WGN-TV Won't Let Us Display Their Content In Our Museum

[notfauxnooz]

WGN could make a mint off of selling DVDs of the old kids shows like Bozo, Garfield Goose, etc, but they just seem to want to act as if none of those shows every happened. It;s sad. I can understand copyright restrictions, but doesn't there come a point where FAIR USE and the PUBLIC INTEREST must take precidence over such narrow minded control freak attituded that prevent these historic gems from being seen?

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

@notfauxnooz - Well, to be fair to them (I know, right?) if there WAS a way to sell DVDs of this material, I'm sure they would have been doing it a long time ago (or on VHS) If they realized they could make some money off of it, I'm sure they would have. The problem is messy copyright issues. The best they were able to do was to produce the "Bozo, Gar & Ray" special that now airs annually. However, there is so much mateial that is in the hands of the people; they should let us display it.

[notfauxnooz]

I know the frustration. Friends and I have been trying to get WGN to consider re-creating Creature Features - their lame excuse has been they can't get the rights to show the Universal movies. SO WHAT - Svengoolie has no problem showing B-class horror movies. They just don't seem to give a rats a** about what fans want.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

@notfauxnooz - Well, once again, to be fair to them, it is REALLY hard to obtain the rights nowadays to air some of these movies, especially the classic Universal horror series. So to bring back Creature Features WITHOUT those movies would cheapen it in a lot of people's eyes. And with so much competition from DVDs, etc - I'm sure it is darn near impossible to make a local movie show profitable. Especially if all you're doing is showing the movie with just a Creature Features logo added.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

@notfauxnooz - Svengoolie is a special case, because Rich Koz and his comedy adds value to the presentation of the movie. People aren't just watching to see the movie, they're watching because they're fans of Rich and his unique brand of comedy - plus there's a lot of history there. Creature Features again, while it was cool, simply amounted to an opening sequence with creepy music and a poem recited. That was it, other than the movie itself. So I don't think that would guarantee ratings.

[BettinaBalser]

I am disgusted with WGN for this. I am going to be working on my master's degree in American Media soon and I grew up watching WGN programming (Kids in Chicago, having a good time, they are watching...CHANNEL NINE!). Surely there cannot be much money to be made by archive footage...yet it is invaluable to our American culture to be able to see it? How small-minded, WGN. Shame on you. (As for you, FuzzyMemories, keep up the good work!)

[Bcreger5150]

I recently put a video of myself playing a game on Bozo's Circus in 1981. After a week Youtube removed the video because WGN claimed copyright infringement.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

@Bcreger5150 - The ironic thing is that in all likelihood, WGN doesn't have a copy of your episode. So they are denying people's opportunity to see it.  Why? Are they just being stubborn? They need to get with the YouTube age - video is shared all the time, so why not embrace it?

[bruhe]

WGN doesn't care about "us". WGN only cares about money. Don't even bother trying to send emai ls or contacting anyone. Even if you are sopping wet with sincerity, they won't care. They never have and they never will. Truth is, I could spend the rest of my life never once tuning into their channel and never miss it. WGN blows and their radio station blows even more. 

[bruhe]

WGN has a long and storied history of being totally douchey. That's the truth. They have always been fuddy duddies and muckety mucks about this. They won't listen. And sending an email to anyone with the title Ms. is bound to be as welcome as heat rash on a hot august day. My own personal opinion of WGN? They suck balls.

[twinsonic65]

This instrumental song that is playing is called? Thanks again

[wannawatchu66]

@twinsonic65 Mack The Knife.

[drunkntailgater]

So this is why I see Boston Bozo all over youtube and not the Real Bozo Bob Bell! I hope things work out......they are just making it worse for us fans that remember that stuff and would like to share it with our children!

[WeatherSTARIII]

A couple of years ago on my old YouTube account, I once posted a video clip of some of WGN's promos including their station id that featured the big WGN Channel 9 logo (this was all aired in 1989). Those jerks from the same station later removed it less than a day later all because it was their Copyrighted footage. I hate TRIBUNE! I also hate syndex blackouts!

[rockyrack2]

What sucks most is I've scoured the internet trying to find videos of Bob Bell as Bozo and have come up with next to nothing, someone has a home video of the pre show but with no audio:( It's a shame, he was great. WGN you are depriving the youth of today from seeing a legend at work. BRING BACK BOZO!

[MayorCDoats]

This is the same WGN that taped over years of Garfield Goose and Friends rather than safeguard them. I would love to see my old friends Rhomburg Rabbit, Boulereguard and more. I guess business is business, but a shame the public loses out on their decision not to keep their archives widely available.

[PolizeiPaul]

Just show it anyway (WGN content) under the copyright act you have the right to show anything provided it's strictly for educational reasons and not for profit..If I gave in to all the complaining and deleted my videos a good number would be gone by now..I don't..I just delete the emails and personal messages and ignore other threats as well.

[SWISSCOLORVISION]

WGN on life support.

[PolizeiPaul]

I'd show it ANYWAY..As long as you are non for profit you have the right to.

[BigGayerAl]

Maybe the Tribune company will fade away like their newspaper. I was in Chicago recently and was shocked to see that the Tribune is now just a small pamphlet.

[Colortiniz]

WGN killed a 1960's clip I posted of Bozo and Phil Donahue. They have zero class.

[TheManhattanThrush]

It's really a shame. What's the point of things being in the MBC if no one can access them? At least the Museum of Television and Radio in LA and NYC will let you access their holdings by appointment! That's what a museum is for, for US, the public!

[n07w4tU7hnk]

Metop33 > wait till in ANOTHER 15 years you look back ... it will be more so and a new gen of 20 somethings will be repeating your very words

MONEY is the decider in all things ... especially with deleted and altered history.

Great informative video on WGN! in another 5 years most likely you wont be able to post such historical info at this site. Then we will "remember when" and talk about it. (Hopefully)

[LIFESEXDEATH]

WGN has the WORST local news casts now-the morning show is pathetic-the newscasters don't ever have a clue whats going on-they predicted 100% sunshine when it was raining outside at the same time ! The time the miners were trapped, they had the banner on the bottom say MINORS TRAPPED. They all seem like they are on meth or coke or wayyy too much coffee. I remember when WGN was THE station to watch news and movies-this Wilke idiot has sunk them even lower now.

[LIFESEXDEATH]

I stopped watching WGN when they killed Bozo's circus. I saw a pic of the asshole who did it-they printed his pic in the paper-he looked like a real cocksucker-sorry about my language but there's no better way to put it here. The reasons he gave made no sense-I think he was sadistic & liked to mess with people-to kill the show meant he could upset THOUSANDS of people-which brought him extreme delite. I also hear many neg things about Ms Wilke in the news so this comes as no surprise. BUMMER.

[BigGayerAl]

Hey, don't knock us co*k-suckers. We're nice people, and he's an asshole.

[eyeh8nbc]

I have a few commercial breaks and a movie intro on WGN from 1976, but I'm afraid to put it up since I've already had one account yanked. Tribune also now owns KTXL in Sacramento, and they don't seem to mind stuff from that being on here- though if I were them, I'd be ashamed of people seeing what a great station it used to be and what a pile of crap it is now!

[eyeh8nbc]

Though to be fair, KTXL actually STOPPED using their bug a couple weeks ago! It's still on during Fox shows, but that's controlled by the network. Still isn't the same KTXL as the analog days, but have to give them props for dropping the bug- maybe this idiotic practice might FINALLY be coming to an end!

[msmithstud]

i especially miss Lou Rawls singing ''welcome home'', the ch. 9 logo with Rawls singing, and the 7 o'clock movie intro cartoon from the mid-80's.

[dogfooddean]

I wanted to see the Crime Stopper Cruiser and hear the Dog talk.

[bigjimsteelrod]

Mackie Messer

[CodyJarrett]

The Museum of Broadcast Communications isn't really a museum. It is a vanity project for Bruce DuMont and he's made a royal mess of it and in the process locked up a large portion of the broadcast history of Chicago. Thank God Studs Terkel had the awareness to take his archives to the the Chicago History Museum where the people in charge know the value of media and have made a huge portion of Studs' work available to the public. If he had left them to DUMont they'd never be heard again.

[chabba77]

I wonder if you could get away with sending WGN material to TV Ark. That site is based in the UK, but has an international TV section, which includes American channels. I'm no lawyer or anything, but could the MBC and WGN do anything about content on a site based outside of the country?

[Tenor777]

Hey fuzzymemories, do you know if the museum is actually up and running? They closed it several years ago and announced that it was re-opening at a new location about 5 years ago, but I haven't seen nor heard anything about it. It frustates me as well when corporations like this can be so stingy for no real reason!

[theFoolishWoman]

I think they must have someone virtually full time doing nothing but scouring the web looking for their content. I once posted one of their old promos and they had it taken down like a day later. What a huge waste of time for all concerned. It's sad.

[metop33]

yeah, its bullshit! What losers!

[batterymaker]

Another example of the Cynic's Golden Rule: He who has the most gold makes the rules.... :-|

[taledarkside]

this sucks

i love the intro to family classics. snuggle up in the couch and watch a movie when i was a kid. Or the logos that wgn had when they had their late night movie on saturdays.

sad to see bozo go too. WGN 5 hour morning news killed it.

[pvx]

Hmm, it's ironic that the Museum of Broadcast Communications did have video streaming of their TV archives (inculding some of WGN's material) available up until early this year, when they shut their streaming services down due to the operating costs of having such available. They even had a drive to get people to contribute, but unfortunately, it went nowhere... :(

[deejaydubla]

you might cut into sales of the big bozo the clown dvd box set introspective they're planning...

[tubefilmvideo]

back in the 90's I videotaped a WGN producers wedding - I asked her why not start selling this stuff? she said"WGN knows they have a goldmine - they just don't know how to distribute it". I have good footage of Bozo stuff but I will abide by the law and not put it on the web or sell it. I just give them out for free - the generation that grew up on this are slowly fading away. even if they put it out for sale now it wouldn't do as well as compared to releasing in the 90's.

TRIBUNE BANKRUPTCY

[metop33]

sad sad! I miss the good old days of WGN! When and why did it turn so bad? Its not been that long ago but the world is more money hungary than ever I guess.

[LIFESEXDEATH]

I agree 100%. They have been spiraling downward the past 15 years. I miss Creature Features, Family Classics, and a news team that knows whats going on, plus better sitcoms-they seem to pick the worst ones. I'm amazed they are still running as advertisers gotta be pulling out for lack of viewers. I don't know anyone who watches WGN anymore and I live in Chicago.

[metop33]

I live in Chicago also, the way WGN is now compared to 15 years ago is a night and day difference. Now to me WGN and other networks resemble E! TV . I am 27yrs old and I am grateful that I can remember back in the early 90's and some of the 80's when networks and stations were more genuine and wholesome for all ages. Sorry for rambling on and I don't like living in the past but is everything on TV crap or deplorable? Seems like that to me!

[cactusblue60]

WGN is more than a Chicago treasure, their history is a Midwest treasure, since several of their programs were syndicated in the region as far back as the mid '60s that I know of, and maybe even earlier. Surrounding states, get behind this effort.

[chabba77]

Not only that, but if you had cable back in the pre-syndex days, you had WGN. I remember when the cable feed was a straight unaltered simulcast of channel 9 in Chicago, commercials and all. I've lived in Minnesota my whole life, yet could remember the old Empire Carpet jingle, before the "800" was added. Bozo was a part of my before school routine every morning. The syndex rule ruined the superstations.

[condellwatch]

The MBC is a basket case and I would be surprised if they ever reopen.

[VIDEOTIMEMACHINE]

I know. I had one clip pulled. We have tons of WGN video.

[yogafan6500]

I agree with you on that friend. Let's keep on writing to those guys and tell them we want to see our classic WGN-TV clips on you tube and be happy with what we remember seeing them back in the glory days of old time TV. Thanks for your concern.

[mg4150]

I fully agree with you Rick.

I'll be sending them a respectful email. Maybe if they get enough of them, the future will allow you to post the great stuff that people are missing out on.

Thanks for all your postings on youtube and your museum web site, brings back a lot of memories!

[hamtrak]

The old, tired and corrupt "Chicago Machine".  :(

[ZomCast]

... And where is Barak Obama from again?

[stacysmomsmokesabong]

Not only am I writing WGN an email, I'm also asking my friends on Facebook to visit your channel, watch your videos and decide if they want these huge parts of history removed from the Internet forever. Good luck in the fight!

[Rockthered8]

Harry Caray would have something to say about this...

[protometal]

I appreciate your museum and think it is a shame that WGN does not. Your museum is a registered non-profit and does not claim ownership... so what's the problem? Why is there a need for exclusivity?

[jznavixm]

Ah the Tribune Company.. another dying old media dinosaur. Tis a shame they wont share. Speaking of dinosaurs... Does anyone even go to the Museum of Broadcast Communications? LOL Way to welcome the 21st Tribune Company. lol!

[bloodredskiesx]

Well stated points on your video, and sorry to hear of this unfortunate situation. You have a treasure trove of archived video. There are provisions for "fair use" and collector-to-collector trading, but as far as public broadcast and their exclusive contract, that's probably a done deal. I'll send an email and hope that you have some future luck with them!

[MrHorrorFan]

Right now Bob Bell is rolling in his grave...

[blank77]

...Plus,Larry Potash,Paul Konrad,and Pat Tomasulo are snickering as well.

[soneyo]

meaning "WGN-TV".

[milincoln]

Im shocked Wgn has always seemed like the friendliest of companys.

[soneyo]

Backed a WGN station ID return it below.. Take us!

[ukendcx2000]

I can't say that I'm surprised ...

[VideoNitekatt]

I guess they never head of "fair use" ,either.

[DDRpwnerer]

I think, because it's on Youtube, people automatically doubt the legitimacy of channels like this, even despite the fact that there's a lot of evidence that should make that fact apparent - that they should really take this channel seriously.

I certainly do, as I'm sure all of the regular viewers/active subscribers like myself do as well.

Hope you guys can manage to work everything out. It'll straighten out. :)

[thevisualboy37]

We must all come together, send them e-mails and, if we have to, maybe even stop watching them.

"Them", of course, meaning "WGN-TV".

[blugreen123]

These people had to realize that with the advent of recording devices, such as VCRs, then the proliferation of the internet, that this material was going to show up somewhere, somehow.

What are they going to do? Raid everyone's house who has ever recorded a program in the Chicago area?

[barber747]

That's just stupid. If they're going to do that, then WGN might as well be a communist corporation.

[usa02]

It's not fair, I cannot believe WGN blocked Fuzzy from posting any of their classic videos, - by the way, this is a great site and those TV promos, commercials, bumpers, station ID's, and many others bring back memories.

[dave11686]

I just want to say that this is a great channel, and I wish you all the best.

[VCRchivist]

Sorry to see this happen. They do hold the copyright ... but it's too bad they don't see the historical value and FREE PUBLICITY involved.

Did they give any reason besides exclusivity? (Such as plans to remaster/monetize the old clips, or maybe they're unhappy over your new sponsor-a-video feature?)

If I were MBC I'd reach out to you for help ID'ing videos of interest, post those online and invite you to link/embed them, and let you have at anything we didn't want. (IANA museum director.)

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

No man, this is not a recent decision. They sent the cease-and-desist letter back in April 2008. Since that time I have worked my tail off to get a 501(c)(3) and become an official non-profit museum, which I thought would change their attitude - but it hasn't.

WGN cannot monetize the clips - if they could have sold a Bozo or Garfield Goose DVD or video they would have done it YEARS ago - since they get many requests a month for such a thing.

[moonoink]

did they tell you what you are welcome to upload?

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

They didn't get specific. I assume anything with an identifiable WGN logo or ID, or anything unmistakably theirs, like Bozo.

[jmtampa17]

I'm disappointed with MBC & WGN. To make historical WGN Chicago TV exclusive to only one venue is restrictive and ultimately hurts their own popularity. Thanks to fuzzymemoriestv for trying.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

The MBC sees my museum as a threat to their own and instead of joining forces as allies they decided to try to get rid of me by sending a nasty letter to the Attorney General's office.

End result: It didn't work.

[VCRchivist]

Ah - didn't know there was a history there.

[jonrev]

I could be wrong, but doesn't WGN own, or have something to do with operating the Museum of Broadcast Communications?

They have brought that museum up on one of their classic segments with Bozo, Garfield Goose, etc.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

The only connection they have is that DuMont is very close with the powers that be at WGN. The DuMont family's network used to be on Channel 9, way back when.

[saphopoem]

What a load of crap.People should be able to enjoy wonderful historical content without "money" constantly being an objective. People seem to only care about money these days. How sad how our country has changed. For the worse.

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

In this case, it's not even money - it's sweetheart deals to connected people. WGN allows the MBC to display their content on their website - which I'm sure they don't charge them any money for since they're a 501(c)(3) non-profit just like us.

[bondkor]

darnit this happens the first day i subscribe

[MLBAllStarDiva2009]

Exactly, and yet I don't see why WGN-TV is disagreeing with Fair Use. They should focus on the stuff they DO televise.

[travis7310]

Never mind.  I just got the song. "Mack the Knife".

[FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Yeah, it's what Mack the Knife was originally based on. It's the Dick Hyman Trio - "Moritat" (Theme from "The Three Penny Opera") (1956)

[travis7310]

That's very sad of them to do that. BTW, what's the song called? I've heard it before.