A Real Tribute to ONTV WSNS TV 44 Chicago!

Wanted to make a real tribute here to ONTV Subscription Television in Chcago that aired on WSNS TV 44 from 1980-1985. I as a teenager at the time with 12 channels of cable found this all around service fascinating and you didn't need cable to get it. The music was the original music bed that they played during the ONTV signon which they went from free to air mode to their scrambled mode. The clips you see are various clips I have gotten from several sources on here. Once again I would like to personally thank Drripco and Rick from fuzzymemories.tv for the memories. Keep em coming guys!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• On
• TV
• WSNS
• 44
• Chicago
• ONTV
• Subscription
• Television

[kargaroc386]

i downloaded the video before it got nuked.

[boomer933]

Cool. It was really sad when they made me remove the music that was orginally aired, Touchdown from Bob James. I could see if I was profiting from this, they would want me to remove it. Anyhow... :(

[lovemylogics]

I LOVED ONTV back in the day - my sister had ONTV in Los Angeles, CA - in Albuquerque, NM, where I lived, the OTA "Subscription" system was called Limelight. In LA, ONTV would NOT install their system in any home that owned a VCR! It was a flat out rule of theirs - if you owned a VCR, NO ONTV FOR YOU!

BTW, in LA, ONTV's movies were played via Sony U-Matic's. Limelight in Abq also used U-Matic. No full NTSC color resolution for anyone! :(

[boomer933]

Thanks for the comment. I just wish i could have kept the original music. thanks for the history also for ONTV in LA.

Eric

[boomer933]

Sorry gang. The original song from Bob James Touchdown had to be removed because of copyright infringement. I could understand if I was profiting from this that I would be infringing, but since I was only trying to preserve history and play the music that ONTV used well i guess I am a criminal. Who knows maybe someone went out and bought the CD because they liked the song. After this infringement thing I would return it. :)

[lilmizmoore1127]

Bravo! What memories this brings. I was quite young, but I so remember OnTv!

[boomer933]

Thank You! I am very proud of this!

Eric

[jericho4004]

I remember this! My godfather's son had it and I was watching "Stripes" with Bill Murray. It's amazing how far cable has come. Personally, I think it's TOO MANY cable channels these days. Lot od channels with nothing really worth watching IMHO.

[MsSissiePooh]

I had an old ON TV box in my basement until a couple of years ago when I decided (reluctantly) to give it a proper burial in a dumpster after a massive bottom to top housecleaning. There were a few tears as I bid a wonderful part of my childhood goodbye. I miss the days of ON TV.

[batwayne62]

my Uncle still has his old On tv box

[atworkstation]

Cable TV has come a long way.

[averypack13]

Yeah, see I knew I wasn't nuts. That was the music I remembered then using when I was a kid....

[DarkestLord]

Thank you for mentioning that particular song, as I have been trying to find out what it was that played on channel 44 when it when to on tv for about the last twenty years.

[Binfordman]

I still have the original if anyone wants it. in flv format. good thing I downloaded it when I did.

[skiggley]

That's OK...Like Preview, I 'Limewired" the song and I can dub it over and listen to that while watc hing the video.

[rickjr37]

ONTV was awesome! One thing,though.

When my family first got it in Caalifornia in mid 1982,we were able to watch adults only programming without a extra fee for quite some. I saw titles like "Garage Girls" & "Easy". They eventually did charge extra for it.