Whatever happened to, The history of Television for Central Illinois, St. Louis, Terre Haute, Peoria, and Quincy? Also, automated radio history, central Illinois radio history. Now with NextGen TV, ATSC 3.0 TV. WAND, WCIA, WILL, WICS, WEEK, WHOI, WYZZ, WGEM-TV, KHQA, KSD, KMOV, KTVI, KPLR, Doug Quick, Jerry Slabe, Mr. Roberts,
Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum
From
TV Today
ATSC is coming to Central Illinois on December 6, 2022
Read my report on what you can expect with the change-over to ATSC 3.0 or watch the video below for an explanation of what it all means. Click Here to go to the Central Illinois TV page.
Check out a complete listing of area television signals across mid-Illinois, along with Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria, Terre Haute, and Quincy markets.
The pages include current TV listings for each market, all of the television transmitters/towers, who owns each one, the owner's address, the operator's address, phone number, websites, and other contact information.
It also includes all of the sub-channels (minus shopping and religious signals). Ownership is listed along with address, phone numbers, and contact information along with websites.
The pages also include ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) information for each market offering the new local television standard! There are also links for an explanation of what to expect in the years ahead!
Pull down your selection from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.
Doug Quick Broadcast Pioneer
Doug Quick, retired TV weathercaster/news anchor, broadcaster, author, and museum curator has been named Illinois Broadcasters Association's 2022 W. Russell Withers Jr. Downstate Broadcast Pioneer.
At the time of his retirement in September 2021, Quick was deemed the longest-tenured central Illinois weathercaster following a career that began in 1974 on his hometown's (Taylorville) radio stations, WTIM/WTIM-FM. That was followed by stops in Springfield at WTAX/WDBR, Decatur WDZ/WDZQ, with most of his radio career being at Danville's WDAN/WDNL/WWDZ(FM).
Quick added television to his resume in 1994, joining WICD-TV in Champaign as the station promotions director. Soon after he added the title of weekend weathercaster to his responsibilities and in 1998 became the weekday morning weathercaster and news co-anchor for NewsChannel 15.
His radio and television work continued simultaneously until 2002 when he left Danville's radio stations and became the evening news/weather anchor on WICD-TV and weather anchor weeknights on WCCU-FOX27. Later he would shift over to WCCU, FOX-Illinois as a news/weather anchor, in addition to occasionally filling in on NewsChannel 15/20-Springfield as part of the STORM TEAM.
Quick's resume includes a 40-year career as a commercial and industrial video voice-over talent, an author ("Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television History"), and created an online museum, Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum where he continues to be the curator at dougquick.com. He's still open to those needing voice-over services and can be contacted through this website.
“To be chosen for the IBA Downstate Broadcast Pioneer Award is a tremendous honor and is a great ending for my nearly 48-year career in broadcasting,” Quick remarked upon learning of his selection as IBA's 2022 “W. Russell Withers Jr., Downstate Broadcast Pioneer.”
Quicks' past awards include receiving the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the 2017 Silver Done Award from the Illinois Broadcasters Association for “Best Medium Market News Anchor.”
Videos of the Week
Holiday Time at Disneyland (1962) NBC
This was produced in the year of my second visit to Disneyland, 1962. It brings back a flood of memories of what I saw at 8 years old with that visit.
This edition of "Disney's Wonderful World of Color" features the many "holidays" that are proclaimed at the original Disney theme park.
The original video was broadcast on NBC in living color in 1962 on WCHU, WICD(in black and white), WEEK, WGEM-TV, and KSD-TV.
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963) Christmas Episode
"The Alan Brady Show Presents" Christmas show, is a show within a show broadcast on December 18, 1963. Head writer Rob Petre (Dick Van Dyke) explains to the audience of The Alan Brady Show, in flashback, how the creation of the show developed. It was then followed by segments featuring the writing staff, Buddy and Sally (Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie) with Rob's wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), and producer Mel Cooley (Richard Deacon). Alan Brady played Santa (Carl Reiner).
We must make note that this week Dick Van Dyke celebrated his 98th birthday this week. Rose Marie passed away in 2017, making Mr. Van Dyke the last remaining adult cast member of the show.
The Dick Van Dyke aired on CBS during its entire run from 1961 to 1966. It was seen throughout mid-Illinois on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOX-TV.
The Perry Como Show (1959) Guest: Dick Van Dyke
Perry Como was one of the most liked TV singer and variety hosts ever. His 15-minute NBC Show began in December 1948 and continued through June 1950. CBS picked up the show when it ran Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:45 pm-7 pm from October 1950 through June 1955. He returned to NBC where he would continue from 1955 to 1963. In later years he would do several TV specials per year.
This one is from January 17, 1959, and isn't a Christmas show, but in honor of Dick Van Dyke's Birthday this month, we're presenting it now, with other guests Nat King Cole, the McGuire Sisters, and more.
It aired on NBC, the date is unknown, plus whether it was a color broadcast or not. It was produced live in New York at 30 Rock, and this fairly good quality kinescope survives and is presented here.
It was seen across mid-Illinois on WICS, WEEK, and KSD-TV, and may have been seen on WCIA as well.
(Source: YouTube and various posters and contributors.
They may be removed without notice)
Classic Radio
CBS Radio Mystery Theater (1980) "A Holiday Visit"
This episode of the modern-day radio suspense program CBS Radio Mystery Theater goes back to Christmas night 1980 as broadcast on CBS Radio stations across the country, including those in central Illinois.
This is from David Von Pein's Old-Time Radio Channel on YouTube.
(Source: YouTube and various posters and contributors.
They may be removed without notice)
Classic Images
TV Guide Holiday Covers
It was always great to see what kind of Christmas art would be on the cover of the weekly TV listings magazine taken from Pinterest photos. Here are a few covers from Holidays of the past...
Note: Because of the recent change in Twitter, my Twitter account has been shut down. I do not plan to use Twitter in the future.
November 10, 2022-The History of the Peoria TV stations has been expanded using segments from "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television"
November 16, 2022-New Material added to the RADIO HISTORY-Select Area Radio Stations page!
November 17, 2022-Added links to about 50 airchecks of WLS throughout the contemporary music years 1960-1987.
November 20, 2022-Added a remembrance of a former WLRW DJ to the Select Local Radio Stations page. Click Here.
November 23, 2022-Continuing to add revised and updated excerpts from "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television" to each station's history. The Peoria stations are complete, I'm now working on adding narrative to the WCIA History. I hope to have all stations completed by the end of the year!
Mid-Illinois Television News
The target date for Mid-Illinois ATSC 3.0 broadcasts is now December 6th. Central Illinois stations will be broadcasting the new video format on their stations coming from the WCCU, and WRSP transmitter sites. The current ATSC 1.0 broadcasts will continue throughout the entire market, although we can expect some channel shuffling. More on that when it becomes available.
WCBU.org offers a profile of this website, Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum, in a continuing series of TV history. Hear part 1 by clicking on the logo above.
WCBU is a joint service of Bradley University in Peoria and Illinois State University at Bloomington/Normal.
Historical Television
Highlights
Click on each Graphic/Title Below to go directly to an in depth story of each with pictures/videos of Television's Past
View a number of Television History links to trace the history of the industry and more!
A number of television print ads from the late 1940s through the 80s showing various brands of television, styles, and both color/monochrome sets are featured.
Previously on Videos
of the Week...
Season Premiere (1977, 79) ABC
Season Premierie (1981, 82, 84) ABC
"Reach for the Stars"(1981) CBS
Tonight Show (1970s) Burt Reynolds
Tonight Show (1977) Andy Kaufman
Tonight Show (1965) Joey Bishop, Rat Pack
Dick Clark Beechnut Show (1958) ABC
Saturday AM Cartoons (1969) ABC
CBS Radio Mystery Theater (CBS)
Addams Family (ABC) Halloween Episode
Accidental Family (NBC) 1967 Jerry Van Dyke
Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) ABC
Seven Against the Sea (1962) Ernest Borgnine-McHale's Navy first pilot
McHale's Navy (1962) sitcom pilot
Flip Wilson Show (1973) Tim Conway, Richard Pryor
Carol Burnett (1978) Tim Conway, Betty White, Steve Martin
Search for Tomorrow (1960) Larry Hagman
Tour of CBS TV City (1953) Ed Murrow
NBC Radio City-Billy May with Fibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee & Molly (1948) Classic Radio
Drive by NBC Radio Studio (1960)
Drive by NBC Burbank Construction (1955)
Yesterday/Today (1958) Burbank Studio Tour
NBC Burbank Studio Tour (1983) Maria Shriver
WLRW 94.5FM (1974) D-C "Solid Gold"
Pictures on the Prairie:
The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television
Now Available at...
Jane Addams Book Shop
208 North Neil
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 356-2555
janeaddamsbooks.com
My publisher, unfortunately, has gone out of business and my book is now "out of print" and unavailable to online booksellers, previously linked here.
Jane Adams Book Store, 208 North Neil in Champaign, Illinois may have some copies of my book. I would call ahead at (217) 356-2555 to see if they have one for you. I'm supplying them with what I have left in my inventory, but my supply is limited.
Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum and dougquick.com supports the work of the St. Louis Media History.
Visit their website at:
