Vintage TV Commercials WBKB 1950's.wmv

WBKB, the father of WLS-TV, illustrating why they call it commercial TV. Bob Rohrmann and the Rosen family were still padding around on scooters when these spots hit the airwaves.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

The ads are from the mid-1950s, but the WBKB "Circle 7" station ID motif is likely from 1962-65.

[@KeithE4]

ABC started using the Circle 7 logo on all of its owned stations in 1962. From what I've read, its inspiration came from the phone number of ABC's main offices in New York, CIrcle 7-xxxx (whatever the last 4 were).

[@A_Chicago_Man]

My mom was Angel Casey. She hosted The Playhouse, their kids show that was OTA for 3 years 1953 to 1956

[@wmbrown6]

Another point: This would have been pre-1965, for in that year WBKB's calls were modified to WBKB-TV. So my guess is this would have been between 1963 and 1965. (Although their use of the 'Circle 7' logo went as far back as December 1962 - while the very first station to use it was KGO-TV San Francisco, on Aug. 27, 1962 [predating the unveiling of Paul Rand's "abc" logo].) WBKB (-TV) became WLS-TV on Oct. 7, 1968.

[@cats0182]

I believe that the lady at the refrigerator is "Aunt Fannie" (Fran Allison) from "Don McNeill's Breakfast Club" which was broadcast on WLS Radio from Chicago.

[@rsls101]

Wow!! If only those beautiful cars were those prices now!!

[@altfactor]

This clip had the "Circle 7" logo, which I don't think the ABC O&O's adopted until 1963. Additionally, the call letters WBKB were originally used by what is now WBBM-TV. The original WBKB was owned by Paramount Theatres, and what was originally WENR-TV owned by ABC. After the ABC/UPT merger, the merged company kept Channel 7, sold off WBKB to CBS, which promptly changed the call letters to WBBM. This allowed Channel 7 to use WBKB. Eventually (ca. 1968?), WBKB changed its calls to WLS-TV.

[@ApartmentKing66]

So, WBKB was on channel 2?

[@walterreyesproductions]

Yep.

[@KeithE4]

@@ApartmentKing66 -- The original WBKB was on Channel 3 during the war. When the channels were reallocated at the end of 1945,, the frequency band (66-72 MHz) that had been Channel 3 became Channel 4, so they were one of the few stations that didn't have to move. The original poster details the mess of 1953, when the WBKB call letters and management moved to the former WENR, but the talent remained with CBS after they bought Channel 4. WBBM-TV remained on 4 for several months. But in the middle of that fustercluck, there were interference problems on Channel 3 (now on 60-66 MHz) between WTMJ Milwaukee and WKZO Kalamazoo. That July, the FCC ordered WTMJ to move to 4, while WBBM was moved to 2. Problem solved? As Johnny Carson might have put it: "You are wrong, Iconoscope-breath!" Trouble was, Zenith had been occupying Channel 2 since 1945 (and Channel 1 during the war). But because they were an experimental station testing pay-TV methods, they lost their license. After they were kicked off the air, they donated much of their equipment to WTTW Channel 11 to help get them on the air in 1955.

[@shobielim]

This featuring the Circle 7 logo where adopted in 1962 with adoption of the current logo of ABC on the network's onwed and operated stations that broadcast on VHF channel 7 are: WABC-TV in New York, WBKB-TV (now WLS-TV) in Chicago, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco and the former O&O is now an E.W. Scripps station WXYZ-TV in Detroit.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

Washington's WJLA-TV 7 recently used the "Circle 7" motif, though it was then owned by Albritton Communications Company at the time.

[@keithelster8858]

@@armorybrunotjr.3204 -- IIRC, ABC allowed any affiliate on Channel 7 to use it. Maybe they still do.

[@michaelrichardson1898]

Do you have more from ch 7

[@KeithE4]

Was that the Anita Kerr Singers doing the WBKB jingle? They sang sister-station WLS's jingles in those days. And Fran Allison looks like she's doing a "high-class" version of Minnie Pearl. :-D

[@tomservo56954]

That was the "Aunt Fanny" character she portrayed on DON MACNEIL'S BREAKFAST CLUB.....

[@walterreyesproductions]

The Anita Kerr Singers also sang the jingle for WTVT in Tampa (at the time a CBS affiliate) back in the early 60's.

[@TimelordR]

Now that's what i call vintage TV.

[@wmbrown6]

Or rather, the ads were 1950's, but the ID was within the 1962-65 period.

[@walterreyesproductions]

Facts. The "Circle 7" logo came in 1962.

[@MichaelOKeefe2009]

This can't be the 1950s, that circle 7 logo doesn't come out until 1962.

[@hebneh]

Pard Dog Food has chlorophyll added. Do you know why? It's a leftover from a 1952 fad for chlorophyll which supposedly reduced or eliminated bad breath. Thus, for example, Clorets candy mints. Needless to say, there was no such effect in real life.

[@KeithE4]

Livestock eat grass and other green plants that are loaded with chlorophyll. They still have bad breath just the same. :-D

[@RubicantX]

Balaban and Katz Baby! Chicago was the top of the heap!

[@1974rail]

Where did you get this from? Do you have more of this?

[@shobielim]

The clip featuring the Circle 7 logo. It is not 1950s but in 1964 or late 1960s

[@geraldtanaka9529]

Commercial Roulette? I think Mad did this in the 50s.

[@glennmillerfan]

What is the car shown at 0:41? It looks a bit like a 1946 ford coupe, but I could be wrong.

[@packard400]

glennmillerfan .. Hudson.

[@glennmillerfan]

@mcv427 Thanks for the info! Based on the price, that commercial is probably from the late 1940s or early 1950s.

[@TFMTraining]

Bert Weimann Ford. You can have this car for only $1995.

[@keithelster8858]

That was Linn Burton on WGN-TV who did those ads.

[@acajudi100]

Regal Theater!