RETRO: WESTERN ILLINOIS, SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1984

[SteveRichards]

Source: TV Guide, Western Illinois Edition

Quad Cities
4 WHBF (CBS)
6 WOC (NBC) (now KWQC)
8 WQAD (ABC)
24 WQPT (PBS)**

Springfield
20 WICS (NBC) (now an ABC affiliate)

Peoria
19 WRAU (ABC) (now WHOI and LMA'd by WEEK)
25 WEEK (NBC)
31 WMBD (CBS)
47 WTVP (PBS)

Bloomington
43 WBLN (Ind.) (now WYZZ, a Fox affiliate, and LMA'd by WMBD)

Quincy
7 KHQA (CBS)
10 WGEM (NBC)*

Kirksville-Ottumwa
3 KTVO (ABC)


*WGEM carried some ABC daytime shows on weekdays, but was not listed as a secondary ABC affiliate.
**WQPT apparently didn't broadcast on Saturdays at this point.

MORNING

5:00 8 News (presumably a replay of the 10PM newscast the night before)

5:30 8 Real to Reel

6:00 7-31 Captain Kangaroo (The last CBS incarnation of the show)
8 Romper Room and Friends

6:15 10 Davey and Goliath

6:30 4-19 Better Way
8 Great Space Coaster
10 New Zoo Revue
20 U.S. Farm Report

7:00 3-8-19 Monchhichis
4-7-31 Charlie Brown & Snoopy
6-10-20 Flintstone Funnies
25 Uncle Waldo

7:30 3-8-19 Little Rascals/Richie Rich
4-7-31 Saturday Supercade
6-10-20-25 Shirt Tales
8:00 3-19 New Scooby & Scrappy-Doo
6-10-20-25 Smurfs
8 Jackson 5ive
47 Sesame Street

8:30 3-8-19 Pac-Man/Rubik the Amazing Cube
4-7-31 Dungeons & Dragons

9:00 4-7-31 Tarzan
47 Sesame Street

9:30 3-8-19 The Littles
4-7-31 Bugs Bunny/Road Runner
6-10-20-25 Alvin & the Chipmunks
43 Jackson 5ive

10:00 3-8-19 Puppy's Further Adventures
6-10-20-25 Mr. T
43 Hardy Boys
47 Living Wild

10:30 3-8-19 Best of Scooby-Doo
6-10-20-25 Amazing Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk

11:00 3-8-19 ABC Weekend Special: "The Big Hex of Little Lulu"
4-7-31 Biskitts
43 Women's Bowling: BPAA Women's U.S. Open
47 Pet Action Line

11:30 3-8-19 American Bandstand (Guest: Laura Branigan)
4-7-31 Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince
6 This Week in Baseball
10 By the Way
20 Underdog
25 U.S. Farm Report
47 Motorweek

AFTERNOON

12:00 4-31 Fat Albert
6-10-20-25 Women's Tennis: Final-round of the French Open (taped)
7 U.S. Farm Report
43 Movie: "The Sad Sack" (1957)
47 Great Outdoors

12:30 3 Joy of Gardening
4-7 CBS Children's Film Festival: "The Trumpet and I"
8 America's Top 10
19 That Teen Show
31 Muppet Show
47 Last Chance Garage

1:00 3 U.S. Farm Report
4 Hogan's Heroes
7 Celebrity Crusade for Life
8 Like It Is
19 Here's Lucy
31 NFL's Best Ever
47 Do-It-Yourself Show

1:30 3-8-19 Pro Bowling: Southern California Open
4 F.Y.I.
47 Victory Garden

1:50 4 Kideo Video

2:00 4-7-31 Golf: Westchester Classic
6-10-20-25 Baseball Pre-Game
43 Bonanza
47 Square Foot Gardening

2:15 6 NBC Baseball: Detroit at Baltimore (alternate game: Atlanta at Los Angeles)
10-20-25 NBC Baseball: Atlanta at Los Angeles (alternate game: Detroit at Baltimore)

2:30 47 Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel

3:00 3-8-19 Olympic Trials: Boxing
43 Greatest Sports Legends
47 Magic of Oil Painting

3:30 4-7-31 Belmont Stakes (the 116th running)
43 Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
47 Magic of Floral Painting

4:00 3-8-19 ABC's Wide World of Sports
47 Supersoccer

4:30 43 Take Two

5:00 4 Jeffersons
6-7 News
10 Taking Advantage
20 Assignment 15 (assuming this originated at 20's semi-satellite station in Champaign, WICD/15)
25 Dance Fever
31 Muppet Show
43 Shopsmith
47 Yan Can Cook

5:10 7 Face the Tri-States

5:30 3 This Week in Country Music
4-7 CBS Evening News (Bob Schieffer)
6-10-20-25 NBC Nightly News (Connie Chung)
8 Our Little Secret (local show discussing incest)
19 Twilight Zone (BW)
31 News
43 How the West Was Won
47 Sneak Previews

EVENING

6:00 3-6 Solid Gold (Guests: K.C., Rick Springfield, LaToya Jackson, and Night Ranger)
4 Buck Rogers
7-20-31 Hee Haw (Guests: John Anderson and Charly McClain)
8 Greatest American Hero
10-25 News
19 Double Platinum (Rick Dees hosts)
47 Nature of Things

6:30 10 Dance Fever
25 At the Movies
43 Battlestar Galactica

7:00 3-8-19 T.J. Hooker
4-7-31 Mama Malone
6-10-20-25 Diff'rent Strokes
47 Austin City Limits

7:30 4-7-31 CBS Special Movie: "The Jazz Singer" (1980)
6-10-20-25 Silver Spoons
43 Odd Couple

8:00 3-8-19 Love Boat
6-10-20-25 Mama's Family
43 On Stage America
47 Six-Gun Heroes (BW): "Trouble in Texas" (1937)

8:30 6-10-20-25 People Are Funny

9:00 3-8-19 Fantasy Island
6 Barbara Mandrell (Syndicated rerun of the popular NBC show; Guests: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and the Sons of the Pioneers)
10-20-25 Rousters
47 Mystery!: "Quiet as a Nun"

10:00 3 ABC News Weekend Report
4-6-7-8-10-19-20-25-31 News
43 New York Hot Tracks
47 American Playhouse: Part 4 of "Oppenheimer"

10:15 3 News

10:30 3 Cousteau/Amazon
4 Switch
6-10-20-25 Saturday Night Live (Host: Edwin Newman)
7 That Nashville Music
8 Eureka Stockade (Part 1 of a 2-part mini-series)
19 Movie: "Eagles over London" (Italian; 1969)
31 Movie: "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974)

11:00 7 Star Search (Guests: Mark Harmon and Nell Carter)
47 Music of the Big Bands

11:30 4 Harry O
43 700 Club

12:00 6 Stars with David Steinberg
7 America's Top 10
10 700 Club
20 Olympiad
25 Movie: "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" (1975)

12:25 19 Dance Show (Guests: Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers)

12:30 3 Movie: "Mission in Morocco" (1959)
7 News
8 New York Hot Tracks

1:00 6 Star Search (assuming same epsiode as on 7 at 11:00)
10 News

1:25 19 ABC News Weekend Report

1:30 25 Weekend

2:00 6 News
8 ABC News Weekend Report

2:15 8 News

2:45 8 CNN Headline News

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

9:00 3-8-19 Fantasy Island
6 Barbara Mandrell (Syndicated rerun of the popular NBC show; Guests: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and the Sons of the Pioneers)
10-20-25 Rousters
47 Mystery!: "Quiet as a Nun"

Apparently, WOC was bumping the NBC 9PM Saturday lineup for Barbara Mandrell during this time--not just two weeks later (June 23, 1984) when NBC aired a documentary concerning child pornography that Saturday evening at 9PM that channel 6 also bumped for Mandrell--which was listed as such in a listing of only the Peoria and Quad Cities stations from that day that I posted on here in October 2006:

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=50337.0

Also, the three stations with different calls at present than those shown in this listing--WOC-6 (KWQC), WRAU-19 (WHOI), and WBLN-43 (WYZZ) would all adopt their current call letters within 2 1/2 years from this listing: WRAU to WHOI Jan. 1, 1985; WBLN to WYZZ September 1985, and WOC to KWQC in the fall of 1986 (but I can't remember the exact month when the change occurred). In addition, WICS-20 Springfield would switch to ABC on Labor Day 2005 (Sept. 5, 2005) in a swap with Decatur's WAND-17 (which was never listed in the Western IL edition of TVG).

In addition, WRSP-55 (now Fox) in Springfield was on the air by this time and was at full power (and was receivable OTA roughly along and southeast of a Peoria-Canton-Macomb-Pittsfield line). When did WRSP make its first appearance in the Western Illinois edition of TVG? (During its history only the Springfield/Jacksonville stations that comprised the Springfield/Decatur/Champaign market were listed in the Western IL edition, while Springfield city proper received the Eastern Illinois edition).

I also am curious what the county coverage areas for WICS and the pre-Fox WRSP were considered to be during 1984. Would anyone know? I remember seeing a WICS weathercast via tropo one evening in 1991 between Peoria and Galesburg, and Channel 20's county warning map back then actually stretched to as far west as Adams County (which is WGEM's backyard), and most likely into Pike and McDonough counties. I also remember reading a Macomb newspaper item during the old TCI Cable's attempt to drop WGN from its downstate Illinois lineups in 1996, and a letter writer recalled once having channel 20 on Macomb cable at one time (but I haven't seen more evidence that would substantiate this). Does anyone know what the westernmost cable coverage extent for WICS and/or WRSP might have been at one time--particularly considering the fact during this time that St. Louis network stations (plus KPLR) were still being offered on several western Illinois cable systems (including Quincy and perhaps even Carthage, IL and Keokuk, IA--despite the presence of WGEM and KHQA). Was there ever an attempt by Quincy's cable system to offer Fox programming via WRSP (or KDNL pre-1995 network swap) in the pre-CGEM (now WGEM 10-3) days (CGEM brought Quincy cable viewers Fox programming beginning in 1993, operated by WGEM).

 

[SteveRichards]

When did WRSP make its first appearance in the Western Illinois edition of TVG?

I would say WRSP was added within a year or two of these listings. I know WRSP was still listed in the Western Illinois Edition by the time Fox was launched.

In regard to WGEM and WICS, I know there was a spat (I believe in the late '80s) with the cable company in Jacksonville. I believe the cable company wanted to drop WGEM (and possibly KSDK in St. Louis, as well) due to all the duplicate programming from the NBC affiliates. This would have left WICS as the sole NBC affiliate on the system. I imagine WICS was probably pushing the issue, or at the very least, was firmly behind it. I remember WGEM claiming that they did more news coverage of the Jacksonville area than WICS. This has been so long ago, and I'm not sure how the issue was ultimately resolved. I want to say WGEM ended up remaining on the system, but KSDK got the boot.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

When did WRSP make its first appearance in the Western Illinois edition of TVG?

I would say WRSP was added within a year or two of these listings. I know WRSP was still listed in the Western Illinois Edition by the time Fox was launched.

In regard to WGEM and WICS, I know there was a spat (I believe in the late '80s) with the cable company in Jacksonville. I believe the cable company wanted to drop WGEM (and possibly KSDK in St. Louis, as well) due to all the duplicate programming from the NBC affiliates. This would have left WICS as the sole NBC affiliate on the system. I imagine WICS was probably pushing the issue, or at the very least, was firmly behind it. I remember WGEM claiming that they did more news coverage of the Jacksonville area than WICS. This has been so long ago, and I'm not sure how the issue was ultimately resolved. I want to say WGEM ended up remaining on the system, but KSDK got the boot.

I think now Jacksonville's cable system post-DTV transition only consists of the Springfield/Decatur/Champaign stations--not even KHQA. Up until the transition KHQA was still offered, based on Internet listings I've seen on their lineup (and I think KTVI, KETC, and KPLR were still offered from St. Louis--and maybe even KDNL even after Sinclair sister station WICS switched to ABC).

I think have read several years ago on the old version of the Illinois radio message board offered via the Gateway City Radio website (back when serious discussions actually occurred on that board), that WGEM actually opted out of Jacksonville's cable lineup sometime in the '90s.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

When did WRSP make its first appearance in the Western Illinois edition of TVG?

I would say WRSP was added within a year or two of these listings. I know WRSP was still listed in the Western Illinois Edition by the time Fox was launched.

Another thing about WRSP--I distinctively remember during summer 1984 that they aired reruns of "Charlie's Angels" weeknights at 9PM. I remember noticing that while visiting family in far northern Fulton County, IL northwest of Canton (or about 35 miles west of Peoria)--and even there they were able to get a rather beefy signal from WRSP (while channel 55 may have even been on their channel presets). Most likely WRSP came in stronger in that area than WBLN/WYZZ around that time, while future Fox affiliate (and two-time indy) KLJB-18 from the Quad Cities would not appear until July 1985 as another area independent option. I think to some extent to this day, there are smaller cable systems in parts of Fulton County, IL (despite being part of the Peoria/Bloomington market) that got their Fox programming solely from WRSP (or some from KLJB) instead of WYZZ (whose stick is near Congerville, IL--10 miles northwest of Bloomington/Normal). And then this situation became prevalent once you got west-southwestward from Fulton County and into the Quincy market--with cable systems there initially forced to rely upon out-of-market affiliates (which in most cases were WRSP or KLJB on the Illinois side) for their Fox programming.

 

[zman]

I was also curious when the convocom PBS stations from Quincy/Jacksonville/MaComb were added. channels 14/22/27 I believe is how they appeared in the listing when they were added. I know it was around this time as this is the TV guide my parents received. They live in Tonica which is about forty five minutes north of Peoria. along route 251. Just wondered when they signed on. Also noticed the WTVP 47 had mid day programming on the weekends. The did not have mid day programming during the middays during the week until at leas the very late 80's. I wondered when they added mid day programming on the weekends of if they always had it on the weekends.

 

[SteveRichards]

According to Wikipedia (take that for what it's worth), WJPT (now WSEC) signed on in August of 1984, just a couple months after these listings. WIUM (now WMEC) signed on in October. WQEC didn't sign on until March of 1985. I can't remember if TV Guide added all three stations at once at some point after WQEC got on the air, or if WJPT and WIUM were listed at some point before WQEC hit the air. I want to say that WIUM and WMEC were added before WQEC got on the air, but my memory may be foggy on that. In any event, their listings were probably added well within a year of these listings.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

6:00 7-31 Captain Kangaroo (The last CBS incarnation of the show)
8 Romper Room and Friends

It would be six months later when the Captain would say "Bon Voyage" to CBS (when the Saturday/Sunday morning reruns were dropped). But Bob Keeshan would return to CBS in fall 1985 to host "CBS Storybreak," while "Captain Kangaroo" reruns would later air on PBS from about 1986 to possibly the early '90s. Don't know what WHBF-4's problem with the Captain was by this time.

And during weekday mornings by this time I would assume that the "Captain's Curse" was in full swing in the network morning news department.

And for WQAD-8, "Romper Room" was still airing on weekday mornings at that time (at 11AM, bumping "Family Feud"--BTW condolences and prayers for Richard Dawson's family and friends), so this was likely a rerun of one of the previous week's shows. And this was the local version, with "Miss Peggy" as the teacher. I think either that fall or the next RR was itself relegated to Saturday mornings--then picked up by WQPT-24 (PBS) while still being produced at WQAD.

 

[azumanga]

...for WQAD-8, "Romper Room" was still airing on weekday mornings at that time... And this was the local version, with "Miss Peggy" as the teacher. I think either that fall or the next RR was itself relegated to Saturday mornings--then picked up by WQPT-24 (PBS) while still being produced at WQAD.

That being said, any other PBS stations carried "Romper Room"?