WSB/WXIA Monday, August 4, 1980

[bpatrick]

I've probably posted this before but this day was phase one of
the first great Atlanta switch; some ABC shows moved to WSB,
while some NBC shows (and one new one) appeared on WXIA.
The switch would be completed on Sept. 1, but for now here are
the daytime listings, 9 AM-4 PM (network in parentheses):

WSB Ch. 2

9 AM Family Feud (ABC, delay from 12 N)
9:30 Edge Of Night *(ABC, delay from 4 PM)
10 AM Mike Douglas
11 AM Love Boat (ABC)
12 N News
12:30 Mary Tyler Moore
1 PM Days Of Our Lives (NBC)
2 PM One Life To Live (ABC)
3 PM General Hospital (ABC)

WXIA Ch. 11

9 AM Medical Center
10 AM David Letterman (NBC)
11 AM Joker's Wild
11:30 The Doctors (NBC, day-behind from 12:30 PM)
12 N News
12:30 Ryan's Hope (ABC)
1 PM All My Children (ABC)
2 PM Another World (NBC)
3 PM Texas (NBC, debuting today--Ch. 2 obviously figured
it wouldn't make sense to carry this soap for four weeks
before handing it off to Ch. 11; also I remember reading in
the Atlanta Journal that Ch. 2 would have dropped "Another
World" had the switch not taken place)

ABC's daytime coverage (11 AM-12 N) of the Democratic convention the
week of August 11 was not carried in Atlanta; Ch. 2 was still carrying NBC
News and Ch. 11 had dropped ABC in that hour.

 

[daryll]

I still have a full page ad for 11Alive from the September 7, 1980 AJC. They were touting their new affiliation with NBC as "Atlanta's Proud New Tradition". Ironically, it had different shots of NBC programs and WXIA news anchors pictured through various RCA TV sets.

 

[bpatrick]

I remember those ads in TV Guide, although I didn't know they
were RCA sets. WSB was touting itself as "2 The One" (a play
on ABC's "Still The One" campaign of a couple of years or so
earlier), and WAGA was using pictures of stars of CBS shows to
let viewers know they were still "right where we belong" (Ch. 5's
slogan at the time was "5 Belongs").

In particular, I remember 11 Alive playing up the move of Johnny
Carson, the "Today" show (Tom Brokaw), "NBC Nightly News" (John
Chancellor), "Little House On The Prairie," and "The Wonderful World
Of Disney" (or "Disney's Wonderful World," I think it was called then).
Oddly, they didn't play up the move of NBC's soaps the way WSB did
with ABC's.

 

[easttxtv]

I've probably posted this before but this day was phase one of
the first great Atlanta switch

I think you have referenced it in some way previously, but still it's one of the more interesting switches I've read or heard about.

 

[azumanga]

In particular, I remember 11 Alive playing up the move of Johnny
Carson, the "Today" show (Tom Brokaw), "NBC Nightly News" (John
Chancellor), "Little House On The Prairie," and "The Wonderful World
Of Disney" (or "Disney's Wonderful World," I think it was called then).
Oddly, they didn't play up the move of NBC's soaps the way WSB did
with ABC's.

That being said, considering NBC's misfortunes at the time, there was not much for WXIA to play up.

 

[rnigma1]

Yeah, NBC was tanking under Fred Silverman. Pink Lady and Jeff... Supertrain... Cliffhangers... Mr. Smith... Susan Anton...

 

[azumanga]

Yeah, NBC was tanking under Fred Silverman. Pink Lady and Jeff... Supertrain... Cliffhangers... Mr. Smith... Susan Anton...

Actually, Mr. Smith came during the early days of Brandon Tartikoff in 1983, when NBC was still finding its way until discovering Cosby the following year.

 

[rnigma1]

Ah, I thought Mr. Smith aired earlier. ALF used more convincing puppetry (even though there were a few scenes where a real chimp played Mr. Smith). Well, Tartikoff also gave us Punky Brewster (named after an old classmate of his)... which was still preferable to Silverman's (super) train wrecks. Good thing Cos came along when he did.