When did networks stop airing network programming at 7:00 or 7:30 pm weeknights?

[tlyle]

I recall that back in the 50's, 60', and early 70's, the networks started network programming as early as 7 pm Eastern. It finally went to 7:30 pm and then now starts at 8 pm. When did this occur and why? I am sure gameshows like Jepoardy and Wheel of Fortune helped to get local stations more local revenue if they got the 7 pm hour back. Did it have any impact?

Also, I am sure that the CST region was affected if the programming had started as early as 6 pm back in those days. Could that have been a reason also?

 

[cd637299]

What was totally bizarre was, in the 1971-72 season, when network primetime was cut to 3 hours, one night (Tuesday I think) had the networks run their programming from 7:30 to 10:30 EST, and all the other weeknights were 8-11 EST.

I'd like to know whose bright idea THAT was.

cd

 

[Laura151]

It started with that prime-time access rule, and the kind of programming that the FCC hoped would be there was basically locally-oriented programming and locally-produced programming. . I don't think that they created the rules so that the viewer would be innundated with game shows and entertainment news programs.

 

[MCarney]

What was totally bizarre was, in the 1971-72 season, when network primetime was cut to 3 hours, one night (Tuesday I think) had the networks run their programming from 7:30 to 10:30 EST, and all the other weeknights were 8-11 EST.

I'd like to know whose bright idea THAT was.

cd

CBS was convinced they would get monster ratings if they started the night early without competition. So it looks like the other networks followed suit but didn't find a ratings bonanza.

 

[bpatrick]

While the access rule ended the practice of a 7:30/6:30 start
for primetime (and the networks chose it; the FCC didn't mandate
it), there was a time when ABC was the only network programming
entertainment shows at 7:30. That was in the first half of the '50s,
when CBS and NBC each aired 15 minutes of news and 15 minutes of
music from 7:30-8. In the 1954-55 season, though, ABC had three
of its highest-rated shows airing at 7:30: "Disneyland," "The Lone Ranger,"
and "Rin Tin Tin," prompting CBS to move the news to 6:45 (or 7:15 depending
on the station) in the fall of 1955 and begin programming entertainment shows
at 7:30; three clicked that first year: "Robin Hood" on Mondays, "Name That
Tune" on Tuesdays, and "Sgt. Preston Of The Yukon" on Thursdays. NBC held
out until 1957. (In the early '50s "Kukla, Fran And Ollie" aired on either NBC or ABC
from 7-7:30 or 7-7:15, depending on the year.)

Remember, too, that the first year of the access rule there were a few exceptions
to the 8-11 primetime. Tuesday has already been mentioned, but only CBS and NBC
programmed 7:30-10:30 Tuesdays in the 1971-72 season; ABC got a reprieve from the
FCC to continue airing "Mod Squad," "Movie Of The Week," and "Marcus Welby, M.D."
from 7:30-11. In exchange, it gave back 8:30-9 Mondays, where coaches' shows aired
in many NFL cities. Similarly, NBC got to keep 7:30-11 Sundays, mainly because of Disney,
and gave back 10:30-11 Fridays. I've put this up before, but the first year of PTAR looked
like this:

ABC: MON 8-8:30 ("Nanny And The Professor"), 8:30-9 (local), 9-conclusion (Monday
night football)
TUE 7:30-11 ("Mod Squad, "Movie Of The Week, "Marcus Welby, M.D.")
WED-SUN 8-11

CBS: MON, WED, THU, FRI, SAT 8-11
TUE, SUN 7:30-10:30

NBC: MON, WED, THU, SAT 8-11
TUE 7:30-10:30
FRI 8-10:30
SUN 7:30-11 (Disney, "The Jimmy Stewart Show," "Bonanza," "The Bold Ones")

In the fall of '72 ABC was 8-11 every night; CBS and NBC were 8-11 every night except Sunday
(7:30-10:30). ABC tried a 7:30-10:30 Sunday primetime in the 1973-74 season, then went back
to 8-11 the following year. In '75 the networks got 7-11 Sunday on condition that the first hour
be either children's or public-affairs programming (a factor which would help "60 Minutes" rise to the
top of the ratings).

Officially, PTAR no longer exists but ABC, CBS, and NBC have continued to adhere to 8-11 Mon-Sat,
7-11 Sun. Fox has settled for 8-10 Mon-Sat, 7-10 Sun (I think this is because some of its o&os, once
owned by Metromedia, already had successful 10 PM newscasts).

 

[visaman]

It started with that prime-time access rule, and the kind of programming that the FCC hoped would be there was basically locally-oriented programming and locally-produced programming.

KING TV 5 in Seattle did have such a show, it was called Evening Magazine. The show was both informative and entertaining.

 

[cd637299]

It started with that prime-time access rule, and the kind of programming that the FCC hoped would be there was basically locally-oriented programming and locally-produced programming. . I don't think that they created the rules so that the viewer would be innundated with game shows and entertainment news programs.

I think that game shows in general get a bad rap. Often one works a hard day, and they just wanna curl up in front of the TV and play along with the contestants when they get home. "Wheel of Fortune" & "Jeopardy" have proven that point for nearly 30 years now.

I've been a fan of game shows since my toddlerhood (is that a word?) with the original "Concentration."

Personally, I don't care for any of the entertainment-news shows, but obviously there are those out there who feel the opposite of me; else the shows would all be gone by now.

cd

 

[bpatrick]

It started with that prime-time access rule, and the kind of programming that the FCC hoped would be there was basically locally-oriented programming and locally-produced programming.

KING TV 5 in Seattle did have such a show, it was called Evening Magazine. The show was both informative and entertaining.

I would argue that "Evening Magazine" on KPIX/5 San Francisco broke the grip game shows had on access time in the '70s. After it clicked on the Group W stations, it was syndicated nationally as "PM Magazine" and won its time slot in many markets. Since the '80s it's also been hard, if not impossible, to find a game show that can break the grip of "Wheel" and "Jeopardy!". On top of that, shows like "Entertainment Tonight" skew younger than game shows (WFAA Dallas dropped "Wheel" in favor of "ET" for that very reason a few years ago). (Note: when Westinghouse owned Channel 36 in Charlotte, it did not move "Evening/PM Magazine" there, preferring to keep it on much-stronger WBTV/3, which also picked up another Group W show, "Hour Magazine," in the same era.)

Officially, PTAR no longer exists; the top-50-market affiliates that were under the rule can now, theoretically, schedule off-network reruns (mainly sitcoms) but most refuse to for the reason that the contract usually calls for six airings of each episode, and as a rule, the ratings drop for each successive showing. First-run shows tend to be consistent in their ratings, and some managers will hang onto a show even if (s)he is paying increased prices for it; I recently heard of one g.m. who carries "Wheel" who said, "I'm losing money on it, but I'm not about to let one of my competitors have it."