DuMont: Difference between revisions

[[File:DuMont_network_logo.jpg|frame]]

{{quote|''"Your TV's so old, I bet you get the DuMont network on it!"''|'''Death''', ''[[Family Guy]]'' (episode "Death Is A Bitch").}}

Following the broadcast of ''Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena'' on August 6, 1956 (one retrospective claims it was only seen on '''five stations'''), DuMont went bust with the remaining network-owned stations (WABD, New York and WTTG, Washington) going independent and spun off into the company that eventually became Metromedia. 30 years later, [[Rupert Murdoch]] bought Metromedia's television operations from company creator John Kluge and established the [[FOX]] network, with the Fox Broadcasting Center right where WABD (now WNYW) sits — the former DuMont Tele-Centre. So in a way, [[Spiritual Successor|DuMont became FOX]]...and proceeded to earn itself [[Executive Meddling|a different]] [[The Firefly Effect|set]] [[Lowest Common Denominator|of problems]].

 

 

While the network was mostly forgotten, there were two later references of note:

* The second was in the [[Grand Finale]] <ref>(by production order)</ref> of ''Ellen'' (May 13, 1998), presented as a [[Serious Business]] documentary by Linda Ellerbee about the fictional DeGeneres' long career. Clips were shown of Ellen hosting DuMont's 1954 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NechRuEE4t8#t=10m13s game] ''[[Red Scare|Who's The Commie?]]'' (with announcer John O'Hurley), apparent proof that the network was desperate to get some sort of ratings; Orson Bean recalled that he was skeptical about a woman hosting a game show, "But then the camera went on, and there she was — [[Bill Cullen]] with a rack". It apparently continued on WABD until about 1958 or so, as it was among those present in the quiz show scandal investigations...although Ellen was eventually cleared of said charges due to the "Commies" being generous people who liked jazz.

 

 

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[[Category:Networks]]

[[Category:The Forties]]