AT&T long lines

[RegulaOne3000 0]

Does anyone remember this old television network programming delivery system known as Long Lines. Before Satellites and Fiber-Optics, there was a system of coaxial and microwave relay towers that delivered network programming to television affilates. This did this from 1947 to about the early 1980's.

 

Here are sites that talk about "Long Lines.'

 

http://www.corp.att.com/history/nethistory/milestones.html

 

http://www.porticus.org/bell/longlines.html

 

 

another question... When did the networks start delivering programming via satellite to it's affiliates?

[bixpchiphead 105]

The first was actually PBS. Around 1977.

CBS, NBC and ABC, their owned stations and their affiliates could afford paying Ma Bell for the use of their long lines (and the operation of Inter-city relays to affiliates away for Long line recieve points).

 

PBS could not (save for live coverage of things like the Watergate Hearings in congress in 1973). Most of PBS's day to day coverage (MisterRogers, Sesame Street) was shipped to each station via package delivery (known as a bicycle network). When the opportunity (and the satellite space) arose PBS bit the bullet and went on the bird.

 

When the big three saw PBS's success, they migrated to the bird.

 

Two things:

1) The audio quality once the nets went to satellite improved 1000%.

2) Long lines fed the signal of network owned stations in NY or LA. A MCO at a station in Dubuque had to really pay attention, lest at the top of the hour "This is WNBC-TV New York" went over the air. With the bird, the nets went with a straight network feed, no more errant ID's.

[johnnya2k6 171]

The Alaska stations were sent tapes of network programs from Seattle until 1984, when the Big Three went to satellite. At first, Juneau (which had the ONLY network station) would get the films/tapes for a week, followed by Anchorage, and finally Fairbanks; by the 1970's, Juneau somehow got network lines and the delays were shortened to two weeks. The only things that were on a same-day satellite delay were the news, sports, and special events like the Academy Awards.

 

But CBC in Canada was the first network in the world to transmit their feed via satellite...in 1973! Rival CTV was still fed via microwave until 1988.

[Jess 1115]

This was also the purpose of the CBS eye slide and "This is CBS" announcement - which acted as a signal for local stations to insert their own commercials, promos, and programming.

 

I have a recording from about the late 1970s - eye, then local news promo... but in between you see a quick glimpse of Rolland Smith from WCBS in New York.