Overmyer Network
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The Overmyer Network was the product of a failed attempt to create a fourth national television network in the United States. Self-made millionaire Daniel H. Overmyer built five UHF stations from 1965-67, including Toledo's WDHO (now WNWO-TV), which signed on the air on May 3, 1966. A social conservative ("I'm against smut," he declared), Overmyer began to produce his own programs, and decided to create a nationwide hookup, enticing existing stations with a 50-50 profit split with potential affiliates. The ON was scheduled to debut in the fall of 1966 with anywhere from 75 to 125 affiliates.
Money problems, however, caused the net to be delayed to the spring of 1967 with a new name: The United Network, which used a cartoon speaking balloon with an upper-case U as the network's logo. Finally, the United Network's first (and only) program, The Las Vegas Show debuted on May 1, 1967. Hosted by Bill Dana from the Hotel Hacienda in Los Angeles, the two-hour late-night show featured top talent of the time including Don Adams and bandleader Xavier Cugat. Despite the hype and initially good reviews, the network quickly started to bleed money; the transmission lines leased from the Bell System, which was the main carrier for television network transmissions at the time, proved to be too expensive, and both show and network disappeared after the June 5 broadcast.
No new national commercial networks would be created until October 9, 1986, when FOX began transmissions and Channel America began putting together its slate of low-power television (LPTV) stations.
[edit] Known Overmyer / United affiliates
| Station | City |
|---|---|
| WPIX 11 | New York City |
| WPHL-TV 17 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (O&O) |
| KEMO 20 | San Francisco, California (O&O) |
| WKBD 50 | Detroit, Michigan |
| WBMO-TV 36 | Atlanta, Georgia (O&O) |
| KLOC-TV 19 | Modesto-Sacramento, California |
| WDHO 24 | Toledo, Ohio (O&O; network flagship) |
| KTNT-TV 11 | Seattle-Tacoma, Washington |
