WEEK-TV, Channel 43, Peoria, IL
1953-Present
Channel 43 Applications
Trans-American Television Group
An application for UHF channel 43 in Peoria was received by Trans-American Television Corporation in mid-June, as announced by the FCC. The proposed channel would operate with a power of 22.9 kW from a 500-foot antenna/tower. The cost of operation was estimated at $188,811, with operating expenses of $120,000 and expected revenue of $140,000. The company's mailing address was 1420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia 2, Pennsylvania, but the studio location must be listed. The transmitter location was proposed to be 3.5 miles south of Peoria and include both an RCA transmitter and an antenna. James L. Rubenstone, who had 100% of the shares, was the company's principal owner. He was associated with WFIL-AM-TV in Philadelphia, and his company had also applied for television station ownership in Evansville, Indiana, and Flint, Michigan.
WEEK Group
West Central Broadcasting Company, already operating as WEEK Radio, filed for television station ownership of channel 43 in early July 1952. The company proposed a station operating at 170 kW from an antenna 546 feet high with a total construction cost of $518,587. The first-year operating cost was estimated at $365,000, and the expected first-year revenue was $390,000. The company's address was 306 N. Robinson, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The studio/transmitter location was proposed at Springfield Hill Road (2907 Springfield Road) in Groveland Township, Tazewell County, and both the transmitter and antenna were listed as General Electric models.
The principals were listed as U. S. Sen. Robert S. Kerr, 50.611% (U.S. Senator-Democrat-Oklahoma, owner of KRMG and in oil and gas business-Kerr-McGee Oil); T.M. Kerr, 11.141% (owner of KRMG and in oil and gas business-Kerr-McGee); Geraldine H. Kerr, 3.235%; Fred Mueller, 5% (WEEK Radio general manager); C.B. Akers, 3% (5% owner of KGLC, Miami, Oklahoma, and theater owner). If you've ever seen the movie “Silkwood,” you might recognize some of the names listed above, but that's another subject.
One side note to this application is that West Central Broadcasting was the second Peoria broadcast entity to hold a television permit in 1948. It was for a television station on channel 12 in Peoria, just like the owners of WMBD. West Central was one of eighteen broadcast owners who either surrendered their permits or were deleted by the FCC.
In defense of West Central Broadcasting and WMBD, keeping a television station on the air in that era would have been an expensive venture for a tiny audience. Plus, programming would have been sparse as well. As stated with the WMBD permit for WMBT, channel 6, most local radio stations, even in a market the size of Peoria, would need more resources to invest in a venture that promised very little return at that time.
FCC Grants Construction Permits
The first group to be granted a license was West Central Broadcasting, the owners/operators of WEEK Radio in Peoria. The studio location was updated to 2907 Springfield Road in Groveland Township. The grant was issued in late August of 1952.
The second Peoria television station construction permit would take the FCC a few more months to issue. Still, by December 1952, Hilltop Broadcasting, operators of WWXL Radio, was granted a permit to proceed with construction. Hilltop Broadcasting chose the call letter WTVH-TV for its proposed television station. The FCC approved the call letters in mid-February 1953.
WEEK Construction Begins
In January 1953, Broadcasting-Telecasting reported that WEEK had ordered another General Electric Transmitter with a “special” GE antenna. The 100-w output of the original transmitter was going to be boosted to a 2-kW unit with the addition of the second transmitter. Adding the antenna's gain would have given WEEK a much greater power output than initially planned. C.B. Akers, one of the minority owners, stated that the station's transmitter building was ready to install the transmitter and related electronics. Meanwhile, the studio was completed or nearly complete while closed-circuit training was occurring for station personnel. It was also released that WEEK-TV would be a primary NBC affiliate but would offer at least some ABC and DuMont programs. Later in the month, that network announced its affiliation with DuMont.
WEEK-TV was granted special temporary authorization to operate commercially at 100 watts of power from January 27 to July 27, 1953. Fred C. Mueller, general manager of WEEK-TV, went on the air with commercial programming on February 1, 1953, just hours after receiving its special authorization to operate. Mr. Mueller stated, “In the first place, nothing at WEEK-TV is makeshift or temporary. We have everything—studios, transmitter, tower---permanently and correctly installed.” At the time, WEEK-TV was the first and only Peoria station on the air.
By mid-February 1953, WEEK-TV would receive the shipment of the second General Electric transmitter, which would boost the transmitter's power output from 100 watts to 2kw, giving the station a more powerful signal at 175,000 watts and a signal that radiates 40 miles or more. Live network service was not available yet, and according to C. B. Akers, all programming broadcast on WEEK-TV was either from film or live programming from the WEEK-TV studio. The station expected live network service by May 1, 1953.
Officials of WEEK and WEEK-TV broke ground to construct a new radio/TV building at 2907 Springfield Road on Monday, September 15, 1952. Pictured are Ed Verkler (architect); William Flynn (station commercial manager); C.B. Akers (WEEK executive); Robert Fransen (TV Program Director); Major Joseph O. Malone (with the shovel); Ken Mills (general contractor); John O. Burch (Executive V-P of the Peoria Association of Commerce); Fred Mueller (WEEK General Manager) and Wanye F. Lovely (WEEK Chief Engineer).
WEEK Moves to Increase Power
General Electric announced in late June 1953 that it shipped a new 12 kW UHF transmitter to WEEK. This would allow the station to increase power even further than the 175,000 watts it is currently licensed for, to around 225,000 watts.
WEEK-TV Featured in Ad for General Electric
In a June 1953 edition of Broadcasting-Telecasting magazine, WEEK-TV was featured with several stories about its successes. Reception reports were coming in by the hundreds, with descriptions of being seen up to 50 miles from the transmitter. This station has only a 100-watt transmitter and a reception radius of around 12 miles.
The ad includes a statement by Fred C. Mueller, general manager, stating that in less than three months, “practically all program time on the station has been sold.” He looked forward to being hooked to the NBC television network live service on August 1, 1953. The ad also includes the story of local television dealers swamped by viewers for requests to do UHF conversions on VHF-only television sets. One local dealer reported 2,400 converter sales from January 9 through February 28.
1953 Studio Shot, from WEEK from WEEKTV/HOI-ABC, Peoria
1953 The proposed WEEK-TV studios as it was expected to look at the end of 1954. From WEEK-TV.
Long time WEEK weathercaster Bill Houlihan from 1953 from WEEKTV/HOI-ABC, Peoria
1953 Studio Shot, from WEEK from WEEKTV/HOI-ABC, Peoria
WEEK-TV on the Cutting Edge with 3-D Television?
Wayne Lovely, WEEK-TV chief engineer, described a 3-D process that could only be used for live programs. That's why WEEK would sign a contract with Bloomington, Illinois-based Geneoscope Company, allowing WEEK-TV to broadcast 3-D video using no special station equipment but involving props and camera angles.
This would, however, involve marketing viewing glasses for the public. These "glasses" would be necessary for viewing a 3-D picture and would be sold for around $1.50 each. No other information was found on how the 3-D process was utilized or if it was successful. One would assume that it was a bust.
WEEK-TV Modifies its Construction Permit
Just after the new year of 1954, WEEK-TV requested and was granted an extension to modify its construction permit to allow for a power increase and the installation of a new transmitter. The completion date was extended to June 24, 1954.
Color Comes to WEEK-TV
CBS-TV affiliates in 81 markets in the country were announced to be "color ready" by January 1, 1955. Among those, either primary or secondary affiliates included WEEK-TV. WEEK-TV was a direct affiliate of NBC and was listed as a secondary affiliate of CBS along with WTVH-TV. This color conversion would only include color broadcasts from the network. Live local origination or films could not be broadcast in color without further modification of studio equipment. Full-color capabilities would not occur for most stations until 10-15 years later!
FCC Denies an Attempt by WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV to Delay Hearings on Channel 8
In May 1955, it was announced that the parent companies of WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV had filed a petition asking the FCC to postpone oral arguments on WMBD Inc. and WIRL Television Company applications. The hearings were scheduled for May 2, 1955.
WEEK-TV Signs With NATS
WEEK-TV was among 19 stations creating "National Affiliated Television Stations, Inc." This new organization offered several services to its members. The WTVI (KTVI) chapter includes more information on how this organization came to be and where it is heading. WTVI was one of the founding member stations.
WEEK-TV Picks Up a Regional Country Music Show
"Leo and His Pioneers," sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Grain and Feed Company, was signed at stations throughout the upper Plains and Midwest, including WEEK-TV. The country music show was also seen on stations WMT-TV, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; WHO-TV, Des Moines, Iowa; WGLO-TV, Mason City, Iowa; and WOC-TV, Davenport, Iowa. The program would be syndicated to local stations on kinescope/film.
WEEK-TV Subscribes to News Service
In mid-October 1955, WEEK-TV would subscribe to Telenews, a news film service. The newsreel produced for Television was produced by Hearst Metrotone News, Incorporated, which covers national and international news events.
These news services were available to local stations on a day when network news organizations were beginning to form. Only CBS and NBC had developed television news organizations from their existing radio news networks, and video images were hard to come by, as film was the only record of events. Movie theater newsreel companies relied on footage to market their products to local television stations.
FCC Denies Deintermixture Petitions
In early November of 1955, the FCC was reportedly ready to deny petitions from several cities to make those cities all UHF markets. Among those were petitions from WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV in Peoria.
The following week, the FCC wiped the entire deintermixture slate clean and began to set the stage for what could be a complete overhaul of the TV allocation table for stations across the country. Later in the month, both WEEK-TV and WTVH-TV would refile against the issuance of channel 8 in Peoria.
By February of 1956, the FCC would deny petitions from the Peoria UHF stations, saying their appeal to intervene in the hearing was too late. It was also repeated that WIRL won the initial decision for channel 8 over WMBD.
The ever-wavering FCC later came up with a similar solution that WEEK and WTVH proposed based on months of hearings. In June of 1956, the Commission said that a case-by-case consideration of deintermixture petitions would occur. After months of not considering the move, the FCC commissioners were ready to reconsider the action of the VHF allocations from Peoria and Springfield, Illinois.
It didn't take long for the FCC to waive once again. In July, the FCC issued three final television decisions granting "favored" status to WMAY-TV channel 2 in Springfield and WIRL channel 8 in Peoria. The catch was that both grants would deny those winners actual construction permits, which meant that the Commission forbade construction on either "favored" owner on their granted VHF station.
WEEK-TV Applies for a Satellite Station
The limitations of UHF broadcasting stations were evident as the range of coverage was extremely limited, and the development of high-powered UHF transmitters was still a few years away. A satellite station or translator would be necessary if a station wanted to bring a city-grade signal to a fringe market to add households to its coverage. The satellite station or translator would receive an off-air signal from its originating station on an antenna high on the translator tower and then rebroadcast the signal on a different local channel.
WEEK-TV wanted to improve its signal over LaSalle, Illinois, to the north near the Illinois River, 50 miles northeast of Peoria. The satellite would be a full-powered satellite operating at 18.8 kW from a tower 431 feet above average terrain. The cost of construction was listed as $73,750.
This article was published on August 18, 1953, and provides details about when WEEK-TV would begin broadcasting live NBC programming directly from the network. I discovered this in my hometown newspaper, which is located well outside the coverage area of WEEK-TV.
(from Taylorville Breeze Courier)
A Prominent Sportscaster Leaves WEEK-TV
In the late Summer of 1956, one of the more prominent personalities from WEEK-TV, Chick Hearn, would leave that station and move to a new position in Los Angeles at KNX. His role as sports director in Peoria would take him to do play-by-play for all of the University of Southern California football games during the 1956 season. WEEK-TV sportscaster Hank Fisher would replace Chick Hearn.
Meanwhile, his fame as a sportscaster in Los Angeles brought him unique opportunities he wouldn't have gotten elsewhere. He appeared on many TV shows, from "My Three Sons" to "Gilligan's Island" and "The Fugitive," just to name a few.
For a complete bio of Chick Hearn, visit Chick's MeTV profile by clicking here!
The George Burns Show from TV Guide® October 18, 1958 edition, The Doug Quick Collection
with Walter Cronkite. TV Guide® June 11, 1954 The Doug Quick Collection
US Marshall, from TV Guide® May 2, 1959 edition The Doug Quick Collection
The George Burns Show from TV Guide® October 18, 1958 edition, The Doug Quick Collection
Click on the picture to click through the gallery. Information about each is shown
Click on the picture to click through the gallery. Information about each is shown
Publicity Photo of Captain Jinks and Salty Sam
Publicity Photo of Captain Jinks and Salty Sam, sponsored by Sealtest Ice Cream
Publicity Photo of Captain Jinks and Salty Sam
Publicity Photo of Captain Jinks and Salty Sam
For more information about "The Captain Jinks Show" visit the Facebook Captain Jinks Show
and this alternate Facebook Captain Jinks and Salty Sam site.
1954-1956
1952-1955
1954-1956
A Selection of NBC
Shows from 1953-65
The Jimmy Durante Show ran from 1954-57 on NBC, sponsored by Old Gold Cigarettes and seen on WEEK-TV.
(YouTube)
from a 1962 edition of TV Guide® and the J.R.Evans Collection
Click on the image above to go to YouTube to watch this video. This is a kinescope of the 7 am hour from November 20, 1957, broadcast live on the NBC network and WEEK-TV.
(YouTube)
From 1957, a prime-time lineup commercial broadcast during daytime programming.
(YouTube)
Here are two recorded peacock color intros used to designate color programming broadcast on NBC and your local station. It was done to create a sense of "missing out" by those watching in black and white. After all, NBC was in the business of selling RCA color TVs. The announcer is Mel Brandt. John J. Grahm designed the peacock, and the music was by Jack Easton. Even though WEEK could pass NBC color programming to those few viewers who could watch, it would be nearly another ten years before local color would be a reality for the Peoria area.
(left: from nickelodeon Deutschland, right: from terrence mcclinton and YouTube)
My book Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television explains the events that made it possible for WEEK-TV, Channel 43, to move to Channel 25. It took several years, but by September 1963, the FCC agreed to the move.
With the change in broadcast frequency, the station could lower its power from 371 kW to 186 kW to achieve the same coverage area. The tower's height was 712 feet. Later, it was decided to keep the power output to increase the coverage area and signal penetration within its current coverage area.
The network produced this NBC Colorcasting promo to position itself as the "full-color network," while CBS had only a few shows airing in color. ABC had made great strides in colorcasting with the help of NBC (they wanted to sell RCA equipment and color TVs to viewers). Read the info about NBC aiding ABC in the early 1960s. This was probably produced anytime from 1964 to 65. Across central Illinois, I remember this being seen on WICS, Channel 20 in Springfield at the time. I assume it was also seen on WCHU (33) and WICD(24). WICD couldn't broadcast color until it was repositioned and combined with WCHU to broadcast on Channel 15 in the Spring of 1967.
(YouTube)
This NBC promo was produced for the 1965 weekday morning network lineup shows. It aired as part of the new Fall Season during "NBC Week."
NBC valued telecasting the daytime schedule in color to help sell RCA color TVs on display at the TV dealers of the time.
(YouTube)
September 21, 1967 Bloomington Pantagraph
September 17, 1967 Bloomington Pantagraph
September 16, 1967 Bloomington Pantagraph
September 21, 1967 Bloomington Pantagraph
NBC Shows from 1965-1980
1965-1966
Annual Series of Specials
1959 "Snake Logo" b/w
1965-1966
From TV Guide® from September 1965
TV Guide® from September of 1965
From TV Guide® from September 1982
From TV Guide® from September 1965
Click on the picture to click through the gallery. Information about each is shown
September 1969- SUN TV Guide® Doug Quick Collection
September 1969- MON TV Guide® Doug Quick Collection
September 1969- FRI TV Guide® Doug Quick Collection
September 1969- SUN TV Guide® Doug Quick Collection
A series of promos from 1979 with WEEK-TV "Now More Than Ever" image promotional announcements.
(YouTube)
1986 Clips from WEEK-TV
(YouTube)
WEEK-TV News promo from 1986 featuring their AP award winning staff/news
(YouTube)
The WEEK-TV Sign-off from 1989
(YouTube)
Here's a rare look at the sales efforts of WEEK-TV from 1990. This was produced with the NBC new TV season and included the local efforts of WEEK-TV.
(YouTube)
A WEEK-TV complete newscast from May 3, 1993
(YouTube)
A segment of a newscast from 1995 as broadcast on WEEK-TV
(YouTube)
A complete newscast from August 1, 2013, as broadcast on WEEK-TV
(YouTube)
From 1983, "Hello Illinois" WEEK-TV
(YouTube)
The WEEK-TV 35th Anniversary from 1988
(Joyce Hemphill and Ken Christianson/YouTube)
Bill Houlihan on WEEK-TV, from September 1989. Here he gives a report on Hurricane Hugo on Sept. 22, 1989 before the local forecast.
(YouTube)
WEEK-TV News Digest, a short news promo drop during prime time. From Memorial Day Weekend, 1989.
(YouTube)
WEEK-TV and NBC News in Peoria from 1992.
(YouTube)
A series of promos for WEEK-TV from 1993
(YouTube)
A complete newscast from August 5, 2008, as broadcast on WEEK-TV
(YouTube)
WEEK News Anchor Team, from TV Guide, August 1965, Doug Quick Collection
WEEK Syndicated movie ad from TV Guide, March of 1966. Doug Quick Collection
Daytime syndicated shows from TV Guide September 1981. Doug Quick Collection
WEEK News Anchor Team, from TV Guide, August 1965, Doug Quick Collection
Tom McIntyre was WEEK-TV's main anchor from 1973 to 2015, when he retired after 42 years
Bill Houlihan was the weatherman when WEEK-TV went on the air in 1953. He continued until the mid-1960s, when he left the station, only to return in 1977. He continued delivering the local weather story until he died in 1994.
Tom McIntyre was WEEK-TVs main anchor from 1973 to 2015 when he retired after 42 years.
Bill Houlihan was the weatherman when WEEK-TV signed on the air in 1953. He continued through the mid-1960s when he left the station, only to return in 1977. He was still delivering the local weather story until he died in 1994.
NBC Logo 1998
1986-90
1988-2005(2006)
NBC Logo 1998
NBC Shows from 1980-2005
WEEK-TV Notes from 1964-Present
In 1964, WEEK-TV was granted the frequency shift from channel 43 to channel 25. Until the change, WEEK-TV broadcast on channel 43 at a power of 371 kW from an antenna 710 feet above its studio location. Also, in 1964, WEEK-TV could only broadcast programming in color from NBC.
WEEK-TV moved to channel 25 in 1966 and added the ability to broadcast film, slides, and videotape in color. The power of channel 25 would be 562 kW from 680 feet. The reduction of the tower height was probably due to the difference in the size of the antenna height between channels 43 and 25. WEEK-TV ownership was still listed as West Central when 1966 the station was sold to Kansas City Southern Industries, operating as Mid-America TV Company.
In 1969, the power of WEEK-TV continued to be listed as 562 kW from an antenna at 680 feet, as there appeared to be no changes in transmitter power or ERP during the period. Mid-America would operate Channel 25 until 1985, when Price Communications purchased it. In 1988, it was handed off to Granite Communications, as WEEK-TV would have been Granite's second station in the growing chain of television and radio stations. In the late 1990s, WEEK-TV purchased the FM allocation for nearby Eureka, Illinois, giving it the call letters of WEEK-FM, and operated the station as "Oldies 98.5." A year later, though, WEEK-TV sold the radio property, which is now WPIA.
On March 2, 2009, WHOI-TV, Channel 19, Peoria, under the ownership of Barrington Broadcasting, began a shared services agreement with WEEK, Channel 25, Peoria, and its owner, Granite Broadcasting Corp. The ABC station would operate by sharing WEEK facilities. WEEK would produce separate news programs for the NBC and ABC affiliates from the same studios, sharing the production facility. The signal of WHOI-TV, Channel 19, would continue to be the home of the ABC station. It was reported in the Bloomington Pantagraph that 16 employees from WHOI would move to the studios of WEEK. In the late 1990s, WHOI also produced programming for a cablecast TV station that had an affiliation agreement with the WB Network. That station was called WBPE, Channel 4, Peoria. WEEK also operated the markets' MyTV affiliate WAOE, Channel 59, Peoria, in a similar agreement with that station's ownership.
In 2014, WEEK's ownership changed from Granite Broadcasting Corporation to Quincy Newspapers. With that sale, Sinclair Broadcasting announced that the shared services agreement between WEEK and WHOI would be terminated within nine months of the official sale date of WEEK to Quincy Broadcasting. The original deal was to expire in March 2017. The FCC approved the sale on September 30, 2015, and it was finalized on November 2, 2015.
Then, on February 1, 2021, it was announced that Quincy Newspapers would be sold to Gray Television. Grey would acquire WEEK-TV and most of Quincy's other television properties for $925 million. That sale was finalized on August 2, 2021. Of course, that sale also included the NBC, ABC, and CW affiliations connected to WEEK.
WEEK currently broadcasts NBC at 1080 HD on 25.1, ABC at 720 HD on 25.2, CW+(national feed) at 720 HD on 25.3, and Ion Television is seen in SD widescreen on 25.4.
The station that was formerly an ABC affiliate, Channel 19, continues to be owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group and, over the years, appears to be in a holding pattern. It's only used to house three digital networks wholly or partially owned by Sinclair. They are TBD, a Sinclair-owned channel that provides various internet-based programs. That includes COMET, a digital channel programming science fiction, and Charge, a digital channel programming action and adventure off-network syndicated programming and movies mostly from the MGM TV and film library.
If you have any pictures of WEEK-TV-related activities from the era of 1965-present and would like to share those digital items along with any personal stories of working there or even just being a viewer, I would love to include them here on this page. Send JPG pictures only (no physical artifacts, please) or your narrative of your experiences with WEEK-TV to my e-mail: "dougquick at dougquick-dot-com."
WMBD-WEEK-WREX-KMOX Memories
During the Summer of 2022, I was contacted by an older gentleman, named Roy Starks, who was from my hometown of Taylorville, Illinois. He and his wife are now living in the southeastern US. He got my attention because we share a hometown, and both of us graduated from Taylorville High School. He in 1951 and me in 1972. He knew of my dad, as he graduated in 1949, and my mom in 1953. And here he finds me and wants to relate to me his experiences with many of the people I wrote about in my book. Here is his story, from Roy Starks:r
Roy Starks-Class of 1951, THS
(THS Drift 1951 Edition)
Memories from Roy Starks- (Part 1: WMBD-TV)
"I Graduated from THS (Taylorville High School) in 1951. Enlisted in the Navy 1952-1956 and enjoyed trips to the Caribbean, Mediterranean (2), Panama Canal, Pearl Harbor, Manila, Hong Kong, and Japan (4).
"My choice of Bradley was pure chance. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, en route to Japan, Hong Kong, and Manila, a shipmate gave me a class catalog from Bradley University. which he said was in Peoria. Then I determined I wanted to go into radio-television so I sent a postcard in the book to Bradley. I was accepted beginning in 1956.
"Bradley had no radio-tv facilities. The majority of my JO classmates were 18-year-olds, fresh out of high school. I was 23 years old, had traveled extensively from the Caribbean to Japan, met the poor, and seen the rich and their cultures, along with men and women from numerous locations in the states.
"My first contact with the Peoria media was a Journal-Star photographer who took a picture of me, my 1950 ford, and the large tree that fell on it during the winter of 1956, making the front page.
"After being rejected for a job at the Pekin paper because I had not attended a high school typing class, I was hired at WSIV radio in Pekin. I walked in seeking a summer job and walked out with a weekend news job starting in 2 days.
The production manager greeted me at the door of the telephone booth/newsroom saying “I cleaned off your desk. By.”
I quickly became acquainted with UPI’s yellow paper and purple ink, 16-inch red plastic commercial records, and turntables. There were no local news stories or ways to access local news unless you lifted them from the local paper. The owner called after each broadcast to comment, correct, etc. Learned the importance of time and timing quickly.
"In 1958, my JO instructor, Paul Snider, arranged an internship at WMBD with Chuck Harrison WMBD-TV News Director/Anchorman. Jim Jensen did the weather. The internship was a short learning experience. I remember little from my time at WMBD-TV. Newsroom activity revolved around the Anchorman/News Director. Chuck Harrison was a terrific teacher-reporter and became a life- long friend.
"Public attitude toward the new phenomenon, television, was favorable and tended toward wanting to appear rather than avoiding it. WMBD had sales & promotion personnel, talent, and engineers but few support people. which explained why a no-cost intern would be welcome.
"I remember only sketchy details about the WMBD-TV facilities, except the big black & white cameras were moveable, on pedestals, but not portable. The 2- inch tape machines were neither portable nor moveable. Everything was in black and white. The most popular camera in use was the hand-held Bell & Howell which held 100 ft of film good for about 5 minutes. I have no memory of sound cameras being used."
Memories from Roy Starks- (Part 2: WEEK-TV)
"In the fall of 1959, I was hired, as a leg-man, at WEEK-TV by Bob Arthur, News Director/Anchorman. Arthur was difficult to work with being rather secretive in the house. WEEK-TV in 1959 had a police beat and a school board beat.
In 1959, Arthur left Peoria for Albuquerque, New Mexico at KOAT-TV. He later went on to Los Angeles, where he won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"Chuck Harrison became News Director/Anchorman at WEEK-TV. Harrison operated the WEEK newsroom as a team and working there was an instructive experience. My job started at 2 PM with visits to the city hall and police station. I then went into the station to assist in the preparation of the early newscast and afterward monitor the network for any stories to be used at 10 PM. Network feeds were filmed, processed and segments edited out. After it was ready, I often teamed with a photographer, Bob Seidel, to monitor the police for any news. We were on good terms with the county police. My home was near a major county road intersection and county officers would stop there, and hit their lights and siren to alert me of any activity.
"At night, a receptionist would man the front desk at WEEK-TV to handle any visitors and calls plus keep anyone from entering the studio during the 10 O’clock newscast. One night when Harrison was on the air, three men escaped the County Jail by jumping from the third floor. One broke his leg and two were being hunted by police. I got the details while Seidel got the pictures. The receptionist was very hesitant to enter the studio to give Harrison the information and it took some discussion to convince her.
"I recall another time when engineers had worked for weeks to dynamite and pound the huge gears on a lift bridge over the river. On the day it was completed the chief engineer proclaimed the bridge would last another 50 years. That night the bridge went up and stayed up. We had nothing on film but the raised bridge standing up.
A script was prepared relating the story for Chuck and ending, “Tonight the bridge is standing in a silent salute to the evening and the fastest 50 years in history.” He read it with a chuckle and signed off.
Memories from Roy Starks: (Part 3: WREX-TV Rockford and KMOX-TV St. Louis)
"My time at WEEK-TV lasted until the fall of 1961 when I took the News Directors job at WREX-TV. I turned down an offer from UPI in Chicago and another offer from Visalia, California. My News Director’s job at WREX-TV lasted 18 months. I immediately decided to find another job after I arrived.
"Rockford was very different from Peoria. WREX-TV was a VHF station and the competition was a UHF. As ND, I reported to the promotion director. My job was to gather, write and assemble the newscast for presentation by one of the station’s on-air announcers. There was a cameraman on staff. My lone reporter was free-lance. She was friends with a local owner of a weekly newspaper who gave us the news he could not use because of timing.
"When a trip to California and a stop in St. Louis led KMOX-TV News Director Steve Fentress to immediately offer me a Producer-Writer job. Fentress had hired another producer-writer, Biff Cole, a few weeks before when he learned I was going to be delayed by my mother’s funeral.
"I wound up working with Spencer Allen and Max Roby for 6 years, which included the Kennedy assassination."
Peoria TV sources:
WEEK-TV, HOI-ABC
Broadcasting-Telecasting
Wikipedia
TV Guide® from the Doug Quick Collection
YouTube
Bob Lee's Screengrabs
Roy Stark
WEEK's CINewsNow.com
Meanwhile Back in Peoria-blog
houseofjitters.com
Bloomington Daily Pantagraph(through the Abraham Lincoln Library and the Danville Public Library as well as newspapers.com
Larry King for his narrative on working at WMBD AM/FM/TV
Ron Moses for his narrative on working at WMBD-TV and WCIA and his picture from the WMBD studios from 1957
Click on the image for WTVH at the left to go to the next page in the Peoria TV station history set of pages.