Radio & TV Schedules

Speaking of television (and, for that matter, radio), the newspapers used to run the schedules for both, but not quite the same as now.

The radio schedules showed each program on all the area stations, including the local dj’s, news, public affairs and such. There were network programs, same as today, but also a lot of local originations. I think nets and local morning shows were about 50-50, as each network had a strong following, but so did the independents.

Local tv listings included a substantial among of “Test Pattern” announcements. They ran during the daytime hours and the video had registration lines of various sorts with, for whatever reason, and Indian on top:
www.pharis-video.com/p5013.htm

Back in those days, you didn’t just go to the tv store and take a set home; often it had to be aligned by your local dealer. The test pattern was the best way to do it and, at least up to the time I was hanging out at a station (1978), we still used one to set up the studio cameras. I think one of the local stations was still doing it here even later.

My mother said when the day came she couldn’t get up and change the channels by herself, it would be all over. Yeah, right. When she got a new tv with a remote, she said something like, “This is the life,” clicking away merrily from her recliner from across the room. I knew she would sell out.