WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

[DucNguyen0131]

February 24, 1989

A new project, the Game Boy TV Adapter, for the Nintendo Famicom is almost finished, which was prepared by Ken Kutaragi of Sony Interactive Entertainment of Japan (eventual developer of the PlayStation/SNES-CD).

Kutaragi and Sony CEO Norio Ohga said that Game Boy would work full color on a television set, better than playing it in monochrome.

Although Gunpei Yokoi of Nintendo R&D1 developed the original monochrome Game Boy, Sony Interactive Entertainment took care of the development of the adapter.

The Game Boy TV Adapter on the Famicom lets us play Nintendo Game Boy games in full color on a TV set, using 56 colors (unlike OTL's Super Game Boy, which used 4 colors).

 

[DucNguyen0131]

February 27, 1989

The software publisher Broderbund Software, who published a few computer and NES games made a major move in the industry. Broderbund has a strong promotion for the NES version of The King of Chicago, a title licensed from Cinemaware Corporation, which was expected to be out later this year.

Alan Weiss cited that Broderbund would make a major impact to the industry.

Among the licensees who had obtained to Broderbund are Irem Corporation, a Japanese developer, and Cinemaware, a video game publisher.

Cinemaware always hired Australian developer Beam Software to develop their NES conversions of their own computer games.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 1, 1989

Taito showed more performance this time around, on computers and the NES, thanks to a large group of Japanese developers, who helped them making the game so right to appeal all audiences.

More performance is displayed at Sony, showing Quinty, which is scheduled to be out in the next few months.

Sony is also a developer of these Nintendo toolkits for the Famicom video game console.

Over at Japanese game developers, both Namco, Sony and Konami made use of by developing their own Nintendo toolkits.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 3, 1989

KLFT, a joint ABC/Fox affiliate that covered Laredo, TX is building a news team, along with an extensive amount of syndicated programming, which was operated by Channel 43, Inc., is about to be built.

KLFT expects to carry the best programming on the ABC and Fox television networks.

Channel 43, Inc. was operated by some former employees of Brownsville stations which are KRGV and KGBT.

KLFT has hopes in order to acquire syndicated programming, and the construction permit for a new channel 43 is in a work of progress.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 6, 1989

Cinemaware Corporation is heading up for video game adaptations of two Terrytoons classic characters, under license from Viacom International, Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle. Both are based on cartoon characters originated in the 1940s.

Like with the highly successful The Three Stooges, both games are truly faithful to the source material, particularly the shorts.

Cinemaware wanted to do a video game about classic cartoon shorts, and the Terrytoon games were the ones that obtained the license.

Cinemaware is currently in the works on a Disney game on a View-Master Interactive Vision. Cinemaware has a development contract with Australian-based Beam Software for Nintendo licenses.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 9, 1989

Electronic Gaming Monthly: The Show, a new Warner Bros. Television Distribution syndicated weekly program was cleared to 75% in all markets like WPIX-TV in New York and KCOP in Los Angeles, as well as WGN in Chicago.

EGM would be endorsed by the U.S. National Video Game Team, and centered on video game topics.

The first issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly was issued on the May of 1989 and decided that EGM writers would help with the series.

Scott A. Stone, producers of the highly successful Fun House television series, served as producer, and would air as part of a 90-minute block with two other shows.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 14, 1989

Nintendo of America is previewing two new NES accessories, which are the Nintendo Compact Disk System, a CD-ROM adapter, and the Game Boy TV Adapter, which allows you to play the handheld Game Boy on a TV screen in full color.

The Game Boy was about to be released next month in Japan, with the link cable.

In the NES Game Boy TV Adapter, we have two NES controllers, playing two-player games, rather than with a Link Cable.

The Game Boy was in monochrome, and the Game Boy TV Adapter will going to be in full-color.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 16, 1989

As part of a 90-minute block with Fun House and College Fun House, more stations had joined the Electronic Gaming Monthly: The Show roster. These include KMSP in Minneapolis/St. Paul, KPDX in Portland and WLKT in Lexington.

It is reported that Chicago-based Tribune Broadcasting would be in negotiations to purchase the Lexington TV station WLKT.

Like with Saban/MGM/UA's Computer Entertainer: The Television Show, Lorimar/WB/Stone's EGM: The Show would be centered on video game topics.

EGM would be produced by Scott A. Stone, who also produced Fun House and another fellow upcoming syndicated show College Fun House.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 20, 1989

After Mattel failed to enter the TV business, toy company Bandai America is entering the television syndication marketplace following on the success of its video games with its launch of a television syndication unit, to be headed by Frank Ward and Marlene Sharp, under the brand Pacific Syndication Group.

The first project set up at Bandai's newly-created television unit will be Emergency Control, an unscripted television show produced by Malcolm Barbour and John Langley, producers of the highest-rated Geraldo Rivera television specials for Saban Productions, a show about medical emergencies who lived in an ambulance.

The duo is currently producing Cops for Fox, and the upcoming fall 1989 strip Reward, for MCA TV, as well as a special Target USA for Orbis Communications.

It is reported that Emergency Control would be sold to the Fox O&Os, such as WNYW-TV in New York and KTTV in Los Angeles, who gained special clearance of the show, and it was designed for a January 1990 start. Saban International would handle international sales of the show, and Bandai gave them US distribution rights to launch a toyline.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 22, 1989

WTTV, the Fox television station in Indianapolis owned by Atlanta-based Cox Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises is planning on to add news at noon, in order to turn WTTV into a KTVU-like news intensive format.

The previous channel 59, now a religious station was used to be a Fox affiliate with a functioning news operation that shuttered in 1985.

WTTV's newscasts greatly emphasized on all of the broader audience.

WTTV became the one and only independent station with the rest of Indianapolis' stations were mostly religious television stations.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 24, 1989

The local Indianapolis independent television station dedicated to a news-heavy format, WTTV is picking up Electronic Gaming Monthly: The Show as a weekly television series dedicated to video games.

WTTV had high hopes for the show, which was dedicated solely on video games.

The videogame-heavy magazine format first came to the airwaves last year when MGM/UA distributed Computer Entertainer: The Television Show.

Warner Bros.' EGM gained additional clearance, as a Saturday morning television show based solely on gaming.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 28, 1989

Nintendo is previewing the Japanese release of the Game Boy and the SIE-developed Game Boy TV Adapter, which was designed for the Nintendo Family Computer. The Game Boy portable console will be in monochrome, while the Game Boy TV Adapter displays up to 56 colors.

It is expected that the title was due out on April 21, 1989, as a standalone Game Boy, or as a TV adapter for the Family Computer.

The Game Boy TV Adapter's experience was to design, either as a one-player or a two-player video game with two Famicom controllers.

The four Game Boy launch titles were Alleyway, Baseball, Super Mario Land and Yakuman, with another big title Tetris due out in the June of 1989, under license from six different companies who organized it, which are Academysoft-Elorg, Andromeda Software Ltd., Mirrosoft Ltd., Sphere, Inc., Tengen, Inc. and Bullet-Proof Software, Inc.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

March 31, 1989

Atari is coming close to release the Atari 10400, a new VHS-based console, combined with the 16-bit graphics of the Atari ST, when it was demonstrated at the Summer CES 1989 by Atari Corporation.

It is reported that Epyx was in negotiations with Atari to release a handheld console of the same name.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is coming close to develop a Vectrex-style vector monitor adapter for the Nintendo Family Computer.

Nearly a few months away, Sony Interactive Entertainment had high hopes to release Quinty on the Nintendo Family Computer Disk System.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 4, 1989

Bandai America is unveiling a new FMV-based title for the Nintendo Cassette System, titled Martial Warriors. It will be designed by Frank Ward and Marlene Sharp, which are employees of Bandai America.

Silicon Video Software would develop the video title, and has plans to start shooting this month.

The new title would be announced ahead of the Summer CES 1989, of which Bandai was a Nintendo licensee.

Bandai America had previously worked with Silicon Video Software on the highly-profitable Nintendo Cassette System title Charlotte, along with a line of fashion dolls.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 6, 1989

Nintendo announced that the Famicom Vector System was schedule to be released as late as 1989, to be engineered by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a fast-rising Japanese video game company.

Sony Interactive Entertainment was formed in 1986 by Sony Corporation as an authorized Nintendo developer.

The Famicom Vector System, an add-on console for the Famicom would have a cathorade ray tube that runs vector graphics, similar to Vectrex.

The Famicom adapter made its first new title developed by Sony, Solar Attack!, which was set to be programmed within the Vector System.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 10, 1989

New promotion is set for the brand-new Nintendo Game Boy handheld in the Japanese market, with the Western renditions of the Game Boy are set to follow once it succeeded very well.

Nintendo is also promoting television advertisements for the Famicom Game Boy TV Adapter in Japan.

Sony is also planning on to develop a stereo audio adapter for the Nintendo Famicom, set to be announced that year.

Four titles are about to arrive on the Game Boy, which are Alleyway, Baseball, Super Mario Land and Yakuman. With the Game Boy, it required a link cable, and for the TV adapter on the Famicom, required two Famicom controllers for two-player games.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 13, 1989

KDSM-TV, the Fox affiliate for the Des Moines area is signing up for Electronic Gaming Monthly: The Show, the second weekly program all about video game subjects and ask all viewers with a toll-free hotline.

It is reported that EGM: The Show would get full clearance ahead of the fall 1989 start date.

Bandai America is signing up for a new toyline that was based on the unscripted program Emergency Control.

It is reported that Bandai would receive deals with Saban Entertainment and DiC Animation City to handle merchandise tie-ins.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 17, 1989

The Miami/Fort Lauderdale television station WDZL-TV is getting clearance from the new syndicated weekly show Electronic Gaming Monthly: The Show, which is all about video game topics.

EGM: The Show gained 70% of full access clearance, and made it important.

WNYB in Buffalo also gained clearance of the program, and it expands throughout the reach of EGM.

Warner Bros. stated that EGM: The Show would be the best of the 1989 weekly syndicated shows, along with College Mad House.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 21, 1989

The Game Boy is officially launched by Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Japan, designed by Nintendo R&D1. And Nintendo also developed the Game Boy TV Adapter on the Famicom in cooperation with Sony Interactive Entertainment, a company that supplied sound kits and development tools for the Famicom.

Here's the monochrome Game Boy BIOS (on original hardware):

Here's the full color Game Boy BIOS (on the Game Boy TV Adapter):

The Famicom Game Boy TV Adapter could be equipped by two NES controllers, while the regular Game Boy gets a link cable option for two-player games. The Game Boy has four colors, while the Game Boy TV Adapter on the Famicom has full 56 colors, as determined by Sony themselves.

The four Game Boy titles on launch were Alleyway, Baseball, Super Mario Land and Yakuman. Through Sony, we requested all game developers to require enhancements for the Game Boy TV Adapter, for play on the Nintendo Famicom.

 

[DucNguyen0131]

April 24, 1989

All store sellers told Sega that Tetris would became a smash hit, even for the new and powerful Sega Mega Drive, in the Japanese market. Tetris would soon have its own handheld version for the Nintendo Game Boy in the next two months.

Tetris would be critically acclaimed and even destined to be powerful by Sega in its own standards.

Tengen held the Western console rights to the Tetris game, and it signed a deal with Bandai to distribute the NES games for the European market.

Sony had strained good relations with Nintendo, with the support of developing a vector graphics adapter for the NES, with its own vector cartridges, think of the old Vectrex in the early 1980s.