WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

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This Just In: Making an Instant Successful Hit for that new ABC Daytime Game Show called Finders Keepers, The New Nighttime Version of Finders Keepers hosted by Mark Pitta as Nee-Fi has been sold this time to a couple of stations carrying the Soon to be Cancelled Video Game hosted by Greg Winfield and announced by Christopher Kreisa who plays Sci-Fi, The Intergalactic Sidekick on Finders Keepers, as a result in WKBW in Buffalo, NY, WTNH In Hartford, CT, WISN in Milwaukee, WI, WJZ in Baltimore, MD, WAND in Decatur, IL, KOVR in Sacramento, CA, The Montana Television Network led by KTVQ in Billings, MT, WKYT in Lexington, KY, KXLY in Spokane, WA, WLUK in Green Bay, WI, KSTP In Minneapolis, MN, WLOS in Asheville, NC, WEAU in Eau Claire, WI, WTAE in Pittsburgh, PA have secured rights for the New Nighttime Finders Keepers from Turner Program Services beginning in September 1985.

 

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This is so spectacular!

 

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July 15, 1985

WAND-TV in Decatur and WICS/WICD in Springfield/Decatur announced plans to swap affiliations effective the September of 1985. WAND-TV is now an NBC affiliate, while WICS/WICD switches to ABC.

This came because of owner LIN TV Corporation's good relations with NBC, who also has affiliates KXAS-TV in Dallas, WAVY-TV in Norfolk and KTVV in Austin.

NBC is the number one network, and LIN TV had a group deal with NBC to convert all four of the stations, and one of them, WAND-TV is an ABC affiliate.

Scripps-Howard also announced the purchase of Plains Television for $850 million.

 

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July 22, 1985

The Federal Communications Commission is giving the greenlight/approval for a merger between two industry-leading companies Fisher Communications and Allbritton Communications. Both of them had ABC affiliates in larger markets.

The combined company owns KOMO-TV in Seattle, KATU in Portland, WCIV in Charleston, WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., KATV in Little Rock, KUTL-TV in Tulsa and WSET-TV in Lynchburg.

It has seven television stations, both of them were affiliated with ABC.

The new venture, Fisher/Allbritton Television was operated by Joe L. Allbritton, and several Fisher employees.

 

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July 26, 1985

TVX Broadcast Group Inc. is finalizing the buyout of Indianapolis station on channel 59, WPDS-TV. This made TVX's first entry into the state of Indiana. The company's flagship WTVZ has gained higher ratings.

TVX's most successful and largest station by market size, was that of WLVI-TV, in Boston, which was acquired from Field Communications.

WLVI's 10pm newscast has gained higher ratings, but TVX asked that they wanted to open a news department for WTVZ.

TVX's most successful stations include WNRW and WRLH, which gained higher ratings out of respect for the group. It is in the process of launching KRRT, as well as WNYO in Buffalo, which was set to debut in the January of 1986 (IOTL it started in the fall of 1987).

 

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Meanwhile: On The Aftermath of Fisher-Albritton Merger, Dan Dean Productions based in Seattle, WA is planning to a Create a New Music Package as All Fisher/Albritton Television Stations will be using the Custom New Music Package which will be used next year however in the meantime KOMO in Seattle along with KATU in Portland, WCIV in Charleston, WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., KATV in Little Rock, KTUL-TV in Tulsa and WSET-TV in Lynchburg are forced to use the KOMO 1983 News Theme by Dan Dean Productions in anticipation for the New Music Package which will debut Next Year.

IOTL Note: The New Package that all Fisher-Albritton Stations Used IOTL was used by KOMO-TV in Seattle, WA which was used from 1987 to 1998
Here's The Link: https://www.dandeanmusic.com/komo-tv-music-comp-for-site/ (Note: The KOMO 1983 News Theme which is currently used by all Fisher/Albritton Stations which will last until 1986 will start at 0:00 and will end at 1:48 leading in to the new Fisher-Albritton Television Stations Package (OTL: KOMO News 4 Theme) which will be used by all Fisher-Albritton Television Stations beginning in 1986.)

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Spectacular!

 

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August 4, 1985

After Baton Rouge and Brownsville swapped affiliations, WTVD and WRAL officially swapped affiliations (like OTL). WTVD has become an ABC affiliate, while WRAL has become a CBS affiliate.

This part of Hearst's pending acquisition of Capital Cities Communications (a waiver for both the New York and Philly stations had readily granted).

Capital Cities has commissioned Dan Dean to do a re-orchestrated version of the old "Move Closer to Your World" theme called "Move Closer to Your World '85" for WTNH around the same day. Dean hired Tina Turner to perform the version of the song, used in promos. The new version was expected to be used in KFSN once it switched to ABC, as well as WPVI and WKBW.

The modernized version of MCTYW was shown by many viewers and prospects.

 

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August 12, 1985

The NBC affiliate in the Albany Capital Bureau, WCRN (formerly WRGB) that was licensed to Schenectady is updating a new set, with a new graphics package by Jon Fox of Hothaus Design (who would later design WSFN's 1988 news set, IOTL this set was used by WTVJ when it switched to NBC).

The new set was redesigned, also by Fox, was also modernized for a 80s look, showing their flashy sets.

It also adapted a new music package, replacing the original Lucas/McFaul package, with a new package by Jerome Gilmer of Newsmusic Central, "Image V" (IOTL this would be used by KCNC from 1986 to 1987).

WCRN was a NBC affiliate owned by General Electric Broadcasting (it would eventually becoming an O&O when General Electric bought Westinghouse-RCA in 1986).

 

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September 1985: On Response to WCRN in Albany, NY on taking over the new "Image V" Package by Newsmusic Central, KNCN in San Francisco will be starting to update it's news set and a new Hothaus Design Graphics Package to go along with the New "Image V" package by Newsmusic Central, KCNC in Denver, CO, WSFN in Miami, FL, WTNC in Minneapolis and WNGE in Nashville, TN will be pending to use the package later in the Fall then WIVB in Buffalo, NY, WCNC in Hartford, CT, WKYP in Philadelphia, PA and WNCN in Raleigh, NC will begin using the Package coming in 1986.

Also: KHQ in Spokane, WA owned by the Cowles Company is expecting to use the package in the Fall of 1987 (Just like IOTL)

 

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Amazing!

 

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August 19, 1985

After his retirement from WTVJ, Ralph Renick moves from channel 4 to channel 10 in order to do commentaries under the branding The Ralph Renick Report (IOTL he was on WCIX in 1988 until he quit in 1990 and then died in 1991).

CBS had a half-interest share in The Washington Post Company, as four of the Post-Newsweek stations were CBS affiliates.

WPLG was used to be ABC affiliate until 1983, and swapped affiliations with WTVJ.

Wometco also has two additional ABC affiliates in the portfolio WLOS in Asheville and WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, along with four independent stations.

 

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August 22, 1985

LIN Television Corporation, who owns WAVY-TV in Norfolk, KXAS-TV in Dallas, KTVV in Austin and WAND-TV in Decatur was in negotiations with the University of Missouri to purchase ABC affiliate KOMU-TV.

KOMU-TV was an ABC affiliate in Columbia, Missouri since 1982.

It is expected that once the LIN deal is done, then KOMU would switch its affiliation to NBC.

KCBJ-TV was now a NBC affiliate, and we had negotiations to switch its affiliation back to ABC, which will take effect on New Years Day 1986.

 

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August 25, 1985

KOLD-TV, the Tucson CBS affiliate owned by Cox Enterprises is unveiling a new look, and a new format, that was based on that of WSB-TV's "Action News" format, under the branding "Channel 13 Action News".

It borrowed all aspects of WSB-TV's "Action News" format, including "Newschannel" by Gari Media Group.

Scott Chapin was hired to run KOLD-TV as the station's announcer.

Cox Enterprises is using the "Action News" format on several stations, including WSB-TV in Atlanta and Cox had to trademark the "Action News" brand.

 

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September 1, 1985

The ABC affiliate KUSA-TV in Denver and the CBS affiliate KMGH-TV, also in Denver, swapped network affiliations. KUSA-TV would became a CBS affiliate, and KMGH-TV would became an ABC affiliate.

A Bakersfield switch was proposed the next year, thanks to McGraw-Hill giving better relations with ABC when KMGH was disaffiliated from the network.

The next CBS/ABC affiliation swap, happened on Fresno, on September 8, 1985.

KUSA-TV marked Gannett's first CBS affiliate, the next network affiliation switch appear in Louisville next month.

 

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September 8, 1985

Less than a week after KUSA-TV and KMGH-TV swapped network affiliations, CBS affiliate KFSN-TV and ABC affiliate KJEO swapped network affiliations, with KFSN going to ABC and KJEO going to CBS.

This was part of Hearst's pending acquisition of Capital Cities Communications, which is subject for FCC approval.

While in addition to the Philadelphia/NY waiver, Hearst gave them permanent waivers for the New York/Connecticut and Detroit TV & radio stations.

Louisville is the next to switch, with WLKY and WHAS to swap network affiliations (IOTL the switch didn't take place until five years later)

 

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September 9, 1985

The NBC affiliate WKJG-TV in Fort Wayne and WPTA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Fort Wayne swapped network affiliations. This made Gannett five NBC affiliates and two CBS affiliates. This benefited from 1980 when Gannett's WXIA took a chance at NBC, followed in 1982 by KOCO.

Louisville also swapped network affiliations on the same day. WHAS-TV and WLKY-TV also swapped network affiliations with WHAS-TV becoming the ABC affiliate and WLKY-TV becoming the CBS affiliate.

This made NBC the number one television network in all viewers and agencies.

This made a stronger and bigger signal NBC and ABC had ever turned to, benefited from having the number three networks. NBC has just been the number one network during the 1984-85 season, thanks to The Cosby Show.

 

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September 9, 1985: New Game Shows are debuting in Syndication consisting of The Nighttime Versions of The Price is Right with Bert Convy and Card Sharks with Bob Eubanks as well as the Return of Now You See It with Jack Clark from Television Program Source and The Nighttime Version of Finders Keepers from Turner Program Services

The Following Week on September 16, 1985: More Syndicated Game Shows are debuting consisting of Break The Bank with Kevin O'Connell from Blair Entertainment with the Premiere Guests in the Prize Vault are Joe Farago (from Catchphrase), Louise DuArt (Who would later host a New Game Show in 1990) and NFL Defensive Linemen Bubba Smith, Supermarket Sweep with Jim Peck and Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak debut from Group W Productions and All-Star Blitz with Peter Marshall from Telepictures with Guests on the Premiere are Leslie Uggams, John Byner, Abby Dalton and Robert Mandan.

However for Storer/CBS & Blair Entertainment are working on a Nighttime Version of Press Your Luck, Should Break the Bank with Kevin O'Connell faces cancellation while Telepictures is going to the same with a new Game Show called Make A Match hosted by Jim Lange
Note: Make a Match is a working title for the 1986 Game Show that Telepictures Produced hosted by Jim Lange but later made it to air on Syndication as Perfect Match which will later be hosted IOTL by Bob Goen, so here's the Pitch Reel.

 

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September 13, 1985

The FCC has filed that Media General's acquisition of the Manship stations WBRZ-TV and KRGV are for FCC approval. WBRZ-TV and KRGV previously belongs to the Manship family, and were ABC affiliates until it was dealt off to NBC in 1985.

Media General, right now owns three stations in Tampa, Jacksonville and Charleston.

Media General's holdings were based in Richmond, and consisted of newspapers and broadcasting.

KVEO and WVLA were previously NBC affiliates until 1985, when it became affiliates of the ABC television network.

 

[Duc4AlternateHistory]

Really amazing!