WNBQ 1956 ads
 

WNBQ in Chicago was touted by RCA/NBC as the first "all color" station. What they meant is the first NBC Owned and Operated station with all local live programs in color. But there were still a lot of black and white filmed programs being broadcast.

What ever happened to WMAQ btw? that reached as far as Lansing on bad days now it's some stupid jock block crap.

WNBQ, incidentally, was the only NBC-O&O'd VHF station not to go in line with the four other O&O's of the time in conforming their calls to the network's then-parent, in keeping with their byline "A Service of RCA" - unlike WRCA-TV New York; WRC-TV Washington, DC; KRCA Los Angeles; and, from 1956-65, WRCV-TV Philadelphia. When the Chicago station changed calls on Aug. 31, 1964, it was to WMAQ-TV.

As to why the radio station is now a "jock block" station: That was related to Viacom's takeover of CBS in the late 1990's, and their decision to end WMAQ Radio in 2000 and move the sports station to the 670 frequency.

NBC's then-O&O television station in Cleveland, now WKYC-TV and owned/operated by Gannett Broadcasting, held the callsign WNBK from the time it signed on in 1948 until about 1954. NBC's O&O radio stations in the city were WTAM-AM and FM, respectively, changing briefly to KYW-AM-FM (the latter never having been on the air) in 1955 and continuing until '65. WKYC-AM and FM were NBC's O&O radio stations in Cleveland until 1972; the stations were sold that year and changed their calls to WWWE and WWWM, respectively, the beginning of a long string of ownership, format, and callsign changes. The radio stations are now known as WTAM (that station's heritage callsign, dating to when the station first signed on in 1923) and WMJI-FM.

The television station, however, still maintains ties with the radio operations as far as weather forecasts and such are concerned (the radio stations apparently get their weather forecasts from the TV station's weather department), even though the stations now are owned and operated by two separate companies: WKYC-TV (now WKYC-HD) by Gannett and the radio stations by Clear Channel of San Antonio, Texas. However, WKYC-TV's station ID graphics and news set design still, IMHO, reflect their NBC O&O days. I think the reason for that is because NBC still has a minority interest in the station, the controlling interest being held by Gannett, although with the impending sale of the NBC television network to Comcast Cable that may change very shortly; Comcast at this time appears to be very close to reaching a deal with NBC to purchase the network.

The former WMAQ-AM was also an all-news radio station from 1999 until 2000, before becoming WSCR "The Score" AM 670. WMAQ-AM identified itself as "a Westinghouse Broadcasting station" during its all-news days (a preview of of things to come? :scratch2:) and was operating in AM stereo as well. I remember listening to "WMAQ All-News 67" at night the year I moved here from suburban Cleveland; this despite the FCC's having abolished clear channels some 15 years earlier, but I'm close enough to Chicago (330 miles or so) that I can hear the city's major AM stations very well here after dark. I downloaded a promo for WMAQ All-News 67 from YouTube a while ago, and still have it on a CD.

WMAQ-AM had a number of formats from the '70s until 1999--rock, country, top-40, etc., ending with all-news from '99 until 2000.

I was not aware, however, that Viacom and CBS were involved in WMAQ's format switch from music to sports; I always thought that NBC sold WMAQ-AM and FM when the radio network was disbanded (NBC sold every one of its operated radio stations in 1986, effectively exiting the radio business for good), and WMAQ's new owners (the station was probably initially owned briefly by another media group before Viacom and CBS got involved in the issue) would decide the station's future from that point on.

WmaQ was a country station when I was growing up and was heard very clear in Michigan. I was not aware it was all news all the time until 1995 during the laughable OJ Simpson Trial that was aired live all day on WMAQ. I tuned in again in 2004 and all I got was scoreboards. Last night I looked it up and found the last WMAQ 67 broadcast with Larry Langford as he turned out the lights at WMAQ in Chicago with a "Q" for quality as he put it.I think he was right about the whole last broadcast as he announced the final minutes.

What happened was, NBC did indeed sell WMAQ Radio to Westinghouse (a.k.a. "Group W"), which in 1995 acquired (and ultimately assumed the nomenclature of) CBS - and then afterwards Viacom bought CBS. It was at the point Group W assumed ownership that WMAQ became "All News 67." (Prior thereto, they had unloaded another Chicago station, WIND.)

And I heard a 1991 aircheck of WMAQ in its all-news phase, on a tribute website. From what I could see, the way of its presentation was modeled directly after New York's 1010 WINS. (Though its time tone was roughly 850 Hz, unlike WINS's 1 kHz.)

Back in the late seventies, when they were a country station, they ran a promotion where they would call random Chicago area phone numbers and if you answered "WMAQ is going to make me rich" they gave you $100 (or something like that). I just remember my grandma answering the phone that way.

Oh I remember that! And they always played the winner on the air.
I Remember " Cava Cava!" high pitched yell from the Cava Coffee commercials on there and something always beeped every now and then, I think it was a time beep of some kind.

"Dr Hudson's Secret Journal starring John Howard", hehehe that actor shares the same name as Australia's former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Howard who stuffed up our country in quite a few ways.

Looking at the 1956 WNBQ ad in the pdf file from Old-TV-Nut, was the 'Sheriff of Cochise' filmed in color? The ad says, "See it better on an RCA Color Victor Color Television Set". I watched that series as a kid but do not remember it ever being in color.

While some 50's syndicated series were filmed in color ie: Superman (later episodes). Cisco Kid, Science Fiction Theater, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon. "Sheriff of Cochise" later titled "U.S. Marshall" was filmed in B&W. That's how it was viewed on RCA Victor and any other color tv.

-Steve D.

And of course, nothing announces your status as the first "all-color station" to your industry peers and the public more effectively than...

...a candy dish?!?

Ah, well-- it was a simpler time... :)

-Kevin

Sweet!

Glass trays often were used as promotional items.