Struggling Broadcaster: Difference between revisions
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== [[Real Life]] == |
== [[Real Life]] == |
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* The [[DuMont]] Television Network (1946-56) was a hopelessly low-budget fourth terrestrial network in an era when most major cities only had two stations at best – and those stations mostly chose to affiliate with [[NBC]] or [[CBS]] because those were already the firmly established brands on network AM radio. There were no broadcast videotape recorders until 1956 (by which time the network was dead) so, by necessity, most content went out live – and the rest showed up at the individual stations as reels of movie film. Effectively "FOX thirty years before [[FOX]]" but run on a [[No Budget]] shoestring by a once-innovative manufacturer of television sets who did not survive. |
* The [[DuMont]] Television Network (1946-56) was a hopelessly low-budget fourth terrestrial network in an era when most major cities only had two stations at best – and those stations mostly chose to affiliate with [[NBC]] or [[CBS]] because those were already the firmly established brands on network AM radio. There were no broadcast videotape recorders until 1956 (by which time the network was dead) so, by necessity, most content went out live – and the rest showed up at the individual stations as reels of movie film. Effectively "FOX thirty years before [[FOX]]" but run on a [[No Budget]] shoestring by a once-innovative manufacturer of television sets who did not survive. |
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* Channel 17, as a UHF independent in Atlanta, Georgia, was once infamous for this. Founder Jack Rice, Jr. built WJRJ 17 in 1967, using a former WAGA (VHF 5) studio and building a new 1000' transmitting tower, only to sell the entire operation to Ted Turner (as WTCG) in 1970. According to Fybush's [https://www.fybush.com/sites/2010/tbs-draft.html NorthEast Radio Watch], "WTCG ran on a shoestring, at one point holding an on-air telethon just to raise enough money to keep the station on the air for a few more weeks. There were lots of old movies, a slapstick late-night newscast anchored by Bill Tush, Atlanta Braves games and a growing network of microwave relays carrying the signal all over the South." On 17 December 1976, WTBS 17 was uplinked to satellite |
* Channel 17, as a UHF independent in Atlanta, Georgia, was once infamous for this. Founder Jack Rice, Jr. built WJRJ 17 in 1967, using a former WAGA (VHF 5) studio and building a new 1000' transmitting tower, only to sell the entire operation to Ted Turner (as WTCG) in 1970. According to Fybush's [https://www.fybush.com/sites/2010/tbs-draft.html NorthEast Radio Watch], "WTCG ran on a shoestring, at one point holding an on-air telethon just to raise enough money to keep the station on the air for a few more weeks. There were lots of old movies, a slapstick late-night newscast anchored by Bill Tush, Atlanta Braves games and a growing network of microwave relays carrying the signal all over the South." On 17 December 1976, WTBS 17 was uplinked to satellite, allowing the station to turn the corner. The rest is history. |
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* Liberal aimed talk radio network Air America was never really popular, but had far higher broadcasting reach (in terms of signal) than something of its success level should have due to the artificial manner in which it was created. It lasted six years despite its lack of income. Today Al Franken (who narrowly won a tie breaking Senate seat under very suspicious circumstances and later resigned after a photo emerged of him groping a sleeping woman) and Rachel Maddow (who now has a show on MSNBC) are its only hosts to maintain some notability. |
* Liberal aimed talk radio network Air America was never really popular, but had far higher broadcasting reach (in terms of signal) than something of its success level should have due to the artificial manner in which it was created. It lasted six years despite its lack of income. Today Al Franken (who narrowly won a tie breaking Senate seat under very suspicious circumstances and later resigned after a photo emerged of him groping a sleeping woman) and Rachel Maddow (who now has a show on MSNBC) are its only hosts to maintain some notability. |
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