Telethons that are no longer around (or no longer carried nationally)

[Tim from Springfield IL]

The posts on the MDA telethon also got me thinking--What telethons were once carried on a national scale (and similar in length to that of Jerry's telethon), but are no longer around?

Some I remember:

Easter Seals Telethon (hosts included Pat Boone)--It used to always be carried from late Saturday night (after 11/10PM newscasts) until about 6PM Sunday. I remember it used to air on some Palm Sunday weekends, then a few weeks before Easter, and then usually the first weekend in March (exactly six months before Labor Day weekend and Jerry's telethon). I don't recall seeing it on a national scale (other than an abbreviated locally-oriented version, sometimes combined with the United Celebral Palsy fundraising, after 1996).

United Celebral Palsy (hosts regularly included Henry Winkler and John Ritter)--usually aired mid-January (generally the weekend before the Super Bowl). I don't remember seeing it since about 1996 (same as Easter Seals telethon above).

March of Dimes--barely remember at least a promotion for this telethon during 1983 and 1984, IIRC on the weekend before July 4th.

What other telethons used to exist that are essentially no longer around (or only carried on a smaller scale basis, perhaps a few hours on Sunday afternoon)?

 

[WMC2006]

Just a couple weeks ago, the WEEI (radio)/NESN (New England Sports Network) Jimmy Fund Telethon aired. The Jimmy Fund is the official charity of the Boston Red Sox whose games are aired on WEEI/Boston (and now throughout New England) and NESN.

I believe they set a new record of a good 5 million dollars raised.

 

[Stanislav]

United Celebral Palsy (hosts regularly included Henry Winkler and John Ritter)--usually aired mid-January (generally the weekend before the Super Bowl). I don't remember seeing it since about 1996 (same as Easter Seals telethon above).

I have vivid memories of the pre-national UCP telethon when it aired on WOR-TV in New York, hosted by Dennis James. Young as I was, I remember watching it every year on Sunday morning because it was fun to have something different to watch instead of religious shows. (I mean, what adolescent kid in his right mind watched "The Christophers" or "This is the Life," right?)

I liked it also because even at that tender age, I knew the difference between a pre-recorded show and a live broadcast, and things didn't always go smoothly on the telethon. For some reason, I enjoyed watching the slips and stumbles of a live show (still do).

Two things stand out for me in a negative fashion. I remember that they had this insipid "theme song" ("Look at us, we're walking.....Look at us, we're talking.....Imagine walking to the candy store.....") that they would trot out at every lull in the donations. It was the kind of tune that was impossible to get out of your head for days afterwards. But bad enough that they sang it over and over -- every time they did, they would parade all the little crippled kids around the studio in wheelchairs, on crutches, etc. Even as a kid, I recoiled at the frontal assault on my emotions -- sure, it was a worthy cause, but it seemed so blatantly manipulative, almost like they were saying behind the scenes, "Oops....calls are slowing down...better get the kids out there again and tug at the old heartstrings!"

The other thing that stuck in my craw was that most of the guests (and Mr. James himself) consistently mispronounced "cerebral" as "CER-a-bull" rather that "cer-EE-bral." I often wondered how those adults got away with that when I knew my own teachers would have corrected me on the spot....

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

For several years in the early 1960's, Cincinnati had what was called "The Variety Club Telethon" that raised funds for that agency which assisted persons with special needs. In those annual shows, national celebrities such as: Virginia Graham, Dennis Weaver, Kathleen Nolan and Peter Brown appeared locally. One year, the entire cast of "The Big Payoff" came to town. The show usually aired in the early spring and began late on Saturday night and continued until the Sunday afternoon. It aired on WKRC-TV, Channel 12 and originated from its studios.

 

[azumanga]

I have vivid memories of the pre-national UCP telethon when it aired on WOR-TV in New York, hosted by Dennis James.

I read somewhere that many stations had local UCP telethons, featuring local personalities, as well as Dennis James and other well-known celebrities, making the trip to each station holding the telethon.

In Tampa Bay, both WTSP and WXLT (now WWSB) carried the national telethon; for some reason, in the early-1980s, WTSP hired Chuck Zink, who was a Miami radio/TV personality, to helm the local segments on their station. WTSP discontinued the telethon in the mid-1980s (no one else picked it up), though WWSB would continue to carry it until it folded.

For several years in the early 1960's, Cincinnati had what was called "The Variety Club Telethon" that raised funds for that agency which assisted persons with special needs.

I think many large cities had a Variety Club telethon in one form or another. In Canada, the one on Global BC in Vancouver (the former BCTV) is still going strong, with Bob McGrath (of Sesame Street) as one of the hosts. CKND in Winnipeg also had a Variety Club show as well, at least a few years back.

 

[Braves2005]

The Lou Rawls Parade of Stars telethon which was usually carried on WGN and BET I don't believe exists anymore because Rawls passed away a couple of years back and I haven't heard anything about a successor to Rawls in that telethon so I believe that the telethon died with him.

I remember the Easter Seals Telethon very well as KSAT in San Antonio carried the telethon from the late 1970's (that I know of) till about the late 1980's at least.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Anyone remember the Democratic National Telethon? It aired for a couple years in the early 70's on CBS, I think, which was right around the time the DNC was flat on its back broke, and featured everyone who was anyone in showbiz (except for the handful, even then, of big-time Hollywood Republicans like Bob Hope, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Walter Brennan, etc.)

Edit:

For several years in the early 1960's, Cincinnati had what was called "The Variety Club Telethon" that raised funds for that agency which assisted persons with special needs. In those annual shows, national celebrities such as: Virginia Graham, Dennis Weaver, Kathleen Nolan and Peter Brown appeared locally. One year, the entire cast of "The Big Payoff" came to town. The show usually aired in the early spring and began late on Saturday night and continued until the Sunday afternoon. It aired on WKRC-TV, Channel 12 and originated from its studios.
Did longtime Cincy TV personality Ruth Lyons have anything to do with that?

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

No. Ruth Lyons stayed strictly with her own "Ruth Lyons Christmas Children's Fund" during her life. In fact, I don't recall any WLW-T employees becoming involved with any of the telethons here over the years. My thought would be that WLW-T wanted their employees only associated with the Ruth Lyons Fund. By the way, that fund continues today some 20 years after she passed away. It begins in early October (on the date of her birth) each year, and continues through the Holidays.

 

[azumanga]

I remember that [the WOR telethon] had this insipid "theme song" ("Look at us, we're walking.....Look at us, we're talking.....Imagine walking to the candy store.....") that they would trot out at every lull in the donations... every time they did, they would parade all the little crippled kids around the studio in wheelchairs, on crutches, etc. Even as a kid, I recoiled at the frontal assault on my emotions -- sure, it was a worthy cause, but it seemed so blatantly manipulative, almost like they were saying behind the scenes, "Oops....calls are slowing down...better get the kids out there again and tug at the old heartstrings!"

Was the local WOR telethon an all-night affair, like the later national telethon? If so, I could imagine the poor children being woken up, just to parade in front of the phones at 3AM in the morning.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

The Lou Rawls Parade of Stars telethon which was usually carried on WGN and BET I don't believe exists anymore because Rawls passed away a couple of years back and I haven't heard anything about a successor to Rawls in that telethon so I believe that the telethon died with him.

In 1998, the United Negro College Fund's fundraiser was renamed An Evening of Stars. In 2004, the program was also revamped from a standard telethon into an tribute honoring an entertainer who has supported UNCF's cause over the years. Lou Rawls, who passed away in 2006, was the first honoree. He was followed by (in successive years) Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Smokey Robinson.

The UNCF fundraiser is not as prominent as it once was, and it's not even live anymore -- next year's edition, honoring Patti LaBelle, will be pre-taped this September for broadcast in January.

 

[Andy Coleman]

where I live in Dothan during the late 1980's early 90's there was a local telethon for a special need school. My brother who we lost in Feb. attented the school and he always wanted to be on the telethon. it was hosted by a local personality . She would beg and sometime cry for pledges. See the money went to support the school and pay for the teachers, aids, lunchroom workers you name it. It wasn't easy. some of those poor kids sung, danced, anything to get people to send money.

 

[Newname]

How many years did the UCP telethon last as an 'all night' show?
I used to think it was carried on the full ABC network(I watched on KGO, and it originated from WABC and KABC, so presumably all the network 'Channel 7' O & O's were part of it, anyway).
I recall Henry Winkler telling the audience, presumably on the West Coast, that they would leave the air for an hour...so that 'The Love Boat' could air as schduled!
After the mid-80s or so, it never aired in prime time, and was eventually down to just a few hours on Sunday afternoon, with little, if any, national content. I stopped watching before that, but assumed KGO was doing a local fundraiser by then.

 

[Joe_Capitano]

Easter Seals: I remember that Ralph Edwards was host of that one back in the early 70s before it became Pat Boone's baby (his daughter Cherry hosted the Seattle 'thon).

One that hasn't come up: Children's Miracle Network, brainchild of the Osmonds: That one used to be an all-nighter originating from Disneyland, home of some of the worst earworms known to mankind. It turned into a bunch of themed hours with little or no entertainment. That pretty much did it in. Seattle turned away from it in favor of four hours the first Saturday in December for our Children's Hospital.

Another one: Olympathon. A fundraiser for the U.S. Olympic Committee. They had a couple of those, I think.

Speaking of Variety Club, as stated earlier the telethon still exists in Vancouver, BC - just to the north of me. Bob McGrath of Sesame Street still shows up, but gone are the days when the show played the Queen Elizabeth Theater and Dal Richards conducted his big band in the pit, Bob sings with a deaf children's choir whilst they sign (always a tear-jerker), Rolf Harris would play "Jake the Peg", and the cast would lead rally crys of "Ring Those Phones!" These days it's reduced to a studio show which only serves as a wraparound for the kind of pre-taped entertainment shows you probably had already seen too many times to count on HBO or PBS. I kid you not.

I guess, save for MDA, it's just too expensive to stage an old-school telethon these days.

 

[azumanga]

Speaking of Variety Club, as stated earlier the telethon still exists in Vancouver, BC...These days it's reduced to a studio show which only serves as a wraparound for the kind of pre-taped entertainment shows you probably had already seen too many times to count on HBO or PBS. I kid you not.

I first seen their telethon in 2000, which, I think was the first or second year into its "PBS pledge break" format, with taped entertainment, interrupted with appeals to call in, smarmy stories of kids and the ever-popular toteboard. Actually, it's more interesting than a PBS pledge break, but I rather have live entertainment.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

One that hasn't come up: Children's Miracle Network, brainchild of the Osmonds: That one used to be an all-nighter originating from Disneyland, home of some of the worst earworms known to mankind. It turned into a bunch of themed hours with little or no entertainment. That pretty much did it in. Seattle turned away from it in favor of four hours the first Saturday in December for our Children's Hospital.

Here in central Illinois, the Children's Miracle Network Telethon is still going strong (in Springfield/Decatur/Champaign it airs on ABC sister stations WICS-20 and WICD-15; and for many years in Peoria on WEEK-25).

 

[perfidia08]

One that hasn't come up: Children's Miracle Network, brainchild of the Osmonds: That one used to be an all-nighter originating from Disneyland, home of some of the worst earworms known to mankind. It turned into a bunch of themed hours

KYW-3 carried this for a few years in the 1980s.

Speaking of Variety Club, as stated earlier the telethon still exists in Vancouver, BC

...as mentioned in another post, WPVI-6 originated the local Variety Club telethon every February, with Monty Hall co-hosting along with various entertainment personalities (occasionally ABC soap stars or entertainers). The Action News team also pitched in, hosting the overnight portions whilst Monty & co. rested. The overnights featured performances from numerous local acts.

IIRC, Variety Club decided to pull the plug on its local telethon, and concentrate fundraising through other means, in the early 1990s.

---perf08
_________________________________________________
...make that pledge at 895-0450...

 

[azumanga]

Here in central Illinois, the Children's Miracle Network Telethon is still going strong (in Springfield/Decatur/Champaign it airs on ABC sister stations WICS-20 and WICD-15; and for many years in Peoria on WEEK-25).

Many stations still show the telethon -- here in Tampa Bay, WFLA presented the telethon on behalf of St. Pete-based All Children's Hospital every year, ever since the CMN began in 1983. In fact, the CMN show usually gets more pledges locally than Jerry.

Fort Myers' CW station, WXCW, also shows the CMN for All Children's (as they have no local children's hospital), though I don't know if they have their own telethon or simulcast WFLA's coverage.

 

[mleach]

Somewhat related to this but I remember back in the early 80's some comedy show did a joke telethon on the prevention of jock itch.
I don't remember the name of the show who did this I know it wasn't SNL or even Fridays. I do remember the way they did the telethon looked pretty real and they even had a phone number flash across the screen and it wasn't a 555 number either. I wonder if anyone actually called that number even though the show aired late at night?