WKBF For those who don't remember: WKBF Channel 61, which signed on in 1968, was Cleveland's first independent TV station. It was owned by the then-powerful Kaiser Broadcasting, a division of the humongous Kaiser Corporation. Their roster included the legendary horror movie host The Ghoul, as well as still-popular reruns like Star Trek and I Love Lucy. And still they failed! After seven years of losing money, WKBF signed off forever in 1975. For some reason, the WKBF story says a lot to me about the "loser" mentality that has been a part of Cleveland's civic life for so long. Comments, anyone? P.S. For more WKBF info, check out [en.wikipedia.org]. http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,53#msg-53 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:00 -0700 Phorum 5.2.9 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1890#msg-1890 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1890#msg-1890
Granted, Big Chuck and Little John repeated, re-ran, and remade too many skits in the past couple decades, but probably MY favorite (non-Kielbasi Kid) skit will always be that commercial-spoof for -- NAZI HELMETS!!! Yes! Talk about politically incorrect! You'll never find THAT on any "best of" DVD! Made in 1968, back during the 'Hoolihan and Big Chuck' days, it had a helmeted Chuck zooming about in a go-kart making the peace-sign while a narrator said: "Yes, now you too can own your own NAZI HELMET! Wear it to love-ins, wear it to sit-ins! 100% guaranteed protection at all demonstrations!" And all the while, a great surf-rock song was playing in the background, with an occasionally sung jingle of: "Good guys wear 'um/And so can you-oo-oo!"

By the by, the Nazi helmet had a peace symbol on it instead of a swatzika.]]> baronightwolf Cleveland Fri, 22 Jun 2007 09:29:25 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1883#msg-1883 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1883#msg-1883 shakesomeaction Cleveland Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:00:44 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1879#msg-1879 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1879#msg-1879

HARK TO THE BRILLIANCE IN THE DARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]]> baronightwolf Cleveland Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:56:49 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1835#msg-1835 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1835#msg-1835 shakesomeaction Cleveland Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:22:11 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1827#msg-1827 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1827#msg-1827 Ben DeDominicis Cleveland Sun, 10 Jun 2007 09:04:36 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1816#msg-1816 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1816#msg-1816 Ben DeDominicis Cleveland Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:14:04 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1815#msg-1815 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1815#msg-1815
Quote
desmoface
Wow, 61 was one of my fav's as a kid...I used to live and die by Ultraman, and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot.

Steve

Sorry, Steve, but if memory serves both those shows were on WUAB.]]> nomoneymark Cleveland Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:06:55 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1713#msg-1713 I remember Bob Dylan had a song called "Channel 61" http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1713#msg-1713 The Jerk Cleveland Tue, 29 May 2007 22:49:15 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1582#msg-1582 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1582#msg-1582
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry ... just had to get that out of my system. Still, always remember:

HARK TO THE BRILLIANCE IN THE DARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]]> baronightwolf Cleveland Thu, 17 May 2007 09:22:43 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1558#msg-1558 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1558#msg-1558
Steve]]> desmoface Cleveland Mon, 14 May 2007 06:21:43 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1357#msg-1357 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,1357#msg-1357 en.wikipedia.org].]]> nomoneymark Cleveland Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:43:48 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,302#msg-302 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,302#msg-302 nomoneymark Cleveland Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:49:19 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,257#msg-257 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,257#msg-257 Here we go about Cleveland:
1) These were the days of Perk and Kucinich, guys who failed us. Then again, regardless of whom, the city was failing financially, and so was the city economy. Also (this ties to #2), in hockey, we lost the Barons to Minnestota--the North Stars (now Dallas Stars).
2) By '82, we were down to 1 major paper, down from 3 at it's peak. This displays Clevelanders' mutant powers of lethargy and apathy, to allow only forced opinion and disallow success of independents, whether it be free-thinkers, media sources, etc.
3) The Flats. As a waiter, people ask about the Flats. I tell them about poor business decisions, bad crowds, cut-throat business, lawsuits. At most, it was popular for 10 years. I also say it will probably take 10 years for the supposed development to even start (l&a, see above).
4) as a student of history, one can look into the annals (not to be confused with anal, which is where Clevo politicos since its founding have had their heads)
is wrought with failure. We let NASA's mission control complex go to Houston, and now they even speak of closing Glenn altogether. We forced Rockefeller and others (with their $$$$) out. We built a shitty stadium for the '32 Olympics and didn't get it. There was supposed to be a Euclid Ave. subway, lost to bribery. The currently constructed one is now just glorified buses because RTA is fucking worthless (original plans called for rail). We lost the '08 GOP most recently, because Clevo lacks in everything--entertainment, hotels, parking.........
I've spent most of my life here. It's shaped who I am. But it Sucks Balls. As soon as I graduate (May '07), I hope to be gone. WCSB is about all that's going on here that's positive.]]> The Smoking Loon Cleveland Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:22:35 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,248#msg-248 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,248#msg-248 baronightwolf Cleveland Sat, 30 Sep 2006 12:30:43 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,210#msg-210 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,210#msg-210 baronightwolf Cleveland Sat, 16 Sep 2006 12:08:49 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,113#msg-113 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,113#msg-113
true 'nuff. misread the first line of third or fourth paragraph.
i really think it was a case of the narrow assed cleveland markets. we invented pure vetical economics. it's like jenga for financieers. pull the wrong block and OOPS!]]> madbunny Cleveland Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:14:28 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,104#msg-104 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,104#msg-104 -------------------------------------------------------
> most of the markets (save detroit) you're mentioning weren't undergoing quite the same mono-economic collapse that cleveland was. folks were fleeing to the suburbs in droves and manufacturing was crashing hard.

True enough.

> with the two other independents the advertising dollars dried up.

Two other independents? When WKBF went dark, the only other independent in town was WUAB. WOIO and WBNX didn't get started until 1985.]]> nomoneymark Cleveland Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:12:52 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,97#msg-97 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,97#msg-97
> Maybe so, but for a while Kaiser Broadcasting was
> a major force in independent broadcasting. At
> their peak, besides WKBF they owned stations in
> Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco,
> Detroit and Boston. Admittedly, the LA station was
> a non-starter, but most of the others did well and
> are still on the air today. The exception was the
> Philadelphia station, which went dark like WKBF,
> but not until years after Kaiser had left the
> broadcasting business and sold all their stations.

most of the markets (save detroit) you're mentioning weren't undergoing quite the same mono-economic collapse that cleveland was. folks were fleeing to the suburbs in droves and manufacturing was crashing hard. with the two other independents the advertising dollars dried up.]]> madbunny Cleveland Mon, 21 Aug 2006 19:38:33 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,94#msg-94 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,94#msg-94
"you have to remember that kaiser was losing all sorts of ground in their various diversified markets and had even sold the perennial money maker jeep division to A american motors the year before. the company kinda splintered upon the old man's passing in '67."

Maybe so, but for a while Kaiser Broadcasting was a major force in independent broadcasting. At their peak, besides WKBF they owned stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit and Boston. Admittedly, the LA station was a non-starter, but most of the others did well and are still on the air today. The exception was the Philadelphia station, which went dark like WKBF, but not until years after Kaiser had left the broadcasting business and sold all their stations.]]> nomoneymark Cleveland Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:09:20 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,80#msg-80 Re: WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,80#msg-80 you have to remember that kaiser was losing all sorts of ground in their various diversified markets and had even sold the perennial money maker jeep division to A american motors the year before. the company kinda splintered upon the old man's passing in '67.

then again, this was the guy who tried to sell post war americans a car without a trunk.]]> madbunny Cleveland Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:30:47 -0700 http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,53#msg-53 WKBF http://www.wcsb.org/forum/read.php?3,53,53#msg-53 Star Trek and I Love Lucy. And still they failed! After seven years of losing money, WKBF signed off forever in 1975. For some reason, the WKBF story says a lot to me about the "loser" mentality that has been a part of Cleveland's civic life for so long. Comments, anyone?

P.S. For more WKBF info, check out [en.wikipedia.org].]]> nomoneymark Cleveland Wed, 16 Aug 2006 12:42:26 -0700