Welcome to Central Illinois' On-Line Broadcast Museum. This website documents in detail the history of each of the viewable TV stations, past and present, across mid-Illinois in text, photos, and videos, as well as each station's current status. This site also includes local radio history and automated analog formats, again told in pictures, videos, and text. ​​

These Featured Videos will be available here at the Museum through May 31.  

Like the last period of Featured Videos, this period will include several unrelated videos from 1954 through 1983. I begin by showing you an episode of the first ABC series broadcast on Danville, Illinois' first TV station, in December 1954. It also co-starred what was considered TV's first sex symbol. It was also a kids' show! The series was also chosen in 1951 by the Lions Club of Illinois as the "Best Children's TV Program."

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Then, I jump ahead to "The Red Skelton Hour," an installment from January 19, 1965. I also explain why the popular CBS show was removed from its primetime schedule. 

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There aren't many TV documentaries that have a song written and performed about it or even have it hit number two on the music charts, but this one did. The show was narrated by Rod Serling and broadcast during the May Sweeps in November 1968. 

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It's pretty much understood that the most recent network newscaster who told viewers "that's the way it is" was Walter Cronkite. I present a most disturbing newscast he anchored from 1970. It didn't include "fluff", warm fuzzy, or self-improvement stories. There wasn't enough time. The world was seemingly falling apart, sort of like now. Mr. Cronkite told it like it was, pulling no punches, not trying to make us feel good, no lies, no fabrications, no "normalizing" any politician or world leader; it was truthful reporting, like it or not. That's something that just doesn't happen today. TV audiences today seem only to watch what makes them feel good, because if you don't, they'll turn away, and that's not a good business model for TV networks, stations, or so-called news channels. OK, enough of the rage... Watch this newscast from September 8, 1970. It's OK to watch it now, because we lived through it, or at least most of us did.

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I include an episode of "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" from its original run (an episode from the second run is included in this month's TV Time Capsule). Guests from this 1971 broadcast include Steve Martin, Teri Garr, Harvey Korman, and Glen Ford.

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Now, we get into a sometimes controversial series, a spinoff of another sometimes controversial series from creator and producer Norman Lear. I present to you the pilot show of "Maude." I also discussed a two-part episode that our local CBS affiliates censored for viewers in central Illinois. It even became a piece of national news with a story published in the New York Times. I'll explain why below with the video for "Maude" (Archie Bunker's cousin).

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I liked the series "That's My Mama" when it first broadcast, which starred a guy who wrote one of my favorite songs, which went to number one in 1971.

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Then there's an NBC half-hour sitcom from 1983. I have never watched it, but it stars Joel Higgins (from one of my favorite TV series, "Best of the West").

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The Classic Radio feature includes a station I discovered in 1973 playing the Drake-Chenault format, "Solid Gold." The same automated syndicated format also aired on WDBR in 1972. I visited the station in 1975 or 76, and included pictures of it on this site. Click here to see it. I included an audio interview with the station's original developer/owner/GM conducted by contributor Tom Arbogast. For broadcast students or those with a general interest, you'll like it. That's also below.
 

Classic Radio

Click on the image to listen to the video directly from YouTube.