WBZ-TV 35th Anniversary -- June 9, 1983 -- Part 1

This sequence contains excerpts from a live special that WBZ-TV/Boston aired on the occasion of the station's 35th anniversary in 1983. It is from an off-air VHS recording.

The filmed portions of this special were originally produced for Channel 4's 30th birthday in 1978.

Barry Nolan and Sara Edwards from "Evening Magazine" are the hosts.

All rights are acknowledged.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• WBZ
• history

[VintageTelevision]

It's been said that younger people generally have little interest in what occurred before they were born.

That aside, I think few local TV anniversary specials are produced today because they'd embarrass the stations. The majority of them abandoned local programming by the early 1990s. A retrospective made today would carry the message:

"Look at all the great stuff we did in our first 40 years. Since then, we've just been a conduit for the network feed, syndicated shows and infomercials."

[muybridge54]

You're absolutely right! It sickens me what passes for "local programming" on Channels 4, 5, and 7 nowadays. I've been living outside the USA for three years, so I'm kinda out of the loop. Does WBZ still run "Evening Magazine" or did that get cancelled a few years back.

I used to think Sarah Edwards was a hottie back then... but what did I know? I was only a teenager.

[wtglb]

@VintageTelevision - You hit the nail on the head, local TV used to actually be local. WBZ-TV now a days is downright awful, I have a tough time watching it anymore.

[radamail]

Oh my. That's a sad loss of good TV history.

[DevSodDribble]

Its too bad they didn't have video recording, so we could all see those historic test patterns. No but seriously, I always hear of this film of prominent Boston citizens having been the first thing shown on WBZ: What are the chances that THAT still exists today??

[VideoNitekatt]

Which station? :(

[VideoNitekatt]

I agree 200%!

[rd2mms]

I hope more and more stations will do a KOFY-TV20: local programming that keeps on increasing overtime.

[VintageTelevision]

To this point, I am aware of a local TV station that discarded a treasure trove of videotapes and kinescopes after completion of a 1970s anniversary special. The area of the building where this library was stored was converted to a lunchroom.

Back then, I suppose there was little thought given to the historical and nostalgic value of the old recordings; and since representative clips were used in the special, the original material was considered a burden to retain.

[wmbrown6]

I think another factor, besides what y'all mentioned, was that many stations have actually gutted their video and kinescope archives, so that in such cases the only remnants of said stations' pasts are what individual viewers taped in the years since the home video revolution.