Note: Some browsers will not play videos directly. To watch videos-click on the YouTube image, then the word YouTube. It will open another window for viewing.
Pictured top: The Midwest Television Application for Channel 3 posted in Broadcasting on July 7, 1952. Pictured near the top: The Illinois Broadcasting Company's application for Channel 3 was also posted on July 7, 1952. A ground-breaking merger would make Channel 3 a reality.
Pictured top: This mid-Illinois broadcast/publishing mogul, was involved in several radio and TV stations over his career. This bio is from Leo Henning's book "WGEM-TV's Golden Jubilee 1953-2003"
He was representing Illinois Broadcasting Company, an applicant for WCIA, which led to a 20% ownership of Midwest Television.
Midwest Television Applies for Channel 3 in Champaign....but They're Not Alone
This wasn't the first application for a television station in central Illinois. Still, it would be very important. In the July 7, 1952 edition of Broadcasting-Telecasting, it was announced that Midwest Television Company had applied for channel 3 in Champaign, Illinois. The proposed station would operate at a power of 100kw or 100,000 watts from an antenna height above average terrain(HAAT) of 700 feet. The applicant estimated a construction cost of $402,500 with a first-year operating cost of $228,500. The first year's revenue was estimated at $256,140. The transmitter and antenna would be located 2.4 miles northwest of Champaign's business center and manufactured by RCA, although the models were not specified in the application.
Midwest Television's principal owners were listed as August C. Meyer at 24.1%; M.S. Dyers at 28%(also a 40% owner of the News-Gazette and WDWS Radio); R.O. Derby at 5%; C. R. Meyer at 26%; and Helen M. Stevick at 13.7%(40% owner of the News-Gazette and WDWS Radio). August C. Meyer was an attorney on the staff of the News-Gazette, one of two Champaign, Illinois local newspapers.
Within the same edition of Broadcasting-Telecasting, another applicant for channel 3 would appear. The Illinois Broadcasting Company tried to stake a claim on the valuable VHF allocation with a proposal before the FCC, which included 100kw power and an antenna (HAAT) at 550 feet. The investment would include a construction cost of $338,260, the first year's operating cost of $338,250, and expected revenue of $261,760. The studio and transmitter were to be located near Florida and Vine Street in Urbana, Illinois. The transmitter was to be manufactured by DuMont Laboratories, and the antenna was an RCA model.
The principal owner of Illinois Broadcasting Company was F.W. Schaub at 100%. Mr. Schaub was Decatur Newspapers Inc. vice-president, Illinois Broadcasting Company owner, and operator of WSOY Radio in Decatur, Illinois, and the Urbana Courier newspaper.
With each owner making a legitimate request for the allocation of channel 3 in Champaign, it became evident that the final decision would require possible hearings before the FCC, perhaps even a court case and several appeals by the losing group. This process could have delayed the construction of channel 3 for months, if not years. The delay may have also allowed a third or fourth party to swoop in and capture the channel allocation.
Meanwhile, applicants for the many UHF allocations were awarded grants and construction permits nationwide and throughout central Illinois. As you'll read later, other battles for VHF stations were underway and would continue for years. Two battles throughout the country included two in central Illinois: the battle for channel 2 in Springfield and channel 8 in Peoria.
The prospects of Midwest Television of getting into the television business soon were not promising. That was when Midwest Televisions principal owner August Meyer put a unique plan into place. He would approach the competing group applying for channel 3 with an offer of a twenty percent stake in Midwest Television. It was an offer Illinois Broadcasting could not refuse.
A new Midwest Television would come together with the principal listing: Mr. and Mrs.August C. Meyer holds controlling interest while Merrill Lindsey (representing the Illinois Broadcast Company) would hold 20%; Russel O. Derby 5%; J. A. McDermott 2.1%; and Reverend A. Ray Cartlidge (of the First Presbyterian Church of Champaign). Reverend Cartlidge would take the seat on the board of directors at the request of Helen M. Stevick and her daughter Marajen Dyess Chinigo 20% (both of the Champaign News-Gazette and WDWS Radio). Mr. and Mrs. Meyer would hold the controlling interest at 52.2%.
On February 26, 1953, the FCC permitted Midwest Television to construct a television station on channel 3. This would be central Illinois' first and only commercial VHF station. Some minor changes were made to the new application, including the cost of the new facility, which became $423,278; operating costs during the first year were listed as $261,760, with a proposed first-year revenue of $270,890. The placement of the transmitter, tower, and antenna was also changed.
About this same time, an application was filed for the community's first commercial UHF station on channel 21. The spokesperson for the filing company, Phillip Zimmerly, said he had “hoped to join WCIA-TV soon” and applauded the TV dealers in the Twin Cities for pitching the advantage of having both VHF and UHF tuners on their customer's newly purchased TV sets. There's more about the company filing for channel 21, its ownership, and its proposed station later as the name of Mr. Zimmerly would come up as a television critic and even as a part owner of another mid-Illinois television station.
Meanwhile, August Meyer, speaking on behalf of Midwest Television, stated that Channel 3 would be operational by the Summer of 1953. He explained that the construction of the area's first commercial VHF television station would be launched immediately, and the work would continue as rapidly as the acquisition of equipment and materials would allow. He also said that all four television networks had expressed interest in becoming an affiliate of WCIA. A few months later, WCIA would sign a contract to become the CBS television network's affiliate number 106.
He also alluded to a fast track on equipment deliveries except for the tower in his statement. It's not sure if he was referring to a controversy about the placement of the WCIA broadcast tower or if it was a legitimate problem with the delivery of the tower and/or the actual construction. In May, a request was filed by WCIA requesting a transmitter relocation about a third of a mile north of Illinois Route 47 at White Heath, which would place the transmitting tower about 14 miles west of Champaign. The FCC granted the location change the following week.
A couple of weeks after the WCIA approval, Decatur's WTVP, Channel 17 filed a protest with the FCC, citing that losing its secondary affiliation agreement with CBS would create “economic injury” with the new UHF station. Prairie Broadcasting (WTVP) stated that granting the transmitter location change with the modification to the WCIA construction permit would seriously hinder the success of the Decatur station. WTVP charged that the move of the Channel 3 transmitter would place it much nearer to Decatur than the original proposal, enabling WCIA to cover Decatur with a “Grade A” signal.
Seeing that the protest could potentially hold up the construction of WCIA while WTVP was already nearing completion and ready for a July or August sign-on, August Meyer backed down, but not without getting something in return. The original transmitter site was for an 810-foot tower south of Illinois Route 47 near Seymour, Illinois. After the FCC approved the move to near White Heath, Illinois, Mr. Meyer agreed to move back to the original transmitter site but with a broadcast tower of 1,000 feet! I assume there was most likely an engineering study that showed Meyer that the increase in antenna height would make up for the slight increase in distance, allowing WCIA to still deliver a “Grade A” signal across Decatur and Champaign-Urbana. A “grade B” signal was expected across Bloomington, Danville, and Springfield.
Upon the agreement, construction would finally begin on the tower and transmitter site and the studio-transmitter microwave link between the tower site and the studios of WCIA, located at 509 South Neil Street. The studio would be located in a former tire store at a land-locked location just south of downtown Champaign along the city's main north-south artery, between Springfield Avenue to the north and Green Street to the south.
Assembling the Staff of WCIA
During the construction phase of WCIA, August Meyer had the task of assembling a staff. Along with overseeing the building of the studio/office facility, many decisions could have been delegated to a group of trusted managers within the organization. It was important to bring in a strong, experienced general manager who would begin hiring a management team.
That general manager would be Harry Y. Maynard, appointed in June 1953. During the previous five years, he was the sales manager of KTLA(TV) in Los Angeles. His experience in the advertising field would come to be a major advantage for the station. Even before Maynard was in broadcasting, he was on the radio production staff at the Batten, Baren, Durstine, and Osbourn advertising agency in Hollywood. His experience in the entertainment industry included a position as staff assistant director with Warner Brothers, Paramount, and Selznick film studios. It was quite a resume for a man in his mid-30s.
On the personal side, Mr. Maynard was a San Jose State Normal College graduate and a Marine in World War II. His wife was the former Joan Cosgrove. He and his wife were parents of three daughters: Mary Sue(12 years old in 1953), Julie Ann(10), and Sally Joan(8).
Mr. Maynard assembled a management team and staff which included James Fielding as production manager, Fred A. Sorenson as news editor, Lou Martz in sales, Martha Meyers as office manager, George Pienderleith as a film director, Allen Doyle, Kenneth O Fristoe, Carle W. St. John, Nancy Hill, and Jerry F. Drakeas as members of the engineering staff, Robert Myer as assistant chief engineer, M.D. Hunnicutt Jr. was also part of the engineering staff as chief engineer and one more familiar name. Robert Schaub, son of Frederick W. Schaub, vice president and general manager of Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers, is one of Midwest Television's principal partners. Formerly, Mr. Fred Schaub was on the staff of WSOY Radio in Decatur, another of the Lindsay-Schaub properties. Others on staff included Guy Main as commercial manager, William Stinson as art director, John Ketterer as music director, and Leonard Davis as publicity director.
Station Info from 1953 Broadcasting Yearbook
Station Info from 1954-55 Broadcasting Yearbook
Station Info from 1955-56 Broadcasting Yearbook
Station Info from 1953 Broadcasting Yearbook
Obtaining a link to the Network
As stated earlier, if all four networks had contacted Channel 3, ABC, CBS, DuMont, and NBC, it seems logical that the dominant television network would probably make the best offer to the dominant VHF station in the region. WDWS's relationship with CBS Radio as an affiliate may have brought about the choice of WCIA's primary network affiliation.
In that era, the role of network radio was still quite strong. The CBS Radio network was still programming a full slate of entertainment and news programs for its radio affiliates. Many of the entertainment stars of that network would become headliners for its television equivalent later. With at least 20% of the ownership of Midwest Television being with WDWS Radio, it's logical to assume the influence it had with CBS.
With the signing of WCIA as an affiliate of CBS, it became necessary to try to get the network signal to the TV station. This would be proven to be a difficult and expensive task.
The location of the nearest A.T. & T. coax carrying CBS ran through Danville. That was the location of the nearest switchboard, which would allow WCIA to link to the video signals coming from CBS in New York. The ultimate problem was getting the signal from Danville to Champaign and the studios of Channel 3.
That problem would be solved by constructing a microwave network, originating at the Telephone office in downtown Danville and beamed to a repeater tower with a receiver and transmitter near St. Joseph, Illinois, north of U.S. 150. The twin-legged tower was constructed by A.T. & T. and would be leased to WCIA. That microwave tower includes two reflecting screens at the top of the tower, one of which would reflect the signal to an antenna on top of the service building at the foot of the twin towers. A receiver/transmitter would then resend the signal to the other reflector on the other side of the twin tower, directing the signal westward to Champaign.
In Champaign, a receiving antenna was erected on the top of the Inman Hotel, one of the tallest buildings in Champaign-Urbana at the time. From there, the signal was cabled to the WCIA studios a few blocks away.
Top: The microwave dish at the top of the First National Bank Building (later Brezee Tower) in Danville from 1966.
Bottom: The receiver microwave dish at the Inman Hotel roof would feed a cable of the network to the WCIA Studios just a few blocks to the south at 509 South Neil Street
At the left is the diagram showing the use of coaxial and microwave signals to distribute all network video signals to individual stations. The microwave path between Danville and Champaign is clearing shown. At right is the diagram for distributing CBS later for WCIA.
(Broadcasting Yearbook)
This CBS network setup would be used for several years before a direct cable coax was connected to WCIA. During its years of use, though, it would prove to be a technical nightmare for the station's engineering staff and probably for A.T. & T. Keep in mind that electronics of the time used vacuum tubes as it was well before the development of transistors, and solid-state electronics. Each component in the network had to operate within acceptable tolerances.
Outside of A.T. & T., it appeared the receiver/transmitter repeater near St. Joseph would bear the brunt of the blame regarding technical problems. The temperature and humidity extremes of east central Illinois during the summer and winter would surely affect the operation of the electronics located there.
As only one video channel was being networked from Danville to Champaign, any additional video feeds would have to be manually switched by A.T. & T. engineers in Danville or maybe Chicago. This would come into play once WCIA would become a secondary NBC affiliate. The audio was received on 8,000-cycle phone lines, much like network radio was for radio stations.
WCIA Before Sign-On
Even though the initial goal was to have WCIA up and running and on the air by the late Summer of 1953, it was not to be. Like other new television stations nationwide, many unforeseen problems would delay every construction schedule.
Equipment manufacturing and delivery delays were frequent. As I describe the onslaught of lifting the “freeze” as a gold rush, the equipment manufacturers, the major ones being RCA, General Electric, DuMont, and Collins, were being inundated by orders from these early pioneer broadcasters. Equipping several hundred stations with transmitters, antennas, video and audio control boards, film projectors and associated film chain pieces, cameras, cables, and other behind-the-scenes electronics was quite a challenge of logistics for these manufacturers. Having equipment arrive at the final destination on time was challenging for the contractors and each new television station.
WCIA was no exception, although publicity about such construction hurdles was nonexistent coming from Midwest Television. It appears that August Meyer understood the importance of public relations and how the public would perceive his new television station. It was important to him, the community, and his investors that everything seemed to be moving along smoothly.
Remember, Mr. Meyer stated that WCIA would be broadcasting by the late Summer of 1953? It was also stated by the station's new general manager that a target date of September 1 was the goal. It appears that the change of location would delay the final construction of the tower/transmitter facility well past the original target dates. It took time for the FCC to cancel the modification of the construction permit and re-approve the original location with a request for a higher transmitting antenna and tower. The FCC approval would take place on August 17, 1953, and the commission set a new completion date of February 25, 1954. One thing was for certain: August Meyer was going to complete his television station long before that FCC deadline and the expiration of the construction permit.
After the FCC approval, construction could resume, the equipment could be re-ordered, and factory installers and tower assembly crews could be scheduled. But, this was only approved to “get on the list.” Actual work was still several weeks away from proceeding. Arranging for tower crews could be frustrating depending on the weather at any location where the crew was to work. As any broadcaster knows, tower crews get to you when they can and only whenever they want.
It would be safe to assume it was a tense situation in late August as the race to go on the air was reaching a climax at several stations across mid-Illinois. WEEK in Peoria had already gone on the air in February of 1953, WTVP in Decatur was on the air in August, and WICS in Springfield was targeted to go on the air in late September. August Meyer with Midwest Television, WCIA was going to be the central Illinois prestige station. WCIA wasn't going to be the first, but it wasn't going to be the last, either. When it went on the air, the entire region would know it.
The most obvious indication that WCIA was coming soon was the broadcast tower construction near Seymour, Illinois. The actual Channel 3 antennae was 121 feet long while on the ground and 121 feet tall when it was finally lifted to the top of the 800-foot tower. The antenna was connected to the transmitter by 880 feet of coaxial cable. Most of the cable would be on the tower, with 80 feet of the total on the trough running from the tower to the transmitter building and inside to the transmitter.
The passive reflector for the studio-transmitter microwave system was installed at about the 300-foot level. The antenna was mounted on the top of the transmitter building and would point upward to the reflector. That would aim its receiving reflector to the transmitting reflector and microwave transmitter located at the rear of the WCIA studios at 509 South Neil in Champaign. The reflectors, similar to the network repeater at St. Joseph, were used to make servicing the electronics much easier in inclement weather.
M.D. Hunnicutt, WCIA chief engineer, was confident of getting a test pattern on the air by Wednesday, November 11, 1953. Meanwhile, Raytheon Corporation's engineers, the manufacturers of the studio-transmitter microwave, checked out their equipment, and all was well. RCA engineers checked out their equipment, consisting of the transmitter and antenna, and pronounced everything was working perfectly. It's assumed the broadcast went as scheduled. The initial test pattern broadcasts were to be in low power, 10,000 watts and stepped up to 25,000 watts. It would eventually be at 35,000 watts, which, in combination with the antenna and height of the tower, would give Channel 3 a total of 100,000 watts of effective radiated power, the legal limit for low-band VHF stations as authorized by the FCC. The countdown was on for an official sign-on the following Saturday.
As the station broadcast a test pattern, telephone calls and telegrams reporting great reception poured into the offices of WCIA from viewers throughout central Illinois and western Indiana. Most in Champaign-Urbana said viewing was good without an outside antenna. Viewers reported receiving the station from Shelbyville, Springfield, Peoria, and Paris, all in Illinois, Lafayette, Williamsport, and Attica, Indiana. Even more impressive was the report of an Illini football fan on the way to Madison, Wisconsin to watch the Illini-Wisconsin game. He took a side trip by visiting friends in Freeport, Illinois, and reported the perfect reception of WCIA in Freeport! That's a 200-mile stretch.
The on-air signal of WCIA would make WCIA the 14th TV station on the air in Illinois. It would be the 8th VHF station in the state. Other stations on the air in the state up to that point included: WBBM(2) Chicago, WHBF(4) Rock Island, WNBQ(5) Chicago, WBKB(7) Chicago, WGN(9) Chicago, WGEM(10) Quincy, WREX(13) Rockford, WTVP(17) Decatur, WTVH(19) Peoria, WICS(20) Springfield, WTVO(39) Rockford, WEEK(43) Peoria and WTVI(54) Belleville.
All of the other operational television stations, along with WCIA, would get company soon with the addition of WDAN-TV(24) Danville, WBLN(15) Bloomington, and WSIL(22) Harrisburg before the end of 1953.
(left to right) Henry Kaiser, president of the Monticello CofC; Francis Anderson, Mayor of Monticello; Luella and Eddie McCartney, children of Dean McCartney(just outside the picutre range at far left), Mrs. McCartney; Mrs August Meyer; Mr. August Meyer(with shovel), president of Midwest Television; J.C. Vinson, president of the White Heath Community Club; also just outside the picture on the far right was C.G. Hofforty, president of the First te Bank of Monticello. from Urbana Courier
(left to right) Merrill Lindsey; F.R. White; Cloy Rudsail; Rev A.R. Cartillidge(placed by Helen Stevick and Maragen Chinigo); Harold Davis, achitect of Royer and Davis; August Meyer, president of Midwest Television; Russell Derby(board member); Robert Showalter, attorney; C.G. Hofforty, president of First State Bank of Monticello. from Urbana Courier
WCIA control room-from Urbana Courier
(left to right) Henry Kaiser, president of the Monticello CofC; Francis Anderson, Mayor of Monticello; Luella and Eddie McCartney, children of Dean McCartney(just outside the picutre range at far left), Mrs. McCartney; Mrs August Meyer; Mr. August Meyer(with shovel), president of Midwest Television; J.C. Vinson, president of the White Heath Community Club; also just outside the picture on the far right was C.G. Hofforty, president of the First te Bank of Monticello. from Urbana Courier
Harry Y. Maynard, the general manager of WCIA from 1953-1954.
(photo Broadcasting-Telecasting Magazine)
James Fielding was hired as a production manager but by late 1955 he would become an assistant secretary and treasurer of Midwest Television.
(Urbana Courier)
Robert Schaub joined the engineering staff at WCIA in 1953. He was formerly at WSOY, Decatur. Robert was the son of Frederick W. Schaub, vice president, and general manager of Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers, Inc. (the company was a part owner of Midwest Television)
(Urbana Courier)
WCIA Plans a Grand Opening Broadcast Party
A professional trade show organization was hired to organize and sell local participation in an exposition in Urbana. This would acquaint potential area viewers with the idea of having a television in their homes and acquaint them with WCIA. At this event, potential viewers could see how WCIA would be beaming entertainment, news, and educational programming to households throughout central Illinois and west central Indiana. This “Television Home Show” would occur on November 14-15, 1953, at the Urbana Armory. It was timed to coincide with the initial broadcast of WCIA.
As the chief promoter along with the News-Gazette and the Urbana Courier newspapers, the organizers invited over 30 local TV dealers showcasing 236 television sets. The dealers had already formed a trade group and would co-sponsor the event. At “The Television Home Show,” dealers would showcase what television sets they sold and how they would service those sets later. The newspapers profited by selling ads to these dealers and repair shops, “welcoming” WCIA to the air. The show would also show a glimpse of the television of the future with the display of two television sets with 30-inch screens!
To the credit of most of these dealers, it seems the sales pitch featured sets with both VHF and UHF tuners. There were also dealers for antennas and towers convincing those new TV set owners they had to invest in 30 to 50-foot towers and antenna rotators which could direct an antenna to some far distant city to bring in signals from Chicago, Indianapolis, and even St. Louis!
Demonstrations showing visitors how they would look on television were performed on “closed circuit” broadcasts within the Urbana Armory. The University of Illinois Television-Motion Picture unit would sponsor and demonstrate the television display. Illinois Bell Telephone would also sponsor an exhibit showing how microwaves are used to broadcast television pictures over great distances. The planning undertaken by Midwest Television and the resources of its related newspaper media outlets would give the public an impression that WCIA “did it right...and did it big!”
WCIA Broadcasts the Community Arts Symphony Orchestra Concert
Harry Maynard, station manager, soon after the sign-on of WCIA, announced the presentation of a half-hour program featuring the Community Arts Symphony Orchestra for a 9:30 pm program to be broadcast on Sunday, December 6, 1953. This would be one of the first “live” programs showcasing the community involvement of Channel 3 and what the future would hold for viewers. The 55-member orchestra was squeezed into the WCIA studios for the live music broadcast.
WCIA Adds the NBC Television Network
On December 4, 1953, WCIA announced it had signed a secondary affiliation agreement with NBC. It was arranged by August Meyer and announced upon his return to Champaign from New York. The first NBC broadcast would air the following Saturday afternoon at 12:45 with the Notre Dame and Southern Methodist football game.
Mr. Meyer would also state that negotiations were underway to add a few NBC shows such as “The Voice of Firestone,” “Dragnet,” “The Dave Garroway Show,” “Ethyl and Albert” and “Television Playhouse.” Since the sponsors of many of the potential programs operated on quarterly budgets, some shows could not be added to the WCIA schedule until the next 13-week cycle.
WCIA would have to depend on precise patching of the proper feed at the A.T. & T. office to switch between the CBS and the NBC feed. With the addition of NBC, WCIA would now offer live programming from the two most popular networks, although some of the NBC programs were shown on a delayed basis using film or kinescopes.
Later, on December 21, 1953, NBC would celebrate the FCC approval of color TV standards with the “first authorized color signal,” which consisted of the NBC chimes in the three primary colors. The first compatible color program would follow on CBS at 6:15 pm. NBC's first color TV program would follow at 6:30 pm. It's unknown if WCIA aired this celebratory programming, but if it did, WCIA would count as one of many other stations broadcasting the event in black and white.
DuMont is also a Player at WCIA
Channel 3 was also an affiliate of the DuMont Television Network as well. The only regular broadcast from DuMont appeared as a weekday 6 pm program, “Captain Video,” popular with the kids (and Art Carney's character Ed Norton on the “Honeymooners”). There were also times that WCIA would air “Captain Video” by Kinescope as the storyline did not follow the story of the live network feed in the listings of TV Guide. WCIA and most DuMont affiliates were only airing delayed kinescopes of its East Coast live presentations.
Click on the button to see the program schedule from the dates indicated above.
"Mama" was one of CBS' original shows, premiering in 1949. It continued to be a part of the CBS schedule on Friday nights as an occasional series(having rotated with others) at 7 pm CT. It starred Peggy Wood as "Mama" Hansen. Dick Van Patten, the father of ABC's" Eight is Enough," was a child star at the time and starred in the role of the son, Nels.
(YouTube)
"The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny" began on CBS TV while Jack was still starring in his long-running radio show. This one had to be the model for Seinfeld many years later. It was often a show within a show featuring a great supporting cast. It ran from 1950 through 1964 on CBS and spent 1965 on NBC. "The Jack Benny Show" was a Sunday night tradition for years on CBS radio and then on TV. During most of its run through the '50s, the show was only seen on alternate weeks and didn't go every week until 1960. On one note, CBS brought back several classic episodes of "The Jack Benny Show" as a tribute during the summer of 1977 and were seen on WCIA.
(YouTube)
This is the introduction and conclusion of the CBS Crime Drama "Racket Squad" from the 1950s. It was also aired on WCIA during that time.
This is newsreel footage of the 1954 IHSA boys basketball state tournament from Huff Hall at the University of Illinois. I present this as it shows the setup at the first IHSA television broadcast of WCIA, Channel 3.
(YouTube and IHSA)
"Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" was an early version of "American's Got Talent" or any other recent-day talent contest shows. Some of the talents discovered on "Talent Scouts" included Pat Boone(and before you dismiss it entirely), The McGuire Sisters, and even Johnny Nash(who had the hit "I Can See Clearly Now," which went to number one on the pop charts in 1972!).
(YouTube)
CBS had a near-monopoly on the Top Shows of the era. Certainly, WCIA had the right idea when the negotiation for network affiliation was done. Among the top-rated shows of the era included "George Burns and Gracie Allen," which ran on CBS from 1950 to 1958. George would often turn to the camera and address the audience with a cigar after some silly thing that Gracie would say. This show also had the "show about nothing" formula and based many episodes on some little thing that happened to Gracie. Sponsors included Carnation Instant Dry Milk, which often appeared as set decoration (product placement) in the sponsored episode.
(YouTube)
Watch a complete episode of "The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny" on YouTube, as originally broadcast on CBS and WCIA in May 1955.
The CBS logo has a history dating back to 1951 and was first seen on WCIA when the station signed on in 1953. Charles Osgood shares the story on YouTube. on YouTube.
WCIA Expands Its Broadcast Day
WCIA was gradually expanding its broadcast day within a very short time. On December 7, 1953, WCIA would sign on at 5:30 pm instead of 6 pm, then the following week, sign-on would be moved another half hour ahead to 4:30 pm. Two DuMont programs would fill the schedule, “Captain Video” and “Marge and Jeff.” “Marge and Jeff” was described as “a home situation comedy for the entire family.” Adding “Better Living” to the WCIA “live” in-studio production would help expand the schedule once again beginning on December 14.
By the end of December 1953, WCIA extended the broadcast day again. From a sign-on each weekday afternoon at 4:30 pm, the daily sign-on was moved to 2 pm. The additional broadcast time would include an afternoon film feature “at 2 pm, followed by the game show “On Your Account” with host Wynn Elliott, which would air at 3:30 pm would come from NBC. “Better Living” will air at 4 pm.
A Selection of Syndicated
Shows on WCIA, 1953-1963
1950s
DuMont Television Network
broadcast on DuMont Television Network
1950s
A Selection of DuMont
Shows from 1953-54
A Selection of Syndicated
Shows from 1953-62
A Selection of NBC
Shows from 1953-58
1964-1966
A Selection of CBS
Shows from 1953-65
WCIA Programming for December 4, 1956
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
WCIA Goes Full-Time
In March of 1954, August C. Meyer, president of Midwest Television, announced that WCIA would go “full time” with a sign-on at 7 am beginning Monday, March 15, 1954. On that date, CBS would begin a morning news/entertainment program called “The Morning Show.”
“The Morning Show” would be hosted by Walter Cronkite and Charles Collingwood. Although it wasn't stated in the WCIA press release, “The Morning Show” was an obvious attempt by CBS to counter-program NBC's “Today with Dave Garroway.” Just like “Today”, it would include live entertainment, film and news pickups, weather and news updates, and even something for the kids. CBS didn't have J. Fred Muggs, the “Today” chimp, but it would have the Baird Puppets to attract the kids.
We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties...Please Stand By
Early television stations would often experience some technical problems. Those include a film break at a previous splice to complete transmitter failure. One problem WCIA experienced was unique to its operation and connected to the microwave relay for network programming.
On Sunday, June 20, 1954, WCIA lost its network video for an entire evening and most of the following day because of the failure of the A.T. & T. microwave relay near St. Joseph, Illinois. The audio was still broadcast, as it normally came to the station's control room from a broadcast telephone audio line. It's assumed that a “technical difficulties” slide or graphic filled the video part of the CBS programming. The only “real” video seen for that period was that which originated at the studios, including local newscasts and two NBC shows that were on film (kinescope), including “Dollar A Second” and “Television Theater.”
This loss of network was to be a constant issue for Channel 3. So much so that the station sought out the help of a higher authority: CBS. CBS would later protest the frequent failure of the microwave link to A.T. & T. Since CBS was a fairly big phone company customer, A.T. & T. would eventually come up with a solution.
A Change at the Top...”I came here for the waters...I was misinformed.”
Like the great line from the Bogart movie “Casablanca,” it was also applicable when it came to the story of the resignation of Harry Maynard from WCIA. In June 1954, he would resign from being general manager at WCIA after one year of holding that position.
He and his family would leave their home at 1104 West Park in Champaign to move back to southern California. He made a statement in the News-Gazette that the reason for the resignation was that the climate of east central Illinois had not been agreeable to his family's health so they would return to California.
One can only speculate on why Mr. Maynard left WCIA. Was it the central Illinois climate or the apparent forcefulness of August Meyer? August Meyer seemed to be the constant spokesperson for Midwest Television and WCIA, with only a few minor programming announcements by Mr. Maynard. Was the personality of Mr. Meyer overwhelming to Mr. Maynard?
Mr. Maynard's leaving WCIA, if it did create a hole in the management team, would soon be gradually filled by Guy Main. Mr. Main wasn't the flamboyant personality or egotist that Mr. Meyer was, which may have made him the ideal person to fill Mr. Maynard's position.
WCIA Promotes from Within
New positions for two management team members at WCIA were announced in August Meyer in mid-October of 1955. Guy F. Main, the former sales manager, would be promoted to vice president and director of sales for Midwest Television.
James F. Fielding, the production manager, was named assistant secretary and treasurer of Midwest Television, Incorporated. Despite his promotion, he would continue to oversee all station operations except sales and engineering. Mr. Main and Mr. Fielding had been with WCIA since the station aired in 1953.
WCIA Coverage Area of VHF-Channel 3
August Meyer showing the WCIA studio 1953, Contributed by WCIA
WCIA News anchor Don McMullin. He replaced Fred Sorenson as main anchor.
WCIA Coverage Area of VHF-Channel 3
Scott Craig is a retired television producer/director/writer. He began his broadcasting career in 1957 as a radio disc jockey and two years later broke into television in Champaign, Illinois, at WCIA. He went on to work for NBC and CBS-owned television stations in Chicago.
In 1975, he formed his own television production company in that city and produced hundreds of documentaries for local and national broadcast venues and the home video market. His programs appeared on CBS, NBC, Turner, Home and Garden, Fox, and others. His productions for PBS total more than twenty titles, including “Lost in Middle America,” narrated by Hal Holbrook; two installments of Frontline; the highly acclaimed, award-winning thirteen-part series, “On the Waterways,” hosted by Jason Robards; and the Peabody Award-winning special, “Studebaker: Less Than They Promised.” From 1998 until 2004, Craig produced two series for HGTV:
“The Good Life,” about people who completely changed their lifestyles, and the popular “Extreme Homes,” showcasing some of the world’s most unusual domiciles.
Scott Craig and his work have won more than 100 prestigious awards, including a George Foster Peabody Award, a National Emmy, and thirty-two Emmys from the Chicago Chapter of the Television Academy. As a result, he is believed to have won more Emmys than anyone in the history of the Chicago Television Academy. His programs were honored by the Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta Film Festivals and the Film Festival of Italy.
Craig holds a BA from the College of Wooster and an MA and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He lived in Leland, Michigan, with his wife, Carol Bawden. He passed away in 2024.
Scott Craig
WCIA Celebrates Its First Anniversary in Color
By August of 1954, CBS affiliates in 81 markets planned to be color-ready, at least to broadcast what few color CBS television shows were being planned. Among those in the area included WEEK-TV, Peoria; WTHI-TV, Terre Haute; KWK-TV St. Louis, but WCIA was not one of those....at least not yet.
In November of 1954, WCIA would celebrate one year of being on the air. Even though there was talk of a televised celebration of the fact, according to August Meyer, the staff was too busy doing its job.
In a story published in the Champaign-Urbana Courier, the station would receive reception reports from Cuba and New Brunswick, Canada, during its first year of operation. During the first year, WCIA would also expand its broadcast day within its first year of operation. This was something the central Illinois competition would take several years to achieve.
Now, the station's new goal was installing equipment to broadcast color programming from CBS and NBC. This upgrade in service would include changes in the coaxial cable from Chicago to Danville. Modifications would be made in the amplifiers located at seven-mile intervals along the coaxial route. According to the Champaign-Urbana Courier adjustments had already been made in the A.T. & T. microwave system, which runs from Danville to Champaign.
WCIA Chief Engineer Robert Myers stated that much of the 1953 equipment, such as the RCA transmitter, was designed to be adaptable to the additional equipment needed to broadcast color. Midwest Television President August Meyer said earlier in November that even though the exact date of the first color cast was “elastic,” it would occur before Christmas.
Interestingly, though, August Meyer made some predictions about television in 1954 that now appear true. He said many more improvements can be anticipated regarding television technology. He predicted television sets “would be the size of a cigar box and the screen as big as your living room wall” in the future.
By November 15, the first anniversary of WCIA, with only a few viewers in locations to witness the first broadcast of color TV, the initial color-cast premier went without a hitch. As far as what's known, there were only three color television sets in Champaign-Urbana, with one at WCIA. That's where station officials witnessed the initial color broadcast. Then, a few made the short run to Dillayou's Appliance Store at 335 North Walnut, where another color television set was on display and being watched by over 200 people. They would also travel to the third receiver at a television retailer, Downtown TV, at 32 East Chester Street. A spokesperson at WCIA described the event as going “beautifully!”
The first regular color broadcast was of CBS' “Best of Broadway.” Another color broadcast was scheduled the next evening, “Ford Theater.”
In March of 1955, it was reported that WCIA joined the list of WBBM, Channel 2, Chicago; WNBQ, Channel 5, Chicago; WEEK-TV, Channel 43, Peoria; WTVH, Channel 19, Peoria; WGEM-TV, Channel 10, Quincy; and WHBF-TV, Channel 4, Moline, all which could pass network programming in color.
It was the goal to color-cast the 1955 Rose Bowl game from Pasadena, California, and the Orange Bowl game from Miami, Florida both on New Year's Day. Mr. Meyer said that WCIA was probably the only station in the U.S. to broadcast both games in color. One game would come from CBS and the other from NBC, and even though there were probably a handful of stations broadcasting both games in black and white, WCIA would air them both in color. Meyer also stated that Channel 3 would be the first VHF station downstate to broadcast in color. That wasn't a very bold statement since there were only four other VHF stations in downstate Illinois.
WCIA Prepares for Battle
It seems that WCIA tried to “fly under the radar” when it came to the de-intermixture controversy in many TV markets across the U.S. UHF stations were facing failure because of the dominance of VHF stations in their markets, and it was getting the attention of the FCC and congress.
In central Illinois, there were two major de-intermixture issues on proposed stations, not even on the air. The channel 2 allocation is in Springfield, and the allocation for channel 8 in Peoria. WCIA would eventually be brought up as a target for de-intermixture.
WCIA would soon have to defend its VHF channel among its UHF competition and the FCC. In February of 1956, the responses to a questionnaire sent by the FCC to television stations concerning TV allocation problems were released. Most UHF stations wanted VHF stations to reduce power to give them similar coverage areas of UHF stations, while other responses were unrealistically in favor of the FCC allocating additional VHF channels in those communities, which would be presumably assumed by current UHF stations.
WCIA responded by opposing any future mixing of UHF and VHF channels in individual markets but advocated the maintenance of the “status quo” regarding mileage separations among VHF stations. Regarding another issue, WCIA would oppose a plan by CBS to include Champaign-Urbana in the Terre Haute, Indiana market.
One FCC proposal got the attention of a WCIA competitor. In May of 1956, the FCC reviewed responses to a proposed rule change on multiple-city station IDs for Television stations. Most stations favored a dual city ID. A pole was taken by the FCC, which was instigated by WVEC in Hampton-Norfolk, Virginia, and WDSM-TV in Superior, Wisconsin-Duluth, Minnesota. Both stations were seeking to locate studios in both cities in the ID. WDSM stated that stations should be able to utilize dual city IDs where sufficient community interest existed.
Among the stations publically disagreeing with the proposition was WTVP in Decatur. It was obvious that Prairie Television/WTVP anticipated WCIA taking on multiple city IDs, such as Champaign-Urbana-Decatur-Danville.
WICA Local News Reaches Central Illinois
The first WCIA news anchor was Fred Sorensen. He also served as news editor (news director) for Channel 3. Those early newscasts included watching the newsman read wire copy with local news reports. It was much like “radio with pictures,” as no film or video was available. The newsman readings were only broken up by an occasional snap-shot picture of some news event.
The first weathercaster was a man who would be a legend at the station. Wyndham “Mr.” Roberts would begin his career on November 15, 1953, at WCIA, where he would continue well into the early 1980s! Mr. Robert's “Weather Vane” would update central Illinois viewers with the latest forecast. The weathercast, including commercial sponsorship, was around 4-5 minutes. According to the schedule, his only daily weather cast would occur during the late-night broadcast of news. There's more about Mr. Roberts later.
Jack Prowell was the station's first sportscaster. Similar to the reading of the news, sports were equally without video footage and only included descriptions of contest results. Sportscasts, like weathercasts, were usually only around 5 minutes as well. Jack's tenure at WCIA appeared to be a short one. Later, in 1954, sports were also being handled by Mr. Sorensen.
The length of most local newscasts on WCI0A varied anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for the early evening cast, which ran at 6:30 pm. The 10 pm news ran for 15 minutes and was followed by the “Midwest Marquee,” an umbrella title for the late movie.
The newscast, sportscast, and weathercast sponsor's logo would be prominently displayed on the front of the news desk of the appropriate broadcast desk or the weather maps. News sets were simple: a table, a chair, and a background world map. Weather graphics were non-existent, but a wall display of the various readings, like temperatures, barometric pressure, and wind direction/speed, was written in chalk in the designated spaces. WCIA did have a rather different weather map display. More later.
Those in-studio presentations would include using two studio cameras, each manned by an operator, an audio microphone boom operator, and a floor director, to communicate information on the correct camera to look into and to communicate the timing of the production. An IFB, an intercom between producers and the talent, or a TelePrompTer was non-existent then.
In 1955, a sportscaster would join the WCIA staff and continue to be with Channel 3 well into the 1960s. Red Schoendienst would take over the role of sportscaster, making him, along with Mr. Roberts, another of the best-known central Illinois early television personalities.
Photos of WCIA Newscast with Fred Sorenson as news director and anchor, and weathercasters Mr. Roberts
WCIA's August Meyer Testifies Before the Senate Commerce Committees
In June of 1956, Congress was investigating the relationship between television networks and their affiliates. The Senate Commerce Committee was conducting a hearing with a cross-section of CBS outlets in various size markets, VHF and UHF, and in one, two, three, or four-station-size markets.
Congress was investigating the practices of unregulated television networks and how they interact with local FCC-licensed television stations. The committee's concern was a suspected monopoly of the station and its network, along with the business practices between the number one network and its local stations.
It stemmed from an anti-network report filed with the FCC entitled “Network Monopoly Report” by Richard A. Moore of the Los Angeles independent television station KTTV(TV). This brought about the actions of the Senate Committee.
During the hearing, August Meyer was a television station owner testifying. Meyer of WCIA stated that any change in the current business relationship with CBS, including the status of its dial position being on the VHF band, would cause “irreparable injury” to Channel 3. He said that his television station relied on the current business model to ensure its success.
He said the regulation of networks “will not make a Santa Clause out of the advertiser. He will still invest his advertising dollars in the manner, and the media he believes will bring him maximum results.” He continued that if regulation makes it difficult for the advertiser, “he might take his advertising elsewhere and place it in other media.”
From the point of view of WCIA, he said, network option time and must-buys are not only desirable but essential. He said WCIA has developed non-network and local programming with a “strong network base” and that “....allocations and other problems should not be confused with network operations.”
Other central Illinois CBS affiliates were represented as well. Representatives were testifying from KHQA(TV) Hannibal, Missouri; WREX-TV Rockford, Illinois; WTVH-TV Peoria, Illinois; WHBF-TV Moline, Illinois; and KFVS-TV Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
A.T. & T. Offers a Solution to a Network Problem
As mentioned earlier, the setup to receive CBS and NBC from the A.T. & T. coax running north-south through Danville, and the microwave link from Danville to Champaign was becoming an increasing reliability problem for WCIA. WCIA would enlist the help of CBS to pressure A T & T to solve the intermittent problem of network video dropouts.
By December of 1956, what was felt to be a solution was at hand. American Telephone and Telegraph Company would devise a new path for the network upon arriving at the WCIA studios. This new path would eliminate “splicing into” the coax in Danville and rely on a microwave link between Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The path of this microwave link goes through the Kansas, Illinois, area in Edgar County, about 40 miles southeast of Champaign.
The phone company built a repeater tower at Ridge Farm, Illinois, in far south Vermilion County, south of Danville, Illinois. Transmission from the Kansas tower along the main Pittsburgh to St. Louis route would go to the repeater at Ridge Farm, where it would be beamed to another repeater atop the 12-story First National Bank building (corner of North Vermilion and Main Street) in downtown Danville. From there, the signal would be beamed to the existing repeater tower near St. Joseph, near the Glover Highway overpass. The St. Joseph repeater electronics had been completely re-equipped by A.T. & T..
The signal would be beamed to the 150-foot tower behind the WCIA studios for the final stretch. A new 12 by 12-foot concrete block building was built to house equipment to receive the network feed, but would also serve as a home to the microwave equipment to send the station's final broadcast feed to the transmitter site near Seymour, Illinois.
WCIA chief engineer Robert L. Myers reported “very fine service” from the new microwave pathway.
A copy of a 1953 newspaper ad showing a logo consisting of "three fingers" to indicated Channel 3, owned by Midwest Television from Champaign, IL, Doug Quick Collection
From November 23, 1953, an ad from the Mattoon Journal-Gazette for special program.
1962, ad with Paul Davis as a reporter at WCIA. WCIA
A copy of a 1953 newspaper ad showing a logo consisting of "three fingers" to indicated Channel 3, owned by Midwest Television from Champaign, IL, Doug Quick Collection
"Our Miss Brooks" began on the radio, as many TV shows did in the 1950s. It starred Eve Arden and Connie Brooks, a teacher. It had a great ensemble cast, including Gale Gordon, Gene Barry, Robert Rockwell, Richard Crenna, and Gloria McMillan. It premiered on TV on October 3, 1952, before WCIA went on the air in late 1953. The first episode is from the final season, which aired on February 24, 1956, and would have been broadcast on WCIA. The second episode aired on March 9, 1956, on CBS and WCIA.
(from the Doug Quick YouTube Channel)
"The Jack Benny Program" was a staple on CBS from around 1950 through the early 1960s. This particular episode aired on March 11, 1956 on CBS and WCIA, and is entitled "Jack Drives to Palm Springs."
(from the Doug Quick YouTube Channel)
"The Dennis O'Keefe Show" was another single-parent TV sitcom popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Dennis O'Keefe stars as the syndicated LA newspaper columnist Hal Towne. This was seen on CBS from Sept 22, 1959, through June 7, 1960. This episode aired on October 27, 1959, on WCIA.
(from the Doug Quick YouTube Channel)
Long before "Dynasty," John Forsythe starred in "Bachelor Father," which aired on CBS from September 15, 1957, to June 1959. It followed runs on both NBC and ABC through Sept 1962. This also includes guest Jack Benny. Others in the regular cast include Noreen Corcoran and Sammy Tong. This was seen on WCIA during its CBS run.
(from the Doug Quick YouTube Channel)
WCIA Enjoys a Central Illinois Dominance
From 1955 through 1959, it was business “as usual” as WCIA continued to broadcast a highly rated CBS schedule of daytime and nighttime programming and the best of NBC. Channel 3 had a virtual regional monopoly of television viewing across mid-Illinois and west central Indiana.
What would end up being the best decision of August Meyer, or at least his management team, would be a plan to position the VHF station in such a way that would ensure its dominance for decades! Remember that at that time, mid-Illinois consisted of three different TV markets. Springfield was its own market, as were Decatur and Champaign-Urbana/Danville. Springfield viewers would lean toward watching WICS, Decatur viewers would go to WTVP, and Danville viewers would go to WDAN-TV. If WCIA aired its local news at the same time that the other central Illinois stations were airing their local newscasts, WCIA, at best, could only expect to pull an audience from the Champaign-Urbana area and only a few from Decatur, Springfield, or Danville.
This move by Midwest Television would bring news viewers from all three markets to WCIA with virtually no competition from the other local UHF stations. The solution was simple but, in some respects, risky. The decision was made once WCIA invested significantly in regionalizing its newscasts to delay local news broadcasts by 15 or 30 minutes. By the mid-1950s, WICS, WTVP, and WDAN-TV were airing their 15 or 30-minute local news at the “traditional” times of 6 and 10 pm. WCIA would air its local news at 6:30 and 10:30 pm. The major risk was the late-night edition of the news, as the question was, “Would people stay up until 10:45 to catch the very end of a regional newscast produced at WCIA. The answer was “yes.”
Establishing WCIA as a regional television station would build habitual viewing across mid-Illinois. The decision for the newscast delay was pure genius! Television audiences move as slowly as a parked car...maybe slower. As households became used to watching WCIA, the habit was handed down from generation to generation. It was even contagious from neighbor to neighbor and friend to friend. It seemed that no one in central Illinois could close the day without their “fix” of news from WCIA.
WCIA would continue its 15 or 30-minute local news delay for its early evening newscast until 1959, and its late-night newscasts seemed to appear at the “traditional” time of 10 pm by 1962. By the late 1950s or early 1960s, the decision to return to the more traditional news was made. Several outside factors may have made it necessary to move back to the 6 and 10 pm news time.
One possible outside reason could have been the added Champaign-Urbana television competition. The change by Channel 3 to a 6 pm evening newscast may or may not have reacted to new competition from the part-time satellite of WICS now in Champaign, WCHU, Channel 33, which would air a local newscast at 6 pm. That newscast would contain at least some elements produced at WICS in Springfield.
Changing to a 6 pm local newscast could have been one of WCIA's arrogance. Once the “habit” was achieved of watching the presumably better production of local news, sports, and weather of WCIA, there could have been enough confidence in maintaining enough audience across the market to give Channel 3 an edge in household numbers overall.
There may have been other factors, though. First, NBC and ABC produced programming to begin prime time at 6:30 pm. There may have been fears of audience loss from competition against the other station's network fare. CBS would also begin to program the 6:30 to 7:00 pm block earnestly with programming, which would more likely attract an audience.
Before that time, CBS would program Monday through Friday at 6:30 pm with shows like the British import “Robin Hood,” game shows like “Name That Tune” and “Masquerade Party,” reruns of “I Love Lucy” along with “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.” Several of those CBS shows would be picked up and aired on WTVP at 6:30 pm. CBS would also begin to schedule hour-long shows at 6:30 pm, changing the WCIA local news time by 15 minutes to air at 6:15 pm, as most other stations would only air 15 minutes of local news at 6 pm. By 1960, most central Illinois stations were airing 30-minute local newscasts, taking away the benefit of the 15-minute delay for WCIA.
In 1960, most evenings prime-time viewing on CBS would begin at 6:30 pm with one-hour shows like “Aquanauts,” “The Witness” and “Rawhide.” By then, WCIA needed to return to the 6 pm newscast.
Even though by the early 1960s, all of the central Illinois television stations were airing local newscasts at 6 and 10 pm, the habits created during those years in the mid to late 1950s would establish the station as a regional news source for viewers throughout mid-Illinois.
The maneuvering of the WCIA local newscast times, along with its VHF dial position, the vast viewing area of the station, and its investment in a noticeably better television product, would continue to influence the local news and entertainment preferences of many central Illinois viewers for decades!
In my book "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television History," you can find articles from two local newspapers in 1957 and 1958 which detail WCIA's battle to remain on VHF Channel 3.
Click on the button to see the program schedule from the dates indicated above.
In 1961, the FCC proposed moving WCIA to a UHF channel, which would greatly affect the station's coverage area. The Urbana Courier published several news stories about this issue, which are detailed in my book, "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television History."
A Threat Against WCIA on Channel 3
The first mention of a possible threat against Channel 3 and its channel on the VHF band would become public in March 1957. The days of WCIA “flying under the radar” were now over. The question was whether markets in mid-Illinois were to be served by all VHF channels, all UHF channels, or a mixture of VHF and UHF. Even though WCIA's dial position wasn't an issue in the proceedings before the FCC at the time, the VHF-UHF channel question was creating controversy in Springfield and Peoria, Illinois.
The battle for those valuable VHF channels between prospective owners was bringing the protests of the market UHF stations, who were battling for their very existence against the possibility of another major VHF competitor signing on. Peoria had already established UHF stations on channel 19, WTVH-TV, and channel 43, WEEK-TV. Meanwhile, Springfield established a UHF station at channel 20, WICS. Champaign had the advantage of not having an existing UHF station on the air at the time of the Channel 3 grant to
Midwest Television.
Even though there was a UHF station in Danville, Champaign was not considered part of the Danville market....or more likely, Danville wasn't considered part of the Champaign market. The coverage area of WDAN-TV, Channel 24 in Danville, barely reached the Twin Cities of Champaign-Urbana. Another factor was that WDAN-TV didn't go on the air until after WCIA did. August Meyer's quick actions gave WCIA a jumpstart and allowed the station to establish itself as the first EAST Central Illinois TV station.
It would just be a matter of time before central Illinois' UHF stations would challenge the VHF channel being held by WCIA. On July 26, 1957, a story was published in the Champaign-Urbana Courier told of a nine-point petition to the FCC filed by Plains Television on behalf of WICS and Prairie Television for WTVP.
The Plains Television/WICS petition wanted the allocation of channel 3 eliminated for Champaign because WCIA was the “sole commercial VHF television located in the “heart of a UHF area.” Plains Television said the deletion of channel 3 was necessary to protect the effectiveness of the FCC's recent action to eliminate channel 8 in Peoria.
WCIA refuted those claims by Plains Television. WCIA stated that Channel 3 was outside of the central Illinois UHF area and that eliminating the VHF channel was not necessary to assure the survival of UHF service in central Illinois. Midwest stated that the elimination would be “an inefficient use of an important VHF frequency” and “deprive significant numbers of people of service, particularly residents of small communities and rural areas...” Plus, those areas “served by WCIA (had a) very low the proportion of sets (which) can receive UHF signals.”
Midwest would respond that WCIA should not be put on the “burden and expense” of a proceeding before the commission “based on the flimsy showing made in the petitions of the Springfield and Decatur interests.” One of the proposals proposed awarding the channel 3 allocation to the University of Illinois and moving the current U of I allocation at channel 12 to other communities. The proposals of the UHF stations were based on the idea that giving the U of I channel 3 would benefit the educational television service. Mr. Meyer would shoot back a response declaring the U of I was “operating a commendable television station on channel 12 and has not requested or suggested a change.....WCIA came into being through a desire to protect the interest of the University and at the same time provide commercial television for a large area that was without it until we went on the air.”
He went on to say that the original plan of the FCC was only to have one VHF station assigned to Champaign-Urbana. It was originally designated as an educational channel. Mr. Meyer would tell the story, “Commercial interests could have challenged this, earmarking (the VHF channel as educational) and (leaving) the University without any channel.” He goes on, “It was the present ownership of
WCIA engaged consulting engineers and demonstrated to the FCC that allocations could be changed in 11 states, so channel 12 could be allocated for educational use and channel 3 assigned to 'commercial operations.' The U. of I. The athletic department desires commercial sponsorship of its games, and this would be impossible on a non-commercial educational station, regardless of the
channel. The results of all this cooperation would be wiped out if the Springfield and Decatur stations should succeed in their current efforts. They are asking that the University station be left isolated in the VHF band. With no commercial VHF station with good programming to cause people to keep VHF antennas up, this would be almost a death blow to the audience of the University station, and
this fact is well known.”
The newspaper account of the WCIA reaction to the petition also included what the UHF stations were urging regarding the channel 3 allocation. One preposterous idea mentioned in the account was a suggestion to move the allocation to Fowler, Indiana! Fowler is a small community in Benton County with no business base to support any television service. The closest larger community would be Lafayette, Indiana, 25 miles southeast of Fowler. This would virtually reallocate channel 3 to Lafayette, Indiana, or perhaps even Danville, Illinois.
Meyer would explain that WICS is controlled by New York and Chicago interests, which have sought to move channel 3 from Madison, Wisconsin, to Rockford, Illinois. The FCC had already denied this request. Plains Television owned WTVO, Channel 39 in Rockford, and sought a VHF channel for its station there. He also would bring up Plains Television's permit to operate a UHF channel 33 for Champaign-Urbana, but so far, Plains “has made no effort to get started.” He also described Channel 33 as merely a satellite for WICS.
William Shellabarger of Prairie Television and WTVP predicted that WCIA would eventually become a UHF station or its existence as a VHF station would drive the UHF stations off the air since they couldn't compete for viewers and advertisers. The WTVP petition also sides with a local group, the Champaign-Urbana Council for Better Radio and Television. Meyer would state that the
group was established by a University of Illinois professor, the head of an organization that failed to develop a television station on channel 21 after obtaining a construction permit. He asked, “Is it possible he is still seeking personal gain rather than serving the interests of the public or the university from whom he receives his pay?” That professor was Mr. Phillip Zimmerly, the former
spokesperson of a group of investors in the former applicant for Channel 21.
The UHF petitioners also claimed that many TV stations would spring up after the de-intermixture, but Mr. Meyer would say they are “ignoring the economic facts of life.” He would continue, “Good programming costs money, and a good market is required to support good programming. The area of a given market that a television station can cover is directly related to the transmitter, power, and
antenna height and also to the assigned channel.”
With the petitions filed by WICS and WTVP, WCIA would organize the first public relations campaign to enlighten their viewing audience on the downside of a possible VHF to UHF conversion. It was important to show the costs to everyone, not just the viewers in the fringe areas who would lose WCIA. This campaign would include the mention of 6 million dollars in total viewer expenses that would be
required investments by viewers to continue to receive WCIA.
WCIA, according to their report, had an audience in 33 counties that are wholly or partly outside of what is known as its Grade B area, and in those areas, less than 50 percent of the households were currently equipped to receive UHF broadcasts. The station had done its homework. Other numbers presented include the 432,000 people in those fringe areas in 140,976 homes, with only 17,823
equipped to receive UHF broadcasts!
The station went on to bring up other factors to show that if UHF stations were to be developed in smaller communities in those fringe areas like Mattoon, Streator, Kankakee, and others, there would be extensive overlapping with existing VHF and UHF stations throughout the Midwest. The WCIA campaign would declare that the station “exists only because its owners recognized that there is a
a substantial area of small and rural communities would not have effective television coverage unless a VHF television station were allocated to Champaign.”
By the end of 1957, the FCC would unanimously deny the petitions of the other central Illinois television stations to deintermix Champaign-Urbana and central Illinois. The FCC would state that Champaign-Urbana was not predominately a UHF community, and surrounding UHF outlets did not provide even grade B service to the twin cities. The Commission would also say that if Channel 3
was deleted, a “significant” number of people now receiving television would lose television service. At the same time, the FCC handed down some other decisions concerning other Channel 3's. The channel 3 allocation was granted to Harrisburg, Illinois, and WSIL-TV, Channel 22, permission to broadcast on channel 3 until the outcome of a hearing for that channel would be decided. The FCC
also denied a petition by Sarkes Tarzian Inc.(owner of WTTV, Channel 4 in Bloomington, Indiana) a request to grant channel 13 to a community just to the east of Harrisburg in Carterville, Illinois.
At that time, the FCC also denied a specific petition by Plains Television(WICS) and Prairie Television(WTVP) to deintermix Champaign-Urbana by deleting channel 3 and not proposing that channel 3 be reassigned to any specific community. The Commission rejected the alternate proposal of Prairie/WTVP to reserve channel 3 for educational use, move channel 12 to (Fowler, Indiana) Lafayette, Indiana, for
commercial use, and add channel 64 to Champaign-Urbana. WTVP also sought to change WCIA to channels 21, 27, or 33.
The final statement from WCIA on this episode reads, “The commission's order gratifies all of us at WCIA. It means we can continue our efforts for better television service to Central Illinois and Western Indiana.” It appeared that WCIA was in the clear to broadcast on channel 3 for the duration. Unfortunately, a move to delete channel 3 from Champaign would happen again later.
Starring as "K-k-Katy" was Ann Sothern in the "Ann Sothern Show" which aired on CBS from 1958 to 1961. Her character was the assistant manager of a major downtown hotel in New York.
(YouTube)
Check out this vintage weather segment featuring John Coleman, recorded on kinescope at WCIA in 1958. Coleman went on to work as a weathercaster at WMBD-TV in Peoria, co-found WRTL Radio in Rantoul, helped establish The Weather Channel, provided weather updates for "Good Morning America," worked at WMAQ-TV in Chicago, and eventually retired after working at KUSI in San Diego, California. You can find the segment on YouTube.
"The Phil Silvers Show," or "Bilko" ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 and seen on WCIA during it's run.
(YouTube)
After the live network run, WCIA would broadcast "Mr. and Mrs. North," a show previously aired on NBC. The series would be shown to secondary NBC affiliates by Kinsecope which sometimes aired weeks after its original air date. WCIA continued to air the show until late 1954. This information is available on YouTube.This information is available on YouTube.
Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver, along with Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus, starred in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis". The show also featured occasional appearances from Tuesday Weld and Warren Beatty. This beloved series was broadcast on CBS from 1959 to 1963 and continued to be syndicated for many years. You can find episodes of the show on YouTube.
Future Sister Television Station Signs On
Peoria got a New Year's Day present in 1958 with the arrival of WMBD-TV, Channel 31. Even though another group of broadcasters owned WMBD at the time, WMBD Incorporated. The group's owners were Charles Caley, John Fetzer, and Robert Runnerstrom. They were already owners of long-time Peoria radio stations, WMBD-AM/FM.
During the 1950s, the radio station was a typical medium market CBS Radio Network affiliate, a designation not lost on CBS when WMBD-TV sought a network affiliation. It seemed logical that the new Peoria station would take on the number one television network, CBS. Of course, that would mean big changes for the former part-time CBS affiliate, WTVH-TV, There's more on that with the history of each of those Peoria stations later on this website.
By early 1960, WMBD-AM/FM/TV would be purchased by Midwest Television making it a huge television empire across central Illinois!
WCIA News Department, 1962, WCIA
Screen grab from 1962 10pm WCIA Newscast
Gene Robinson, as anchor/reporter, WCIA
WCIA News Department, 1962, WCIA
WCIA Schools Central Illinois Viewers
WCIA chose to telecast meetings of the United Nations concerning a crisis in the Middle East in July of 1958. Many viewers were not happy. The fans of the daytime serials, game shows, and off-network reruns expressed themselves loudly and clearly. The viewer response was overwhelmingly against carrying the CBS-TV-originated coverage. Many viewers didn't understand that the
network was preempting their popular shows, not WCIA. There were probably similar reactions from viewers of other CBS affiliates around the county. The one factor that makes it different regarding WCIA is how the station reacted to the viewer's response.
WCIA aired an editorial that, in part, said....” The phone calls we have received have been overwhelmingly opposed to the special news coverage. This reaction has indicated that.....viewers would rather indulge themselves in the entertainment of their regular afternoon programs that face the somewhat grim realities of the UN's attempt to keep the peace. No scenario writer could create higher drama. It is the intention of WCIA to continue to broadcast these special news programs in the belief that no nation can be strong unless it is well informed.”
Before the end of the newscast containing the editorial, WCIA reported it was necessary to call in extra help to “man” the phones and tabulate calls from viewers congratulating the station on its policy statement. The station said more than 120 calls were counted in the first hour following the newscast and the editorial. Over 200 calls were counted by noon the next day. Virtually all of the calls were in support of the programming decision of WCIA.
The editorial was repeated the following day during its newscasts, and over 900 calls were counted, and an untold number of letters were received by Channel 3 later. From all the phone calls, only 20 were received opposing WCIA's coverage.
WCIA Archive Pictures
These photos connected to "The Hop." It includes the first host, John Coleman, and the second host Ed Mason.
The Hop hosted by John Coleman and Ed Mason
"The Hop" was WCIA's answer to "American Bandstand." Even though many local TV stations would try to duplicate the style of the teenage dance shows, even WICS and WTVP had their versions, the WCIA version still holds a special place in the memories of many WCIA viewers.
I get more inquiries about "The Hop" than any locally produced TV show. To answer your questions: No, I have no access to any recordings of "The Hop," and neither does WCIA. This show was produced live, and ALMOST no recordings exist. The exceptions are below.
1959, The Hop with John Coleman, contributed by WCIA
1959, The Hop with John Coleman, contributed by WCIA
1960, John Coleman and "The Hop", WCIA
1959, The Hop with John Coleman, contributed by WCIA
WCIA's Saturday Afternoon Dance Party hosted by John Coleman, is shown here. It was later hosted by Ed Mason. The theme music on this clip has been removed due to a copyright challenge. For more on this central Illinois teenage dance party show(no reference to the theme song)
(Ed Mason Collection and YouTube)
At the time of this kinescope, WCIA's Saturday Afternoon Teenage Dance Party Program was hosted by Ed Mason. In this segment, he is interviewing Margaret Whiting, who recorded several hits of the 1940s and '50s and was a frequent guest on TV variety shows of the 1950s. Part 1 of the interview is also available. It is one of the only kinescopes of the program, which ran from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Due to a copyright challenge, the theme music has been eliminated from this video, as any mention here of its actual title.
(Ed Mason Collection and YouTube)
(left) Ed Mason publicity photo
(right): Ed Mason as "Captain Eddie" as he hosted the "Popeye Show" on Channel 3 during the late 50s and early 60s.
(Ed Mason collection)
1950s-60s, Ed Mason, studio crew, copy writer, commercial announcer, program host, director. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA.
1950s-60s, Ed Mason, studio crew, copy writer, commercial announcer, program host, director. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA.
1962, Ed Mason, host of "The Hop" with unknown studio guest. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA.
1950s-60s, Ed Mason, studio crew, copy writer, commercial announcer, program host, director. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA.
"Way Out" was WCIAs creature feature movie series umbrella title which starred WCIA account executive Robert Shive. His character "Trebor" was Robert spelled backward. Here is a kinescope clip.
(Ed Mason Collection and YouTube)
Another example of the "war" that existed between Midwest Television and its competitor based in Springfield, WICS/WCHU/WICD. This is from December 1963 and Broadcasting Magazine.
News coverage of the JFK assassination, starting with the interruption of "As the World Turns" by Walter Cronkite during the first hour and ten minutes after the shooting occurred. Around 40 minutes into the period came the first of many unconfirmed reports from a Dallas affiliate reporter that Kennedy was dead. Finally, after over one hour, the news anchor confirmed that Kennedy had died 38 minutes earlier.
(YouTube)
Reporter Paul Davis
Reporter Paul Davis
Reporter Paul Davis
Reporter Paul Davis
Shooting credits for "The Bar None Ranch." Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
Live country/western music show from 1954 courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
1950s-60s, WCIA production control room. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
Shooting credits for "The Bar None Ranch." Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
On November 22, 1963, the world was just learning of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Channel 3 news was on the street, getting central Illinois residents' feelings on the story of the second half of the century.
In this series of pictures, Paul Davis was in downtown Champaign, getting people's reactions.
(Courtesy of WCIA)
WCIA Archive Pictures
Over the last few years, WCIA Production Manager Pete Barrett headed up a project to restore and catalog historical pictures, videos, and films from the history of WCIA. He has now allowed me to share the results of that project here at Central Illinois Online Broadcast Museum.
The photos at the left are part of a release from April 2020. They include pictures from "The Bar None Ranch," a country music show from 1954. In this gallery, there are also pictures from "Country Crossroads." It was a newscast for homemakers and rural viewers broadcast during the mid-day.
Those below include the personalities that brought central Illinois the weather report every day, newscasts, the various special interest programming for the homemakers, and those who supported the news department and remote filming of news events.
1958, Mr. Roberts, weather. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
1958, John Coleman. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
1960s, film camera for commercial production being demonstrated by unknown photographer. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA.
1958, Mr. Roberts, weather. Courtesy of Pete Barrett and WCIA
The Beatles on Sullivan
"The Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9th,1964. The songs featured included "All My Loving," "Till There, Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand." On that first appearance, over 73 million people watched the Beatles. During this show, most normal activities in America came to a standstill. They appeared eight more times on "The Ed Sullivan Show" over the years. They received $10,000 plus expenses for their mini-concert.
I remember watching the Beatles' appearances on WCIA/CBS during those dark days of 1964 after the Kennedy Assassination. Never again will a popular music group impact TV and America! --Doug Quick
WCIA Becomes More Colorful
Even though it appeared that WCIA could pass CBS and NBC live network programming in color in the mid-1950s, CBS aired very little programming in color after 1958. It wasn't until 1965 that WCIA added local capabilities to bring central Illinois color programming. With this move, WCIA could broadcast movies, the network, and eventually local news, weather, sports, and other locally produced programs.
On August 19th, 1965, "The CBS Morning News with Mike Wallace" became the first network news program broadcast in color. The same evening, "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" was the first half-hour network newscast broadcast in color but wasn't regularly in color until January 31, 1966.
By 1965, half of the primetime schedule was broadcast in color. By the fall of 1966, the entire primetime broadcast schedule was in color. CBS was the last of the three networks to do so, despite being the first to broadcast in color in the early 1950s. CBS suspended color broadcasting throughout the rest of the '50s into the early '60s mainly because CBS would have had to purchase equipment from RCA, the owners of NBC, their competitor.
Power: 100kw vis, 50.1kw aur: antenna 940'
Studio: 509 South Neil, Champaign, Illinois
Licensee: Midwest Television Inc.
Network: CBS-TV
National Sales Rep: Peters, Griffin, Woodward
Rate: $1,200 Color: Network, Video tape: RCA (2)
August C. Meyer, president
Clara R. Meyer, vice-president
Guy F. Main, executive vice-president
James Fielding, director of operations
Robert L. Myers, director of engineering
Gerald P. Johnson, sales manager
Leonard N. Davis, national sales manager
John T. Ketterer, film buyer
William J. Helms, production and sales service manager
Robert D. McMullin, news director
Washington attorney: Covington and Burling
(from Broadcasting Yearbook 1964)
WCIA Remains at 509 South Neil
The decision was made not to develop the site proposed by Midwest Television in the 1950s on far south Neil Street, US-45, south of Champaign. The site was developed during the early 1960s as Par Three Golf Course, Driving Range....and the Studio Lodge Motel.
It appeared that, at least for the foreseeable future, WCIA would remain at 509 South Neil in Champaign, the original studio location from 1953. The picture at left is more than likely from the late 1960s or early 1970s. The sign on the building stated, "The station for Central Illinois news."
"Gunsmoke" premiered on September 10, 1955. Here is a summary episode. The Adult Western started on the radio with William Conrad, but he was not considered for the role of Matt Dillion. John Wayne was but turned it down, recommending James Arness. Gunsmoke ran on CBS and WCIA from 1955 to 1975.
(YouTube)
"The Danny Thomas Show" followed the initial title of "Make Room for Daddy." Here is the first mashup of "The Danny Thomas Show" with what was to become "The Andy Griffith Show."
(YouTube)
"Wanted Dead or Alive" was a TV series from 1958 to 1961, featuring Steve McQueen as a young bounty hunter in the Old West.
"The Phil Silvers Show-You'll Never Get Rich" was one of the most popular shows of the 1950s and seen on CBS from 1955 to 1959. This video includes the show's opening with the sponsor's mention, and several commercials broadcast as part of the show with Phil Silvers and other cast members.
(YouTube)
This episode of "I've Got a Secret" aired on January 6, 1960, in primetime as it ran from 1952 to 1976. It was hosted by Garry Moore through 1964, then Steve Allen for the rest of the run of the series.
(YouTube)
Watch the opening theme of "The Perry Mason Show," aired from 1957 to 1964, featuring Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Talman, and Ray Collins. (YouTube)
Mr. Roberts with the weather
(WCIA)
Tom Jones with Sports
(WCIA)
A message embedded in a time capsule that would have been opened in 2015 from November of 1965. Here Don McMullin gives us a glimpse into 1965 and what was making news at that time. This was recorded during an open house at the WCIA studios.
(Pete Barrett, WCIA and YouTube)
(above) From February 3, 1962, WCIA will air a special on the Women's Prison in Dwight, IL. (right) One of the public hearings on the reassignment of WICA from channel 3 to a UHF channel.
(both clippings from Taylorville Breeze-Courier)
WICA aired the above story on the death of former anchor/reporter and news director Paul Davis.
(WCIA-YouTube)
Doug Quick and Ed Mason getting together on January 30, 2023.
(Doug Quick Collection)
Doug Quick and one of several meetings with Paul Davis, here in 2019. He passed away in 2021. He was 82.
(Doug Quick Collection)
Larry Waters (former WCIA Director, then operations director at WICD), Doug Quick (of WICD), Ruthie Harper (of WICD), and Ed Mason (former WCIA personality, director, and WICD Sales Manager)
(Doug Quick Collection)
Click on "from the Vault" to see WCIA's archive webpage featuring many videos from central Illinois only commercial VHF station.
(thanks to WCIA)
Here presented in no particular order are those
who have served at WCIA, job description/title, dates
August C. Meyer, President, 1953-
Guy Main, commercial Manager, vice-president and Director of Sales, 1953-198?
James Fielding, production mgr, treasurer of Midwest Television, 1953-
Harry Y. Maynard, general manager, 1953-54
Vance Van Tassell, farm director, 1953-
Sidney Fulkerson(Sheriff Sid), 1953-1958, 1959-196?
Ed Mason, 195?-195?, 195?-197? *
John Coleman, 195?-1961
Robert L. Myers, chief engineer, 1953-54
Robert Brown, news, 1955-56
Fred Sorenson, news 1953-1955, 1956-1957
Don McMullen, news, 1960-1962
DiAnne Mathre, home economist, 1953-
Lloyd Ummel, news dept, 1950s
Larry Campbell, "Ruffles the Clown" 1950s
Annalea Armstrong, 1964
John Colbalt, director, 1950s
Pete Duncan, news, 1960s
Wyndham J. Roberts(Mr. Roberts), weather, 1953-198?
Jack Prowell, sports, 1953-1954
Tom Schoendienst, sports, 1954-1971
William Helms, production-sales, 1953-198?
Gene Robinson, news, 1958-1961
Lou Mautz, Sales, 1954-55 *
Martha Meyers, office mgr, 1953-
George Pienderleith, film director, 1953-
Allen Doyle, engineering, 1953-
Kenneth O. Fristoe, engineering, 1953-
Carle W. St. John, engineering, 1953-
Nancy Hill, engineering, 1953,
Gerald "Jerry" F. Drake, engineering, 1953-
Robert Shaub, engineering, 1953-
M.D. Hunnicutt Jr., Chief Engineer 1954-
William Stinson, art director, 1953-
John Ketterer, music director, 1953-
Leonard Davis, publicity director, 1953-
Larry Bumpus, projectionist, 1960s
Richard L. Wright, news, 1958-1960
William Robets, news, 1960's
Paul Davis, news, 1960-82 *
Joe Wamsley, engineering, 1960's
Jerry Johnson, ? , 1960's
Nick Bridge, art department, 1960's
Robert Swisher, ? 1960's
Dale Fleming, engineering, 1955-196?
Robert Shive, sales/performer, 1960's
Tom Jones, sports/news, late 1950's-1980's
Darrell Blue, studio to operations mgr, 1962-82 *
Scott Craig*
* a contributor to this site
This list is by no means complete....if you are or know of a WCIA employee, sales, administration, programming, news or creative services....drop me an e-mail.
Include that persons name, title or job description and approximate dates of employment, if know.
Sources:
Broadcasting-Telecasting Magazine
The Urbana Courier Newspaper
The News-Gazette Newspaper
The Decatur Herald Newspaper
The Bloomington Pantagraph Newspaper
The Danville Commercial-News Newspaper
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper
The Taylorville Breeze-Courier
TV Guides (1954-1959) from the Doug Quick Collection
Danville Public Library
Champaign Public Library
Decatur Public Library
Urbana Free Library
You Tube
The Complete Directoryto Prime Time Network TV Shows
by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh
Total Television by Alex McNeil
Contributors:
Bob Lee for the vast majority of the program titles screen grabs
Ed Mason and the Ed Mason Collection
Paul Davis
Bill Roberts
J. R. Evans
Downey Hewey
Wayne Brasle
WCIA, Pete Barrett
The Doug Quick You Tube Channel
E-Gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts
Bill Cooke
Click the image at left to go to
the WCIA 1966-2018 page.