Re: WBZ-TV/Channel 4

["'A. Joseph Ross'" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On Mon, 14 Jul 1997, PETER GEORGE, N1GGP wrote:

>      Obviously, WBZ-TV started on June 9, 1948 as an NBC affiliate.  But,
> did they also have a secondary affiliation with CBS...and didn't Channel
> 7 (WNAC-TV) have secondary CBS and DuMont at the same time back in the
> beginning ?  I do know that Channel 56 came to the air as a DuMont primary
> and secondary ABC in 1953, leaving Channel 7 as CBS primary and ABC
> secondary.

I don't think Channel 4 had a secondary affiliation with CBS back then,
but they may have had a secondary affiliation with ABC.  At least, I know
they carried "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" when it was on ABC, as well as the
ABC telecast of the Lone Ranger.  Channel 7 was primarily a CBS affiliate,
but it apparently had a secondary affiliation with both ABC and DuMont.  I
know Channel 7 carried ABC's "Space Patrol" and DuMont's "Life is Worth
Living" with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Bishop Sheen, on DuMont, was the first show to give Milton Berle any
ratings competition.  Milton Berle quipped that Bishop Sheen had better
writers -- Mark, Matthew, Luke, etc.  He also said that he and "Uncle
Fultie" had the same sponsor -- Sky Chief!

Part of Bishop Sheen's success was that he was himself a bit of a showman
and cracked jokes during his sermons.  It is said that he once visited a
rehersal of the Howdy Doody show, and they called him "Howdy Diety" and
"Holy Doody."

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  A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                                          617.367.0468
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