wcia 3 champaign, wicd 15 champaign, wand 17 decatur, wics 20 Springfield, week 25 peoria, whoi 19 peoria, wmbd 31 peoria, wyyz 43 Bloomington, wbln, wtvh, wirl, wrau, wtvp, wdan, classic tv, central Illinois tv, radio, automation, Jimmy Kimmel, Nexstar Media Group, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Television News
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.
Note that this website displays best on a full-size monitor, desktop, or laptop computer. If you're watching on your mobile phone, the mobile phone view has been replaced by the desktop view throughout this site. You can zoom in on the page if needed. Also, you may have to sign in to YouTube to view some videos. Some browsers do not allow some embedded videos to play, so click on the "YouTube" logo on the video to view it from YouTube.
A Mix of Television Featured Videos and More!
Welcome to Central Illinois’ On-Line Broadcast Museum! Now through March 28th, I present a mix of TV history from the 1953 through the early 2000s! Plus, I shine a spotlight on several broadcasters who worked at radio stations serving the Mid-Illinois area and later rocked New York for decades! One of the radio stations was owned by a central Illinois TV station owner.
Among the Featured Videos is an example of the first TV series to air on the second Mid-Illinois TV station (the first to go on the air across the Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, and Danville market), which launched in 1953! It was a low-budget, syndicated western series that co-starred a former child actor who worked with Charlie Chaplin in the silent movie era and later starred in a quirky but popular series in the mid-1960s!
Speaking of syndication, I present a little-known 1958 syndicated series that inspired a similar NBC network series in the 1970s.
Also in this week’s collection is an episode of a popular military sitcom set in the South Pacific during World War II. Personally, it’s one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and I had a direct connection to it when I visited the studio at Universal and actually stood on one of the sets used in the show.
I haven’t included many Western shows in the featured videos over the years, so I hope to change that in the future. What makes it difficult is that many Westerns are still under tight copyright control and aren’t available on YouTube. This one episode of an early-1960s NBC western is included, so I’m presenting it this week. It was a comedy western of sorts, though it occasionally included more of the series’ storylines.
How about a sitcom set at a mid-market radio station in an Ohio River town? Have you guessed it yet? It was a borderline controversial episode and is called one of the best-written episodes of the series. It’s from 1982.
Then, we end the TV collection on a happy note! A two-part 30th anniversary show of one of the most beloved series from the 1970s, which aired in 2005. The pilot episode aired as part of the anthology series “Love American Style.” You’ll be able to watch the original pilot and the 30th-anniversary show about what happened 30 years later!
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Cowboy G-Men (1952) Syndicated
Russell Hayden as Pat Gallagher and his sidekick Stoney Crockett, played by Jackie Coogan (“The Addams Family”), are Secret Service agents in the Old West, dispatched by the government to investigate crimes threatening the young nation. In this episode, “Stolen Dynamite,” the G-men nab a beautiful spy. This was the 35th episode from season one of the series.
You might notice that this syndicated, low-budget Western TV series was the first film-TV program broadcast on WTVP, Channel 17, in Decatur, on August 16, 1953.
Russell Hayden and Jackie Coogan in "Cowboy G-Men" from a 1952 episode from the series seen on WTVP, Channel 17, Decatur on its first day of broadcasting in August of 1953.
(YouTube screen grab)
A Decatur Herald newspaper ad from August of 1953, right after the sign-on of WTVP, Channel 17, Decatur, IL. See more on the History of WTVP by clicking here.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Cannonball (1958) Syndicated
This episode from the syndicated half-hour adventure series, originally broadcast on the Canadian TV network CBC, was broadcast on October 6, 1958. It featured a couple of long-distance truckers who would meet with various adventures on and off the road. The stars were Paul Birch as Mike Malone and William Campbell as Jerry Austin.
It was produced in 1958 and aired on subscribing TV stations at various times on their schedules, probably whenever a station had a 30-minute hole to fill.
An unhappy waitress along with William Campbell as Jerry and Paul Birch as Mike "Cannonball" Malone on "Cannonball" from 1958.
(YouTube screen grab)
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Cannonball (1958) Syndicated
It's been said that the series' premise of "Cannonball" inspired "Movin' On," a similar series about truck drivers that aired on NBC from 1974 to 1976. The stars for the "Movin' On" series were Claude Akins (veteran trucker Sonny Pruitt) and Frank Converse (college-educated co-driver Will Chandler).
Watch an episode from November 7, 1974, as aired from off-network syndication on KECH-TV in Salem, OR, and submitted as a YouTube contributor.
WCIA Fall Promo 1981
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
McHale’s Navy (1963) ABC
Note: The series may contain offensive outdated cultural references
This is one of my own “guilty pleasures,” a “buddy series” with an ensemble cast who mostly served as wallpaper behind the major stars, Ernest Borgnine as Lt. Cmdr. Quintin McHale, Tim Conway as Ens. Charles Parker, Joe Flynn as Captain Wallace B. Binghamton, and Bob Hastings as Lt. Elroy Carpenter. The PT-Boat crew members began the series in 1962 with the following cast members: Carl Ballentine, Gary Vinson, Billy Sands, Edson Stroll, Gavin MacLeod, John Wright, and Yoshio Yoda.
In the episode above, the crew rescues two French nationals, Mr. Gerard (Marcel Hillaire) and his beautiful young daughter, Yvette Gerard (Claudine Longet), from a Japanese-occupied island. Parker tries to show off for Yvette and takes the wheel of the boat, despite not knowing what he is doing. The boat crashes into the pier at Taratupa. Binghamton tells Parker and the men to stay away from Yvette. Christy (played by Gary Vinson) receives a letter from his wife saying she is pregnant. The crew wants to raise money for the baby. So, the conning begins.
“McHale’s Navy” aired on ABC from October 11, 1962, through August 30, 1966, and was seen across Mid-Illinois on WTVP (later WAND), WTVH (later WIRL), and KTVI. It was also seen on WAND in the late afternoon for several years in off-network syndication.
The cast (minus one) from "McHale's Navy."
(Doug Quick Collection-McHale's Navy publicity picture)
Here's the "minus one," Joe Flynn as Captain Wallace Binghamton from "McHale's Navy"
(YouTube screen grab)
"McHale's Navy" also spawned two color movies for Universal Pictures in the 1960s. The first "McHale's Navy" was produced in 1964 with the full cast, then a follow-up film, "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force," was released in 1965 (without Ernest Borgnine).
Even though the name was used in another "McHale's Navy" film in 1997 with Tom Arnold as McHale and David Allen Grier as Parker, don't be misled. The 1997 film was simply awful. Watch at your own risk!
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Laredo (1966) NBC “Rendezvous at Arillo”
This sometimes humorous western action series starred Neville Brand as Reese Bennett, William Smith as Joe Riley, Peter Brown as Chad Cooper, Philip Carey as Captain Parmalee, and, in the episode above, Bruce Dern as Durkee. The series featured the stories of the Texas Rangers after the Civil War. The three main characters were former Civil War soldiers who joined their former senior officer, the older Captain Parmalee.
William Smith, Neville Brand and Peter Brown on "Laredo" from 1966.
(YouTube screen grab)
The video above is from the first season, episode 4. This popular western series premiered in color on NBC on September 16, 1965, and ran through September 1, 1967. It would have been seen over Mid-Illinois on WICS, WCHU, WICD, WEEK, WTWO, WGEM-TV, and KSD-TV.
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
WKRP in Cincinnati (1982) CBS
The video above is one of the best-written episodes of the series, from season 4, episode 13. It’s titled “Changes” and aired on January 27, 1982, on CBS. In this episode, the late-night jock, Gordon “Venus Flytrap” Sims, played by Tim Reid, is preparing for an interview for a black militant magazine, and sales manager Herb Tarlek, played by Frank Bonner, gets help with his wardrobe from secretary Jennifer Marlowe, played by Loni Anderson.
Others in the cast included Gordon Jump as station manager Arthur Carlson, Richard Sanders as news director Les Nessman, Jan Smithers as promotions director Bailey Quarters, and Howard Hessman as Johnny (Dr. Johnny Fever) Caravella.
This series aired from September 18, 1978, through September 20, 1982, on WCIA, WMBD-TV, WTHI-TV, KHQA, and KMOX-TV.
The cast of "WKRP in Cincinnati" from 1982.
(The Doug Quick Collection-CBS Publicity Picture)
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Happy Days (1974-2005)
ABC 30th Anniversary Special, Part 1
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Happy Days (1974-2005)
ABC 30th Anniversary Special, Part 2
The videos above are parts 1 and 2 of the ABC Happy Days 30th Anniversary Special broadcast in 2005. It consists of short interviews and clips from the ten years of “Happy Days.” It’s also a chance to revisit the series' stars, and with those who have passed away in the years since then. The cast members include Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Donny Most, Erin Moran, Pat Morita, Al Molinaro, Scott Baio, and many others.
The cast of "Happy Days"
(Doug Quick Collection-ABC Happy Days promotional picture)
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
Love American Style (1972) ABC “Love and the Television Set”
“Happy Days” aired on ABC after a pilot segment was broadcast on “Love American Style” on February 25, 1972. The segment, titled “Love and the Television Set” (renamed “Love and the Happy Days” for syndication), starred Ron Howard, Marion Ross, and Anson Williams. Howard Cunningham was played by Harold Gould, and Joanie Cunningham by Susan Neher. If you look really close, you'll see Jackie Coogan featured in the video above in "Cowboy G-Men!"
So, what was given credit for the development of “Happy Days” was George Lucas’s film "American Graffiti! The hit film, and personally one of my favorite films ever, inspired the series “Happy Days.” One star of the movie, Ron Howard, was in this series, while another star, Cindy Williams, ended up on “Laverne and Shirley.” Garry Marshall produced both series, and stars occasionally appeared in both shows.
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Latest Updates to the Museum
Small additions and edits are made on the site everyweek. Most would be unnoticeable. I'll describe any significant additions or updates here as they are made.
CBS News when it was honored and respected as the jewel of the "Tiffaney network" and featured America's most trusted man, Walter Cronkite. It appears that's no longer the case.
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Much of the information on the history of TV pages on this site comes directly from my 2016 book "Pictures on the Prairie: The First Ten Years of Mid-Illinois Television." There are many more pictures on this site than in the book as space was limited.
Latest TV
Headlines
MeTV Schedule Changes coming in March and a Special Addition of a Classic Movie is Coming in October
2026-0221 On March 16, the showings of "Hogan's Heroes" at 9pm-10pm CT will be swapped out for "The Golden Girls," the former NBC 1980s show with Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, and Betty White. The series originally aired from September 14, 1985, through May 9, 1992. It earned 68 Emmy nominations and 11 wins during its seven seasons on the air. The sitcom will also air on Sundays from 5 pm and a two-hour block at 7 pm (CT).
Also it was announced last month that the 1938 film classic "The Wizard of Oz" will return to broadcast TV after it's final broadcast on May 9, 1998 on CBS.
According to Neil Sabin, Vice-Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting (owner/operator of MeTV), the movie will air multiple times in prime time and throughout the October 2026 schedule as part of the network's "Halloween Boo-Nanza." It will accompany shows of classic horror, sci-fi, and family-friendly favorite films and TV episodes throughout the month.
For fans of "Hogan's Heroes" check out the "Hogan's Heroes" channel on the free Pluto streaming serivice.
Now Streaming Nationally
Click on the image above to listen to MeTVFM. It's the popular music companion to MeTV, Memorable Entertainment Television, America’s #1 all classic television network. Launched at 87.7FM in late February, 2015, MeTVFM features a unique mix of timeless and memorable music incorporating a wide variety of classic hits, deep tracks and softer sounds spanning several decades of popular music.
Previously on Videos of the Week...
If you've missed any of the "Videos of the Week" or "Classic Radio" recordings, you'll find them here. Unfortunately, there's no written narrative to go along with each. You have to visit each week for that.
Bewitched (1964) Scene from the First Episode
Bewitched (1964) Opening Credits
The Munsters Unaired pilot in color
The Munsters (1964) First Broadcast Episode
Addams Family (1964) ABC First Episode
Alf (1988) NBC "Can I Get A Witness?"
The Invaders (1968) ABC Final Episode
The Outer Limits (1963) ABC Episode Synopsis
War of the Worlds (1938) CBS Radio
The Ed Sullivan Show-The Beatles (1964) CBS Feb 9, 1964
The Ed Sullivan Show-The Beatles (1964) CBS Feb 16, 1964
The Ed Sullivan Show-The Beatles (1964) CBS Feb 23, 1964
The Ed Sullivan Show-The Beatles (1964) CBS Sept 12, 1965
The Late Show with David Letterman (2009) CBS
Our Fair Beatles (1964) WISH-TV Indianapolis
Follow the Beatles (1964) British TV Documentary
A Hard Day's Night Intro (1968) NBC
A Hard Day's Night (1964) The Movie
The Music of Lennon and McCartney (1965) Granada TV
The Beatles Cartoon TV Series (1965-66) ABC Saturday
KXOK (1965) Johnny Rabbitt awards Beatles Tix
As these are seasonal, the Thanksgiving and Christmas links have been removed.
The Phil Silvers Special (1960) CBS The Slowest Gun in the West
High School USA (1984) NBC-one showing
Out of Time (1988) NBC TV Movie
Lookwell (1991) NBC pilot, Adam West
Heat Vision and Jack (1999) FOX Pilot
Time Tunnel (2002) unaired pilot
Classic Radio
WDBR Springfield, IL (1974) Rich Styles
WDBR Springfield, IL (1976) Rich Styles
Nero Wolf (1959) unsold pilot William Shatner
Three Stooges Scrapbook (1960) Unaired Pilot
Head of the Family (1960) Carl Reiner
The Phantom (1961) unsold pilot
Philbert (Three's a Crowd) (1963) William Schallert
Accidental Family (1967) NBC Jerry Van Dyke
Steve Martin-Best Show Ever (1981) NBC
“Don't Ask” or is it “Puppetman”? (1987) John Goodman
“The Bowman's” or “The Good Life” (1994) NBC John Caponera, Drew Carey
Classic Radio
KSHE (1974) Crestwood/St. Louis, MO
Marcus Welby M.D. (1969) Guest: David Cassidy
Flip Wilson Show (1970) NBC Guests include: Bobby Darin
Ironside (1967-1975) NBC Episode open/close
Gunsmoke (1970) CBS opening credits
ABC Movie of the Week (1971) ABC
Classic Radio
WLS Chicago (1970) Chuck Buell
WLS Chicago (1970) Larry Lujack
KXOK St. Louis (1966) William A. Hopkins
KXOK St. Louis (1968) Johnny Rabbitt and Bruno J. Grunion
KSHE(FM) St. Louis (1969) Don Corey
George Burns and Gracie Allen (1954) CBS
The Thin Man (1958) NBC Peter Lawford, Phyllis Kirk
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1961) CBS Dwayne Hickman
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961) CBS “Jealousy”
Love on a Rooftop (1966) ABC Peter Deuel Judy Carne
He and She (1967) CBS Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss
Hart to Hart (1979) ABC Robert Wagner Stefanie Powers
Fibber McGee and Molly (1959) NBC Pilot
Classic Radio
Fibber McGee and Molly (1948) NBC Radio Bowling Night
77 Sunset Strip (1958) ABC "All Our Yesterday's" Episode
Hawaiian Eye (1959-63) ABC Intro Credits
Hawaiian Eye (1959) ABC Original Credits
Maverick (1959) ABC Edit from "Duel at Sundown"
Maverick (1962) Season 5 Opening credits
The Roaring 20s (1960) ABC opening network credits
The Roaring 20s (1960) ABC opening credits and Dorothy Provine performances
Surside 6 (1960-62) ABC opening/closing credits
Wendy and Me (1965) ABC Connie Stevens
Classic Radio
WLS Radio (1972) Joel Sebastian
WLS Radio (1977) John Records Landecker
Cowboy G-Men (1952) Syndicated
Laredo (1966) NBC “Rendezvous at Arillo”
Happy Days (1974-2005) ABC 30th Anniversary Special, Part 1
Happy Days (1974-2005) ABC 30th Anniversary Special, Part 2
Love American Style (1972) ABC “Love and the Television Set”
Classic Radio
Larry Ware Interview with Harry Harrison
WIL Radio (1961) St. Louis with Dan Ingram
WIL Radio (1962) St. Louis with Ron Lundy
WABC Radio (1970) New York with Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram
Next regular update on March 28!
To be announced soon...
Central Illinois On-Line Broadcast Museum and dougquick.com supports the work of the St. Louis Media History Foundation.
Visit their website at:
Click on the image to watch the video directly from YouTube.
1980s Classic TV Commercials
Just for grins..... how about 2.5 hours of TV commercials from the 1980s!
Classic Radio
The Classic Radio shines the spotlight on three local DJs who each had an audience in at least part of Mid-Illinois and went on to greatness in New York City Radio!
One of the radio stations that had at least some influence in Mid-Illinois was WPEO, AM1020, Peoria, a 1,000-watt daytime-only station with limited reach even in the Peoria area. To make it one of the most stations in that market was quite a feat!
Meanwhile, WIL, AM1430, St. Louis, was a full-time 5,000-watt directional AM station that, as far as I can determine, even with regional wattage and a directional nighttime coverage area, probably didn’t reach too far into central Illinois, much beyond Montgomery or Fayette Counties.
WIL Radio was owned at the time by Elmer and Harry Balaban, who were part owners of WICS, Channel 20 in Springfield, and WCCU, Channel 33 in Champaign (the histories of both television stations are included on this website), as well as another television station in Rockford, Illinois.
Harry Harrison
Click on the image to listen to the audio/video directly from YouTube.
Larry Ware Interview with Harry Harrison
Harry Harrison began his broadcast career at WCFL (AM 1000) in Chicago, where he worked as a DJ sub for eight months in 1953 and 1954. In 1954, he was selected as program director at WPEO and hosted the morning show as “The Morning Mayor of Peoria.” During his reign as PD, he took WPEO to the top of the Peoria ratings! In the interview above, he talked about “Harrison’s Hop” as it aired on WTVH, Channel 19, in Peoria in the 50s.
A newspaper ad for "Harrison Hop" airing on WTVH, Channel 19, Peoria, Illinois.
(Doug Quick Collection)
In 1959, he moved to WMCA (AM570) in New York, where he stayed from 1959 to 1968 as the midday “Good Guy.” From there, in 1968, he moved to WABC, AM770, New York, where he would stay as the morning show DJ, followed by the two other Mid-Illinois radio DJs, Ron Lundy, doing mid-days, and Dan Ingram in afternoon drive time.
In 1979, his contract was up, and the station management decided to “change the direction of the station” and not renew his contract. The following year, he would end up on WCBS-FM as the morning man, with the station’s oldies format. In 1984, Ron Lundy would join and, once again, as he did at WABC, would follow Harry Harrison. He retired from WCBS-FM on March 19, 2003, with a live show taking place at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York.
Harry Harrison was born in Chicago on September 20, 1930, and passed away in Westwood, New Jersey, at age 89 on January 28, 2020.
Click on the image to listen to the audio/video directly from YouTube.
WABC (1974) Harry Harrison
This is an off-air recording of Harry Harrison’s morning show, when he had the nickname of “The Morning Mayor” on a hot day, July 2, 1974, in the Big Apple. There are many YouTube videos featuring airchecks of Harry Harrison, submitted by various contributors.
Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy
Dan Ingram was born in Oceanside, New York, on September 7, 1934. His radio career spanned over 50 years, and he worked at several stations, including WIL Radio in St. Louis. He spent time at several other stations, including WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut; WNHC in New Haven, Connecticut; KBOX in Dallas, Texas; and WIL in St. Louis, from 1959 to 1960. In 1961, he moved to WABC in New York. He would continue there until the station switched format to talk in 1982. He did many voice-over jobs from the early 1980s through 2004 for HBO, WCBS-FM, KRTH-FM in Los Angeles, and WAXQ in New York. Dan Ingram passed in Oceanside, New York, on June 24, 2018.
While at WIL Radio in St. Louis, he met Ron Lundy, another DJ at WIL. When Ingram moved to WABC, he later recruited Lundy for a position there in 1965, where he would continue until the format change to talk in 1982. Lundy later returned to WCBS-FM with Dan Ingram and retired in 1997. Lundy died of a heart attack in March of 2010 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy from 1982 at WABC, AM770, New York.
(Pinterest submission)
Click on the image to listen to the audio/video directly from YouTube.
WIL Radio (1961) St. Louis with Dan Ingram
Click on the image to listen to the audio/video directly from YouTube.
WIL Radio (1962) St. Louis with Ron Lundy
This air check is introduced by YouTube contributor Ellis Feaster, who maintains his own YouTube Channel available here. He has an incredible collection of air checks!
Click on the image to listen to the audio/video directly from YouTube.
WABC Radio (1970) New York with Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram
This is an air check featuring Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram from WABC, recorded on November 4, 1970.
