Syndicated game shows that were uncleared in major markets

[johnnya2k3]

Let's Ask America isn't airing in Atlanta

This is actually a great example, if not the best one yet. The show currently does not air in any of the top 10 markets. The largest market is actually Phoenix, at #11.

That's because Scripps doesn't own any stations in the top 10 markets (and I used to live in Phoenix about 30 years ago)!

Another show that may have gotten zero clearance in Atlanta, unless the listings say otherwise: Break The Bank (1976 nighttime version with Jack Barry). But Atlanta was probably a top 20 or 30 market at the time; they cracked the top 10 in the mid-'90s after the Olympics.

[BrandonFG]

Interesting. I thought they'd finally added non-Scripps stations to the list. Regardless of ownership group, point still stands.

[Eric Paddon]

There is an episode of Now You See It, where neither contestant can answer the question, "Who is the host of Concentration?"    And Jack then after milking the laughs then points out that Concentration isn't airing in the LA market at that point which explains why neither contestant could know the answer was right in front of them!

[That Don Guy]

However we didn't get the Syndicated $ale of the Century in the San Francisco Bay Area at least KOVR in Sacramento airs the show along with WOR (now WWOR My9) in NYC for those who have Cable Television.

You mean the Garagiola version?  KGO aired one season of it (on Sunday nights, I think).

Here's what I remember not airing in the San Francisco area in the 1970s (or thereabouts):

Masquerade Party
Break the Bank (Jack Barry-hosted version)
only the first two seasons of Narz Concentration aired, and even then, only once a week
syndie TPIR aired for its first two seasons, then not again until (I think) 1980

[johnnya2k3]

Interesting. I thought they'd finally added non-Scripps stations to the list. Regardless of ownership group, point still stands.

Well, if it's successful, maybe they could expand Let's Ask America to non-Scripps markets next season (WSB will no doubt bury it to 2:00 am, sending Meredith Vieira -- who occupies that time slot now -- to WAGA (where they'll reluctantly pair her with Steve Harvey's talker) where it belongs).

[johnnya2k3]

And speaking of ownership groups...there was an ad in Broadcasting (and Cable) from 1985 about nighttime $ale of the Century being sold to Cox and Storer stations (among others); but alas, flagships WSB and WAGA both turned it down.

[TimK2003]

And speaking of ownership groups...there was an ad in Broadcasting (and Cable) from 1985 about nighttime $ale of the Century being sold to Cox and Storer stations (among others); but alas, flagships WSB and WAGA both turned it down.

You could add WJ(K)W in Cleveland and WTVG in Toledo as two other Storer stations that never aired Sale.  I didn't recall seeing Sale on on Storer's WJBK in Detroit, either.

[johnnya2k3]

And speaking of ownership groups...there was an ad in Broadcasting (and Cable) from 1985 about nighttime $ale of the Century being sold to Cox and Storer stations (among others); but alas, flagships WSB and WAGA both turned it down.

You could add WJ(K)W in Cleveland and WTVG in Toledo as two other Storer stations that never aired Sale.  I didn't recall seeing Sale on on Storer's WJBK in Detroit, either.

As for Cox? KTVU in San Francisco (now a Fox O&O) also said "no Sale", but WSOC, WFTV, WPXI, and/or WHIO said "yes."

Speaking of Detroit...since they were still an ABC O&O at the time, did Sale end up on WXYZ?

[Vahan_Nisanian]

Speaking of Detroit...since they were still an ABC O&O at the time, did Sale end up on WXYZ?

Yes. They carried it from the very beginning (January 7, 1985), and were one of the 24 stations (According to Broadcasting Magazine) to do so.

WXYZ didn't have it for the whole run, though, per Jimmy Owen a couple of years ago.

[Jamey Greek]

In Scranton PA, WNEP did not carry Monty Hall's Split Second until it got cancelled n the fall of 1987 right after High Rollers!

[johnnya2k3]

In Scranton PA, WNEP did not carry Monty Hall's Split Second until it got cancelled n the fall of 1987 right after High Rollers!

I read that New York City was the only major market that cleared Split Second in first-run while L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, etc. all said "thanks, but no thanks." After all, NYC passed on Every Second Counts two years earlier.

Here in Atlanta, it aired on WUPA sometime in the mornings or afternoons; I didn't find out what time while glancing through all those listings (anybody know?).

And right before LMAD '84, Monty also hosted the very short-lived "The Joke's On Us"...another show Atlanta never got to see (that, Split Second '86, and LMAD '80 -- the latter aired on WGCL -- were all produced in Canada but got poor clearances in the States)!

[aaron sica]

In Scranton PA, WNEP did not carry Monty Hall's Split Second until it got cancelled n the fall of 1987 right after High Rollers!

That's true - it had the dubious distinction of replacing (on the weekday schedule) a long-running local children's show called "Hatchy Milatchy". HM was relegated to Saturday morning for the rest of its run (which was only a year or so). The next show to occupy that 9-10am timeslot has been on ever since...started out with Regis & Kathie Lee.

[Jamey Greek]

According to our friend Zach Horan: WCAU in Philadelphia  also aired Split Second late at 9:30 AM from September 1987 to September 1988.  Also Crosswits was shown during the summer of 1988.

[dale_grass]

According to our friend Zach Horan

[Jamey Greek]

I was being facetious