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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 are using your phone, use the "desktop" view. 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.

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Doug Quick at work in his home studio in 2021

Doug Quick in February 2021 from his home studio, preparing weathercasts for WCCU, Channel 27, Urbana-Champaign, IL

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

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Check out the new feature at Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum! It's called "TV Time Capsule" and will feature a monthly look at a TV listing from the past. It could be from the TV Listing Magazine above or an area newspaper listing. I comment and explain "points of interest" on each page, tell the cover story, and also list the stations included in the listings. This month's listings are from December 9, 1968, including Springfield, Decatur, Champaign, Peoria, and Terre Haute TV stations. 

Click on the TV set above to get to the "TV Time Capsule,"

or click on TV History, and just below is a link!

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Videos of the Week

It's no secret that local TV, like all other forms of local media, is under attack. Newspapers have reduced staff and publication schedules, outsourcing printing and home delivery. Local radio has been consolidated into groups of stations, sometimes nearly squashing any local competition. Radio newsrooms have been gutted, and newscasts have been eliminated. 

Recent moves by Allen Media ended employment for many of its local TV meteorologists and weathercasters. (The Allen Group later reversed its action in most of its markets.) The company's initial plan was to have their weathercaster's roles filled by the co-owned Weather Channel and produced by people who had no local connection to the local station's markets. Hearing them mispronounce the names of counties, cities, and towns would have been humorous but would have damaged the credibility of the Allen Media stations in each of its markets. 

A similar initiative by Sinclair Broadcast Group to provide local news and weather for its many independent and FOX Network affiliates (and probably some of their major network affiliates) failed over twenty years ago.

 

You can bet that technology is improving every day, so much so that it's just a matter of time before someone uses AI to replace anchors, weathercasters, sportscasters, reporters, producers, and directors to bring what viewers that are left a totally AI local news broadcast.  

With all that in mind, this week, I will bring historical news segments, station breaks, promos, and more from Mid-Illinois' local stations from the 1980s through 2013.  All are generated by real people in the markets they serve!

 

Plus, for classic radio, we go back to February of 1987, 38 years ago,  with WDNL and the final day of popular DJ the late Bob Taylor signed off for the final time, leaving the station before it sold to another owner. 

Watch and listen to the Videos of the Week until late on February 22, 2025.

If you like videos, you should visit my YouTube channel. Explore it, give me a "LIKE" for the videos you watch, and subscribe to it. Click on the "YouTube" logo below to go directly to my Channel.

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WAND ID Slide 1982

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

WAND (1982) ABC-Aircheck

It was the broadcast of Roger Moore's performance as James Bond 007 in Moonraker, one of the craziest Bond films ever.

 

This video includes the voice of Ernie Anderson, the movie intro, and the ABC promos. It also includes the station breaks, the movie's intro/outro, local commercial segments, and the incredible ABC graphics for the movie! Locally, the news brief intro will have a voice-over of Mike Cheevers and the anchor, Dana Wadell. There will also be another on-set promo with George Moyer and Dana Wadell.

WCIA late 1970s Paul Davis and Mr. Roberts

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

WCIA (late 1970s) Paul Davis and Mr. Roberts

Paul Davis was leaving WCIA to become the news director at WGN in Chicago. As part of the send-off, there was a conversation with the legendary Mr. Roberts, who clarified some local rumors about his relationship with Paul Davis. This exchange produced one of the funniest news segments ever broadcast on WCIA.

WBAK-TV 1982 ID Graphic

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

WBAK-TV (1982) ABC-Aircheck

This video aircheck is from July 1982. It was recorded from WBAK-TV, Channel 38, Terre Haute, as an ABC affiliate. The show includes "Barney Miller," "Police Squad," and "20/20." I recorded it from my home north of Danville, Illinois, when analog TV signals occasionally traveled beyond their projected coverage area.

Highlights of this recording include the segment with "Police Squad" featuring William Conrad's cameo and the end when Peter Lupus asks to use Alan North's phone. The result continues with a large piece of the set falling on Peter Lupus' head. That couldn't have been planned, or was it? 

The highlights also included the ABC "C'mon Along" promo at the end. It was one of the extraordinary promos from the ABC promotions department—the best before 1994!

WICD Sports Brief Graphic 1984

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

WICD-TV (1984) Aircheck of NBC Movie of the Week

This Saturday, July 28, 1984, aircheck was during the "The Enforcer" broadcast with Clint Eastwood. It includes NBC promos, Movie of the Week Graphics, and WICD-TV news promos and IDs.

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"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. 

LatestUpdates

2024-0106 More about the offerings soon to come in some markets with ACTS 3.0 or NextGen TV channels available. Read more from the links below.

2024-0111 Updated TV Today pages for Chicago, Mid-Illinois, Quincy, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Peoria. Several new subchannels were added to each page, and I updated facilities for several stations. I also rebuilt the mid-Illinois page to correct a significant omission, the listings for WCCU/WRSP, and hopefully explain the ATSC 3.0 distribution of channels. They are now complete and updated. If you, by chance, see any errors or changes or have any questions, please let me know. 

2025-0204 Former WICD crew member Lou Melgarejo sent me some candid studio pictures taken right before the station was sold to Guy Gannett Communications in 1994. See photos of anchor Gwen Ellis, weathercaster Keith Page, and Scott Andresen with sports. Thanks to Lou Melgarejo for the contribution. See the thumbnail sample below.  See them all at WICD 1967-2015.

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2025-0208 WSIO-LD signs on in Peoria. The low power television transmitrter operates on Channel 51 from a low hanging antenna on Peoria's north side. It's owned by Digital Networks, that owns a number of subchannel TV networks. Click here to get details from TVToday.

Latest TV 
Headlines

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ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV Announces New Devices, Interactive Channels, and Enhanced Programming

2024-0106 At the forefront of the NextGen TV revolution is the debut of new ATSC 3.0 receivers, set to be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These devices range from premium NextGen TV sets to budget-friendly accessories that upgrade existing Android and Fire TV devices. Among the most anticipated launches is the ADTH USB receiver, developed by Tolka, which offers a cost-effective way for users to access NextGen TV. Future updates will include an offline model and software enhancements for existing devices, further broadening accessibility. Expect to see more about the latest NextGen TV offerings at Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum!

​2025-0111 ATSC Promotes New NextGen TV Gear, Expanded Services at Consumer Electronic Show

The group will demo enhanced video and audio 3.0 services, interactive gaming, more channels, and TV receivers at the Las Vegas technology show and convention

2025-0115 EdgeBeam Wireless ATSC 3.0 Datacasting Hits the Ground Running    EdgeBeam Wireless, the joint venture of E.W. Scripps Co., Sinclair, Gray Media, and Nexstar Media Group  aims to deliver datacasting service nationwide via ATSC 3.0

2025-0118 The 1973 CBS Saturday Primetime Lineup returns! The Catchy Comedy Network (a sister network to MeTV owned by Chicago's Weigel Broadcasting) has recreated a classic lineup of hit shows to be broadcast during what is now considered impoverished prime-time real estate, but from where these shows were at the top of the ratings in their day.

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Catchy Comedy TV will broadcast the original shows each Saturday in their original time slots. Beginning at 7 p.m., "All in the Family " will be followed by "M*A*S*H," "Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Bob Newhart Show," and "The Carol Burnett Show."

So, just how big are these shows? During the 1973-74 Season, "All in the Family" was number one. "M*A*S*H" was number four,  "Mary Tyler Moore Show" was number nine, "The Bob Newhart Show" was number 12, and "The Carol Burnett Show" was number 27. All were reaching those high water marks on a night virtually ignored by the networks today!

The next issue is where "Catchy Comedy TV " is seen across mid-Illinois. The answer is probably not what you want to hear, but here it is....NO WHERE!

 

If you examine TV TODAY at the top of this page and examine each market looking for what station is broadcasting "Catchy Comedy TV," you will only find it in the Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis markets. 

 

The good news is that it is available throughout the area on a streaming service called "Frndly TV." There are 39 other channels available, including the entire Weigel Broadcasting line-up!!

 

This is not a commercial for Frndly TV, and I receive no compensation for this recommendation. However, if you're interested in a great selection of TV channels in Hi-Def, here's an opportunity for you.

 

Click here for the chance of 40+ channels for as little as $9.99 a month. Plus, you can stream two screens at a time, unlimited DVR recordings, and you can keep those for 3 months. Click here or on the logo below for 7 days FREE and more details.

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2025-0126 Allen Media Decides to Keep Some Local Meteorologists Where They Are

Because of a public outcry, Allen Media has reversed its decision to dismiss all its meteorologists, at least at most company stations. It's unknown about the stations that cover the far eastern edge of mid-Illinois: WTHI-TV, Channel 10, Terre Haute, IN, and WLFI-TV, Channel 18, Lafayette, IN.

2025-0127 Allen Media reportedly won't fire local meteorologists after viewer backlash: 'Greedy, damn cheap'

Allen Media Group is reportedly reversing its controversial plan to ax local meteorologists and replace them with a Weather Channel feed after facing heated backlash from loyal viewers.

2025-0131 ATSC 3.0: The future of broadcast TV spent another year stuck in neutral

The broadcast standard that is supposed to improve over-the-air TV greatly seems to have stalled. See where we are now and how much longer ATSC 1.0 will be around.

2025-0206 Television Industry Reacts to Future of the Television Initiative Report

The Future of Television Initiative report, released in mid-January on advancing the transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0, has primarily received praise from industry players, including many broadcasters and ATSC. Still, some have cast a wary eye or thrown shade on the report and ATSC 3.0.

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2025-0206 Tell Congress to Support Federal Funding for Public Media
In just days, public media has faced new mounting threats – a federal review of assistance grants that support local stations’ public safety services, an FCC investigation into sponsorship messaging, and a congressional hearing on its value. All of these actions threaten federal funding and the future of public media as we know it, making it more urgent than ever to demonstrate broad public support to Congress. Click on the link here to send a message to your lawmakers about protecting public media funding!

Previously onVideos of theWeek...

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.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952) ABC Thanksgiving

Looney Tunes (1954) Syndicated Daffy Duck Thanksgiving

Kraft Music Hall-Perry Como Show (1961) NBC Thanksgiving

Calvin and the Colonel (1961) CBS Thanksgiving

That Girl (1967) ABC Thanksgiving
 

Dharma and Greg (1997) ABC Thanksgiving

The King of Queens (2001) CBS Thanksgiving

The Lucky Strike Program-Jack Bennty Program (1952) CBS Radio Thanksgiving

The Perry Como Christmas Show (1953) CBS

Holiday Time at Disneyland (1962) NBC

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1963) Christmas Episode

Dean Martin Christmas Show with the Sinatras (1967) NBC

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) CBS

 

The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait (1978) ABC
 

SNL-It's a Wonderful Life: The Lost Ending (1986) NBC

Classic Radio

WWII Broadcast hosted by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (1943) All Radio Networks​​​​​​

A Date With the Angels (1957) ABC Christmas

The Danny Kaye Show (1963) CBS Christmas

The Dean Martin Show (1968) NBC Christmas

 

The Hollywood Palace (1968) ABC Christmas Show

Andy Williams Christmas Special (1971) NBC Christmas
 

Newhart (1982) CBS Christmas

​Classic Radio

It's a Wonderful Life (1947) CBS Radio

The Lawrence Welk Show (1959) ABC Christmas

The Lucy Show (1962) CBS Christmas
 

Hollywood Palace (1965) ABC Christmas
 

Bob Hope Christmas Special (1969) NBC

The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1972) CBS Christmas

Sonny and Cher (1973) CBS Christmas
 

​Mork and Mindy (1978) ABC Christmas

Classic Radio

Jack Benny Program (1938-1943) NBC Radio Christmas

 

New Year's Eve Party with Guy Lombardo (1957-58) CBS

New Year's Rockin' Eve (1976-77) ABC

New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians (1978-79) CBS

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (1981-82) ABC 

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve '86 (1985-86) ABC

Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve 2012 segment (2012-13) ABC Dick's Final Goodbye

Dick Clark's New Year's Eve - 50 Years a Retrospective (1973-2022)

​Recycled 1973 New Year's Eve Show (1973) WDBR Rich Styles

Recycled 1976 New Year's Eve Show (1976) WDBR Rich Styles/Sam Kaiser

Playhouse 90 (1958) CBS Color "The Nutcracker"

Sky King (1952) ABC/NBC

Accidental Family (1967) NBC Jerry Van Dyke

Commercials/Promos of the 1960s
 

Mighty Mouse Playhouse (1964) CBS

Operation Petticoat (1977) ABC "Life in the Pink"

Classic Radio
Doug's Last Day (2002) WDNL(D-102)

WKRP in Cincinnati (1980) CBS "Baby It's Cold Inside"

Roots (1977) ABC Mini-series

MTV Segments (1983) MTV
 

​Friday Night Videos (1984) NBC

 

Classic Radio
​All Night Old Time Radio Shows- Mega Mystery Compilation-11 Hours

 

Nero Wolf (1959) CBS Unsold Pilot

The Hillbillies of Beverly Hills (1962) CBS First Pilot

My Boy Goggle (1964) CBS Jerry Van Dyke

Run Jack Run (1966) Unknown Network  

Three's Company (1976) ABC Unaired First Pilot Show
 

Bob Sirott (1977) WLS, 890AM Chicago

Howie (1962) CBS Unsold Pilot Paul Lynde

Sally and Sam (1965) CBS Gary Lockwood

Operation Greasepaint (1967) CBS Unsold Pilot

Class of '55 (1972) Unsold Pilot

Honey West (1965) ABC Pilot Show

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959) CBS Pilot Pitch

Classic Radio

WLS AM/FM (1985) Animal Stories Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ComingFebruary 22

WTVH, Channel 19, Peoria, IL
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WEEK, Channel 43, Peoria
WCIA, Channel 3, Champaign, IL

Our historical look into mid-Illinois' TV History continues Feb 22-March 8 with another look at more local Television.

WTVP (WAND) Channel 17, Decatur, IL
WBLN, Channel 15, Bloomington, IL
WDAN,Channel 24, Danville, IL

PastPress

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Artifax Seating and Design
St. Louis Media Foundation

Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum and dougquick.com supports the work of the St. Louis Media History Foundation. 

Visit their website at:

stlmediahistory.org

 

This video is from a 1996 newscast of WICS anchored by Don Hickman and Susan Finzen. The news intro includes Gus Gordon with weather and Greg Kerr with sports. This special report with Don Hickman tells the story of Springfield's Mel-O-Cream donut company expanding and possibly relocating to Texas. 

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

WICD (1992) Complete Newscast

This video is a complete Sunday, July 5, 1992, 10 pm Newscast as broadcast on WICD, Channel 15, Champaign. It's anchored by Debra Linz, with weather by Beth Morgan and sports with Ryan Baker. It includes local commercials. Keith Page voiced the news billboards. The news set was unchanged when I started there in December 1994. 

This recording also includes a sports profile of my wife's nephew and his golfing skills. Plus, you've got to notice how the skyline of C-U has changed since then!

WICS 2013 logo

WICS (2013) Home for the Holidays Promo

This was produced with members of WICS's staff in 2013. A little over 11 years later, how many are still there?

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

Classic Radio

WDNL Bob Taylor's Final Day Feb 1987

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

WDNL (1987) Bob Taylor's Final Day, Feb 1987

This aircheck is from February 1987 and features the talk track/live assist of automated WDNL (D-102). It utilized a state-of-the-art Harris System 90, built in Quincy, Illinois. Sangamon Broadcasting's Chief Engineer Glen Hopkins modified it to incorporate recorded or live-assist DJ segments as needed, with assistance from WDAN/WDNL Chief Don Russell.

This marked the final day for the late Bob Taylor at WDNL, as the station was poised to be sold shortly thereafter. Although the sale didn't go through then, Sangamon Broadcasting eventually transferred the stations to Majac on August 1, 1987.

Those old enough to remember WDBR at 103.7 FM in Springfield might recall Bob Taylor as the Sunday night "Recycled Rock and Roll Radio Show" host in the early 1970s. He also served as the morning DJ at WDBR from 1973 to 1976.

 

Long before I landed a job in radio, he was a mentor to me. He gave me a tour around the Springfield stations in 1973, more than a year before I finally started working in radio back in June of 1974 in my hometown. I joined the staff of Sangamon Broadcastings's WTAX/WDBR in June 1976 and worked that summer between my years at Western Illinois University. I continued to work weekends at WDBR until November 1976, when my work/school schedule became overwhelming, causing me to travel from Macomb to Springfield and Taylorville, where I continued to work every weekend. I left Taylorville to move to Danville in September of 1977 after Sangamon Broadcasting purchased WDAN and WMBJ (that later would become WDNL).

 

When I briefly left WDNL in 1979, Bob took my place on the morning show at WDNL. Upon my return, I had the opportunity to work with Bob again, where he eventually became GM and departed in 1987 following this broadcast.

Pictures taken from this day on the History of WDNL page are available by clicking here.

WICS 1996 Don Hickman and Susan Finzen

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

WICS (1996) News segment Mel-O-Cream

PM Magizine Bumper Graphic 1983

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

WCIA (1983) PM Magazine-Complete Show

It was the "Farewell to M*A*S*H," and PM Magazine noted. Interviews with the actors involved were mixed into a location shot at the Army National Guard Armory in Decatur. 

This video aired at 6:30 pm (CT) on September 19, 1983, with segments produced at WCIA in Champaign as part of the syndicated Group W-Westinghouse Broadcastings PM Magazine franchise. Each local station that aired the show would create its segments and contribute possible stories that would be included in the national segments. In this one, the Los Angeles station would contribute the "M*A*S*H story fronted by Maria Shriver. 

Watch the entire video for an appearance of Jerry Slabe with a news promo for that night's 10 pm newscast on WCIA. Plus, a promo for Channel 3's Early Show's movie lineup. 

WAND ID Slide 1982

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

WAND (1982) ABC Late Night

This collection of video segments includes a rerun of one of my favorite PI shows, with Robert Urich as Dan Tanna in "Vegas." Did you know Robert Urich was once a Chicago WGN Radio and TV ad salesman? 

There's also a promo for ABC's answer to "SNL" called "Fridays." Notice the advertising for a photo-developing business and the commercial for WNNS(FM), Springfield, voiced by Mike Cheevers. It's unknown why the radio station didn't have its own talent voice on the spot!

The hour-long shows broadcast in that late-night period were an hour and ten minutes long. That was part of the agreement for the local stations to air the collection of former primetime shows instead of their own movies or series reruns. That extra time allowed local stations to plug in more local commercials that they ordinarily lose with network programming. Primetime TV rules regulated the amount of commercial time each hour, but other periods, like late night, were unregulated.


Check out portions of old WAND commercials voiced by Mike Cheevers and Perry Thomas of Perry Thomas Lincoln-Mercury ("at the sign of the cat....meow.")

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

WICD-TV (1984) Aircheck of NBC- Bosom Buddies/Mama's Family

This aircheck recorded in July 1984 includes the intro/outro for Bosom Buddies(which ran in reruns on NBC after initially airing on ABC) and the intro to Mama's Family. It also includes NBC promos and WICD-TV promos/IDs. You'll hear the Billy Joel-written song "My Life," which was performed by another singer. In what little this show has turned up in syndication, it has used a generic theme song, eliminating the Billy Joel-written theme. 

WEEK-TV, 70th Anniversary Celebraiton 2023 Captain Jinks/Salty Sam

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

WEEK-TV, 70 Years-Captain Jinks and Salty Sam

Hosted by Central Illinois broadcaster Chuck Collins, he features the story of long-time local children's show hosts Captain Jinks and Salty Sam. This was produced in 2023 during WEEK's 70th Anniversary Celebration. See the history of WEEK-TV on this site by clicking here.

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

WEEK-TV (1989) Weather Bill Houlihan

Bill Houlihan, weatherman for WEEK-TV (Peoria, IL), gives a report on Hurricane Hugo on Sept. 22, 1989, before the local forecast.  He was the weatherman when WEEK signed on back in Feb. 1953, left the station sometime around 1965, and returned in 1977 until he died in 1994.

WHOI, Channel 19, Peoria ID 1993

WHOI (1993) 6 pm News

This is a weeknight newscast from the then-ABC affiliate in Peoria, IL. Some commercials are included. WHOI was one of the first casualties of the elimination of local newscasts. In 2009, the station entered into a JSA/SSA with local NBC affiliate WEEK-TV, which took over production of WHOI's local news broadcasts. In 2016, the ABC affiliation, syndicated programming, and local news moved to a WEEK subchannel.

As a side note, I think the WHOI-Heart of Illinois logo was the best local TV station logo I've ever seen.

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

Bill Houlihan from 1953 at WEEK Radio, Peoria.

Bill Houlihan from 1953 at WEEK Radio.

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Illinois Broadcasters Association, Broadcast Pioneer Winner, 2022
Illinois Broadcasters Association
IBA Silver Dome Winner, 2017

Updated 02.08.2025

© 2002-2025 Doug Quick.

Produced by Doug Quick

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