Channel 61 Signs On – and Off

Although there now seems to be countless ways to watch your favorite programs – whether it’s online, on cable, via a satellite dish, or over the air – back in the early 1960s, you didn’t have many options locally. You could watch Channels 3, 5 or 8 in Cleveland, and maybe tune in the Toledo VHF stations (11 and 13), which sometimes had different programming than their Cleveland counterparts.

By 1965, WVIZ was on the air, but – let’s face it – it was (ugh) educational. Thus, it was exciting for kids when the two local UHF stations (Channel 61 and 43) finally signed on, and began broadcasting old TV shows, movies and sports.

Channel 61 was the first, and is the subject of the article below, which ran in the Lorain Journal on September 22, 1967 – 50 years ago this month.

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New TV Station in Cleveland

THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION has approved the transfer of the construction permit for Cleveland Channel 61 from the Superior Broadcasting Corp. to WKBF Inc., a Kaiser Broadcasting Corporation and Superior, a Cleveland company.

Channel 61, which will be Cleveland’s first independent television station, is scheduled to begin operations this year. The station’s call sign will be WKBF-TV. WKBF-TV will broadcast fifteen hours a day at the outset with full color capability.

Three million dollars have been allocated for facilities and programming. The station has title to nine hundred feature films, many of which are first run in Cleveland. An outstanding lineup of off-network programs such s Perry Mason, Twilight Zone, and Combat! will be telecast on an every weeknight basis. Specials and sports events will comprise the remainder of the station’s offerings.

L. William White, General Manager of Channel 61, said in commenting on the Federal Communications Commission’s action, “Cleveland is the largest market in the United States with only three commercial services. We have proved in our other markets that there is a real need and demand for more variety and that is the function of WKBF-TV. With about 50 percent of the homes now able to receive us, we think Channel 61 is going to be a big success.”

Kaiser Broadcasting operates UHF television stations in four other major markets, WKBD-TV Detroit, WKBS-TV Philadelphia, KMTW-TV Los Angeles, and WKBG-TV Boston (the latter in partnership with the Boston Globe.)

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Channel 61 eventually signed on the air on January 19, 1968. But it took until the beginning of February for the Journal to revamp its TV listings to make room for the Channel 61 programs. (Note that WVIZ isn’t even included.)

Early evening weekday programming back then included Superman, the Flintstones, McHale’s Navy, the Twilight Zone, Lucy, Hazel and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Movies concluded the broadcast day.

On Saturday mornings during that time period, Channel 61 didn’t sign on until 10:30. Programs included Roller Derby, Wrestling, Dennis the Menace, Rawhide and the Twilight Zone. Saturday night programs included Combat! and Hazel. Sunday afternoon was taken up with old Blondie movies.

This great Wiki page for Channel 61 points out many of the station’s innovations, including the first 10 o’clock news broadcast locally.

Of course, we Baby Boomers remember that Channel 61 was the home of the Ghoul, as well as the original home of Star Trek reruns.

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WKBF-TV Channel 61 signed off forever in April 1975. Here’s the story as it appeared in the Lorain Journal on April 25, 1975.

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And here's what the former studio for Channel 61 at 21300 St. Clair Avenue looks like today (courtesy Google Maps).