I am actually writing this on November 11, 2011!!! 11...11...11!!! Happy 11/11/11, or belated 11/11/11. LOL What a classic Metromedia video clip!! Old school, yet a classic!
This is a great gem from the golden age of Twin Cities TV. I wish someone has the old star trek promo that wtcn would run while the show was in syndication
@WolfgangMinneapolis This is the "extended version". It was used less often that the 6 second version which started right at the beginning of the vocals. So, the "funky" 5 second instrumental wasn't heard all that often.
KTTV LA used this from the early seventies until the 80's. It was used with a program slide during the day, and used alone at night, and during Beh Hunter and Don Lomond's morning and miday programs.
I remember seeing this promo as a little kid- the "11...11...11" still rings in my head to this day - I used to see it as I watched the mid-day movie...or before "My 3 Sons" and "Star Trek" in the evening about 6pm- right before I had to wash my hands for dinner :)
@lakebay972 I think a new version of this logo should be created with those words in it, to be aired on every broadcast network right after "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
I'm so happy to see this! In 1976 I was subscribing to cable TV...12 channels with TWO from Los Angeles! KTTV used to run this animated ID (for L.A., natch). Thanks for posting this!
As long as we're on the subject of Twin Cities TV, I'd like to put in a request for someone to put up the intro to "Epic Theatre" which was a feature circa 1964, I don't know which station, where they'd air some sword-and-sandal Hercules epic starring Steve Reeves. They'd air it twice - late Friday night and then on Saturday afternoon. I was 9 and it was way cool for me then.
LOVE this i d! first saw it in march of 1974 when my area -duluth minnesota/superior wisconsin started cable tv services (teleprompter was the name of the outfit)! does anybody out there have the mid 1970s nightowl theatre opening with the video of a live owl looking around or either of WTCNs 2 star trek promos made up of clips from "mudds women" or "the naked time"?
Nothing like Scanimate, funky music, and vocals! Today its just digital CGI, bland music, and a more boring vocal. They don't make them like they used to!
Metromedia owned WXIX-TV (channel 19) in Cincinnati in the 1970s (it's now owned by Raycom) and they used the exact same ID, but of course it ended with "19...19...19"
Hey, does anybody have Mel Jazz's Matinee Movie opening, or any of his corny commercials? I was reading an interview with the Coen brothers and they credit Mel for giving them their love of movies, and as I was watching at the same time they were, I can see why. Ol' Mel showed some of the most eclectic stuff on his show, some wildly age inappropriate for a midafternoon weekday show.
I remember this years ago! Its funny how I remember the metromedia opening a little different as a kid but I see it different as an adult. I remember "11..11..11."
Because it was Metromedia who had purchased channel 11 and like other stations under its ownership did away with local kids shows.Casey & Roundhouse was replaced by a lame,fluffy-piece talk sho called 'What's New?'
I distinctly remember this logo, we live in SE, MN, about 200 miles South of MLPS, and i remember this logo playing at midnight, before they signed off, in the 1970s,,this was back in the day before all the late night infomercials, when the stations quit broadcasting at midnight each night,or at least by 2 AM.
If possible, could you upload a similar Station Identification, but for KTTV Channel 11-Los Angeles instead? Considering that it was the Los Angeles Channel of Metromedia Televison.
No, once WTCN became an NBC affiliate...this type of animation was retired. The ID's were rather boring.
However, in 1985, when WTCN became WUSA...they did have a really cool ID. The music was very catchy and animation was pretty slick. I would give anything to find a copy of that.
Sadly, that went away in 1986 when Gannet swiped the WUSA call leters for their DC station and Channel 11 became KARE.
I remember that jingle, my mother said I used to sing and dance to the tune, but it was in the New York area where it went, "Metromedia Television, Five Five Five." I almost forgot that jingle, Thanks for porting.
That Sattion Identification was also used for KTTV Channel 11 here in Los Angeles, as well. I remembered when Channel 11 Studios was on Sunset Blvd., just off the Hollywood Freeway(US 101), and across the Street from KTLA Channel 5, which was One Block West of the Hollywood Freeway.
No, only those two channels to the best of my knowledge. Metromedia had two Channel 5's in their stable, New York's WNEW-TV and Washington, D.C.'s WTTG. Another station they owned at one time was KMBC-TV (Channel 9) in Kansas City.
I don't know anything about Minneapolis or L.A., but I'm here to tell you this - or some customized version of it - was used elsewhere in the states; I saw this 25+ years ago, and I've never been anywhere near Minneapolis or L.A.!
Well, Doctor, the key lies in that "Metromedia Television" part...that company owned many stations nationwide (KTTV-11 in LA and WXIX-19 in Cincy were already brought up.) I think MM was owner of Orion Pictures many years ago. Wikipedia that - its pretty interesting!
I first saw this ident online about four years ago and it scared the shit out of me. After the passage of so much time, though, it no longer disturbs me. That is more than I can say of some idents/production credits (cough...MTM Productions Logo (1969-Late 1980s)...cough).
I hear you...the MTM logo was clever, but freaky as shit when you're a little kid. The moving letters in that hideous font were scary enough and that *meow* was pure evil. You are not alone. Lately I've been hearing more and more stories about people who scared to death of the MTM logo when they were young.
That said, I love this logo but may have thought differently about it had I seen it for the first time as a 2 year old.
No kidding?!?! You're dad was so cool. He was a one-man-band. He could do it all at WTCN. He was the king of ad-libbing. To this day, I still remember him hosting the afternoon movies.
Thank you for that information. I was very young at the time and I do remember the first time it aired. It actually scared me a little bit. I couldn't remember exactly what year that was though. Even by today's standards, it's pretty weird to see a station ID feature the owner's name so prominently (unless of course the owner happens to be the network).
If you've ever heard the song "7 Chiffon Place" by Minneapolis band The Conquerors, they TOTALLY swiped this bit for the end of the song.... Must have watched whole lotta TV as youngsters!
Hell, it sounds like the Conks themselves sang that suckah back in what, '72... doin seshkat werk at such young ages. Hobnobbing with Mel Jass in the Green Room.
Dick Ford who was a St.Louis icon at channel 2 anchored at KTCN in the mid 60's. He recently was on a St.Louis talk show when I called up and played this jingle over 50,000 watt radio. They all got a good laugh.
Many, many thanks to mplsmn for all of that great info! Us viewers had gotten various stories and observed various things around the time of the switch. Many of us knew that there was stuff going on that we didn't know about...or just had info that was plain wrong.
KARE held the #1 spot for news for most of the time from the late 1980's until the end of the century. WCCO was a solid #2 and KSTP was deep in last place. A series of successive talent departures and blunders by management opened up a spot for WCCO to regain dominance over KARE. That's it!
KSTP's main anchor was Ron Magers. He arrived here in 1974 and made it a tight race between KSTP and Dave Moore over at WCCO. In late 1981, Ron left KSTP after a major fallout with management and packed up and went to WMAQ in Chicago. Ron has a younger brother, Paul, who went on to become THE face of KARE newscasts for 20 years until he left for KCBS at the end of 2003. (continued)
KSTP had better luck with ABC as it was carried along on ABC's ratings coattails. By the mid 1980's, WTCN, which was renamed WUSA in 1985 and then KARE in 1986, was on top of the news ratings, WCCO held onto 2nd place, but KSTP went into a free fall that they've never recovered from to this day. (continued)
Among the stops that NBC pulled out was to have Tom Brokaw & Jane Pauley broadcast the TODAY Show from atop the IDS Center's 51st floor observation deck in downtown Minneapolis. The station initially didn't give NBC any kind of a boost at all ratings wise. It wasn't until Metromedia sold WTCN to Gannett Corporation in 1983, that things began to turn the corner. (continued)
WTCN went on the air in 1953 and was the ABC affiliate here in town from that time until 1961, when it changed over to KMSP. WTCN was an independent station with lots of syndicated and local programming and not much of a reputation for their news department or their station performance. NBC, needing a visable presence in this market, signed on with them and poured lots of money and talent into hyping its new station in the Twin Cities. (continued)
Some programs were pre-empted totally, others were time shifted to less desirable time slots and the station removed almost all traces of ABC's circle logo from station identification cards, promos, etc... Once NBC got over the surprise that they had been dumped by KSTP not only for television, but for the AM radio station that they were providing programming and hourly news for, they were scrambling to link up with WTCN, since there was no other available station in town. (continued)
Actually KSTP-AM stopped carrying NBC news and programming in about 1973, when they went top 40 as "15 KSTP, The Music Station". NBC radio was then picked up by WWTC 1280, which also carried NBC's ill-fated News and Information Service (NIS).
Yes, your information is correct regarding KSTP-AM. I didn't know that WWTC-AM had picked up the NBC Radio network until I stumbled across a website that had soundchecks from a number of Twin Cities radio stations and I heard the clip of a WWTC-AM top of the hour station ID with the NBC News sounder included.
NBC evidently also made a stop at KFMX-FM 104.1 (now KZJK, "Jack FM") before settling at WWTC. I found an aircheck from about 1974 from KFMX, with an NBC newscast about the fall of Saigon.
The two parties came to an agreement and announced in the fall of 1978 that KSTP would be switching to ABC in March of 1979. It was said that ABC warned KMSP for quite sometime to get its act together and many hapless attempts to bolster its ranking were tried, none with success. Once the announcement was made, KMSP began to play dirty with the programming that they had to contractually carry for the few remaining months that they were an ABC affiliate. (continued)
In town, WCCO was in a solid relationship with CBS and doing quite well, so there was no need for them to risk upsetting their position in the market. WTCN was an independent station at this time and really didn't offer ABC anything better than what they had with KMSP. ABC caught wind of KSTP's growing frustration with NBC and began to woo them to switch over to their network. (continued)
At the same time KSTP and NBC were rattling sabers, ABC which was riding high and had been affiliated in town with KMSP since 1961 was looking for a stronger affiliate to boost its presence here as the network had been long frustrated with the overall performance of KMSP, a genuine 4th rate station in town behind WCCO, KSTP and WTCN. The news department was considered a laughingstock and not helping to funnel viewers to ABC's network newscast. (continued)
Reason #2 was that then general manager, Stan S. Hubbard, son of the founder, was reportedly irritated about what he viewed as an increasing left leaning slant in a documentary series aired by the network news division, called "NBC News White Paper". Some of these programs were being pre-empted or time shifted to a less desirable spot on their schedule and this did not please NBC at all. (continued)
KSTP was an NBC affiliate since 1948, when it first went on the air. There are 2 reasons for the network switch. Reason #1 was that by the fall of 1978, NBC was in its 3rd year stuck in last place in the prime time ratings, behind CBS and the leader, ABC. This effect was dragging down the station's sign on to sign off performance and the ratings for its newscasts as well. (continued)
Ok, here's the real story behind the big affiliate switch of 1979! This comes from a retired production engineer who worked at KSTP from the mid 50's until the late 80's. (continued)
For me this brings back memories of having cable TV in Des Moines in 1975. They started picking this station up early that year. Only way I could see Mary Tyler Moore Show reruns in that city for a few years.
I imagine they dropped WTCN and replaced it with KMSP in March of 1979, when three Twin Cities stations traded off network affiliations. WTCN ended up with NBC after ABC moved from KMSP to KSTP, leaving KMSP to be the new independent.
ABC had been happy with KMSP's operation for a long time. In 1978, that came to a head when they decided to go back to their former Twin Cities affiliate WTCN-TV. However, KSTP somehow wrangled that away from WTCN and got the affiliation...sending NBC to WTCN.
Actually the version of the story I've heard is that ABC approached both WTCN and WCCO (not owned by CBS at the time). They didn't approach KSTP because they were well known for their loyalty to NBC. The eldest Hubbard was personal friends with David Sarnoff of NBC, so ABC didn't think they would switch. But they jumped out and said "we'll take it", and shocked the entire industry.
That sounds familiar. Now that you mention it, I do remember that ABC approached WCCO. I also remember that it was a huge shock that KSTP said ok. But I am pretty sure that ABC had designs on their former affiliate in the beginning. I could be wrong. After all, it was almost 30 years ago.
The switch was made in March 1979. I few years later, Metromedia sold WTCN to Gannet. Gannet, in a patriotic rush, decided to change the calls to WUSA in 1985. Less than a year later, they decided they wanted WUSA for their DC station and WUSA became KARE
Anyone growing up watching TV in Los Angeles will hear that KTTV "Eleven...eleven...eleven!" jingle until their dying day! It's about as memorable as "Na-bis-co! (ding!)," "We're Beatrice!" or "By Mennen!" It even looks the same (except "KTTV Los Angeles" was seen underneath the Double M 11 logo instead of the WTCN-TV identification). I'll always remember seeing this before "Truth or Consequences" with Bob Barker and during KTTV's late night movies.
Ye, it is that eleven jingle, only the one I remember came out of (then Metromedia sister station) WXIX out of Cincinnati. It was (and still is) "Nineteen...nineteen...nineteen. (Yes, I still hear it in my sleep 30 years later...)
This was the same ID used with KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, which was obviously also a Metromedia station (now owned by the Fox-Murdock empire). I've had the 11-11-11 song burned in my brain ever since watching back-to-back reruns of the Brady Bunch/Partridge Family after school back in the mid-70s. "Metro--media--televisionnnnnn--eleven,eleven,eleven...
Yeah, me too. Except for me it was Batman. In fact, it has weird to hear that music with William Dozier's voice immediately following it. And, when I was little I always through those were just three triangles in the middle. I didn't realize that was a black "M"
Just a question: Was a variation of this I.D. used, at least until the mid-1970's, by WNEW-TV in New York and WTTG in Washington, DC ("Metro-media--Television--five...five...five..."), not to mention KMBC in Kansas City?
In Washington, they had the instrumental music, but with a live voice-over that said something like: "This is WTTG, Channel 5, Metromedia Television in Washington, D.C."
Yes there was, WNEW! Exactly the same, except with a five-five-five and corresponding graphic. The "fives" were spaced apart, since it only has one syllable instead of 3.
Later they switched to an completely instrumental version, with a creepy "boo bee-beep" sound in place of the number. Finally, they did away with the sound effects altogether, and ran the animation an ordinary promotional voiceover, e.g., "Hogan's Heroes, weeknights at 8". I admit I was disappointed when they did that.
I wonder if anyone has the WNEW version of this ID. It would actually sound creepier with the "five... five... five...", like something from the Twilight Zone.
Likewise, I remember the WXIX-Channel 19, Cincinatti logo... "nineteen...nineteen...nineteen". I wonder who produced these? I always dug that animation.
Wouldn't be surprised, though, if the vocals turned out to be PAMS jingles.
I also remembered this Station ID also used on KTTV Channel 11 - Los Angeles back in the 1970's. KTTV Channel 11 - Home of Los Angeles Dodgers!
Jiltedin2007 3 weeks ago
Let's watch this video every month on the eleventh day that should make it entertaining.
Cyclops236 1 month ago
@deltaray3
Goes Good With Kevin Eleven ,11, 11.
SegaGod32X 2 months ago
Awwww, it barely even made a dent on 11-11-11
deltaray3 2 months ago
I am actually writing this on November 11, 2011!!! 11...11...11!!! Happy 11/11/11, or belated 11/11/11. LOL What a classic Metromedia video clip!! Old school, yet a classic!
TheIronSheikSociety 3 months ago 3
Tomorrow's date: eleven, eleven, eleven
tjx7712 3 months ago
@tjx7712 You beat me to it! Good catch.
This is WTCN's only ID that tells Friday's date!
sonmor 3 months ago
Will be about 49 days until THIS logo announces the date
chip64c 5 months ago
i luv the number 11.
davidpar2 7 months ago
I lived in suburban Minneapolis until '72 and recall this bumper jingle. This version looks a bit newer than that, though.
bellier20 7 months ago in playlist Twin Cities TV
it is know getting passed 2011...11...11...11
milligansx01 9 months ago
welcome to 2011...11...11...11
milligansx01 9 months ago
Veterans Day this year---11-11-11
AEMoreira81 1 year ago
This is a great gem from the golden age of Twin Cities TV. I wish someone has the old star trek promo that wtcn would run while the show was in syndication
STAR TREK K K K K K!!!!!!!!!!!!!
generalBlasto 1 year ago
I guess this one really does go to 11!
WXIX in Cincinnati (also owned by Metromedia) had a similar ID in the '70s, except it went 19, 19, 19...
bobfritz1466 1 year ago
@bobfritz1466 Can I see that one too? If possible.
Cyclops236 1 year ago
@Cyclops236 Wish I could oblige. There are a few people on here who post a lot of old Cincinnati TV stuff, so maybe one of them would have it.
bobfritz1466 1 year ago
@bobfritz1466 Can I see that one too?
Cyclops236 1 year ago
@bobfritz1466 I vaguely recall that one. I grew up in Cincinnati. I think I was four years old when that aired.
stevenmcintosh 7 months ago
I love the brutal wah wah guitar in there juxtaposed with the flute and the uber-whitey singers. I wonder who recorded that jingle?
aliensporebomb 1 year ago
It is now officially 2011....11....11....11
RCTelevision134 1 year ago 3
This jingled grooved. I remember it well. Thanks for the posting
Planktontwo 1 year ago
I hope someday if anyone would have the one that goes 5, 5, 5.
buzzlewie 1 year ago
eleven..eleven..eleven
soln4suhreborn 1 year ago
AWESOME! I dont remember the music being so funky!
WolfgangMinneapolis 1 year ago 3
@WolfgangMinneapolis This is the "extended version". It was used less often that the 6 second version which started right at the beginning of the vocals. So, the "funky" 5 second instrumental wasn't heard all that often.
badwx 1 year ago
KTTV LA used this from the early seventies until the 80's. It was used with a program slide during the day, and used alone at night, and during Beh Hunter and Don Lomond's morning and miday programs.
jgc760 1 year ago 2
groovy disco music. I kinda danced to it a bit. :)
TheRegart 1 year ago
Oh the memories!
Minxcomix 1 year ago
I remember seeing this promo as a little kid- the "11...11...11" still rings in my head to this day - I used to see it as I watched the mid-day movie...or before "My 3 Sons" and "Star Trek" in the evening about 6pm- right before I had to wash my hands for dinner :)
ScoobySnaks1 1 year ago 4
Love the "eleven, eleven, eleven..."
mca1218 1 year ago 2
KKTV 11 had in LA had the same one.
ronnykmarshall 1 year ago
@ronnykmarshall ITS KTTV NOT KKTV
Nicholas197813 1 year ago
@Nicholas197813 - Oppps. Bad fingers. BAD!
ronnykmarshall 1 year ago
Junk, Pink, Warior eleven... eleven... eleven...
supermaletperson 1 year ago
Just think...next year, it will be 2011...'11...'11...'11
lakebay972 1 year ago 24
@lakebay972 I think a new version of this logo should be created with those words in it, to be aired on every broadcast network right after "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"
TheSunnyStar 1 year ago
@lakebay972 The time has come today!! :)
(At least in my timezone anyway)
wdrpsp19 3 months ago
@lakebay972 today's 11/11/11... 11...11...11
anmlstyl 3 months ago 2
Eleven. Eleven..Eleven.....
Kinda Catchy
CWM480 1 year ago
And the irony of this video - goes for 11 seconds...
quizmaster85 2 years ago 8
I'm so happy to see this! In 1976 I was subscribing to cable TV...12 channels with TWO from Los Angeles! KTTV used to run this animated ID (for L.A., natch). Thanks for posting this!
MrTelematic 2 years ago 2
As long as we're on the subject of Twin Cities TV, I'd like to put in a request for someone to put up the intro to "Epic Theatre" which was a feature circa 1964, I don't know which station, where they'd air some sword-and-sandal Hercules epic starring Steve Reeves. They'd air it twice - late Friday night and then on Saturday afternoon. I was 9 and it was way cool for me then.
thishereguitar 2 years ago
LOVE this i d! first saw it in march of 1974 when my area -duluth minnesota/superior wisconsin started cable tv services (teleprompter was the name of the outfit)! does anybody out there have the mid 1970s nightowl theatre opening with the video of a live owl looking around or either of WTCNs 2 star trek promos made up of clips from "mudds women" or "the naked time"?
GOJIRAFAN1963 2 years ago
Can someone also post the New York version that ends in 5... 5... 5? I'd like to see that one in addition to the 19 version.
Matt13789 2 years ago 4
I'm hoping someone out there finds and posts a copy of the WXIX Channel 19 version of this ident.
superbuick 2 years ago 2
I like this one :-)
MiltownPunkette21 2 years ago
Nothing like Scanimate, funky music, and vocals! Today its just digital CGI, bland music, and a more boring vocal. They don't make them like they used to!
pannoni1 2 years ago 4
Metromedia owned WXIX-TV (channel 19) in Cincinnati in the 1970s (it's now owned by Raycom) and they used the exact same ID, but of course it ended with "19...19...19"
Meridian83West 2 years ago
Hey, does anybody have Mel Jazz's Matinee Movie opening, or any of his corny commercials? I was reading an interview with the Coen brothers and they credit Mel for giving them their love of movies, and as I was watching at the same time they were, I can see why. Ol' Mel showed some of the most eclectic stuff on his show, some wildly age inappropriate for a midafternoon weekday show.
ryoushii 2 years ago
I remember this years ago! Its funny how I remember the metromedia opening a little different as a kid but I see it different as an adult. I remember "11..11..11."
bluemb1069 2 years ago
Wow, I've been searching forever for this jingle! This same exact jingle was used by Metromedia's KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles.
SciFiGuy1x 2 years ago
This really brings back memories. Makes me think of Casey Jones and Roundhouse Rodney..
dangerousoldman 2 years ago
Ironic you should say that.
Because it was Metromedia who had purchased channel 11 and like other stations under its ownership did away with local kids shows.Casey & Roundhouse was replaced by a lame,fluffy-piece talk sho called 'What's New?'
KIRK976 2 years ago
Is this the station Mary Tyler Moore worked for?
funkmike 2 years ago 2
@funkmike hahaha no it was a different station
CWM480 1 year ago
Your only one off funmike. That was WJM-TV, Channel 12, a fictional TV station.
badwx 1 year ago
11 11 11
elkinsinbox 2 years ago 3
11....11....11....11....11...
XanaduPreservation 2 years ago 2
I still love this ident!! It's so cool!
wilkes85 2 years ago 2
I love this logo
I always like to sing along with this logo
LJK193 2 years ago 3
I distinctly remember this logo, we live in SE, MN, about 200 miles South of MLPS, and i remember this logo playing at midnight, before they signed off, in the 1970s,,this was back in the day before all the late night infomercials, when the stations quit broadcasting at midnight each night,or at least by 2 AM.
Brianeddie666 3 years ago
If possible, could you upload a similar Station Identification, but for KTTV Channel 11-Los Angeles instead? Considering that it was the Los Angeles Channel of Metromedia Televison.
Jiltedin2007 3 years ago
cool! this jingle sounds like the electric company
jackwolf131 3 years ago 3
The animation almost looks Electric-Company-esque. Looks like Scanimate.
chabba77 2 years ago
I distinctly recall seeing WTCN 11 in
Feb. of 79 upon a brief visit to Minn.
However, this ID was not in use.
It must have been pulled by '78 or so.
noahf67 3 years ago
You must have caught it in its last days as an independent, before they hooked up with NBC.
chabba77 2 years ago
Yep, most likely. The ID package I remember was a more contemporary
chorus singing, W-T-C-N...E-leev-en...
with muted horns. Very Ray Conniff.
noahf67 2 years ago
Did KARE 11 have this kind of animation, too, when it was a Metromedia station?
disneyfan85 3 years ago
No, once WTCN became an NBC affiliate...this type of animation was retired. The ID's were rather boring.
However, in 1985, when WTCN became WUSA...they did have a really cool ID. The music was very catchy and animation was pretty slick. I would give anything to find a copy of that.
Sadly, that went away in 1986 when Gannet swiped the WUSA call leters for their DC station and Channel 11 became KARE.
AlecJF 3 years ago
What about KTTV 11 from Los Angeles? I meant to ask about KNTV, but it came out KARE.
disneyfan85 3 years ago
I remember that jingle, my mother said I used to sing and dance to the tune, but it was in the New York area where it went, "Metromedia Television, Five Five Five." I almost forgot that jingle, Thanks for porting.
buzzlewie 3 years ago 3
Classic, love it!
FrogTesticle 3 years ago
That Sattion Identification was also used for KTTV Channel 11 here in Los Angeles, as well. I remembered when Channel 11 Studios was on Sunset Blvd., just off the Hollywood Freeway(US 101), and across the Street from KTLA Channel 5, which was One Block West of the Hollywood Freeway.
Jiltedin2007 3 years ago
Man, I remember seeing that on my family's old console TV when I was a little kid! pretty cool blast from the past.
20carrocks 3 years ago 2
Was Metromedia Television Channel 11 Nationwide?
Here, in Los Angeles, KTTV was Channel 11, and there, in Minneapolis, it is Channel 11 as well. It was probably Channel 11 everywhere.
Jiltedin2007 3 years ago
No, only those two channels to the best of my knowledge. Metromedia had two Channel 5's in their stable, New York's WNEW-TV and Washington, D.C.'s WTTG. Another station they owned at one time was KMBC-TV (Channel 9) in Kansas City.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
Did they have similar, if not identical, animations used here for each of their stations?
disneyfan85 3 years ago
Channel 5 WNEW TV New York.
buzzlewie 3 years ago
The Metromedia chain grew out of the remnants of the DuMont Network, and later morphed into the Fox Network.
dnm72863 3 years ago
Eleven,eleven,eleven,eleven.....!
PreviewSubscription 3 years ago
boy that music is catchy.....color and moving logos are high tech for that time......
vinylking1252 3 years ago
It must have been considered state-of-the-art at the time, back when most station ID's were still slides.
chabba77 3 years ago
That's the funkiest station ID music i've ever heard. i love this!
soln4suhreborn 3 years ago 4
I concur!
Netstryke 2 years ago
I'd say that bumper has stood the test of time. I love it and so does my 2 year old daughter. She keeps saying Eleven, Eleven....
Did you notice that its 11 seconds long? That's cool.
deltaray3 3 years ago 14
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seabass11 2 years ago
@deltaray3 Now my daughter is 5 years old and in a few weeks we'll be watching this on 11/11/11. I wonder if the viewership will spike that day.
deltaray3 4 months ago
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wilkes85 3 years ago 7
O rly? :D
frank87it 3 years ago
Metro...Media...TELEVISIONNNNN!
(But I can't understand the final lyrics...:P)
frank87it 3 years ago 2
i can't stop playing the opening, this music is really catchy!!
autoamerican79 3 years ago 4
I don't know anything about Minneapolis or L.A., but I'm here to tell you this - or some customized version of it - was used elsewhere in the states; I saw this 25+ years ago, and I've never been anywhere near Minneapolis or L.A.!
Drchainsaw77 3 years ago 2
Well, Doctor, the key lies in that "Metromedia Television" part...that company owned many stations nationwide (KTTV-11 in LA and WXIX-19 in Cincy were already brought up.) I think MM was owner of Orion Pictures many years ago. Wikipedia that - its pretty interesting!
Chasmodon 3 years ago
EDIT:
Forget "Orion Pictures".
Replace it with...wait for it...
"Harlem Globetrotters."
Chasmodon 3 years ago
Wow eerie.
videogamefan199 3 years ago
I first saw this ident online about four years ago and it scared the shit out of me. After the passage of so much time, though, it no longer disturbs me. That is more than I can say of some idents/production credits (cough...MTM Productions Logo (1969-Late 1980s)...cough).
Reed488 3 years ago
Comment removed
seabass11 2 years ago
I hear you...the MTM logo was clever, but freaky as shit when you're a little kid. The moving letters in that hideous font were scary enough and that *meow* was pure evil. You are not alone. Lately I've been hearing more and more stories about people who scared to death of the MTM logo when they were young.
That said, I love this logo but may have thought differently about it had I seen it for the first time as a 2 year old.
superbuick 2 years ago
i'm mel jass' kid!!
DanAntarctica 3 years ago
No kidding?!?! You're dad was so cool. He was a one-man-band. He could do it all at WTCN. He was the king of ad-libbing. To this day, I still remember him hosting the afternoon movies.
Your father was one of the greats.
badwx 3 years ago 2
This came on for the first time in July 1970,after kriss kraft sold out.My reaction,was "what the hell is this???" at the time.
jmen4ever 3 years ago
Thank you for that information. I was very young at the time and I do remember the first time it aired. It actually scared me a little bit. I couldn't remember exactly what year that was though. Even by today's standards, it's pretty weird to see a station ID feature the owner's name so prominently (unless of course the owner happens to be the network).
badwx 3 years ago
If you've ever heard the song "7 Chiffon Place" by Minneapolis band The Conquerors, they TOTALLY swiped this bit for the end of the song.... Must have watched whole lotta TV as youngsters!
mndandy 4 years ago
Hell, it sounds like the Conks themselves sang that suckah back in what, '72... doin seshkat werk at such young ages. Hobnobbing with Mel Jass in the Green Room.
wwisely 4 years ago
Dick Ford who was a St.Louis icon at channel 2 anchored at KTCN in the mid 60's. He recently was on a St.Louis talk show when I called up and played this jingle over 50,000 watt radio. They all got a good laugh.
tom27055 4 years ago
I MISS PAUL MAGERS, DAMMIT!!! :(
Marymarybobeary 4 years ago 3
Funkadelic!
frednora 4 years ago 3
Eleven..eleven..eleven.
randomstuff2007 4 years ago
Many, many thanks to mplsmn for all of that great info! Us viewers had gotten various stories and observed various things around the time of the switch. Many of us knew that there was stuff going on that we didn't know about...or just had info that was plain wrong.
badwx 4 years ago
KARE held the #1 spot for news for most of the time from the late 1980's until the end of the century. WCCO was a solid #2 and KSTP was deep in last place. A series of successive talent departures and blunders by management opened up a spot for WCCO to regain dominance over KARE. That's it!
mplsmn 4 years ago
KSTP's main anchor was Ron Magers. He arrived here in 1974 and made it a tight race between KSTP and Dave Moore over at WCCO. In late 1981, Ron left KSTP after a major fallout with management and packed up and went to WMAQ in Chicago. Ron has a younger brother, Paul, who went on to become THE face of KARE newscasts for 20 years until he left for KCBS at the end of 2003. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
KSTP had better luck with ABC as it was carried along on ABC's ratings coattails. By the mid 1980's, WTCN, which was renamed WUSA in 1985 and then KARE in 1986, was on top of the news ratings, WCCO held onto 2nd place, but KSTP went into a free fall that they've never recovered from to this day. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago 3
Among the stops that NBC pulled out was to have Tom Brokaw & Jane Pauley broadcast the TODAY Show from atop the IDS Center's 51st floor observation deck in downtown Minneapolis. The station initially didn't give NBC any kind of a boost at all ratings wise. It wasn't until Metromedia sold WTCN to Gannett Corporation in 1983, that things began to turn the corner. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
WTCN went on the air in 1953 and was the ABC affiliate here in town from that time until 1961, when it changed over to KMSP. WTCN was an independent station with lots of syndicated and local programming and not much of a reputation for their news department or their station performance. NBC, needing a visable presence in this market, signed on with them and poured lots of money and talent into hyping its new station in the Twin Cities. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
Ahhh!! So that's how we ended up with China Syndrome star Stan Bohrman as our anchor on NewsCenter 11! Makes sense now.
badwx 4 years ago
Yup, he didn't last too long here!
mplsmn 4 years ago
Some programs were pre-empted totally, others were time shifted to less desirable time slots and the station removed almost all traces of ABC's circle logo from station identification cards, promos, etc... Once NBC got over the surprise that they had been dumped by KSTP not only for television, but for the AM radio station that they were providing programming and hourly news for, they were scrambling to link up with WTCN, since there was no other available station in town. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
Actually KSTP-AM stopped carrying NBC news and programming in about 1973, when they went top 40 as "15 KSTP, The Music Station". NBC radio was then picked up by WWTC 1280, which also carried NBC's ill-fated News and Information Service (NIS).
chabba77 4 years ago
Yes, your information is correct regarding KSTP-AM. I didn't know that WWTC-AM had picked up the NBC Radio network until I stumbled across a website that had soundchecks from a number of Twin Cities radio stations and I heard the clip of a WWTC-AM top of the hour station ID with the NBC News sounder included.
mplsmn 4 years ago
NBC evidently also made a stop at KFMX-FM 104.1 (now KZJK, "Jack FM") before settling at WWTC. I found an aircheck from about 1974 from KFMX, with an NBC newscast about the fall of Saigon.
chabba77 3 years ago
The two parties came to an agreement and announced in the fall of 1978 that KSTP would be switching to ABC in March of 1979. It was said that ABC warned KMSP for quite sometime to get its act together and many hapless attempts to bolster its ranking were tried, none with success. Once the announcement was made, KMSP began to play dirty with the programming that they had to contractually carry for the few remaining months that they were an ABC affiliate. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
In town, WCCO was in a solid relationship with CBS and doing quite well, so there was no need for them to risk upsetting their position in the market. WTCN was an independent station at this time and really didn't offer ABC anything better than what they had with KMSP. ABC caught wind of KSTP's growing frustration with NBC and began to woo them to switch over to their network. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
At the same time KSTP and NBC were rattling sabers, ABC which was riding high and had been affiliated in town with KMSP since 1961 was looking for a stronger affiliate to boost its presence here as the network had been long frustrated with the overall performance of KMSP, a genuine 4th rate station in town behind WCCO, KSTP and WTCN. The news department was considered a laughingstock and not helping to funnel viewers to ABC's network newscast. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
Reason #2 was that then general manager, Stan S. Hubbard, son of the founder, was reportedly irritated about what he viewed as an increasing left leaning slant in a documentary series aired by the network news division, called "NBC News White Paper". Some of these programs were being pre-empted or time shifted to a less desirable spot on their schedule and this did not please NBC at all. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
KSTP was an NBC affiliate since 1948, when it first went on the air. There are 2 reasons for the network switch. Reason #1 was that by the fall of 1978, NBC was in its 3rd year stuck in last place in the prime time ratings, behind CBS and the leader, ABC. This effect was dragging down the station's sign on to sign off performance and the ratings for its newscasts as well. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
Ok, here's the real story behind the big affiliate switch of 1979! This comes from a retired production engineer who worked at KSTP from the mid 50's until the late 80's. (continued)
mplsmn 4 years ago
Flashback to the 70's with the synthesizer and all. Love it.
white93taurusgl 4 years ago
yes this really really really brings me back when i was a mere child!!
gumbygyrl 4 years ago
For me this brings back memories of having cable TV in Des Moines in 1975. They started picking this station up early that year. Only way I could see Mary Tyler Moore Show reruns in that city for a few years.
retrotvluver 5 years ago
I imagine they dropped WTCN and replaced it with KMSP in March of 1979, when three Twin Cities stations traded off network affiliations. WTCN ended up with NBC after ABC moved from KMSP to KSTP, leaving KMSP to be the new independent.
chabba77 5 years ago
ABC had been happy with KMSP's operation for a long time. In 1978, that came to a head when they decided to go back to their former Twin Cities affiliate WTCN-TV. However, KSTP somehow wrangled that away from WTCN and got the affiliation...sending NBC to WTCN.
badwx 4 years ago
Make that "ABC had been UNhappy with KMSP
badwx 4 years ago
Actually the version of the story I've heard is that ABC approached both WTCN and WCCO (not owned by CBS at the time). They didn't approach KSTP because they were well known for their loyalty to NBC. The eldest Hubbard was personal friends with David Sarnoff of NBC, so ABC didn't think they would switch. But they jumped out and said "we'll take it", and shocked the entire industry.
chabba77 4 years ago
That sounds familiar. Now that you mention it, I do remember that ABC approached WCCO. I also remember that it was a huge shock that KSTP said ok. But I am pretty sure that ABC had designs on their former affiliate in the beginning. I could be wrong. After all, it was almost 30 years ago.
badwx 4 years ago
The switch was made in March 1979. I few years later, Metromedia sold WTCN to Gannet. Gannet, in a patriotic rush, decided to change the calls to WUSA in 1985. Less than a year later, they decided they wanted WUSA for their DC station and WUSA became KARE
badwx 4 years ago
Anyone growing up watching TV in Los Angeles will hear that KTTV "Eleven...eleven...eleven!" jingle until their dying day! It's about as memorable as "Na-bis-co! (ding!)," "We're Beatrice!" or "By Mennen!" It even looks the same (except "KTTV Los Angeles" was seen underneath the Double M 11 logo instead of the WTCN-TV identification). I'll always remember seeing this before "Truth or Consequences" with Bob Barker and during KTTV's late night movies.
michaeledwardmorris 5 years ago
Ye, it is that eleven jingle, only the one I remember came out of (then Metromedia sister station) WXIX out of Cincinnati. It was (and still is) "Nineteen...nineteen...nineteen. (Yes, I still hear it in my sleep 30 years later...)
dwalex97209 4 years ago
Wow, the 70s were creepy.
tooniverse 5 years ago
I'll second that.
XtremeWeirdo 5 years ago
This was the same ID used with KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, which was obviously also a Metromedia station (now owned by the Fox-Murdock empire). I've had the 11-11-11 song burned in my brain ever since watching back-to-back reruns of the Brady Bunch/Partridge Family after school back in the mid-70s. "Metro--media--televisionnnnnn--eleven,eleven,eleven...
redbearinaz 5 years ago 2
Yeah, me too. Except for me it was Batman. In fact, it has weird to hear that music with William Dozier's voice immediately following it. And, when I was little I always through those were just three triangles in the middle. I didn't realize that was a black "M"
badwx 5 years ago
That's pretty good. Artists spend their careers trying to see negative space like that. :)
pegbars 3 years ago
Just a question: Was a variation of this I.D. used, at least until the mid-1970's, by WNEW-TV in New York and WTTG in Washington, DC ("Metro-media--Television--five...five...five..."), not to mention KMBC in Kansas City?
wmbrown6 4 years ago
In Washington, they had the instrumental music, but with a live voice-over that said something like: "This is WTTG, Channel 5, Metromedia Television in Washington, D.C."
zekepig 4 years ago
Have you got that logo? Or do you know someone who does?
disneyfan85 4 years ago
Yes there was, WNEW! Exactly the same, except with a five-five-five and corresponding graphic. The "fives" were spaced apart, since it only has one syllable instead of 3.
Later they switched to an completely instrumental version, with a creepy "boo bee-beep" sound in place of the number. Finally, they did away with the sound effects altogether, and ran the animation an ordinary promotional voiceover, e.g., "Hogan's Heroes, weeknights at 8". I admit I was disappointed when they did that.
SesameSquirrel 4 years ago 2
Ah, so I wasn't dreaming. And I figured, given the tempo, that there'd be such "spacing" between the 5's. Now was this also in place for WTTG?
wmbrown6 4 years ago
I wonder if anyone has the WNEW version of this ID. It would actually sound creepier with the "five... five... five...", like something from the Twilight Zone.
chabba77 4 years ago
Likewise, I remember the WXIX-Channel 19, Cincinatti logo... "nineteen...nineteen...nineteen". I wonder who produced these? I always dug that animation.
Wouldn't be surprised, though, if the vocals turned out to be PAMS jingles.
pegbars 3 years ago
...er, make that "Cincinnati". ;)
pegbars 3 years ago
WTCN is now KARE, an NBC Affilate in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Tlogos 5 years ago
This is a very weird ID. What are the people saying? All I hear is "Metro-Media Channel.... Eleven, Eleven, Eleven.
ytrewq1994 5 years ago
They are singing "Metro, media, television, eleven, eleven, eleven."
badwx 5 years ago
I do remember this fromt he 70s as a little kid in the Twin Cities...too funny
rodcarews 5 years ago