WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

[DucNguyen0131]

August 29, 1988

As extension of contract, Fox Broadcasting Company had struck a deal with America's top game show producer Bob Stewart Productions, to develop projects exclusively on the new television network.

Plans are underway that the Bob Stewart studios could relocate to the Fox Television Center.

Fox already got a commitment to the game show Money in the Blank, which already premiered in the spring of 1988.

Fox's newest game shows were out early next month, a spokesperson at Boston's Fox network affiliate WLVI, owned by the TVX Broadcast Group said.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 1, 1988

It is reported that Fox decided that they would promise to air a prime time special starring Joan Rivers, the host of Fox's hit late program that WLVI tested very well to all audiences, The Late Show.

It is reported and believed that channel 59, the former Fox affiliate was a religious station now.

It was in discussions that Norman Lear's Act III Broadcasting would bid in for WLYH-TV. If the deal was to go through, Lear threatened to pull the CBS affiliation to became an independent, to compete with WPMT-TV. Gateway was in talks to purchase WHP-AM-FM-TV, and forced to sell WHP-AM-FM to Dame Media.

This came because of the success of the Independent Network News, as well as the primetime Fox lineup.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 5, 1988

It is Labor Day 1988, and Fox is getting their results in! The first was a revival of Gambit, from Merrill Heatter Productions and Orion Television, to be hosted by Tom Campbell and announced by Dean Goss. It was a revival of the 1970s CBS classic game show.

The second was the game show pilot from Dick Clark Productions, in association with MCA TV, called Double Up. It was hosted by Jamie Farr.

On the primetime side, Fox is debuting a new two-hour pilot movie Angels '88, the latest Aaron Spelling television project, and it was a revival of the 1970s ABC show he produced, Charlie's Angels. It starred Tea Leoni, Sandra Canning, Karen Kopins and Claire Yarlett.

The other Fox project was City Court, a show Patrick Hasburgh co-creating with Stephen J. Cannell, and it was a spin-off from 21 Jump Street, which starred Richard Grieco as his Booker character. Both shows are to debut this Monday. (OTL's 1988 Writers Strike has been butterflied away).

 

[MegaToon1234]

Just wondering, but does the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie get shelved or turned into a different movie that wasn’t based on the Super Mario series during development ITTL?

 

[DucNguyen0131]

I believe it did happen TTL, according to another post.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 8, 1988

Just days shy of the premiere of Computer Entertainer: The Television Show, Nintendo of America, Inc. is giving them a respectable boot from promotional campaigns, like Sony, who is the largest producer and team organizer.

The Game Boy TV Adapter is a Sony-developed property, which will happen on the Famicom at the same time the Japanese Game Boy was released.

Color Dreams already had a Nintendo licensee, just as Nintendo said no to unlicensed video games.

The first Color Dreams title will be out by the Winter CES 1989, so except Color Dreams to be a bigger company than Tengen (Wisdom Tree got butterflied too).

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 12, 1988

Computer Entertainer: The Television Show is launched nationwide, across all of the country. It was the world's first television show based on a magazine that was devoted completely to video games.

Rolf Benirschke (IOTL he was on Wheel of Fortune when he replaced Pat Sajak on the daytime version in 1989) was the host, while Ed MacKay (who also announced Treasure Mall) was the show's announcer.

Haim Saban is executive producer for Saban Productions, in association with MGM/UA Television Distribution.

It showcased many new and upcoming video games. Viewers could send in recordings of themselves explaining tips and codes for games, one of which was chosen to be shown, and viewer mail was frequently used on-air.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 15, 1988

CBS officials said that The Howard Stern Show would premiere next week as a pure replacement for CBS Late Night. CBS motivated the best way to go against The Tonight Show would be Stern's new show.

It was adapted from a radio program of the same name.

It is reported that the head of two O&Os, WAGA-TV in Atlanta and WITI-TV in Milwaukee would likely saw the show.

It is expected that Stern would trounce David Letterman as the leading late night news program.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 19, 1988

CBS is officially launching The Howard Stern Show as a new late night show to all audiences. It was adapted from a radio show of the same name, with high hopes gaining better ratings as usual.

The reason cited against The Tonight Show on NBC was that Stern got better points and ratings.

It was located from his Stern studios in the New York City area, and hopefully CBS got them as a launchpad for late night shows. (OTL's The Pat Sajak Show has been completely butterflied away).

Among the first guests on Howard Stern's late night show were Candice Bergen, star of the upcoming TV show Murphy Brown, and Ted Shackelford, star of Knots Landing.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 23, 1988

CBS announced that they would score its premiere week victory for the newest late night television program The Howard Stern Show, which surpassed The Tonight Show in the television ratings.

Previous efforts mounted when CBS tried to get The Merv Griffin Show in the late 60s/early 70s, only for fail.

CBS thought that Stern would succeed, while other late night efforts have been failed.

Fox punched down with The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, who also performed very well in the television ratings.

 

[MegaToon1234]

You know, if you get to Super Mario Land 2, you think you can add Waluigi into that game as a second-to-last boss of that game?

 

[DucNguyen0131]

Yes. It was meant to be 2 player link-up cable game.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 26, 1988

Low-rated independent WNYB is seeking a competitor for Ontario viewers when higher-rated independent WUTV decided to launch a 10:00 p.m. newscast, called The News at Ten, to stronger ratings.

WUTV is one of Buffalo's top independent stations of all time.

WUTV was offered as one of the strongest independent television stations in the Buffalo market, and considered placing for sale.

The first thing came in Indianapolis when Cox bought WTTV and offered to merge with the stronger programming of WPDS, including the Fox affiliation, and eventually going to a religious station.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

September 29, 1988

Fox says they hoped that Angels '88 and City Court performing well, with the new game shows Gambit and Double Up, which is easily one of the network's breakthrough television in history.

Fox said there's no winning limit on television, yet it could earn more points.

The new Fox network reportedly would have a fourth night, to be determined on Fridays sometime next year.

Fox is the fastest-growing network of all time, said a spokesperson at WLVI-TV, channel 56 in Boston, which was a Fox affiliate.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 3, 1988

Bandai America, Inc., a subsidiary of Bandai Co., Ltd. of Japan is gearing up some promotion for the Charlotte Nintendo Cassette System game, along with a line of fashion dolls, geared and targeted for girls.

The Charlotte fashion doll is explicitly shown as a competitor to what Mattel is doing.

It is reported that the Charlotte doll was shown to a greater and bigger audience to what was expected.

Bandai America had high hopes to start a Barbie-type franchise, said president Frank Ward, who also designed the game. Charlotte would become Bandai's property.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 6, 1988

Nintendo-based developer Silicon Video Software is growing their employees up, owing to the success of the first titles on the Nintendo Cassette System. The company believed to be working on Bandai's Charlotte product.

Just as Nintendo said no to unlicensed games, Color Dreams was already obtained a Nintendo licensee, so we must use the 10NES chip.

Color Dreams is working on further announcements before the destined Winter CES 1989 date.

Other developers, like Sega's Odyssey Video would eventually see their employee growth, increasing to over 200 employees.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 11, 1988

Fox says he's working on a new Friday night schedule to be destined by the early of 1989, and will roll out with their ever expanding prime time schedule, a decision that lasted until 1991.

Fox is working to let the affiliates to run their own newscasts. TVX Broadcast Group is a successful example, owing to WLVI's long-successful news operation.

WLVI, KTVU and WTXF-TV are three of Fox's strongest television affiliates.

Both of these independents have highly-profitable newscasts written all over it, so they could be bigger for it.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 14, 1988

Color Dreams, a Nintendo of America licensee came close to signing a distribution deal with Mattel to distribute its titles for the European video game market, as well as Jaleco for the Japanese market.

Color Dreams thought that video games would change everything itself forever.

The company would have its first display exhibit at the Winter CES 1989.

Its unlicensed status was butterflied away, but Nintendo always said no to unlicensed games, so each company must be licensed.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 17, 1988

Nintendo of America, among the greatest video game manufacturers, and Sony Interactive Entertainment, one of Nintendo's largest tool kits are planning brand new material. It is reported that most of the new material were games and accessories.

Nintendo's biggest title Super Mario Bros. 3 will be out next week.

It is reported that Imagineering Inc. of Glen Rock, N.J. came close to be awarded as a Nintendo's developer licensee.

Color Dreams will always be a Nintendo license ITTL (this would result in Camerica/Galoob, American Game Cartridges and American Video Entertainment getting a Nintendo licensee).

 

[DucNguyen0131]

October 19, 1988

More success intensified as CBS begins to skyrocket The Howard Stern Show to become the number one late night talk show ever made, becoming the biggest hit ever wanting to be created.

Howard Stern said CBS had high hopes for the program, as the program received more CBS guest stars.

According to a spokesperson at a local CBS affiliate, WPLG, they hoped that the program was destined to be a power hit.

Its syndicated competitor, The Arsenio Hall Show is about to debut in the January of 1989, mostly on Fox television affiliates and independent stations.