Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum
Pictures on the Prairie:
The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television
$19.99 plus tax
Book Signing/
Lecture Update:
Would you like an autographed copy of "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television?"
If you already have a book:
E-mail me (at dougquick @ dougquick.com) with the fact that you have a book and would like it signed. Include the exact name of the person(s) to be named with the signing. Make sure the name(s) is spelled correctly. Make sure you include your mailing address where your book is to be sent with your initial e-mail.
I’ll return an e-mail to you with the mailing address of where you should mail the book. When you mail it make sure you use a USPS envelope for priority mail. It will cost you around $8.50. When you send me your book include either cash of $8.50 or a personal check for $8.50 to cover the postage so I can get the book back to you.
If you would like to purchase a book and have it signed:
E-mail me (at dougquick @ dougquick.com) with your request for a book and to have it signed. Include the exact name of the person(s) to be named with the signing. Make sure the names(s) are spelled correctly. Make sure you include your mailing address where the book is be sent with your initial e-mail.
I’ll return an e-mail to you with the mailing address of where you should send either cash or a personal check of $28.50 to cover the cost of the book and postage back to you.
I have a limited number of books, and this offer will end when I run out, so don’t delay!
If you miss this opportunity, I hope to resume book signings later in 2021. Keep checking back to this website for updates.
Classic TV, Illinois, TV History, Central Illinois, Doug Quick, WCIA, WICD, WICS, WAND, WTVP, WCCU, WRSP, WEEK, WTVH, WRAU, WIRL, WHOI, WMBD, WCIX, KSD-TV, KSD, KTVI, WTVI, KPLR, KMOX, KMOV, WBLN, WTWO, WTHI, KHQA, WGEM, WDBR, WLRW, WTIM, WDNL, WDAN, Jerry Slabe, Paul Davis, Judy Fraser, Mr. Roberts,
Local Television Today
Looking to "cut the cable?"
Find out what's available to you "off the air" with the use of an antenna. Some times an indoor antenna is all you need, but most of the time an attic, rooftop or tower mounted antenna will be necessary. Find out what is available absolutely free once your investment in an antenna is made.
No matter where you are in mid-Illinois, Peoria, Terre Haute, St. Louis or Chicago areas you'll see what available to you with no monthly subscription fees.
CHECK OUT THE NEW "CUTTING THE CABLE" PAGE by clicking on the link here or from the drop-down menu above under TV Today.
You can also click on the Yahoo link for a program grid of the current "over-the-air" channels in your area.
CLICK ON THE DROP DOWN MENU ABOVE TO VISIT THE PAGES OF HISTORY OF THE LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS
Examine the history of each of the mid-Illinois TV stations along with stations in Peoria and St. Louis
Each station has a unique history, with ownership diversity and a different path to success. Some achieved success and are now some of the oldest businesses in their respective cities of license. Others fell by the wayside.
Follow their paths from the very beginning in "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television" then catch up with the histories of each station from the early 1960s to the present on Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum.
CLICK ON THE DROP DOWN MENU ABOVE TO VISIT THE PAGES OF HISTORY OF SOME OF THE RADIO STATIONS THAT INFLUENCED ME IN MY EARLY CAREER.
I spotlight stations that became very special in my radio career. WTIM/WTIM-FM in my hometown and WDAN/WDNL at which I spent most of 25 years.
The select area radio stations all have something in common, in that they were all automated and I worked at two of the stations highlighted.
Legendary radio stations include in my opinion the greatest radio stations heard in mid-Illinois during the era
CLICK ON THE DROP DOWN MENU ABOVE TO VISIT THE PAGES OF HISTORY OF AUTOMATED RADIO AND ITS PROGRAM PROVIDERS
Automated Radio formats include those program syndicators as well as the equipment used by stations to establish many FM stations during the AM radio era.
There's the audio from the companies represented of demos of many of the formats. You'll also see which local stations subscribed to each format.
See photos of many automation systems used by many radio stations from around the country as well as local stations.
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Industrial audio/video training
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Industrial video narration
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Infomercials
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TV commercials
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Public Service announcements
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Radio commercials
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Powerpoint presentations
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Telephone on-hold messages
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In-store announcements for music services
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TV Station news/promo image voice
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Website Audio narration/training
Videos of the Week
"The Rifleman" Outakes (the early 1960s) Mature Audiences Only
The last surviving cast member of "The Rifleman" passed away this last week. Johnny Crawford, who played young Mark McCain was 75. It was reported in 2019 he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
His show business career started early, as he was one of the "Disneyland Mousketeers" from the mid-1950s on ABC. He was only 12 when he first appeared on "The Rifleman" as the son of widower Lucas McCain, played by Chuck Conners.
"The Rifleman" premiered on September 30, 1958, and rain through July 1, 1963, and continues to run on the MeTV Network. In 1959 he was nominated for Emmy for best supporting actor, but his brother Robert Crawford Jr. was also nominated the same year for best single performance by an actor for his appearance in a "Playhouse 90" episode. If that wasn't enough, their father Robert Crawford was also nominated for film editing for "The Bob Cummings Show!"
Johnny Crawford also had many other movie and TV appearances during this youth on everything from "The Loretta Young Show" to "Hawaii Five-O." He even had a recording career and a hit record in 1962, "Cindy's Birthday," "Rumors," "Your Nose is Gonna Grow," and "Proud."
During the 1990's he led his own big band called The Johnny Crawford Orchestra. He is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart, Charlotte.
This particular video features some outtakes from the production of "The Rifleman" probably produced for an affiliate convention's entertainment, or for advertising agencies presentation. This video is recommended for mature audiences only, as it includes language that some may find objectionable.
"The Rifleman" was seen across mid-Illinois on WTVP, WTVH, and KTVI. It was also seen in syndication on at least WTVP(WAND) during the 1960s.
"Nancy Drew Mysteries" (1977) Pamela Sue Martin
"Nancy Drew Mysteries" was one half of the twin mystery series along with "The Hardy Boys" as broadcast on ABC from 1977 to 78.
Pamela Sue Martin played the title character continuing as the teenage crime-fighting sleuth.
Other stars included one of my ABC network voice-over artists, William Schallert ("The Patty Duke Show" and countless others), and the son of another familiar voice artist, George O'Hanlon Jr.. His father was the voice of George Jetson in "The Jetsons" an animated series of the early 1960s. George O'Hanlon also starred in the number of short one-reelers from the 1940s that show up on TCM occasionally.
The "Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Mysteries" were seen across mid-Illinois on WAND, WRAU, and KTVI.
Movies on TV
"Nancy Drew...Reporter" (1939) Bonita Granville
This second entry in the Nancy Drew series of "B" grade films from the 1930s starred Bonita Granville as the teenage girl crime solver.
This series was directed by William Clemens and was written by Kenneth Gamet. Other stars include John Litel, Frankie Thomas, Mary Lee, and Dickie Jones. It was produced at the Warner Brothers Studios and released on February 18, 1939.
This series would show up occasionally on weekend movie matinee's on local television stations from the 1950s through the 1960s.
Of course, it was based on a large body of books for kids, and later was a TV series in the late 1970s and in syndication in the mid-1990s.
(Source: YouTube and various posters and contributors.
They may be removed without notice)
Classic Radio
"Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" (1956) "The Markham Matter," Bob Bailey
Bob Bailey, the most popular actor to portray the famous insurance investigator on classic radio is featured here with "The Marham Matter."
This popular radio drama aired on CBS Radio from 1959 through 1962. This half-hour edition was broadcast in 1956 and featured the fourth actor to play the investigator.
Listen to this edition for the voice of Frank Nelson, one of the regulars on the radio/TV installments of "The Jack Benny Program."
(Source: YouTube and various posters and contributors.
They may be removed without notice)
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
What's New?
November 21, 2020-The Peoria TV Market continues to disintegrate with the downgrading of Channel 19 from a once heritage TV station to now being an empty shell of junk video and a shopping channel. The lack of viable programming could disqualify it as being a legitimate TV station.
Meanwhile, WAOE has also become a shopping channel. That will disqualify it as being a legitimate TV station as well. Both Channel 19 and the WAOE channels will be delisted soon.
November 22, 2020-TV Today has been completely updated. Since the repack of many of the area TV stations is now complete and the "dust has settled" it was time to complete my pages.
Some changes include those above in the previous update, but also I've added some stations to the listings including WEIU-TV, Channel 50, Charleston, IL. It has been added to the Mid-Illinois listings, but I also added it to the Terre Haute, IN listings as well.
I added two St. Louis stations, low-powered stations, but reach enough population to make them significant. Plus more importantly, the stations list entertainment networks as part of their lineup, despite having religious or shopping channels. Note: Those exclusive religious or shopping channels are excluded from these listings.
January 17, 2021-Two Peoria TV stations have been delisted from the TV Today-Peoria/Bloomington/Normal, IL listings of local TV stations. The two stations have failed to operate within the guidelines of broadcasting as described by the FCC. Neither station broadcasts any kind of viable programming.
"In exchange for obtaining a valuable license to operate a broadcast station using the public airwaves, each radio and television licensee is required by law to operate its station in the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.” Generally, this means it must air programming that is responsive to the needs and problems of its local community of license."
from FCC: The Public and Broadcasting
Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum and dougquick.com supports the work of the St. Louis Media History.
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