Top

Welcome to Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum. This website documents in detail the history of each of the viewable TV stations, past and present, across mid-Illinois in text, photos, and videos, as well as each station's current status. This site also includes local radio history and automated analog formats, again told in pictures, videos, and text.

Note that this website displays best on a full-size monitor, desktop, or laptop computer. If you're watching on your mobile phone, the mobile phone view has been replaced by the desktop view throughout this site. You can zoom in on the page if needed. Also, you may have to sign in to YouTube to view some videos. Some browsers do not allow some embedded videos to play, so click on the "YouTube" logo on the video to view it from YouTube.

This is me recently at an antique store in Lafayette, Indiana, making out my Christmas list....

Not really, I don't have the room for it! It's a 1949 GE table model.

Doug Quick
Radio/TV Broadcaster/Historian, Author, Webmaster
complete bio available here.

Visit the TV Time Capsule!

Through November, prepare for a rare look at one local TV station's program log from January 2, 1958! Programs, commercials, promos, station IDs, and what that log tells us about their method of operation.... and why that station's culture affected its descendant station through the years! Just click on the site at the left.

Featured Videos

Not being one to rush the "Holiday" as the Christmas decorations go up in area stores and shopping centers, I'm also not one to skip over Thanksgiving. So, now through Thanksgiving evening in November, I present this collection of Turkey Day videos.

Watch several sitcoms, a variety/comedy show, a music show, a Thanksgiving-themed TV Movie, a clip video from one of the most popular sitcoms ever, a Turkey Day-themed cartoon, and a legendary clip from a nighttime talk show.

The Classic Radio audio/video is a classic Thanksgiving show of "The Jack Benny Program" from 1952.

Also, don't forget to visit the TV Time Capsule by clicking here!

Happy Turkey Day from Central Illinois' Online Broadcast Museum!

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

That Girl (1967) ABC "Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year, Thankfully"

This episode is all about an issue many families face during the Holiday season. The question is whose parents the couple will spend Thanksgiving (or Christmas) with. That very question is answered in this episode of "That Girl" from 1968, the series's second season, episode 11.

"That Girl" aired on ABC from 1966 through 1971 and was seen on WAND, WIRL, and KTVI. "That Girl" was also seen on WJJY-TV, Channel 14, in Jacksonville, Illinois, beginning in August 1969 and continuing through the station's final broadcast in 1971.

In the series, Marlo Thomas (Danny Thomas' daughter) starred as Ann Marie, an aspiring actress who lived alone in New York. Somehow, she managed to live in a reasonably nice apartment in the city despite not having steady employment. She wasn't without opportunities, though, as she always seemed to have some temporary acting job or was participating in some outlandish performance gig. Her boyfriend was Donald Hollinger, a magazine executive (similar to Time Magazine), played by Ted Bessell.

Ann's parents appeared occasionally and were played by Lew Parker ("The Bickersons" on classic radio) and Rosemary DeCamp ("The Bob Cummings Show" and "The Life of Riley", the 1949-1950 version that starred Jackie Gleason as Chester).

Oher occasional workmates, or neighbors included Dabney Coleman ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," "Apple Pie," and "Buffalo Bill"), Bernie Kopell ("Get Smart," "The Doris Day Show," "When Things Were Rotten," and "The Love Boat"), Ronnie Schell ("Gomer Pyle," "Good Morning World," "The Jim Nabors Hour"), and George Carlin ("The Kraft Summer Music Hall," "Away We Go," and "Tony Orlando and Dawn" as well as many other comedy specials).

ABC That Girl with Ted Bessell and Marlo Thomas

Ted Bessell and Marlo Thomas as Don and Ann, a modern New York couple in "That Girl."

YouTube screen grab

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Lawrence Welk Show (1970) ABC Thanksgiving Show

This Thanksgiving-themed show of "The Lawrence Welk Show" is from 1970, when it originally aired on ABC. As it turned out, it was the final Thanksgiving show to air on ABC, as the show was cancelled and aired its last ABC show on September 4, 1971. The show had quite a run, as it was one of ABC's longest-running shows, and one of its earliest as well. It premiered on July 2, 1955, with a long-running sponsor, The Chrysler Corporation. "The Lawrence Welk Show" would go to syndication following its cancellation by ABC for many years, with re-edited reruns airing on public TV thereafter.

ABC Lawrence Welk from 1970's Thankgiving Show

"Thank you, boyz-m." Lawrence Welk from the video above, the 1970 Thanksgiving special.

(YouTube screen grab)

It would be impossible to list all the performers on the show; there have been over 100 of them. Still, a few better-known members include The Lennon Sisters (singers), Myron Floren (accordion player), Pete Fountain (clarinet), Jo Ann Castle (piano), and Lynn Anderson (vocalist). By the way, the Welk troupe had hit records in the 1950s, with three in the top 20, and a number one hit in 1960, called "Calcutta," which is one of my favorite instrumentals.

In the 1980s, when Lawrence Welk and his troupe performed in Champaign at the Assembly Hall, I had the opportunity to talk briefly with him. He graciously autographed a program from the 1940s that belonged to my in-laws, who were also at the concert. My in-laws saw him on their honeymoon in Chicago.

"The Lawrence Welk Show" aired on WTVP (later WAND), WDAN-TV, WTVH (later WIRL), and WJJY-TV (from 1969-1971).

WCIA Fall Promo 1981

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

NBC The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carslon with Doc Severinson (left)

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1979) NBC Thanksgiving Plans

This video is a classic comedy segment featuring Doc Severinsen and Johnny Carson, who talk about each other's Thanksgiving holiday plans. This segment from "The Tonight Show" was initially seen on WICS, WICD, WEEK-TV, WTWO-TV, WGEM-TV, and KSD-TV.

NBC The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carslon Starring Johnny Carslon with Doc Severinson (left)

This segment probably wasn't planned; it was just two guys talking about their Thanksgiving plans. It remains a classic Tonight Show segment!

(YouTube screen grab)

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Newhart (1986) CBS Thanksgiving Episode

"Newhart" was a follow-up sitcom starring Bob Newhart as Dick Loudon, a Vermont innkeeper. His wife, Joanna, was played by Mary Frann. This series had a collection of quirky characters like George Utley played by Tom Poston (the future real life husband of Bob's former leading lady in the orginal "Bob Newhart Show" Suzanne Pleshette), Stephanie played by Julia Duffy, Michael played by Peter Scolari ("Bosom Buddies") and a strange bunch of brothers best known as Larry, Darryl and Darryl, played by William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss and John Voldstad.

This Bob Newhart sitcom aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, through September 8, 1990, and was seen across Mid-Illinois on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOV.

CBS Newhart, Foreground: Peter Scolari and Bob Newhart. Background: Williams Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad as "Larry, Darryl, and Darryl."

Foreground: Peter Scolari and Bob Newhart. Background: Williams Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad as "Larry, Darryl, and Darryl."

(YouTube screen grab)

CBS The Smothers Brothers Thankgiving Show

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

The Smothers Brothers Show (1988) CBS Thanksgiving Show

This installment of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" aired during the series' second CBS run on CBS, airing from March 30, 1988, through August 23, 1989, after the troubling cancellation of the original series in 1969 when Pete Seeger performed a song he wrote, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" a Vietnam protest song (Pete Seeger was a former blacklisted performer in the early 1950s-see "Good Night, and Good Luck" theatrical movie or the broadcast of the broadway show starring George Clooney for background information).

After the first cancellation, the brothers moved their series to ABC as a summer series in 1970, with NBC picking it up and airing it from January 1973 through May 1975. The Smothers Brothers returned to CBS in 1988 (I would have loved to be in those meetings!) for another run of the same variety show that originally aired on the network, with many of the same participants, including Pat Paulsen, Jim Stafford, Geoffrey Lewis, and Jennifer Warnes.

The Smothers Brothers, Tom and Dick, discuss the upcoming Holiday on "The Smothers Brothers Show" from 1988.

(YouTube screen grab)

One of the most memorable segments included Tommy Smothers as "The Yo-Yo Man."

This series aired on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOV. This recording was made from WUSA, Channel 9 in Washington, D.C., and includes original commercials and station promos.

NBC Monday Night at the Movies, Thanksgiving Day 1990.

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Thanksgiving Day-NBC TV Movie (1990)

"Thanksgiving Day" was a TV movie produced for NBC in 1990, starring Mary Tyler Moore, Tony Curtis, Johnathan Brandmeier (of Chicago radio fame), Kelly Curtis, Andy Hirsch, Sonny Bono, Morton Downey, Jr., and Joe Bologna.

It was broadcast on November 19, 1990. The video above was recorded from Chicago's WMAQ-TV, Channel 5, and is on the Museum of Classic Chicago Television (www.fuzzyMemories.tv).

I almost featured this under the Classic Radio section below, simply for the appearance of Johnathon Brandmeier. In case you're not familiar with the long-time Midwest radio and TV broadcaster, I'll fill you in. He began his radio career at 16 in 1973 at WFON in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. When he was 18, he ended up at WISH in Oshkosh, then WYNE in Appleton. Then he made the rounds, moving to San Jose, California, returning to the Midwest at WYBR-FM (now WXRX in Rockford), then moving to WOKY in Milwaukee. He moved to KZZP in Phoenix in the early 1980s. By 1983, he was the morning jock on WLUP (The Loop) AM and FM in Chicago. He organized a popular show band that played gigs all around the Chicago area and recorded several local hit records.

Jonathan Brandmeier of Chicago radio fame with Mary Tyler Moor in the TV movie "Thanksgiving Day" from NBC.

(YouTube screen grab)

Johnathan Brandmeier with Tony Curtis in "Thanksgiving Day" as braodcast on NBC in 1990.

(YouTube screen grab)

Brandmeier hosted a TV special for WBBM-TV in 1986 called "Johnny B on TV," and by 1989, along with Phil Collins, he hosted Friday Night Videos on NBC. Then, in 1990, he was a co-star in the movie "Thanksgiving Day" shown above. After appearing in this movie, he hosted several late-night specials called "Johnathon Brandmeier from Chicago." Despite his popularity in the Chicago market and a growing national fan base, WLUP changed ownership (a familiar situation in radio, I know from experience), and he was released from the station and returned to Los Angeles for a radio morning show. He had a run on WGN Radio in Chicago and a nationally syndicated radio show in 2015. In 2018, Brandmeier was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Now he hosts a podcast series available by clicking here.

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

The Pink Panther (1993) Syndicated "Pilgrim Panther"

The Pink Panther character first appeared in the 1963 theatrical film, which would go on to become the Pink Panther series. The Pink Panther was actually a large diamond stolen in the first movie. A French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau, was played by Peter Sellers (who also appeared in the previous series of videos on this website, the one titled "The Music of Lennon and McCartney" See the link at the right to view the musical variety show.

Even though other films didn't feature the Pink Panther it was still called the "Pink Panther Series" including the movie "A Shot in the Dark," (1964) "Inspector Clouseau" (1968), "The Return of the Pink Panther" (1975), "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (1976), "Revenge of the Pink Panther" (1978), "Trail of the Pink Panther" (1982), "Curse of the Pink Panther" (1983) and "The Son of the Pink Panther" (1993).

The cartoon series was introduced theatrically in 1964, with the character designed by long-time Warner Brothers artists Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt. Henry Mancini wrote the musical theme. The cartoon series was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.

"The Pink Panther" became one of the longest-running Saturday morning cartoon series ever, broadcast from 1969 through 1978 on NBC, then from 1978-79 on ABC. After its run on network TV, it went into syndication. A follow-up series, "The Pink Panther and Sons," aired on NBC Saturday mornings from 1984 to 1985, then on ABC from March to September 1986. His sons were named Pinky and Panky.

The video above is a seasonal, Thanksgiving-themed theatrical production from 1993. I assume it was also included in the syndicated TV package of cartoons.

The Pink Panther, star of screen and Saturday morning cartoons.

The Pink Panther cartoon character.

(YouTube screen grab)

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Dharma & Greg (1999) ABC Thanksgiving

"Dharma & Greg" was a hit sitcom on ABC from 1997 to 2002. The stars were Jenna Elfman as Dharma Finkelstein and Thomas Gibson as Greg Finkelstein, a couple of opposites. She's a dog trainer and yoga instructor, and he is an attorney living in San Francisco. Despite their differences in lifestyle (and their families), they married on their first date. I guess when you know, you know. On a side note, Jenna Elfman is the niece of Tony Butala (a former resident of Mahomet, IL), a founding member of the pop vocal group "The Letterman.

Thomas Gibson and Jenna Elfman as "Dharma and Greg" from ABC.

Greg played by Thomas Gibson, and Dharma, played by Jenna Elfman on "Dharma and Greg" from ABC.

(YouTube screen grab)

This episode is from the Thanksgiving season of 1999, airing on WAND, WHOI, WBAK, and KTVI. In it, they make plans for another family get-together, despite the previous year's event being a total disaster. Dharma plans to have everyone meet for dinner at a restaurant to tell their parents they won't be getting together for the Holiday. The parents are played by Alan Rachins ("LA Law"), Mitchell Ryan ("Chase," "Executive Suite,"

"Having Babies," "The Chisholms," and "High Performance"), Susan Sullivan ("Rich Man, Poor Man-Book II," "Having Babies," "It's a Living," "Falcon Crest") and Mimi Kennedy ("3 Girls 3," "Stockard Channing in Just Friends," "The Big Show," "The Two of Us," "Spenser" (not the Robert Urich series), and "Under One Roof").

This series was seen over Mid-Illinois on WAND, WHOI, WBAK, and KTVI.

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Friends-Thanksgiving Scenes (1994-2004) NBC

This video is a collection of scenes from the many Thanksgiving episodes of "Friends" as broadcast on NBC from 1994 to 2004.

This video is from the YouTube Friends Channel, available here.

"Friends" was broadcast over mid-Illinois on WICS, WICD, WEEK-TV, WTWO-TV, WGEM-TV, and KSDK.

Three different shots of the cast taken from the video above from "Friends" Thanksgiving scenes

(YouTube screen grabs)

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 4k Full Video

Even though the parade is broadcast on NBC every Thanksgiving morning, now for the first time, I present videos from an untraditional video channel called "Strolling the City." The complete list of videos from the channel is available here.

Now enjoy last year's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade from the street here, then watch it on NBC. Which one do you like better?

Classic Radio

Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.

The Jack Benny Program (1952) CBS Radio Thanksgiving Pilgrims

If you've never heard of the Jack Benny Program on the radio, let me explain. Think of "Seinfeld" and replace those characters with the cast of the Jack Benny Program. Jack is the star in a series based on a radio performer who is stingy and self-centered. His butler, cook, housekeeper, "Rochester," who always gets the best of his boss, even though he is still a loyal servant. Mary Livingston (in real life, Jack's wife) is his gal-pal who stands up to Jack at every opportunity to put him in his place. Bob Crosby is Jack's bandleader and vocalist (he's really Bing's brother), and his band is a bunch of moochers and alcoholics (back when it was "funny"). Dennis Day is a regular vocalist, an Irish tenor who is quite a moron. Don Wilson was the show's overweight announcer and the victim of many "fat" jokes.

The show's writers often used "long-running gag" storylines that ran, in some cases, for years! One of those comes up in this show when Jack sings the song he wrote and tried to find someone to record it professionally. Listen for Jack singing to himself, "When You Say I Beg Your Pardon, I'll Come Back to You." There's also a discussion of Jack's historical knowledge, which often comes up as a long-running gag across many episodes. During the Christmas Holiday, I'll feature another collection of "The Jack Benny Program" that features a decade-long running gag of Jack Christmas shopping for his cast members.

Frank Nelson is an occasional cast member, this time as the hired butler. Each time he's on the show, he's a different character and is known for using the line, "WWWWeeeelllll." Listen also for the embedded commercial for "Lucy Strike" cigarettes.

The show stands up today and is quite funny, but it comes to a halt with the outdated musical segment featuring Dennis Day. I won't care if you fast-forward through it. (I always do.) You'll also notice the reference to his TV show that airs right after the radio broadcast. The radio show was "transcribed," meaning it was pre-recorded. At the time, many radio shows were produced live, and the fact that a show was pre-recorded "cheapened" it in the audience's eyes. It sounded better to say it was "transcribed," which means the same thing. The TV show was broadcast live from the just-completed CBS Television City, built at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.

The cast of "The Jack Benny Program" from most of the second half of the 1940s. From left to right, there's "Rochester" Eddie Anderson, Dennis Day, band leader Phil Harris, Mary Livingston, Jack Benny, Don Wilson, and Mel Blanc.

Above was the cast of "The Jack Benny Program" from most of the second half of the 1940s. From left to right, there's "Rochester" Eddie Anderson, Dennis Day, band leader Phil Harris, Mary Livingston, Jack Benny, Don Wilson, and Mel Blanc.

(unknown source)

Jack Benny from his time on "The Jack Benny Show" on both radio and television.

Jack Benny from his time on "The Jack Benny Program" on both radio and television.

(unknown source)

This is Bob Crosby, brother of Bing Crosby. He was a real life band leader and singer, who sounded alot like Bing. He replaced Phil Harris, when he moved to is own show on NBC. If you're a "Bowery Boys" fan you might be interested to know that Bob Crosby provided the singing voice for Huntz Hall in one installement when "Sach" became the "Bowery Thrush."

(unknown source)

Half Acre Bridge

Click the picture above to watch my latest video on a Christian County, Illinois, landmark from my YouTube Channel.

It was generally called "Half Acre Bridge," but others called it "The Hell's Half Acre Bridge." News accounts of the day record a suicide by hanging taking place near it, while stories of a baby being thrown off the bridge have been alleged, along with at least one death by hanging from the bridge. There's at least one local newspaper account of a village near the bridge named "Hell's Half Acre" that hosted a general store and a saloon that overlooked the river and the main roadway that connected Morrisonville and Taylorville, Illinois, during the late 1800s.

The Weather for
East Central Illinois
will appear here soon.

The Latest Weather Story

Mid-Illinois Radar

Click on the NWS logo above to get the Lincoln, IL site and/or

click on the links below the logo for the latest weather story and current radar view of Mid-Illinois.

Support the National Weather Service! Contact your Congressional Representatives

Latest Updates to the Museum

Priceless New Material from the history of WCIA, Ch 3 is now here!

A private collection of color slides taken by a former WCIA employee from the late 1950s through the early 1960s has been shared with Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum!

These priceless images are now part of the early History of WCIA.

See them all in within a number of picture galleries that include scenes of the broadcast tower, transmitter building, studios, production control, exterior shots of the studios on South Neil Street in Champaign and more! It also includes the contributor's story and the memories of his daughter who has shared his material.

Contributor Lisa Krall continues to drop more artifacts and information to this website from the early years of WCIA. I've added some early published stories about items on WCIA's "Happy Home" plus an example of WCIA letterhead from almost 70 years ago!

Thanks to Lisa Krall for giving us the exclusive showing of your artifacts and information! It's all posted and available now at the History of WCIA!

Use the link here to go directly to "WCIA Early Years: A Personal View from Former Employee Dayo E. Thompson."

2025-1024 The TV Today pages for Mid-Illinois, Peoria, Chicago, Peoria, Quincy, Terre Haute have been updated to show new subchannel selections. More updates coming for Indianapolis soon.

2025-0920 Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum has renewed the suscription to this website host for another three years!

20225-1108 Updated TV Today page for Indianapolis, IN.

Over time, I've gotten several comments from mostly radio people about my "at home" radio station. I've done some re-formating over the last few months and now offer up a couple of samples. One being a one-hour aircheck, the other a 3-hour aircheck. These airchecks have most of the music edited out to avoid copyright issues. You can hear it by clicking the graphic above or going to the automated radio format page here.

PLease SUBSCRIBE to my
YouTube Channel

Click on the picture above of my Facebook Channel Home Page and click on the Subscribe button like the one below.

"Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Central Illinois Television" by Doug Quick

Much of the information on the history of TV pages on this site comes directly from my 2016 book "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television." There are many more pictures on this site than in the book as space was limited.

Taylorville, Christian County Courthouse

Frisina Drive In Theater, Taylorville, IL

Memories of the Capitol Theatre and Frisina Drive-In Theatre

Latest TV
Headlines

2025-0909 Updated on 2025-1028

The Weigel Broadcasting-owned digital multicast network MeTV is now on DISH Satellite's channel lineup, along with other popular Weigel Broadcasting networks!

Users of DISH satellite service can access MeTV Network, Cathy Comedy, WEST, and MeTV Toons. It is only available as a streaming channel (and on the 120+ package plans). The even better news is that they are available in high definition, which improves the look of many of the "filmed" programs, which were recorded from the master 35mm film and used for playback. In fact, viewers can now watch many of the vintage shows on the schedule with better video quality than they were initially seen on network TV!

"We are always pushing to make MeTV as accessible to as many viewers as possible. We are happy to partner with Dish on this carriage and pleased that millions of Sling TV customers will now be able to watch MeTV's memorable entertainment programming," said Neal Sabin, vice-chairman for Weigel Broadcasting.

MeTV continues to be seen on subchannels of stations in mid-Illinois markets. For most here in central and east central Illinois, it's available on WAND-TV's main channel and translators (Jacksonville, Effingham, and Danville) on subchannel 17.6 in standard definition. Unfortunately, the other channels are not available in the Mid-Illinois TV market. They are available in the Chicago and St. Louis markets, but not necessarily in HD.

Now Streaming Nationally

Click on the image above to listen to MeTVFM. It's the popular music companion to MeTV, Memorable Entertainment Television, America’s #1 all classic television network. Launched at 87.7FM in late February, 2015, MeTVFM features a unique mix of timeless and memorable music incorporating a wide variety of classic hits, deep tracks and softer sounds spanning several decades of popular music.

Previously on Videos of the Week...

If you've missed any of the "Videos of the Week" or "Classic Radio" recordings, you'll find them here. Unfortunately, there's no written narrative to go along with each. You have to visit each week for that.