October 22, 1981 Commercial Breaks/Newscenter 8 Open - WOTV (NBC, Grand Rapids)

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Commercial breaks taken from the special presentation of "the All-Star Celebration Opening the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum" on NBC affiliate WOTV (now WOOD) in Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Michigan.
Coincidentally, the event was taped in Grand Rapids, which is Gerald Ford's hometown.
WOTV reacquired its heritage WOOD call letters in 1992, sending WOTV to ABC affiliate WUHQ, of which WOOD owner LIN Broadcasting had just taken over operations via LMA.
Date recorded: Thursday, October 22, 1981
00:00 - Sine-Off
00:30 - Bell Telephone Credit Card
01:00 - Ken-L Ration Kibbles 'n Bits
01:29 - Amway
01:59 - Bufferin
02:29 - RCA
02:59 - General Mills Buc Wheats
03:30 - A Bob Hope Celebration bumper
03:37 - NBC "Candid Camera" promo (partial)
03:40 - WOTV "Laverne and Shirley" promo/legal ID (WOTV covered the Candid Camera promo due to a local special preemption)
03:50 - Randy Disselkoen Ltd. Jewelers
04:20 - WOTV legal ID telop slide
04:24 - Sine-Aid
04:54 - Firestone
05:24 - Intellivision (featuring George "...and a Hot Plate!" Plimpton)
05:54 - Pine Sol
06:24 - NBC "Harper Valley"/"Lewis & Clark"/"Diff'rent Strokes"/"Gimme A Break" promo
06:54 - Sony Betamax ("The Genius of Betamax")
07:24 - Pillsbury Streusel Swirl
07:54 - Suave
08:26 - A Bob Hope Celebration bumper
08:33 - NBC "Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters"/"The Nashville Palace" promo
08:44 - NBC "Hill Street Blues" promo
08:54 - NBC News Update (Jessica Savitch anchor, Fred Facey VO)
09:44 - Sony Betamax
09:55 - Old Kent (bought by Fifth Third in 2000)
10:25 - Cole's French Bread Pizzas
10:55 - Eureka Upright Vacuums
11:25 - Comtrex
11:55 - Almond Joy/Mounds
12:25 - Dry Idea Roll-On
12:57 - A Bob Hope Celebration bumper
13:04 - American Women in Radio & Television PSA
13:24 - Old Kent
13:55 - Meijer
14:25 - Newscenter 8 tease/WOTV legal ID
14:29 - Gravy Train
14:58 - Wella Balsam (with Kmart tag)
15:28 - RCA
15:58 - Dristan
16:28 - Bell System Yellow Pages
16:58 - NBC News "NBC Magazine" promo
17:09 - NBC "CHiPs"/"Twirl" promo
17:18 - NBC "Little House on the Prairie"/"Splendor in the Grass" promo
17:29 - NBC News Update
18:19 - The Missing Link from Ideal
18:29 - Newscenter 8 tease
18:40 - AAA Michigan
19:12 - Stahl Buick/BMW/Datsun
19:42 - Newscenter 8 tease/legal ID
19:45 - Meijer Thrifty Acres
20:45 - WCUZ (101FM is 101.3, currently Classic Hits "Big FM" WBFX; 1230 is currently Talk WTKG)
21:15 - Bell'Agio
21:45 - Newscenter 8 "up next" promo (Jay Ricci, anchor)
21:58 - Burger King
22:28 - Highland Appliance
22:58 - WOTV lineup legal ID
23:06 - Newscenter 8 open (Jay Ricci and John Stehr anchors, Warren Reynolds sports, Kurt Schmitz weather; "Prestige Theme 1" production music by KPM)
23:27 - Meijer
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#WOTVonCh37 #WOODonCh37

[@treyjoyner1932]

Back in 1981, I watched Channel 5 as an NBC affiliate when I was living in Memphis, Tenn. Burger King is my favorite burger restaurant.

[@JCNDCIII]

Great to have 2 Updates with Jessica Savitch. Rare to have both from one night.

[@ericjonmagnuson2728]

During this era (including in the promo here), the syndicated reruns of Laverne & Shirley usually had the title Laverne & Shirley & Company--supposedly because the show itself was still in production. (Likewise, Happy Days' reruns tended to be called Happy Days Again at this point.)

[@steventaylor6212]

I absolutely love that you posted this.

[@1987tvfreak]

Sports anchor's name was Warren Reynolds, actually.

[@Channel37TV]

Thank you, updating the description.

[@Studio31MediaArchive]

The meteorologist’s name was also Kurt Schmitz. He spent the majority of his career in Columbus, GA first at WTVM, then WRBL, before retiring a few short years ago.

[@Channel37TV]

@@Studio31MediaArchive Thanks-updating!

[@OofusTwillip]

10:55 - Eureka - Voiceover by Jo Anne Worley, of "Laugh In".

[@MitchellHang]

Is that Patti Deutsch in the Sine-Off commercial?

[@jbvideos6605]

Looks like it

[@1TexasTV]

It is her.

[@fossefan]

Yup. And that's Chris Robinson (General Hospital) in the Buc Wheats commercial.

[@spwash1000]

Woah! Isn’t that a young John Stehr formerly of WTHR in Indianapolis?! What was he doing in Grand Rapids and how long was he there for?

[@AvaZinn]

Yes, that is the same John Stehr of WTHR Indianapolis. He went to WISH-TV after a year or two at WOTV (WOOD-TV). Then CNBC and CBS News before WTHR.

[@pgh45rpms]

Jessica Savich died in a traffic accident in 1983.

[@tkaye2]

The WOTV booth announcer sounds like he gargled with cut glass. He must have taken a smoke break after every station break for 30 years.

[@videonut1988]

WOOD’s old logo looks like their sister station WFLA’s old logo...

[@georgemaster689]

The next to last Card Sharks is shown in the daytime lineup.

[@1987tvfreak]

But wasn't seen in Grand Rapids because WOTV/WOOD ran news at Noon.

[@jareddicarlo7816]

I think that’s Peter Thomas doing the voiceover of the Gravy Train commercial.

[@mr.g-manofficial6391]

If WOTV had a station sign off, I wonder if they had the Seal of Good Practice.