such mini-series like Rich Man Poor Man and I believe at one time..Roots. The long forgotten Tom Bosley show "Thats Hollywood" WDVM was known to throw that show in the 11am slot as well.

Over the years I heard a number of reasons as to why WDVM didn't air TPIR on a regular basis. Such as WDVM felt they could make more money airing Thats Hollywood. Others stem from the local show that had aired on WDVM at 10am..Morning Break with Carol Randolf. Somewhere on DCRTV.com several years back someone had posted on there about how Carol hated TPIR and since she carried a lot of weight at WDVM at the time ( and was known to end her show a bit after 11am, say 11:10 for example )..well anyway Bob Barker and his beauties had a tough time being seen on WDVM for a few years back then.

For the record TPIR wasn't the only show WDVM sometimes wouldn't clear. With the exception of a brief time in 1985, WDVM wouldn't air the other game shows on CBS either like Press Your Luck for example. There was even a time when WDVM wouldn't clear many of the Saturday morning cartoon shows either, in its place WDVM would air the teen show "In Our Lives" and the news program "Saturday Magazine". And on top of that as I recall WDVM at least twice a month would pre-empt the entire CBS prime time line-up in favor of those "Feed The Children" specials.

What was CBS's reaction to WDVM not clearing so many of their shows? At the time there was a rumor, well 2 actually. One rumor I remember haring back then ( early 80s ) was that CBS really considered actually buying WDVM to stop the practice. Another rumor had CBS looking for another DC station to be their affiliate ( who knows who would have got CBS had the network had dropped WDVM ).

Of course Gannett ended up with channel 9 and once Gannett took over it pretty much became a rare event for WDVM/WUSA to totally pre-empt any CBS shows..even The Price is Right.

 

[azumanga]

And on top of that as I recall WDVM at least twice a month would pre-empt the entire CBS prime time line-up in favor of those "Feed The Children" specials.

I recall a few other stations (including WTSP in Tampa Bay) also doing that, through the mid-1980s, with hunger specials from Worldvision (the "religious and charitable organisation", not the syndication company) all evening, with an extra hour after the 11PM news. Though these special marathons are generally once a year events, not twice a month.

What was CBS's reaction to WDVM not clearing so many of their shows? At the time there was a rumor, well 2 actually. One rumor I remember haring back then ( early 80s ) was that CBS really considered actually buying WDVM to stop the practice. Another rumor had CBS looking for another DC station to be their affiliate (who knows who would have got CBS had the network had dropped WDVM).

On the other hand, WDVM was probably on a pre-emption spree, as they figured that many Washingtonians could easily also get CBS from Baltimore (at the time, WMAR, then WBAL).

 

[mleach]

On the other hand, WDVM was probably on a pre-emption spree, as they figured that many Washingtonians could easily also get CBS from Baltimore (at the time, WMAR, then WBAL).

You may be right about that, also there was Richmond's WTVR channel 6 which at the time was available on many cable systems around Northern Virginia back then so for many viewers there were no shortage of other CBS channels to turn do when 9 did their pre-emptions.

I just remembered a very bizarre incident that took place on WDVM in regards to The Price is Right. Back in 1984 I was home from school ( forgot why ) but I do remember watching channel 9 at 11am hoping to see TPIR. Instead it was, of course Morning Break with Carol Randolf. Carol was getting some kind of award for something that I long since had forgotten. Suddenly out comes the then GM of WDVM speaking on Carol's behalf and made some comment to the viewers expecting to see Bob Barker and said "to those of you expecting to watch The Price is Right..sorry this is much more important..but if you would rather see Bob Barker and The Price Is Right and if you don't care about Carol...go ahead and watch channel 11 !!!!"

I have always thought that was a bit strange for anyone, much less a GM to say something like that on the air, and on their own station.

 

[bpatrick]

As I recall, WMAR was about as bad about pre-empting
CBS programs; it was a factor in CBS's switch to WBAL.
For instance, WMAR was prone to pre-empt primetime for
Orioles games, and I count three daytime pre-emptions
on this schedule. Oddly, for a station on Channel 2, WMAR
has also been the perennial third-place station in Baltimore
almost from the time Baltimore got three channels on the air.

I don't recall a lot of pre-emptions on WTVR, however, and
WBAL stuck pretty closely to the CBS lineup. The only deviation
on WJZ that I know of is "Guiding Light" at 10 AM instead of 3 PM,
but 13 is an o&o, and every CBS o&o in the Eastern time zone carries
"GL" in the morning.

As to where CBS would have gone if it had dropped 9, there are
two possibilities. At the time, WTTG was owned by Metromedia.
Perhaps CBS could have swung a deal (Metromedia owned ABC
affiliates in Boston and Kansas City, IIRC), but then when Fox bought
the Metromedia stations, CBS would have been off Ch. 5. Then there's
Channel 7, WJLA, owned by Allbritton, the more likely one to have taken
the CBS affiliation, I think. But Allbritton, in the '90s, chose to affiliate
all its stations with ABC, so CBS would have ended up back on 9 anyway.
And since 9 was (and, I guess, still is) the number-one station in DC,
CBS could ill-afford to lose it, just as NBC could ill-afford to lose another
pre-emption happy station, WSB/2 Atlanta (which went to ABC by choice,
and not because NBC was looking to affiliate with WXIA). Channel 4.
of course, was out of the question, being an NBC o&o, and I'm sure CBS
would not have settled for UHF.