Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

other side, of the “swing open” lid. The bottom side of lid was the screen—and the images were dark (and barely distinguishable). So, the Victor was it! The images were crystal clear! The set sported an endless cacophony, of knobs—and tuners. It weighed in—at close to 50 pounds.

It helped that the Rutkowskis lived in the tallest (by a few feet) house, on the entire block. Those “really-wide Letter H-looking” antennas, that were in use, at the start of the TV era were, for the most part, very efficient. The picture—received in the house, on Grandmont, could have been no finer.

Surprisingly (or maybe not) it took the installers four days—before they were able to show up, and install the antenna. Our Hero was unable to understand why those people were so busy—inasmuch as it had “taken forever” to track down his family’s unit!

Things would become much less complicated: By the time 1949 had rolled around, stores selling television sets abounded! Installation time had improved also—immensely!

Then, in 1950, Muntz TV came along (some said “thankfully”)—and introduced the wildly-popular “Free Home Demonstration”. That, for all practical purposes, took care of “waiting time”. The company lasted almost ten years. It had been founded (and, presumably run) by “fabulously-famous” Hollywood used-car dealer—Earl William “Mad Man” Muntz.

Eventually, WXYZ-TV, Channel 7, signed on—October 9, 1948. And 15 days later—October 24th—here came WJBK-TV, Channel 2. So, things were beginning to look up!

As regards the latter station, Jason had remembered—somewhat suddenly—his grandfather having told him, that the fact that an independent station, such as WJBK, would be awarded the, extremely-lucrative, third Federal Communications Commission TV station for Detroit. It had come as a shock!

By far—throughout the thirties, and forties, the three leading radio stations were WJR (the CBS outlet), WWJ (the NBC outlet) and WXYZ (the ABC outlet). It was a generally accepted fact—that those three “overpowering” entities would be awarded the three available FCC licenses. It was understood that—when the three national networks would, eventually, be capable of going coast-to-coast—they would, naturally, hook up with their radio outlets. It seemed a rite of passage!

But, somehow, someone dropped the ball—at WJR—and WJBK “snuck in”, and “picked off” the third, extremely-valuable, license. Grandpa Piepczyk hadn’t known the particulars—but, he’d advised his grandson (again, numerous times) that the fact that WJBK had garnered that third slot had been a complete, and utter, shock! Heads had rolled—“really big time”—at WJR!

Therefore, a few days after WXYZ had signed on, “James Root” advised his listeners: “According to my sources (who, of course, was his dead grandfather) I’m given to understand that WJR is not a shoo-in, for the next television station license. Keep your eye… on WJBK!”

Our Hero’s ratings had not fallen, over the past six or eight months—but, they had “leveled off”! This “nugget” would be “James Root’s” most dynamic scoop, in almost six months—and (according to WXXD’s president) “really goosed our ratings”!

Channel 4 had—from early on—been televising Tigers and Red Wings games. And the local “personalities” were getting better. Once the other two channels had logged on, many of the local radio talent began to add a short stint, or two, on, “The Tube”! “Extracurricular”—to their duties, aside from their ongoing radio shows, on their TV station’s AM and FM outlet.

The Coaxial Cable Era would not begin—till later! A good deal later—in late-1948! But, the industry was, definitely, growing—by the well-known leaps-and-bounds!

November 2, 1948: President Truman defeated Thomas Dewey—along with “The Dixiecrat”, Strom Thurmond. His reelection was another “shocker”! It came—against overwhelming odds! Governor Dewey was thought to have had enough popular (and Electoral College) strength, to have become the first Republican president since Herbert Hoover. And that was without the “renegade” Thurmond—cutting deeply, into what was then the Democrat’s “Solid South”.

Again, once Our Boy had “courageously” predicted Truman’s upset victory! WXXD got an additional “goose”!

Spring—of 1949: Jason and Valerie took an extended vacation to New York. It was the first time either of them had visited “The Big Apple” (before it became so-named, in the sixties, by Mayor John Lindsey).

“Aunt Susie” and “Uncle Eric” were pleased to have the couple’s three daughters “all to ourselves”. Especially Susan! But then, her husband did take a week’s vacation—to coincide, with the couple’s “babysitting duties”.

Jason made sure to track down—and visit—the site, where “The Twin Towers” would arise! The area was fairly nondescript—and his wife could not understand why he “would move heaven and earth”, to take in the locale.

Our Boy ultimately fought “a million battles”—to keep from telling his wife, of the, far-in-the-future, hysteria that had lain, on the horizon, for the condemned area! His last day—in the 21st century!

His very real fear was that—should he even attempt to advise her of the “Nine-Eleven” holocaust—the result would be akin to Christopher Reeves discovering that damnable penny, in Somewhere In Time! He did not want to be swept back to 2001! He had so much more to lose—than Reeves’ motion picture character! His beautiful—his remarkable—wife! His equally-as-beautiful (and equally as remarkable) daughters! His, to-be-envied, position, at the, now-fast-growing, radio station! Not to forget the beautiful—and the wondrous—Susan! And, probably, his main benefactor—Eric! And Detroit! The dynamic Detroit! The remarkable city—that he’d never really known!

So much at stake! Such a magnificent situation! Such a beautiful life! To even think, of putting any of this, in jeopardy—sent a, head-to-toe, shudder through him!

Please, Lord! Please, let me stay here! The old fear—the old panic—had never left! Would it ever?

Another “neat reason”—for being where he was: Those wonderful, melodic, Broadway Shows! The couple took in the, recently-opened, South Pacific! Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin—as well as “everybody’s Bloody Mary, Juanita Hall—were still part of the cast!

Brigadoon—Lerner & Lowe’s masterpiece—was in its third year. George Keane and Marion Bell had left the cast. However, the entire production was magnificent! Neither of the Rutkowskis had been the least bit familiar with the song, From This Day On. But, once they’d left the theater—they could not stop humming, the touching ballad! Nor attempting to sing