TV reception in rural America before cable

[D-Dey65]

I remember a few local stations had a "kids' club" that accompanied cartoons and such. The "kids' club" had live grownup hosts (not cartoons). I remember one on Channel 64 that had a woman who always chewed bubble gum (but she didn't bubble).

A lot of local stations had things like that until around 1973, when groups like Action for Children's Television got them to stop. Then it creeped back during the 1980's and headed for bigger markets again, and the next thing you know, we have Mario Cantone hosting Steampipe Alley on WWOR (9), and WNYW (5) with "The D.J. Kat Show."

[KEVIN_224]

Did you ever receive channel 43 and 49 from Bridgeport, CT or channel 20 from Waterbury?

20 I remember. I knew there were PBS stations in Bridgeport. In fact I discovered Barney the Dinosaur being broadcasted from there in the place of those 15 minute educational shorts that some of those stations used to run. For years after that I thought Barney started out in Bridgeport. WTXX Channel 20 used to have these morning kids show character host puppet named "TX" with a female human counterpart who I thought was kind of cute.

J.J. Conlon had TX Critter and space alien Zeke from Voltron. I believe they lasted into the early 1990s. The girl who co-hosted even appeared before a WWE arena (non-televised) show once at the Hartford Civic Center.

[michravera]

I remember a few local stations had a "kids' club" that accompanied cartoons and such. The "kids' club" had live grownup hosts (not cartoons). I remember one on Channel 64 that had a woman who always chewed bubble gum (but she didn't bubble).

A lot of local stations had things like that until around 1973, when groups like Action for Children's Television got them to stop. Then it creeped back during the 1980's and headed for bigger markets again, and the next thing you know, we have Mario Cantone hosting Steampipe Alley on WWOR (9), and WNYW (5) with "The D.J. Kat Show."

I was actually on Captain Delta on KOVR 13 in Stockton-Sacramento twice. The show was on twice a day on Weekdays and in the mornings on weekends. The shows on which I appeared were live (or nearly so, they may have been on a few seconds of delay) and the 5PM news was anchored in the studio just a few meters from where the "Captain's boat" was broadcast. The show featured cartoons interspersed with kid interviews and games on the afternoon show. I would be pretty sure that the morning (until they moved the kid portion to the morning) show and the weekend show had recorded intros to the cartoons. The morning show aired opposite (or at least as a local answer to) Captain Kangaroo which was kid's oriented, but never really featured any kids. As network morning news-entertainment moved ever earlier and the network daytime dramas and syndicated talk shows moved ever later, the need and space for such programs disappeared. A similar show aired on KTVU 2 in the Bay Area under similar circumstances. I believe that it was (often) hosted by the same guy who hosted the afternoon "Dialing for Dollars" movie. If I recall correctly, both KOVR and KTVU also had pre-school programs: Miss Pat's Playroom (Sunday Mornings) and "Miss Nancy's Kindergarten" which aired mornings, respectively.

[jp the roadgeek]

I do remember DJ Kat on Channel 5.

Here in CT, we had TX Critter, created by the same guy who created ALF.  Found this collection of promos.  The last promo was more from my time with JJ TX and Friends.  I did play TV Pow once (did not win), and was a member of the fan club.  Local legend Dr. Mel was also part of the show and offered some great info on weather forecasting for kids. 

[jon daly]

TX Critter's name was a play on Tex Ritter.

Do any of you recall some guy named Marlo with a Magical Mystery Machine? Also, how did this become so Nutmegcentric a thread?

[KEVIN_224]

I never knew that the Marlo show was actually taped at WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford. I just thought it was a syndicated kids show like any other! The robotic voice on that show kinda sounded like future channel 3 anchor/reporter Dan Kain. I think the showed also aired on a few other CBS affiliates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnHVuDFIt8

I actually remember the video game and them saying "POWW! POWW!", since "PIX! PIX! PIX!" was already taken by WPIX-TV (CW) channel 11 of New York City.

[Scott5114]

I remember a few local stations had a "kids' club" that accompanied cartoons and such. The "kids' club" had live grownup hosts (not cartoons). I remember one on Channel 64 that had a woman who always chewed bubble gum (but she didn't bubble).

Was her head shaped like a Speak 'n' Spell?

[D-Dey65]

I never knew that the Marlo show was actually taped at WFSB-TV (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford. I just thought it was a syndicated kids show like any other! The robotic voice on that show kinda sounded like future channel 3 anchor/reporter Dan Kain. I think the showed also aired on a few other CBS affiliates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvnHVuDFIt8

I actually remember the video game and them saying "POWW! POWW!", since "PIX! PIX! PIX!" was already taken by WPIX-TV (CW) channel 11 of New York City.

I saw that from time to time. There was one guy who was almost 18, and they were talking about the fact that he was on the verge of turning 18 and had to register for the draft.

I heard about Marlo and the Magic Mystery Machine, but I don't remember seeing it myself.

[KEVIN_224]

Channel 3 of Hartford once had Bill O'Reilly. We also had Gayle King locally as an anchor from 1981 to 1999. You can guess why WFSB-TV aired The Oprah Winfrey Show for it's entire syndicated run! Ha ha!

Analog TV reception was even stranger when I lived in southern Maine. WMTW-TV (ABC) channel 8 was licensed to Poland Spring and not Portland. Their old transmitter was atop Mount Washington, NH, giving the station a monster coverage area. With an indoor antenna, I used to get them with little trouble in Old Orchard Beach, roughly 12 miles down the coast from downtown Portland. Their digital transmitter is now in Baldwin, ME, a few miles from Lake Sebago. WCSH-TV (NBC) channel 6 of Portland was usually good. WGME-TV (CBS) channel 13 of Portland was usually OK, but had issues at times. The real beast was then-new WPXT-TV channel 51 of Portland (IND to FOX to WB and now CW). It seemed like their signal would wave in and out whenever it was real windy. I'd have a similar issue with WMEA-TV (PBS) channel 26 of Biddeford, ME (transmitter was in Sanford, York County). The main market PBS signal was/is WCBB-TV channel 10 of Augusta. Their transmitter was in Litchfield, ME. The signal was always a bit snowy, but usually watchable. I'd also get a weak signal from WENH-TV (PBS) channel 11 of Durham, NH (New Hampshire Public Television).

The cable in Saco and Old Orchard Beach was something like Continental Cablevision. I didn't have them the time I lived in O.O.B. They didn't carry TBS. Until SYNDEX killed them off, they once carried channels 4, 5, 7, 38 and 56 from Boston and Cambridge (56). Not sure about WFXT-TV (FOX) channel 25. Today, they probably only carry NH's channel 11 for out-of-market stations. I know that Spectrum in Portland is that way. They once carried WSBK-TV from Boston, since it was a regional superstation at one time. We even had them on our cable in New Britain and Hartford, CT (both are Comcast today).

[ftballfan]

The cable in Saco and Old Orchard Beach was something like Continental Cablevision. I didn't have them the time I lived in O.O.B. They didn't carry TBS. Until SYNDEX killed them off, they once carried channels 4, 5, 7, 38 and 56 from Boston and Cambridge (56). Not sure about WFXT-TV (FOX) channel 25. Today, they probably only carry NH's channel 11 for out-of-market stations. I know that Spectrum in Portland is that way. They once carried WSBK-TV from Boston, since it was a regional superstation at one time. We even had them on our cable in New Britain and Hartford, CT (both are Comcast today).

Just checked Zap2it and WHDH is still carried in Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach (as well as WENH and CKSH). Helps that a good chunk of WHDH's weekday schedule is syndex-proof local news

[bandit957]

I remember when I was about 14, I saw the Channel 9 news and the weatherman said something about "the edge of the Channel 9 viewing area." That phrase gave me the creeps. On the weather map, it looked like it was out in Mason County or somewhere.

[jp the roadgeek]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

[bing101]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTyyBq99N0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBgBr0rPl-s

[KeithE4Phx]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTyyBq99N0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBgBr0rPl-s

Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Asbury Park! 

[ghYHZ]

I grew up in Niagara Falls ON in the "˜60s and what a variety: all the US networks from Buffalo along with the Canadian networks from Toronto + a couple of independents. And then we moved to Halifax with only CBC and CTV available there. Cable arrived in the early "˜70s and we had US programming again from WAGM in Presque Isle, Maine. This was an interesting station as it was an affiliate of ABC, CBS & NBC and they picked the prime-time programming from all three.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAGM-TV

After a couple of years the US networks from Bangor were added.....then a switch to all the Boston stations. Today with satellite besides Boston.....I also get all the Seattle stations (miss a program....watch it 4 hrs later!)       

[KEVIN_224]

Only KXGN-TV channel 5 of Glendive, MT (the smallest DMA in the US) had them beat. That was the last station in the country to carry at least two networks on its primary -1 channel. I think they're only CBS on 5-1 now. They were secondary NBC until recently.

In 2019, WAGM-TV 8-2 is FOX. You still need cable to get NBC and ABC from Bangor, ME.

[hbelkins]

I remember when I was about 14, I saw the Channel 9 news and the weatherman said something about "the edge of the Channel 9 viewing area." That phrase gave me the creeps. On the weather map, it looked like it was out in Mason County or somewhere.

Was Channel 9 the one with Al Schottelkotte (sp?), or Bob Braun, or both? The cable system at Morehead State University carried one of the Cincinnati broadcast stations back when I was in college, and the students from the river counties and others in southern Ohio watched that station from back home religiously. Back then, Kentucky had an arrangement that students from the river counties and a handful of others could pay in-state tuition. We had tons of students from Adams, Brown, Clermont, Scioto and Lawrence counties in Ohio; and there may have been some other counties that were included. I don't think Hamilton County was, but Pike may have been.

[bandit957]

Was Channel 9 the one with Al Schottelkotte (sp?), or Bob Braun, or both?

Channel 9 had Al Schottelkotte. Channel 5 had Bob Braun.

[Life in Paradise]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTyyBq99N0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBgBr0rPl-s

I remember this guy as well.  Early in his career he spent several years in Evansville,IN doing the weather.  He was a character from the start!

[bing101]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTyyBq99N0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBgBr0rPl-s

I remember this guy as well.  Early in his career he spent several years in Evansville,IN doing the weather.  He was a character from the start!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTN0Qg9WwVw

Lloyd Lindsay Young on KGO-TV San Francisco well he is one of the most known characters in the TV Business.

[D-Dey65]

When I think of the weather on Channel 9 news, I think of this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTyyBq99N0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBgBr0rPl-s

Some people I know thought he was on uppers.

When I hear the words Channel 9, I think of Joe Franklin, old movies, Romper Room, and trash talk show host Richard Bey, even before his show was trash, and he had his female co-host Renee Hamblee (or however you spelled her name).


I know a few friends that were in the audience of an episode of that show.

[golden eagle]

My great-grandparents lived in the MS Delta area and got great reception of Greenville TV stations. Jackson TV was very spotty.

[KEVIN_224]

I think Greenville/Greenwood was just channels 6 and 15? I've never been to Mississippi, so I'm not 100% sure.

[golden eagle]

I think Greenville/Greenwood was just channels 6 and 15? I've never been to Mississippi, so I'm not 100% sure.

Pre-digital, yes. A Fox station was added to WABG as a sub-channel (or whatever term you call it). There was a reality show a few years ago called Breaking Greenville, which was about how both stations' news were competing against each other. There are a couple of notable personalities that went through Greenville: Hoda Kotb of the Today Third Hour worked at WXVT (15) and Jody Baskerville, once of the now-defunct news magazine Hard Copy.

[inkyatari]

I grew up near Joliet, IL, about 50 or some miles from downtown Chicago, and I remember that we had to have an amplifier on our antenna.  When cable eventually came to our neighborhood, my dad refused to pay for cable, so the antenna stayed.