WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

[stratonapba]

Also on July 2, 1984: Scrabble with Chuck Woolery and You're Putting Me On with Jack Clark debuted on NBC.

However the Revival of You're Putting Me On will still have 3 teams of 2 celebrities playing for a chance to win money for their rooting sections in Studio Audience (like in Tattletales)

Meanwhile: ABC is expected to air the Series Finale for The Edge of Night and Ryan's Hope on the day before the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics being held in Los Angeles, CA on July 27th but when the 1984 Summer Olympics are over here's the new ABC Daytime schedule which will be effect starting August 13th.

6:00 AM: ABC World News This Morning
7:00 AM: Good Morning America
10:00 AM: The New Newlywed Game (Bob Eubanks)
10:30 AM: The All-New Let's Make a Deal (Monty Hall)
11:00 AM: Family Feud (Richard Dawson)
11:30 AM: Catch Phrase (Joe Farago)
Noon: LOCAL PROGRAMMING
12:30 PM: Loving
1:00 PM: All My Children
2:00 PM: One Life To Live
3:00 PM: General Hospital
4:00 PM: LOCAL PROGRAMMING
6:30 PM: ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Amazing job!

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

July 9, 1984

The General Electric-owned NBC station serving Raleigh-Durham, WBGT-TV-AM-FM would change its call letters to WNCN (which stood for North Carolina's News Channel), to reflect an emphasis on the all-news format. (ITTL, the WNCN calls resist on a CBS affiliate that was formerly a NBC affiliate starting in 1995).

The change put the Triangle emphasis on an "all-news" format.

The station was launched by Triangle Telecasters in 1968 as WRDU-TV, before Durham Life bought it and changed its calls to WPTF-TV in 1978, and sold off to General Electric.

The change was triggered by the success of Durham's highly-anticipated First News and The North Carolina's Evening News programs. Meanwhile, the New York radio station known as WNCN would change its call letters to WNCR.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

July 16, 1984

General Electric Broadcasting of Durham Inc. and Family Television Corp. announced that they would swap frequencies for WNCN-TV (formerly WBGT) and WLFL-TV. WNCN would now operates on channel 22, and WLFL would now operate on channel 28.

The reason cited was that WNCN's signal would make the programs to third place behind WTVD and WRAL, to make it the easiest station.

WNCN's signal also had to increase, giving additional viewers in the Raleigh market. WNCN was a NBC affiliate, while WLFL was an independent station.

General Electric was in the process of acquiring WIVB-TV, as well as the three United Television stations, but Viacom announced that they would swap WVIT and KCST to General Electric for KBHK, as duopolies were not allowed.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

July 20, 1984

The $950 million offer of WIVB-TV from Howard Publications, Inc. to General Electric Broadcasting has now been completed. FCC's ownership limits has been already lifted. This means that GE now owns 10 TV stations.

Another established competitor was Capital Cities Communications, which was hoping to compete with GE's broadcasting interests.

General Electric's first TV station signed on was WX2B, later WRGB-TV in 1928, and officially became a commercial license by 1942. The broadcasting unit has a group deal with NBC.

Several weeks earlier, the Durham station WBGT-AM-FM-TV was changed to WNCN to adjust its news focus (the WNCN call letters from a radio station in New York City would be changed to WNCR).

 

[stratonapba]

One Week Later on July 27, 1984: Two Soap Operas are ending as The Edge of Night and Ryan's Hope aired their last episodes on ABC, The Next Day ABC will cover the 1984 Summer Olympics until August 12th as The All-New Let's Make a Deal and The New Newlywed Game will make their triumphant returns to their original home networks starting August 13th.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Well spectacular!

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

July 30, 1984

The Federal Communications Commission had approved CBS' $950 million offer to purchase WGR-AM-FM-TV. This was a significant entry since the first O&O network in Buffalo came onto the world in 1958 when NBC sold channel 17 in Buffalo.

WGR-TV was a CBS affiliate since 1981. Prior to that, this was an affiliate of the NBC television network.

In a separate deal, the FCC had approved Taft Broadcasting's $1 billion offer to purchase Smith Broadcasting, who owns WAAY-TV in Huntsville, as a compensation when they lost the Buffalo television station.

Taft now has several ABC affiliates in the portfolio and Taft's addition of WAAY-TV to the TV/radio portfolio would be pleased to save Taft money.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

August 5, 1984

WMC-TV, the Scripps-owned ABC affiliate is changing their own logo, to be replaced by the "Circle 5" logo that was used by WEWS-TV in Cleveland and WSHB-TV in West Palm Beach, which are sister stations.

This reflects our ABC affiliation, which WMC is using since 1980, at that time searching for stronger programming in Memphis.

The "Circle 5" logo was first introduced in Cleveland by WEWS in 1968, and WSHB in the late 1970s when it was still a NBC affiliate under the old WPTV calls, until it was changed to ABC in 1980, and changing the call letters to WSHB.

The new identity helps to compete viewers against NBC affiliate WHBQ-TV and CBS affiliate WREG-TV.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

August 7, 1984

The merger between Cox Enterprises, Inc. and the Evening News Association, owners of The Detroit Press is finalizing their own merger. The FCC seeks a permanent waiver to keep both WKBD-TV in Detroit, and the Evening News Association, stating its grandfathered protection of WSB-TV and a newspaper in Atlanta.

This means Cox would now have four ABC affiliates, four CBS affiliates, three independent stations and one NBC affiliate, for a complete total of 12 affiliates.

The company's flagship, WSB-TV in Atlanta has always been an ABC affiliate since 1980 when the network is looking for a stronger outlet in Atlanta.

The Evening News Association owned the CBS affiliate in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C., WDVM-TV, which would be integrated into Cox Enterprises. Although Cox is adapting a new voice-over announcement from the station's newly-named voiceover Scott Chapin, who also voiced WBBH-TV in Fort Myers (and eventually went on to work on WSB-TV in Atlanta) (IOTL he didn't start voice acting on newscasts until WSVN in 1988), keeping up with the 1982 visuals and the Telesound "And You" theme, and a new slogan "Coverage You Can Count On".

"From television 9, Washington's news station, this is Eyewitness News. Coverage you can count on."

 

[stratonapba]

August 13, 1984: The Day after 1984 Summer Olympics had ended, ABC (in which it aired the 1984 Summer Olympics) has started airing The All-New Let's Make a Deal with Monty Hall and The New Newlywed Game with Bob Eubanks.

OTL Note: Both Game Shows ran in Syndication, The All-New Let's Make a Deal hosted by Monty Hall is distributed by Telepictures and The New Newlywed Game hosted by Bob Eubanks is distributed by Bel-Air Program Sales.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Well amazing deal.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

August 19, 1984

After an airing of Saturday Night Live off WGEF-TV, the ABC affiliate WTVJ and the NBC affiliate WGEF, owned respectively by Wometco Enterprises and General Electric swapped channel frequencies.

This means WGEF-TV is bringing the "circle 4" logo that was used by KOA-TV in Denver and KGEB-TV in San Francisco, and a new callsign change "WSFN", which stood for "South Florida News Channel", and now would be on channel 4.

WTVJ will now be on channel 7, and it will adapt the "circle 7" logo that was in use by the ABC owned-and-operated television stations.

The frequency swap would put an emphasis on the South Florida television industry.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

August 22, 1984

The Federal Communications Commission has set down the approval for TVX's $800 million offer to purchase Camellia City Telecasters. The station is principal owner of KPDX-TV in Portland/Vancouver, KTXL-TV in Sacramento, and KDVR-TV in Denver.

TVX became the largest independent station group owner, trailing only to Tribune Broadcasting and Metromedia.

It is said that TVX became the pioneering force in independent television. TVX's first station, WTVZ-TV in Norfolk, signed on the air in 1979.

TVX's largest station by market size was WLVI-TV in Boston, which was acquired from Field Communications in 1983 as part of an asset break-up.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

August 25, 1984

As Laurence Tisch's run to operate CBS has been butterflied away, Dun & Bradstreet announced a $7.5 billion offer to purchase Storer/CBS Inc., which owns and operates 12 television stations and the CBS TV network itself.

Dun & Bradstreet's station holdings were KHOU-TV in Houston, WISH-TV in Indianapolis, WANE-TV in Fort Wayne and KOTV in Tulsa, both of them were CBS affiliates, and Dun & Bradstreet's WVEC was currently an ABC affiliate (it is expected to swap affiliations with WTKR once the deal is finalized).

Houston was made them the first owned-and-operated television station in the industry.

CBS' buyout of KHOU-TV in Houston marked the first significant purchase in the Texas television industry. The deal later inspired similar deals later that decade, including Hearst's acquisition of Capital Cities, and General Electric's acquisition of Westinghouse-RCA.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

September 3, 1984

WNCN-TV, the NBC affiliate operating on channel 28, and WLFL, the independent on channel 22, serving Raleigh swapped transmitter facilities. This means that NBC would now have a more stronger signal, compared to the struggling channel 28 transmitter. Channel 28 is now independent, while channel 22 is now NBC.

On the same day, WKYP-TV in Philadelphia is introducing two additional programs. One of them was First News, which was based off the typical General Electric station format.

The other was The Delaware Valley Evening News, which followed the format of other General Electric-owned television stations that was affiliated with NBC. The Delaware Valley covered Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

KOA-TV and WIVB-TV would be the next, to debut on September 10, and September 24 of 1984, respectively.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

September 10, 1984

KOA-TV, the NBC affiliate owned by General Electric (will be NBC O&O in 1986) in Denver is adding up one evening news program. First News was retained, by adding only one news program.

The sole news program responsible after the NBC Nightly News was The Colorado Evening News, featuring a team of talent from the Rocky Mountain Area, with Reynelda Muse and Bill Stuart. It was a localized version of the Evening News show, which was originated at KGEB-TV in San Francisco, and spread to other GE-owned franchises.

The new program only came a week after WKYP-TV in Philadelphia is adding two new General Electric-produced programs that were localized versions of the format.

WIVB-TV in Buffalo is the next to carry the format, nearly only two weeks later.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

September 24, 1984

WIVB-TV, the NBC affiliate since 1981, being owned recently by General Electric Broadcasting, whose flagship station is WRGB-TV in Schenectady, which has always been an NBC affiliate since 1928 is unveiling a new direction to the programming.

The first one is First News, a localized version of the format that was originated at KOA-TV in Denver in 1982, and appeared on KGEB-TV in San Francisco when it was KRGB-TV in 1983.

The second one is The Western New York Evening News, a localized version of General Electric's Evening News format, that was first shown on the San Francisco television station in 1983, and Denver is the most recent to be localized.

These news programs complement NBC's programming, with hits like Cheers, Family Ties, Hill Street Blues, The Cosby Show and Miami Vice.

 

[stratonapba]

Also in the Game Show World

September 18, 1984: Door #4 Debuts on The All New Let's Make a Deal with Monty Hall on ABC, In the first playing a Contestant was offered a prize in exchange for a mystery cash amount ranging from $1 to $5,000, which was concealed behind "Door #4" (in actuality another curtain), This will later be replaced in October of 1984 with a carnival wheel was brought out from behind Door #4, containing cash amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000. The contestant would spun the wheel and could keep the amount won, or spin again in hopes of winning a higher amount. If a lesser amount was spun, all winnings were lost. One space on the wheel read Double Deal, and, if it was hit on either spin, doubled the winnings up to a maximum of $10,000. Hitting Double Deal on both spins also earned the $10,000 top prize.

Also on CBS on the Week of September 17-23, 1984
$25,000 Pyramid (Dick Clark): Marla Gibbs & Roxie Roker
Star Words (Nipsey Russell): Meredith MacRae & Eddie Mekka

September 24, 1984: Super Password (Tom Kennedy) and Search of the Night debuted on NBC via WNCN in Durham, WKYC in Cleveland, KGEB In San Francisco and KNBC in Los Angeles

As for the Guests on the Premiere Week of Super Password with Tom Kennedy they are Gloria Loring from Days of Our Lives and Pat Sajak from Wheel of Fortune
However for Alex Trebek who currently hosts Jeopardy on NBC, he has been booked to appear on an Upcoming Week of Shows on Super Password on a Date to be named.

Also on CBS on the week of September 24-28, 1984
$25,000 Pyramid (Dick Clark): Vicki Lawrence & Charles Siebert
Star Words (Nipsey Russell): Mindy Cohn & Dick Gautier

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Well very amazing! Excited for the next post.