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The Coast-to-Coast Station Game

In 1937 the Columbia Broadcasting System's promotion department devised a game, in which players—departing from New York enroute to Los Angeles—landed on or moved across each of the 101 Columbia stations—of which WBT was a very important one. The game, patterned after Monopoly, was a folded pillow case-sized U.S. map that stations sent out to loyal listeners.

See the game »

Contributed by Dirk Allman

The Hello Henry Book

Where Sonny's Scrap Book intends to inspire, Henry's tends to tickle. The cover promises "helpful hints, revealing & ravishing recipes, plus plenty of poetic paradisiacal pleasures" (and an abundance of alliteration). You're sure to like the witty drawings of Scancarelli.

Oh, Henry »

Contributed by Bill Ballard

Hello Henry Print Ad

Henry's show was the stuff of nonsense, and everybody involved, including the listener, had a lot of fun. Jim Scancarelli lent his freelance talents to the effort by drawing (and contributing) this advertisement.

Ad nauseum »

From Jim Scancarelli collection

Sonny's Scrap Book

For years on the Arthur Smith shows, Arthur asked viewers to write in and request copies of this occasional publication that contained photos, hymns, Bible verses and inspirational poems and other writings. Sonny Smith, Arthur's brother, for whom the booklets were named, often read selections from the Scrap Books on the air. Here are a few pages from one edition.

Scrap Book »

From Jim Scancarelli collection

Advertising to Advertisers

A broadcast station has to advertise in two directions: toward the listeners, to get more of them; and toward advertisers, who might sponsor their programs. Here are two WBT print ads of the latter type that were placed in Variety in the early 1940s. One emphasizes the Charlotte market's economic growth; the other, the quality of WBT's programs and performers.

Attention, ad men »

Charlotte Radio in 1945

Likely you won't remember the radio medium without Rush and Sean, or someone like them, but there actually was a time when radio was as entertaining and varied as TV ever was. Check out this old schedule.

Peruse it »

Slides

Our artists knew, the promotion writers knew, the projectionists knew...but did you know what a hassle it was to get all those still graphics and photos on the air? Read how it was done, then browse through a collection of over 100 station-break slides. Remember seeing any of them?

Check it out »

A Job Well Done

Back when local TV stations had the resources and incentives to produce local entertainment programs, WBTV had an abundance of both. Very frequently, interoffice memos like this one would circulate, giving credit to those who'd gone beyond the call of duty.

Read the memo »

Cathedral of Radio

Jim Scancarelli, former WBTV artist, nationally-known cartoonist and frequent contributor to this site, has come through once again, not unlike a champ, contributing this recent original illustration, a tribute to the impact of radio on his and all our lives.

See it here and now »

WBTV's Program Schedule of 1972

What a lineup! Maude, Hawaii 5-0, Carol Burnett, Sonny & Cher, Mary Tyler Moore, Gunsmoke. And locally, Betty Feezor, Pat Lee, Tommy Faile, Whistle Stop, Fred Kirby and any number of specials. See the program schedule and photos of just 15 of WBTV's personalities from over 30 years ago. (PDF)

Reminisce »

Caricatures

Our announcing and musician staff was as large and as talented as any station's in the country. Here are some of their caricatures. Wish we had the whole collection.

Caricatures »

Wavelength Guide

It was more complicated in 1930 than today to find a favorite station on your radio dial. On a page from "What's On The Air," we discover that WBT in those days was not at 1110, but was somewhere else.

Where was it? »

The 1981 Company Phone Directory

Can't remember that person's name in the sales department? What was Ty Boyd's real given name? In what department did Yvonne Spaulding work? Forgotten your own phone number from over two decades ago? Fret no more, for here, provided by that resourceful Ken Helms, is—in amazing PDF format— the official Jefferson-Pilot Broadcasting Phone Directory for that semi-wonderful year...(drum roll)...1981.

Look it up »

Old WBTV Advertisements

Can you imagine advertising the test pattern? That's exactly what WBTV did in the summer of 1949.

Ads »

What Radio Means To Me

An extraordinary promotion piece from 1936. Not from WBT, but it conveys very nicely what a god-send radio was to the average American.

What Radio Means »