Whatever happened to those good ol' national telethons?

[marce90]

I don't know about you, but whatever happened to those telethons that aired from the 70s to the 90s on local stations and why were they cancelled?

The Easter Seals Telethon - Aired nationally from 1972-1997. A television special "Hollywood Salutes Easter Seals" aired the following year, but since then there hasn't been a telecast. The ABC affiliate in my region (KRGV-TV) continues to hold Easter Seals Telethons for 5 hours each Spring to benefit local children with disabilities.

The Children's Miracle Network Celebration - Still continues to air on many stations, but now the national telecast is no longer a variety show/telethon, but just a series of stories from sick children.

St. Jude Children's Hospital Telethon - I never even seen this telethon but I heard it aired nationally back in the 70s and 80s. There are some stations that still hold local St. Jude telethons.

Now the only national variety show/telethon that's still on is the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, and I think that will be gone soon (once a cure is found).

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

There was also a March of Dimes telethon that was still airing in the early '80s (around July 4 weekend). I also remember the United Cerebral Palsy telethon, which usually aired on the off-weekend between the AFC/NFC championship games and the Super Bowl--and was a big deal with hosts including John Ritter and Henry Winkler.

 

[gr8oldies]

WHIO-TV in Dayton carries the Childrens Miracle Network-to screams of protest because of it pre-empted the Memorial Golf Tournament (facebook comments like: can't that idiot Program Director read a calendar?)

 

[jwk1979]

There was also a March of Dimes telethon that was still airing in the early '80s (around July 4 weekend). I also remember the United Cerebral Palsy telethon, which usually aired on the off-weekend between the AFC/NFC championship games and the Super Bowl--and was a big deal with hosts including John Ritter and Henry Winkler.

Are you sure that the March of Dimes Telethon was a national one? We had the March of Dimes Telerama in Knoxville growing up and it was alway held the weekend between the NFL Conference Title games and the Super Bowl. And it was always done locally. When WBIR (the CBS affiliate until 1988) hosted the telerama, they usually had Characters from some of the current CBS series to appear (Festus from Gunsmoke, Howard Sprauge from Andy Griffith, Jethro and Dash Riprock from the Beverly Hillbillies, etc.). When the Telerama went over to WATE (the NBC affiliate until 1979), they only used local talent, with an occasional appearance by an actor from one of the NBC Soap Operas. It was always hosted by someone named Billy Lee and the only time I ever heard of him or every saw him in anything was the Knoxville March of Dime Telerama.

Does the Lou Rawls' United Negro College Fund Telethon still come on? The last one I remember was the one that took place just a week or so after his death.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Anyone remember the Democratic National Telethon? It aired a couple years in the early-mid 70's, when the DNC was broke, and it featured most of the Hollyweird Liberal A-list of the era. Seems like CBS carried it, but I could be wrong.

 

[KeithE4]

Anyone remember the Democratic National Telethon? It aired a couple years in the early-mid 70's, when the DNC was broke, and it featured most of the Hollyweird Liberal A-list of the era. Seems like CBS carried it, but I could be wrong.

Yes, CBS carried it - one of many reasons for its current reputation. IIRC, Sens. George McGovern and Hubert Humphrey - aka "The Two Guys Who Lost to Mr. I. M. Notacrook" - were the "anchors."

 

[retrothoughts]

No, I don't think CBS aired that Democrat Party telethon on a summertime Sunday in 1972; I remember watching it on ABC, complete with "This is ABC" ID's before the station breaks.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Does the Lou Rawls' United Negro College Fund Telethon still come on? The last one I remember was the one that took place just a week or so after his death

.

The Lou Rawls Parade Of Stars Telethon...That one may have had the best performance lineup, year-in, year-out, of any telethon.

 

[KeithE4]

No, I don't think CBS aired that Democrat Party telethon on a summertime Sunday in 1972; I remember watching it on ABC, complete with "This is ABC" ID's before the station breaks.

It might have been syndicated then. The station I watched it on was a CBS affiliate - WSAU-TV Wausau WI.

 

[searadiofreak]

Back in the day, these telethons provided hours of PSA material. Today, the lost revenue is more important. Bottom line stuff here, unfortunately.

 

[azumanga]

There was also a March of Dimes telethon that was still airing in the early '80s (around July 4 weekend).

Are you sure that the March of Dimes Telethon was a national one?

I'm pretty sure it was, at least in the late-1970s and early-1980s. I recall Hal Linden being host around 1982 or 1983.

No, I don't think CBS aired that Democrat Party telethon on a summertime Sunday in 1972; I remember watching it on ABC, complete with "This is ABC" ID's before the station breaks.

It might have been syndicated then. The station I watched it on was a CBS affiliate - WSAU-TV Wausau WI.

I think I read somewhere that the telethons (there were two of them, in 1972 and 1973) aired on all three networks, with each network inserting its system cue before pausing for station identification -- in other words, while ABC said "This is ABC", CBS, of course, would say, "This is CBS".

 

[johnnya2k6]

On Memorial Day weekend 1983, the Democrats in an attempt to raise as much funds as they can for the 1984 election, tried again with a star-studded telethon on NBC.

The end result? They made a pitiful $2.7 million!!!

Meanwhile, Britain's ITV network ran telethons in 1988, 1990, and 1992; each lasted 27 hours -- about six more than Jerry Lewis's!!!!!

 

[Toledo Eleven]

In Toledo and Detroit the '72 telethon was on ABC stations (WDHO in Toledo and WXYZ in Detroit) It started on Saturday night (7/8/72) and continued until Sunday evening (7/9/72) with several breaks for local programming. TV Guide had a close-up description box. It was the first nationwide political telethon. The Democrats were over nine million dollars in debt since 1968. It was produced by Laugh-In producer Carolyn Raskin and was broadcast live from Hollywood. Lauren Bacall, Warren Beatty, Milton Berle, Henry Fonda, Ben Gazzara, Lorne Greene, Gene Hackman, Alan King, Cloris Leachman, Shirley MacLaine, Groucho Marx, Bob Newhart, Carl Reiner, Lily Tomlin, Dionne Warwick, and Andy Williams were among those scheduled to appear. The convention started the next evening (Monday 7/10/72 in Miami Beach.

 

[jwk1979]

There was also a March of Dimes telethon that was still airing in the early '80s (around July 4 weekend).

Are you sure that the March of Dimes Telethon was a national one?

I'm pretty sure it was, at least in the late-1970s and early-1980s. I recall Hal Linden being host around 1982 or 1983.

Yhe reason I asked is because we only had a local telethon for the March Of Dimes and it was always in late January/early February. It was always done from the Knoxville Civic Center and it was always hosted by either the loacal CBS or NBC affliates. I don't recall a National version of March of Dimes telethon ever being aired in Knoxville, especially during July.

 

[BobbyNBC10]

There was also a March of Dimes telethon that was still airing in the early '80s (around July 4 weekend).

Are you sure that the March of Dimes Telethon was a national one?

I'm pretty sure it was, at least in the late-1970s and early-1980s. I recall Hal Linden being host around 1982 or 1983.

No, I don't think CBS aired that Democrat Party telethon on a summertime Sunday in 1972; I remember watching it on ABC, complete with "This is ABC" ID's before the station breaks.

It might have been syndicated then. The station I watched it on was a CBS affiliate - WSAU-TV Wausau WI.

I think I read somewhere that the telethons (there were two of them, in 1972 and 1973) aired on all three networks, with each network inserting its system cue before pausing for station identification -- in other words, while ABC said "This is ABC", CBS, of course, would say, "This is CBS".

And NBC would say, "This is the NBC Television Network".

 

[ixnay]

When WBIR (the CBS affiliate until 1988) hosted the [March of Dimes] telerama, they usually had Characters from some of the current CBS series to appear (Festus from Gunsmoke, Howard Sprauge from Andy Griffith, Jethro and Dash Riprock from the Beverly Hillbillies, etc.).

You used the word "characters". Does this mean these performers appeared on the telethon in character?

ixnay

 

[MORE RADIO TRUTH]

The Jerry Lewis telethon has changed thru the years (Johnny Olson, Ed McMahon, at WNEW-TV, NYC Tony Orlando sang out "call 985-9940"...)
Circa 1966 Jerry hand-painted a "1" alongside the 6-digit tote board after the final tote surpassed 1 million dollars.

 

[jwk1979]

When WBIR (the CBS affiliate until 1988) hosted the [March of Dimes] telerama, they usually had Characters from some of the current CBS series to appear (Festus from Gunsmoke, Howard Sprauge from Andy Griffith, Jethro and Dash Riprock from the Beverly Hillbillies, etc.).

You used the word "characters". Does this mean these performers appeared on the telethon in character?

ixnay

Yes, they did. The year that Ken Curtis appeared, he was wearing his Festus clothes, the ragged hat, the old boots with his pants stuffed in them, a three or four day old beard, etc. When Dash RipRock and Jethro appeared, they were wearing what they normally wear on the Beverly Hillbillies, etc. And they were always introduced as their character names, not the protrayers name.

 

[azumanga]

On Memorial Day weekend 1983, the Democrats in an attempt to raise as much funds as they can for the 1984 election, tried again with a star-studded telethon on NBC.

The end result? They made a pitiful $2.7 million!!!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator, in 2010 dollars, it was worth $5,909,936.75 -- still pitiful.