...got two San Francisco TV Guides off eBay last week, and found an interesting situation re MLB. On 13 July 1963 at 10:15 AM, the CBS coverage of Giants-Phillies from Philadelphia is carried on KSBW/8 Salinas, KXTV/10 Sacramento and KHSL-TV/12 Chico (and KOLO-TV/8 Reno picks it up at 10:25) -- but not on KPIX-TV/5. KXTV even takes out a half-page ad to promote it. Then at 11:30, NBC's coverage of Tigers-White Sox from Chicago is carried by KCRA-TV/3 Sacramento, KCRL/4 Reno and KVIP-TV/7 Redding -- but nothing on KRON-TV/4. Following day, same story for CBS' Dodgers-Phillies at 9:30 (9:55 on KOLO) and NBC's Orioles-White Sox at 11:30. Forward to 16 May 1964, and CBS' Athletics-Yankees at 10:45 and NBC's Indians-Tigers at 11:30 are again seen on the same stations (KVIP-TV had become KRCR by then), ditto the next day's CBS Braves-Cardinals at 10:45 and NBC Indians-Tigers at 11:30 -- but nothing at all on KRON or KPIX (or even Oakland indie KTVU/2). Was a hometown blackout of all Major League product common in the early '60s? And were the Sacramento and Salinas signals close enough to SFO to serve large chunks of the Giants' home market?...
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No TV baseball in San Francisco in 1963 and 1964??
- Thread starter Ultimajock
- Start date
F
FredLeonard
Guest
It appears you are referring to the NBC and CBS "Game of the Week." In each season in the early 60s, one or the other - sometimes both - ran a "Game of the Week." Part of the deal for both networks was the broadcasts could not be carried by affiliates in MLB team home markets, but they did get carried by affiliates in adjacent TV markets which some viewers in team home markets could pick up. After CBS bought the New York Yankees, CBS switched from running a game of the week, to running a Saturday afternoon Yankee game. CBS games were broadcast by Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese. NBC games by Joe Garagiola.
The main sponsor of Dizzy Dean's broadcasts on CBS was Falstaff Beer. If you ever catch "The Pride of St. Louis," on TCM (with Chet Huntley in a small role as Dizzy's broadcast partner), one of the plot lines is Diz befriends a disabled man whose father owns a brewery. The friend gets dad to hire Diz to broadcast St. Louis Browns games when his playing career (mostly with the Cardinals) ends. Falstaff was originally branded with the name of the family which started the brewery: Griesedieck Brothers Beer. The name didn't lend itself to radio copy. The first syllable is pronounced "greasy." You can figure out the rest.
The main sponsor of Dizzy Dean's broadcasts on CBS was Falstaff Beer. If you ever catch "The Pride of St. Louis," on TCM (with Chet Huntley in a small role as Dizzy's broadcast partner), one of the plot lines is Diz befriends a disabled man whose father owns a brewery. The friend gets dad to hire Diz to broadcast St. Louis Browns games when his playing career (mostly with the Cardinals) ends. Falstaff was originally branded with the name of the family which started the brewery: Griesedieck Brothers Beer. The name didn't lend itself to radio copy. The first syllable is pronounced "greasy." You can figure out the rest.
The far north Bay Area might have been able to pick up a fuzzy Sacto signal but I don't think Salinas was watchable even as far south as San Jose/Santa Clara. Since the whole Bay Area is very mountainous it depends upon your specific location if you can pick up fringe signals. I remember living in Daly City, San Rafael and Fairfax and we could pick up only the S.F. stations and KTVU from Oakland. When we lived in the Sacramento foothills we were much higher in elevation than S.F. but could not pick up any of their TV signals and none of their FM's were clear.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
And the blackout rule is even worse now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_blackout_policy
(Take special note of the blackout map, which shows why baseball fans shouldn't live in Iowa ... that state is entirely within the blackout area of five teams!)
My dad told me that when my family lived in San Jose for a little while in the mid-60s(before I was born), it was possible to get KSBW in San Jose(not sure if KMST was around yet).
Also, dad recalled using a TV aerial to pull in KOVR 13 in Sacramento, when we lived on the Peninsula(San Mateo County). No other Sacramento stations were available via antenna in that area; we got cable in the aerly '70s, and the only Sactown station carried was KTXL 40.
Also, dad recalled using a TV aerial to pull in KOVR 13 in Sacramento, when we lived on the Peninsula(San Mateo County). No other Sacramento stations were available via antenna in that area; we got cable in the aerly '70s, and the only Sactown station carried was KTXL 40.
This isn't like you think, this is only for when a national and local broadcast of the same game are occurring. For instance, I live in North Dakota, listed as being in the Twins "blackout" zone. I can get every single game that is broadcast, there is never one being broadcast either nationally or by Fox Sports North, who has the Twins contract, that is blacked out from my viewing. But if ESPN has a game, it is blacked out on ESPN because Fox Sports North has the local contract so you have to turn there for the game. That is all this is for.
Actually, Iowa is in the blackout area (other than local sports nets) for 6 MLB teams (Cubs, White Sox, Twins, Royals, Brewers, Cardinals)--the map had one color representing both Chicago teams.
Las Vegas is another heavy MLB blackout zone--Giants, Athletics, Dodgers, Angels, Padres, and Diamondbacks.
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