WCBB (PBS) Here in Maine Signed On Today 52 Years Ago

We live in a time with literally 300 channels and thousands of programs to choose from. Everything from foreign language TV stations to shopping channels, cable/satellite channels to the original networks. One of those original networks was PBS, and it was on November 13, 1961, that WCBB out of central Maine signed on.

Since then, that signal combined with the other PBS affiliates that signed on in Maine became MPBN, which everyone knows as the home of 'Sesame Street' and 'The Newshour'. For the most part, MPBN relies on private funding from corporate and personal donors. They do get some funding from the government, which helps but you often see them fundraising at certain times of the year.

Growing up in Nova Scotia, we had about four channels and one of them being French and if you had cable back in early 80s in Halifax you received four or five Canadian networks and from the US, NBC, ABC and PBS. It changed in about 1985 and we were at about 20 channels. Now back to PBS.

I remember watching 'Mr. Rogers', 'Electric Company' and '3-2-1 Contact' and of course Sesame Street when Cookie Monster ate cookies and Snuffaluffagus was Big Bird’s imaginary friend. I vaguely remember an episode of '3-2-1 Contact' that included the band KISS and a tour back stage.

One of my favorite things on MPBN more recently which they no longer do today was the ‘Great TV Auction’.

Every so often PBS airs interesting documentaries which I look for and watch and Tavis Smiley and Charlie Rose I watch when I notice them on the guide I watch as well.

Here's a look at some classic '3-2-1 Contact' as they take a look at KISS,