Try to imagine the beginning of television. Images and sound floating through the air to land inside a little box in your living room. It must have appeared magical. Going 4 It, is a nostalgic retrospective revealing the inside story of the rise of WDIV Detroit.
Try to imagine the beginning of television. Images and sound floating through the air to land inside a little box in your living room. It must have appeared magical.
WDIV, Graham Media’s NBC affiliate in Detroit, celebrates its 75th year of broadcasting with a two-hour documentary tonight, Nov. 4, at 9 and will streaming on Local 4+ on clickondetroit.com.
Going 4 It, is a nostalgic retrospective revealing the inside story of the rise of WDIV.
“The story of WDIV mirrors the story of Detroit,” says Bob Ellis, WDIV’s GM. “Tremendous early success, followed by some difficult years, and then an epic comeback. We never take for granted being Detroit’s favorite TV station and realize that doesn’t happen without the unwavering support of our viewers. Sharing this story reaffirms our commitment to serve this community. We’ve been in the city of Detroit for decades and will be for decades to come. This trip through time is our way of saying thank you for all the support and a way to renew our vows to do our part to make Southeast Michigan a better place for all of us to live.”
This documentary focuses specifically between the years of 1978 and 1985 and tells the inside and in-depth story of the four key ingredients that propelled the station to become “the most trusted in Detroit.”
Viewers will relive theses memorable moments and see old film and video clips of shows, newscasts and interviews with former anchors Mort Crim, Carmen Harlan and others, and learn from those who were there how they subsequently lifted WDIV from last to first place in the Detroit television market.
- The Go 4 It campaign in 1980 that delivered a message of hope, courage and challenge that caught the spirit of the city.
- NBC, long mired in last place, started producing iconic shows like Cheers, Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice that created large audiences who then stayed to watch WDIV’s news.
- The Detroit Tigers, who were shown exclusively on WDIV, and evolved into a championship team.
- Carmen Harlan, a native Detroiter, joined Mort Crim as the stations co-anchors and was the catalyst that helped viewers and earn their trust.
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