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 If you're watching on your mobile phone, the mobile phone view has been replaced by the desktop view throughout this site.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.
Me from 1978 five months after WDNL went on the air. I was doing mornings on D-102 at the time.
Doug Quick
Radio/TV Broadcaster/Historian, Author, Webmaster
complete bio available here.
_edited.jpg)
Now through May 31, I present a new "TV Time Capsule," which will take us back to the week of June 5-11. On the cover of TV Guide is the singing duo and TV stars Sonny and Cher. It was taken after their divorce, and as they had already re-teamed up to begin a continuation of their popular comedy, music, and variety show.
The week featured is the next one after the all-important May Sweeps, the month-long ratings period that surveys the audience levels of programs aired by each local station and TV network. Their advertising rates are determined by the results, along with negotiating ad rates between the stations and regional clients.
The period after the Sweeps, especially in June, is marked by numerous network preemptions, during which local stations sell prime-time slots to other syndicators who pay substantial amounts for exposure. One client group is that of religious groups.
Still, there are other reasons a station may preempt what is sure to be a rerun on their schedule to air a syndicated show, allowing them to sell more prime-time commercials at the maximum cost to local and regional advertisers. You'll see examples of both during the week featured.
Those are just a few interesting features of the week in the TV Time Capsule. There are other compelling reasons to examine it in detail, which I outline for you.
Check out the TV Time Capsule during May here at the Museum! Click on the TV set above to open up the Time Capsule!
Featured Videos
These Featured Videos will be available here through May 17, and are more personal than most of the selections I've posted before. I'll explain.
Some might call "The Cara Williams Show" obscure, but her movie and TV career was lengthy and successful. I remember seeing this series, which brings back some childhood memories.
For the first time, I'm featuring "The Monkees." I was always a super Beatles fan, and my junior high best friend, Eddie, was an avid "Monkees" fan, so we always had friendly competition. I'm featuring "The Monkees" episode for him, wherever he is now.
I had a junior high teacher, Miss Broverman, whom many students feared, as I did. She helped me conquer my stuttering problem in the eighth grade and introduced me to the subjects of history and politics. My interest in history has manifested itself in broadcasting, the result of which you see here on this website. Both come together with "The Smothers Brothers Show," which also helped to form my political beliefs for the future.
I've always been a fan of Jackie Gleason, so I include a 1969 installment of his long-running series on CBS. This one features Milton Berle and Edie Adams, who co-starred in one of my favorite movies. It also includes an early appearance of George Carlin, one of my favorite stand-up comedians.
You'll also see a "Hollywood Squares" presentation from the year I graduated high school.
As many young boys and men were cheering on sports teams during my youth, I was cheering on the ABC TV network. I was a big fan and always kept track of the TV ratings during the 1970s, especially when I saw my favorite TV network win many ratings victories during the decade. I've read several books about the American Broadcasting Company and re-read them over the years. So I've included a successful series from ABC broadcast in the mid-1970s, "Baretta."
I mentioned that I am a fan of ABC. In this case, I feature an episode of "The Bold Ones," which was broadcast on NBC but starred the future co-anchor of "Good Morning America." My day in the late 1970s and 80s always included David Hartman and Joan Lunden on the ABC morning show. Even when I was doing morning radio, the studio TV was always on WAND and "GMA."
The final two videos were ABC shows, but I feature the first one, "Baretta," not because I watched it, but because it was successful. I liked "Soap" not because I was a fan, but because it stirred up controversy. I loved that! Watch and enjoy!
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
The Cara Williams Show (1964) CBS Pilot
Here's a series you probably either don't remember or even don't know existed. Cara Williams began in show business in the 1940s with several supporting roles in films, including "Knock on Any Door" with Humphrey Bogart in 1949. She moved to television occasionally in the 1950s in several live TV dramas and maintained a presence on the big screen. One of several movies in which she held supporting roles includes "The Helen Morgan Story" in 1957. Helen Morgan was a native of Danville, Illinois, a singer, and an actress in movies and on the stage.
Meanwhile, Cara Williams continued on TV when she was cast in the spinoff series of "December Bride." In the spinoff, she was cast as Gladys Porter in "Pete and Gladys." Long-time "M*A*S*H" co-star Harry Morgan was Pete Porter. That series aired from 1960 to 1962 on CBS. CBS thought enough of her comedy talents (a cross of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett) to star in her series "The Cara Williams Show" from 1964 through 1965.
She starred as Cara Bridges or Cara Wilton—the same character, different names—as she was secretly married to Frank Bridges, played by Frank Aletter. Both worked for a company that forbade marriage between employees, so they kept their situation from their employer.
Paul Reed, Reta Shaw, Jack Sheldon, Joanne Arnold, and Audrey Christie were also in the cast.
The show aired on Wednesdays from 8:30 - 9 pm (CT) from its premiere in September 1964 through April 1965, then moved to Fridays from 7:30 - 8 pm from May through September 10, 1965. The video above is the show's pilot, which aired on September 23, 1964. It aired on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOX-TV.
Frank Aletter and Cara Williams from "The Cara Williams Show" from 1964.
(CBS Promo slide)
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
The Monkees (1966) NBC
"The Monkees" was undoubtedly inspired by the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" film from 1964. It used the same free-form production style as director Richard Lester in both Beatles films. The pop-rock group The Monkees was often called a "manufactured group" as hundreds auditioned for the parts, even Stephen Stills, later of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Stills was under contract with a music publisher, but producers also considered him too old for the part, and instead, Stills recommended Peter Tork for the role. The other roles went to former "Circus Boy" Micky Dolenz (then Mickey Braddock), David "Davey" Jones, and Mike Nesmith.
The Monkees on the cover of the January 28, 1967 cover of TV Guide
(TV Guide)
"The Monkees" aired on NBC from September 12, 1966, through August 19, 1968. It also aired in off-network syndication on CBS Saturday mornings from 1969 to 1973. It still appears on select nostalgia TV networks today.
The youthful series aired across Mid-Illinois on WICS, WCHU, WICD, WTWO, WGEM-TV, and KSD-TV. It aired Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7 pm (CT) throughout its two-season run.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968) CBS
This video of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was interesting for multiple reasons. First, it included old-timer Kate Smith as a guest in a very hip show. Ms. Smith was probably best known for her appearances on classic radio shows for years, very early television, and her rendition of "God Bless America." Having her guest star with the psychedelic rock group Jefferson Airplane was a stroke of genius.
This installment of "The Smothers Brothers Show" above was broadcast on November 10, 1968. It also features regulars Mason Williams, Pat Paulson, and Nelson Riddle. It aired just after the 1968 election, in which Richard Nixon defeated Hubert Humphrey for president and Pat Paulson in his comedic, fictitious presidential run.
This video also includes the original commercials, including an appearance by Mike Farrell, who would go on to star in "M*A*S*H" eight years later. Be watching for him.
This series would have been seen across mid-Illinois on CBS affiliates WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOX-TV. "The Smothers Brothers Show" aired on CBS from March 30, 1968, through June 1969, in a controversial cancellation as the stars and the show's writers continued to be critical of the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War. Then, it returned from July 1970 to September 1970 on ABC as a summer series.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Jackie Gleason Show (1969) CBS
Jackie Gleason first appeared on national TV in "The Life of Riley" in 1948. The original classic radio star, William Bendix, wasn't able to, as he had film commitments at the time. Gleason took the role for the first year on NBC. It would return with Bendix for an NBC run from 1953 to 1958.
Meanwhile, Jackie Gleason would move from his variety show on the DuMont TV Network, "Cavalcade of Stars," which aired from 1949 through 1952, to CBS and was renamed "The Jackie Gleason Show." His show was part of the CBS schedule through 1959 and would return in 1962 through 1970, whether it was as "The Jackie Gleason Show" or "The Honeymooners."
This show was broadcast on January 25, 1969, and includes guest appearances with Milton Berle, George Carlin (yes, that guy), and Edie Adams. As a side note, Milton Berle and Edie Adams co-starred in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963, one of my favorite movies ever!
The show was produced from his studio at the Miami Beach Auditorium, in Miami, Florida, beginning in 1964, as was this episode from 1969. It was seen throughout Mid-Illinois on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOX-TV.
This video is from the YouTube Jeff Gilbert Channel, which posted an incredible collection of vintage TV programs.
"This professional promotional ad was from Broadcasting Magazine, date unknown, but certainly from the 1950s.
(The Doug Quick Collection-Broadcasting/Telecasting Magazine)
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
The Bold Ones (1969) NBC
"The Bold Ones" was an umbrella title of several TV series, each led by its own co-stars. It was produced by Harbour Productions, which actor Raymond Burr owned. The company also produced Burr's show "Ironside." One of the creators was Steven Bochco. It was made at Universal Studios.
The other series names were "The New Doctors," "The Lawyers," and "The Protectors." The video above is one of the episodes of "The New Doctors," which starred E.G. Marshall, David Hartman, and John Saxon. The action occurred at a fictional clinic, the David Craig Institute on New Medicine.
E.G. Marshall played David Craig, David Hartman played Dr. Paul Hunter, and John Saxon played Dr. Ted Stuart. Lois Nettleton and Stephen McNally were guest stars in this episode. The picture above is from TV Insider.
Just a few years later, David Hartman would go on to host "Good Morning America" for ABC.
"The Bold Ones" was broadcast on WICS, WICD, WEEK, WTWO, WGEM-TV and KSD-TV.
This YouTube video is from the YouTube Brian Schaefer Channel
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Hollywood Squares (1972) NBC
The video above is a likely 1972 installment of "Hollywood Squares" as broadcast on NBC. It's unknown if it's a weekday version or a nighttime version. The colorful tuxedo host Peter Marshall wore would suggest it's more likely a nighttime edition.
The stars in the squares are Janet Leigh, Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Shecky Greene, George Maharis, Carl Reiner, Suzanne Pleshette, Buddy Hackett, and Paul Lynde in the center square.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Baretta (1976) ABC Robert Blake
This video is the leadoff program of the second season of Baretta, which was broadcast on ABC from January 17, 1975, through June 1, 1978. This episode aired in September 1976 on WAND, WRAU, and KTVI.
"Baretta" starred Robert Blake, a former child star in the "Red Ryder" movie series in the 1940s. He became more well-known to audiences in the 1960s, starring in the theatrical film "In Cold Blood," a movie based on a Truman Capote novel, in which he played a psychopathic killer.
In this series, Robert Blake plays Tony Baretta, a cop who lives with his cockatoo, Fred. He always battles his police superiors as he solves crimes in the big city. The cast also includes 1940s and 50s actor Tom Ewell as Billy Truman and Edward Grover as Lt. Hal Brubaker, the commanding officer.
"Baretta" came about after Tony Musante left the role of "Toma," another big-city cop series. The producers kept the concept and replaced "Toma" with "Baretta."
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Diff'rent Strokes (1978) NBC Pilot
Diff'rent Strokes." In it, he played Arnold Jackson, and the series became a hit for NBC in the 1978-1979 season.
The pilot episode above describes the storyline, which also stars Conrad Bain as Philip Drummond, who ends up adopting Arnold and his brother Willis Jackson, played by Todd Bridges. Drummond is a rich guy with a dying housekeeper who makes him promise to look after her boys after she's gone. He does, and so begins this improbable sitcom.
Drummond also has a daughter, Kimberly, played by Dana Plato, and another housekeeper, Mrs. Edna Garrett, played by Charlotte Rae. Over the series' run, many others were added to the cast. The picture above is from TV Insider.
The series premiered on November 3, 1978, with this episode above, and aired through August 30, 1986. It aired on NBC from 1978 through August 1985, then moved to ABC, airing from September 1985 through August 1986.
It was seen on the NBC affiliates WICS, WICD, WEEK, WGEM-TV, WTWO, and KSD-TV. When it moved to ABC, it was seen on WAND, WHOI, WBAK, and KTVI.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Hollywood Squares (1972) NBC
Soaps were big in the 1970s and early 1980s and were ripe for satirizing. "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" is featured in the May TV Time Capsule and was one example produced by Norman Lear.
This ABC series stirred up much attention even before it aired. Promotional material released before the premiere got much attention, as ABC received over 30,000 letters against the show from campaigns organized by religious organizations! Ironically, that contributed to the series' initial success.
The cast was brilliant and included Robert Manda, Katherine Helmond, Diana Canova, Jennifer Salt, Jimmy Baio, Robert Guillaume, Arthur Peterson, Cathryn Damon, Billy Crystal, Ted Wass, Robert Urich, and Jay Johnson, with many additions over the series' run.
The Bloomington Pantagraph TV listings described the storyline as follows:
"Soap-New Sex farce involving the Tate and Campbell families, each with enough neuroses and conflicts to outdo any daytime drama serial.
Tonight, one sister worries about her husband's impotence and whether he understands her transvestite son; the other plans an affair with a tennis instructor. Not for the easily shocked."
When it premiered for the 1977-78 season, critics called it the "season of sex." It was called that for the number of shows that dealt with the subject of sex, love, relationships, sexuality, and complex social issues. Several TV shows were also accused of being "jiggle TV, " including lots of "T and A." You can probably figure that out.
Many ABC affiliates either refused to air the show or moved it to later hours for broadcast. According to the Bloomington Pantagraph TV listings, it aired on Tuesday at 9:30 pm (CT) on WLS-TV, WAND, and WRAU. I only assume it did likewise on WBAK and KTVI.
Classic Radio
Click on the image to listen to the video directly from YouTube.
KXOK Documentary "The Glory Days of Radio in St. Louis"
This documentary was produced by Frank Absher, executive producer, with supervising producer Dennis A. Dailey. It was written and narrated by Richard True. Cynthia Freeman and Richard True were associate producers.
It was produced in 2001 and tells the story of the Top 40 giant, KXOK Radio, AM630, St. Louis, from the early years through the mid-70s.
My daughters and I visited Frank Absher at his home some years ago, and Frank and I shared St. Louis radio stories. When I was there, he passed along some radio "goodies" to me, including some KADI artifacts and an excellent-quality "Jukebox 96," a 45-year-old sweatshirt I still wear! He was the founder of the St. Louis Media History Foundation in 1987.
Doug Quick and Frank Absher at his home in St. Louis in April of 2016.
(Doug Quick Collection)
.jpg)
KXOK (1972) Lou Kirby
I was a mid-day weekday listener of Lou Kirby on KXOK during the early Summer of 1972 when I was doing outdoor garage painting after my high school graduation in June. His delivery and style as a DJ got my attention before I was a broadcaster. This aircheck, though, was from November of 1972. By then, what I consider the Golden Days of KXOK were past, but some of those popular elements were still there. Great music, jingles, and production elements were all still a part of their presentation.
Click on the image to listen to the video directly from YouTube.
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
2025-0419 Easter Weekend 1978 was a significant event for two communities and their current and former TV stations. It was the day their broadcast towers were destroyed by an unusual ice storm that covered Mid-Illinois with ice. See the pictures and read the story of how WAND recovered from the catastrophe and what happened with the tallest broadcast tower in Illinois, formerly owned by WJJY-TV.
I posted new images of ads placed by WAND in the local newspaper, and noted the help given by one central Illinois TV station to WAND and the fact that another didn't.
2025-0430 The TV Today pages have been updated to replace TBD, the subchannel owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, with the newly branded "Roar." That renames the less-than-attractive channel with a new name, and a collection of SNL shows, "Whose Line Is It Anyway," and "World's Dumbest." That changes the lineup of WICS, WICD, WHOI, KHQA, WFLD, WTTV, and KDNL.
2025-0507 Updated NextGen TV information on all of the TV Today sites, even though ATSC 3.0 is not available yet in some markets. The information includes many links to the official NextGen 3.0 site and the latest news from TVtechnology.com.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
2025-0509 I added a 20-minute video about the early history of WICS, Channel 20, Springfield, on the station's history page covering 1953-1966.
2025-0509 A video from Midwest TV's KFMB-TV was added to the WCIA History site. It's of the San Diego CBS affiliate's newscast from December 17, 1979. KFMB-TV happened to be WCIA's sister TV station and the last station in Midwest TV's collection. More on the history of the station's ownership is included.
2025-0510 Several updates and additions were made to the History of WCIA, WICS, and the WAND pages. The second page of the WAND has been edited to put the story in chronological order, making more sense.
I added samples from daytime dramas to each page, including the first episodes of "Days of Our Lives" and "General Hospital" and samples of classic daytime dramas from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Watch for more video samples and even more pictures from each station as time passes.
2025-0511 I've nearly finished updating the early histories of WCIA, WICS, and WTVP. Many pictures and videos have been added to the displays for each station. I've also added the news coverage from ABC, CBS, and NBC of President Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963.
I've also tried to show many of each station's stories in a more chronological order. I'll continue to add to each as I move to the period from the late 1960s through 2000. I hope to have it completed soon.
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.
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.
Latest TV
Headlines
Sale of Five Television Stations including Mid-Illinois Stations WICS and WICD Announced
See the story on the WICS page by clicking here.
2025-0419 The current administraton has a plan to eliminate almost all federal funding to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and NPR (National Public Radio). Now is the time to contact your congressional representative and senators to maintain federal support for Public Media. For more details visit NPR-WBEZ Chicago.
For the latest on the plan to cut funding for NPR and PBS click here.
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.
Classic Radio
WLS AM/FM (1985) Animal Stories Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards
WCIA (late 1970s) Paul Davis and Mr. Roberts
WICS (1996) News segment Mel-O-Cream
WEEK-TV, 70 Years-Captain Jinks and Salty Sam
WCIA (1983) PM Magazine-Complete Show
WICD-TV (1984) Aircheck of NBC Movie of the Week
WAND (1982) ABC Late Night-Vegas aircheck
WEEK-TV (1989) Weather Bill Houlihan
WICD-TV (1984) Aircheck of NBC- Bosom Buddies/Mama's Family
WICS (2013) Home for the Holidays Promo
Classic Radio
Tonight Show (1954) NBC Steve Allen
Tonight Show (unknown date) NBC Steve Allen
Interview with Steve Allen (1977)
The Tonight Show (1960) NBC Jack Paar
Dorothy Kilgallen vs. Jack Paar Video
Dorothy Kilgallen Story Video
The Tonight Show (1960) NBC Jack Paar with guest Sen. John F. Kennedy
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) NBC
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1964) NBC
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1965) NBC New Year's Eve Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1971) NBC
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1982) NBC 20th Anniversary Show
Ten Commercials from the early 1950s (1950s) Variety
TV Commercials from the 1950s and early 1960s, Variety
1950s-1960s TV Commercials, Variety
TV Commercials (1960s) Variety
TV Commercials from Oscar Broadcast (1978) ABC
80s Retro TV Commercials (1980s) Variety
Wendy's Hamburgers (1985) Russian Fashion Show
Commercials from the 90s (1990s) Variety
Radio Classics
WLS 890AM Chicago (1973) Charlie Van Dyke/Fred Winston/JJ Jeffries/John Landecker/Bill Bailey
KPNX-TV, NBC 12 News, Phoenix, Arizona
Bonanza (1960-61) NBC 14 Episodes
All in the Family (1972) CBS "Sammy's Visit"
What's Happening (1977) ABC "Doobie or Not Doobie"
Carol Burnett Show-The Family (1977) CBS "Elephant Story" segment
Classic Radio
WLS-FM (1982) Chicago Steve Dahl and Garry Meier
Starsky and Hutch (1975) ABC First Episode
All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds (1981) CBS
The Twilight Zone: Rod Serlings's Lost Classics (CBS) 1994 Special with James Earl Jones
People Are Funny (1955) NBC Art Linkletter
You Bet Your Life (1955) NBC Groucho Marx
Classic Radio
Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show (1940s) NBC Over 11 hours of shows
The Cara Williams Show (1964) CBS Pilot
Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968) CBS
Jackie Gleason Show (1969) CBS
Baretta (1976) ABC Robert Blake
Diff'rent Strokes (1978) NBC Pilot
Classic Radio
KXOK Documentary "The Glory Days of Radio in St. Louis"
Next Regular Update May 17
A collection of videos from TV's past is already taking shape. Starting on May 17th, you'll see an example of the first TV series, a kids' show, that aired on a heritage TV station in central Illinois. That first show had a following of adult males, as a co-star was one of early TV's first sex symbols!
In the 1970s, ABC aired a popular series of documentaries that had a hit song dedicated to it. I'll show you an example of that series. We also have an early installment of the featured TV show of the TV Time Capsule, pictured during the first run of the comedy variety show in the early 1970s. That's just the beginning!
There will be a few more added to the Featured Videos beginning on May 17th here at Central Illinois' Online Broadcast Museum!
Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum and dougquick.com supports the work of the St. Louis Media History Foundation.
Visit their website at:
