Chicago TV Forecast 1948-1953

Television Forecast, later TV Forecast was a Chicago TV listings magazine that started in May 1948. It was in B&W with an additional colour on the cover. At the time there were 2 TV Stations in Chicago, and about 18,500 TV sets. There were only about 300,000 sets in the whole USA. It was started by Mr. Les Viahon and three of his WW II veteran friends. Each chipped in $250 and started publishing the magazine in the basement classroom of Abbot Hall on the Northwestern University Campus. They were so broke that they bound their first issue with staplers borrowed from the professors upstairs!

They obtained (from a TV dealer's association or such) a mailing address list of everyone in the Chicago area who had purchased a TV set. For several months mailed the publication free, as a "programming service". This lasted until August 8th, when they began charging $3.00 per year (Charter members $2.00 per year). Prices for copies sold at newstands was 15c. The first issue distribution was 16,000 issues. As more people bought TVs the circulation went upwards into the tens to hundreds of thousands, but nearly all the copies were tossed out, once the next week's issue became available. A couple of competing mags were also launched at some point. The Detroit based TV Today lauanched a Chicago version of their magazine. Another called TV Times came out at first the same size and price as TV Forecast, but at some point it dropped the price to 10c and size to that of a pack of cigarettes with no articles just listings.

By late 1952 the circulation of TV Forecast was almost 200,000. There were 4 TV stations in Chicago: WBKB 4 CBS, WNBQ 5 NBC, WENR 7 ABC & WGN 9 DuMont. Walter Annenberg bought out TV Forecast (that by that time already had editions in Minneapolis, Quad Cities and SW Ohio) along with TV Guide ( a local New York City magzine, that also had editions for Washington DC / Baltimore and New England) and TV Digest a local Philadelphia magazine. In March of 1953 the last issue of all these publications came out. In April 1953, the first issue of the national magazine TV Guide came out. It had a cover and articles in colour and local listings in B&W. This would continue into the early part of the 21st century.

Here is a list of all 256 issues of Television Forecast / TV Forecast, with the cover feature listed. If you have any that are marked photocopy, scan or PDF and want to get rid of them pleasecontact.


Some TV Forecast covers.

Chicago TV Forecast 1948-1953
DATE COVER FEATURE TYPE COLOUR HELD NOTE
1948
May 9 1948 Chicago Cubs photo red photocopy Television Forecast
May 16 1948 Kukla & Ollie photo red photocopy
May 23 1948 Dick Baker photo blue photocopy
May 30 1948 Sulky Racing photo green photocopy
Jun 6 1948 Minor Opinion photo red photocopy
Jun 13 1948 Woman's World photo brown photocopy
Jun 20 1948 Connie Mack photo dark orange photocopy
Jun 27 1948 girl's baseball photo blue photocopy
Jul 4 1948 freedom train photo grey photocopy PDF
Jul 11 1948 Gus Van photo olive green photocopy PDF
Jul 18 1948 Midget Races photo light blue photocopy PDF
Jul 25 1948 lifeguards photo red photocopy PDF
Aug 2 1948 Bob McKee photo blue-green photocopy PDF
Aug 9 1948 football photo brown photocopy PDF
Aug 16 1948 Young & Victor photo blue photocopy PDF
Aug 23 1948 Conrad Veidt photo dark orange photocopy PDF
Aug 30 1948 Chicago Rockets (football) photo grey photocopy PDF
Sep 6 1948 Sportsman Corner bowling photo light purple photocopy PDF
Sep 13 1948 Don McNeill photo brown photocopy PDF
Sep 20 1948 test pattern comic art red photocopy PDF
Sep 27 1948 WBKB dog Mac photo light blue photocopy PDF
Oct 4 1948 Dick Tracy art green photocopy
Oct 11 1948 Johnny Hill photo blue photocopy
Oct 18 1948 Ed Roden photo brown photocopy PDF
Oct 25 1948 Alan Dale photo blue-grey photocopy PDF
Nov 1 1948 WNBQ Antenna photo blue photocopy PDF
Nov 8 1948 Joe Wilson photo dark orange photocopy PDF
Nov 15 1948 Chicago Bears photo purple photocopy PDF
Nov 22 1948 WGN Mystery Show Photo yellow photocopy PDF
Nov 29 1948 WNBQ photo red photocopy PDF
Dec 6 1948 people do write- man surrounded by lettersphoto grey photocopy PDF
Dec 13 1948 Uncle Mistletow & Aunt Judy photo blue-green photocopy PDF
Dec 20 1948 Merry Christams Santa art red photocopy PDF
Dec 27 1948 Man About Town- Connie Russell photo green scan PDF
1949
Jan 3 1949 John Dunham of WBKD photo brown photocopy PDF
Jan 10 1949 coaxial cable photo blue photocopy
Jan 17 1949 Skip Farrell photo olive green photocopy PDF
Jan 24 1949 Red Godfrey of WGN photo red photocopy PDF
Jan 31 1949 Geogia Kay & Gloria Yates photo blue-green photocopy PDF
Feb 7 1949 Lanny Ross photo red photocopy PDF
Feb 12 1949 Bob Elson photo blue-grey photocopy PDF
Feb 19 1949 Rush Hughes & Ruth Crowley photo dark orange photocopy PDF
Feb 26 1949 Kukla- Fran & Ollie photo blue-green photocopy
Mar 5 1949 Fontanne Sisters photo pink photocopy PDF
Mar 12 1949 Lulu Belle & Scotty photo red photocopy PDF
Mar 19 1949 WBKB's Telefashions photo red photocopy PDF
Mar 26 1949 Coca & Caesar & McCarty photo brown Chicago PDF
Apr 2 1949 WGN Aniversary art grey Chicago
Apr 9 1949 Rajah Hornsby of WENR photo blue-green Chicago
Apr 16 1949 Ernie Simon of WBKB photo brown photocopy PDF
Apr 23 1949 Milton Berle photo blue photocopy PDF
Apr 30 1949 Harold Isbell photo grey photocopy PDF
May 7 1949 TV Show is Born photo red photocopy
May 14 1949 Cliffy of Super Circus photo olive green photocopy
May 21 1949 Ulmer Turner photo dark orange Chicago PDF
May 28 1949 John Cameron Swayze photo blue Chicago PDF
Jun 4 1949 Wendy Barrie photo green Chicago PDF
Jun 11 1949 Bill Brundige WENR sportscaster photo grey Chicago
Jun 18 1949 first test pattern photo brown Chicago PDF
Jun 25 1949 Howdy Doody photo red photocopy
Jul 2 1949 Nancy Wright & Gordon Page photo blue-green Chicago
Jul 9 1949 Johnny Olsen photo blue Chicago
Jul 16 1949 Vera Ward of Comic Capers photo pink Chicago
Jul 23 1949 Betty Chapel photo blue Chicago
Jul 30 1949 Hines & Revolta photo olive green photocopy
Aug 6 1949 Super Circus House Party photo red photocopy
Aug 13 1949 Tommy Sands photo brown photocopy
Aug 20 1949 Roberta Quinlan photo blue photocopy
Aug 27 1949 Al Morgan on WGN photo red photocopy PDF
Sep 3 1949 Uncle Mistletoe photo green photocopy Title changes to: TV Forecast
Sep 10 1949 Frontier Theatrer photo brown photocopy
Sep 17 1949 Kukla- Fran & Ollie photo red photocopy
Sep 24 1949 Dave Garroway photo red photocopy
Oct 1 1949 Eddie Cantor photo blue photocopy PDF
Oct 8 1949 Ed Wynn- King of Jesters photo gren photocopy
Oct 15 1949 Jack Brickhouse photo brown scan PDF
Oct 22 1949 Red Grange photo red photocopy PDF
Oct 29 1949 Doris Brown of Lucky Pup photo orange photocopy
Nov 5 1949 The O'Neills photo blue photocopy
Nov 12 1949 Paul Whiteman photo magenta photocopy
Nov 19 1949 Kay Ksyer of College of Musical Knowledgephoto green photocopy
Nov 26 1949 Fred Waring photo yellow photocopy
Dec 3 1949 Nancy Wright photo red Chicago PDF
Dec 10 1949 Toni Gilman photo magenta Chicago
Dec 17 1949 Connie Russell photo green Chicago
Dec 24 1949 Santa Claus art red photocopy
Dec 31 1949 Mercedes McCambridge photo yellow photocopy
1950
Jan 7 1950 Art Jarrett Metropolitan Memo photo orang Chicago
Jan 14 1950 Rebel Randall photo green photocopy PDF
Jan 21 1950 Herbie Mintz of Bit Not Forgottenphoto red photocopy PDF
Jan 28 1950 West Twins of Lucky Letters photo orange photocopy PDF
Feb 4 1950 Tarzan White- wrestler photo pink photocopy
Feb 11 1950 Mary Hartline photo green photocopy
Feb 18 1950 young boy photo red Chicago PDF
Feb 25 1950 Arthur Godfrey & Janette Davidphoto yellow photocopy PDF
Mar 4 1950 Birthday Greetings Woman's magazine of the Airphoto orange Chicago PDF
Mar 11 1950 Eleanor Binder & Jim Moran of Courtesy Hoirphoto green Chicago cover ripped
Mar 18 1950 Sussan Shaw photo red Chicago
Mar 25 1950 Mr Puffle & Ilka Chase photo yellow Chicago
Apr 1 1950 Happiness Hour- ventriloquist photo pink photocopy
Apr 8 1950 Bob Murphy photo green photocopy PDF
Apr 15 1950 Lou Thesz - wrestler photo orange photocopy
Apr 22 1950 Jack Carter photo orange photocopy
Apr 29 1950 Lucky Letters photo purple Chicago PDF
May 6 1950 Paddy the Pelican art orange photocopy
May 13 1950 Danny O'Neil of Jay's Jamboreephoto blue Chicago
May 20 1950 Gloria Van & Johnny Desmond of Tin Pan Alleyphoto green photocopy
May 27 1950 Cliff Norton photo yellow photocopy
Jun 3 1950 Andy Pafko- Cubs photo red Chicago
Jun 10 1950 Paula Rae photo orange Chicago
Jun 17 1950 Kay Kyser- father of the year photo blue Chicago PDF
Jun 24 1950 Peggy Lee Torme photo green Chicago PDF
Jul 1 1950 Joan Alt of Time for Beanie photo yellow Chicago rusty stapes
Jul 8 1950 Joan Belton- singing star photo red Chicago PDF
Jul 15 1950 Gloom Dodgers photo dark orange great lakes PDF
Jul 22 1950 Ransom Sherman photo purple Chicago PDF
Jul 29 1950 Ginny Scott photo blue Chicago
Aug 5 1950 Come to the Chicago Fair photo green Chicago PDF
Aug 12 1950 Neil Hamilton photo orange photocopy
Aug 19 1950 Acrobat Ranch photo yellow Chicago
Aug 26 1950 Wayne King photo orange Chicago
Sep 2 1950 Frances Langford of Star Time photo green Chicago
Sep 9 1950 Don McNeill photo yellow photocopy
Sep 16 1950 Dean Martin & Jerry lewis photo blue photocopy
Sep 23 1950 Marlene Reilly of Foto Test photo red Chicago
Sep 30 1950 Jack Carson photo orange photocopy
Oct 7 1950 Mae West & Irv Kipcinet photo yellow Chicago
Oct 14 1950 Cheif Ernie Simon & kids photo blue Chicago
Oct 21 1950 Marlin Perkins photo montage red Chicago
Oct 28 1950 Jack Benny photo-art orange Chicago PDF
Nov 4 1950 Chicago Calender Jack Brickhoue etalphoto-art yellow Chicago PDF
Nov 11 1950 Chico Marx of College Bowl photo blue photocopy PDF
Nov 18 1950 Panhandle Pete & Jennifer Holtphoto-art red Chicago
Nov 25 1950 Faye Emerson photo-art purple Chicago PDF
Dec 2 1950 Shirley Sexby Miss Tavern Pole 1950photo-art green photocopy
Dec 9 1950 Uncle Mistletoe art orange photocopy
Dec 16 1950 Peter Lind & Mary Healy photo-art yellow photocopy
Dec 23 1950 Santas art red photocopy
Dec 30 1950 Kyle MacDonnell photo-art yellow-green photocopy
1951
Jan 6 1951 Jackie Gleason art green Chicago loose cover
Jan 13 1951 Super Circus Clowns photo-art orange Chicago
Jan 20 1951 Frank Sinatra photo-art green Chicago
Jan 27 1951 Burns & Allen photo yellow Chicago PDF
Feb 3 1951 1950 TV Awards photo gold photocopy
Feb 10 1951 Sue Topping & Frank Sweeny Valentine's Dayphoto-art red Chicago PDF
Feb 17 1951 Antonio Rocca (wrestler) photo orange photocopy
Feb 24 1951 Michyl Veach of Magic Slate photo-art blue Chicago
Mar 3 1951 Elanie Neblett of Let's Have Funphoto yellow Chicago PDF
Mar 10 1951 Toni Rodgers photo-art red Chicago
Mar 17 1951 Billy Rose photo-art green Chicago
Mar 24 1951 Dorsey Connors photo-art magenta Chicago PDF
Mar 31 1951 Frank Sinatra photo-art orange Chicago PDF
Apr 7 1951 Ted Mack's Family Hour photo-art red Chicago PDF
Apr 14 1951 Tony Fontaine photo-art green Chicago PDF
Apr 21 1951 Milton Berle photo-art pink photocopy PDF
Apr 28 1951 Arthur Godfrey photo-art blue photocopy PDF
May 5 1951 Marty Hogan Miss US TV photo green photocopy PDF
May 12 1951 Mary Hartline Win a Puppy photo red photocopy PDF
May 19 1951 Meet the Range Rider photo white photocopy PDF
May 26 1951 Jean Mawry photo red on white photocopy PDF
Jun 2 1951 Hank Sauer Chicago Cubs player photo green on white photocopy PDF
Jun 9 1951 Teresa Giorgian photo blue on white photocopy PDF
Jun 16 1951 Laraine Day photo pink Great Lakes PDF
Jun 23 1951 Bob Hope & Joel Kupperman photo blue photocopy PDF
Jun 30 1951 Peggy Lee photo orange on white photocopy PDF
Jul 7 1951 Betty Betz photo green photocopy PDF
Jul 14 1951 Tom Corbett Sace Cadet photo magenta photocopy PDF
Jul 21 1951 Eileen Weston of Hit Parade photo yellow-orange photocopy PDF
Jul 28 1951 Ernie Simon of WBKB photo blue photocopy PDF
Aug 4 1951 White Sox player photo dark-orange photocopy
Aug 11 1951 Marion Morgan of stop the Music photo green photocopy PDF
Aug 18 1951 Marion Marlowe of Arthur Godfrey showphoto pink photocopy PDF
Aug 25 1951 Jackie Kelk & Pat Horsley photo blue photocopy PDF
Sep 1 1951 Eloise McElhone of Man-baiter photo photocopy PDF
Sep 8 1951 Sed Caesar & Imogene Coca photo green photocopy PDF
Sep 15 1951 Milton Berle photo pink photocopy PDF
Sep 22 1951 Arthur Godfrey photo blue photocopy PDF
Sep 29 1951 Frances Langford & Don Amechephoto montage orange Chicago PDF
Oct 6 1951 Bob Hope & Jimmy Durante photo green photocopy
Oct 13 1951 Kukla- Fran & Ollie photo red photocopy PDF
Oct 20 1951 Stars Model Fall Furs photo blue photocopy PDF
Oct 27 1951 Studs Terkel photo orange photocopy PDF
Nov 3 1951 Perry Como photo green photocopy PDF
Nov 10 1951 Bert Parks photo red photocopy PDF
Nov 17 1951 Frank Sinatra photo blue photocopy
Nov 24 1951 Rafael Kubelik- Can Culture Survive?photo orange photocopy PDF
Dec 1 1951 Jackie Gleason photo-art green photocopy
Dec 8 1951 Lucille Ball photo magenta photocopy PDF
Dec 15 1951 Dean Martin & Jerry lewis photo blue photocopy PDF
Dec 22 1951 Walt Disney characters art red on white photocopy
Dec 29 1951 football special photo montage blue photocopy PDF
1952
Jan 5 1952 Dinah Shore photo orange Chicago PDF
Jan 12 1952 Dorothy Collins Hit Parade Honeyphoto green Chicago PDF
Jan 19 1952 Ed Sullivan photo red Chicago PDF
Jan 26 1952 TV Awards photo-art gold photocopy
Feb 2 1952 Wanda Lewis photo orange Chicago PDF
Feb 9 1952 Captain Video photo blue Chicago (cover loose)
Feb 16 1952 Kay Westfall Night on the Town photo purple Chicago PDF
Feb 23 1952 Marie Wilson photo green photocopy PDF
Mar 1 1952 Claudia & David photo red photocopy PDF
Mar 8 1952 Peggy Taylor photo Blue photocopy PDF
Mar 15 1952 Hal Block photo tan Chicago PDF slight water damage
Mar 22 1952 Jack Benny & Mary Livingstonephoto green photocopy
Mar 29 1952 Mimi Benzell photo dark Orange Chicago PDF
Apr 5 1952 Gay Compton - How to Treat Pets photo brown-orange Chicago PDF
Apr 12 1952 TV's Easter Family photo pink and white photocopy PDF
Apr 19 1952 Dave Garroway photo green Chicago PDF
Apr 26 1952 Athletic Angel photo pink Chicago PDF
May 3 1952 boxing Chico Vehar v Chuck Daveyphoto blue photocopy PDF
May 10 1952 Lucille Ball & Desi Arnex photo montage orange Chicago PDF
May 17 1952 Donald O'Connor photo blue-green Chicago PDF
May 24 1952 Howdy Doody photo magenta Chicago
May 31 1952 Gene Autry photo pink Chicago
Jun 7 1952 Lena Horne photo white Chicago PDF
Jun 14 1952 Bishop Fulton Sheen photo magenta Chicago PDF
Jun 21 1952 Lois Collier photo blue-green photocopy PDF
Jun 28 1952 Chet Roble photo orange photocopy PDF
Jul 5 1952 Bob & Ike Republican Conventionphoto red Chicago PDF
Jul 12 1952 Jimmy Durante photo blue photocopy PDF
Jul 19 1952 Democrat Convention photo-art brown Chicago PDF
Jul 26 1952 Sam Levenson photo-art red on white Chicago PDF
Aug 2 1952 Space Patrol photo light green photocopy
Aug 9 1952 Groucho Marx photo red photocopy PDF
Aug 16 1952 Roxanne of Beat the Clock photo pink photocopy PDF
Aug 23 1952 Garry Moore photo orange on white photocopy PDF
Aug 30 1952 John Daly of What's My Line photo green Chicago PDF
Sep 6 1952 Don McNeill photo red Chicago PDF
Sep 13 1952 Larry Storch photo orange Chicago PDF
Sep 20 1952 Oliver J. Dragon photo light blu photocopy PDF
Sep 27 1952 Margaret Truman photo pink on black Chicago PDF
Oct 4 1952 Marilyn Monroe photo orange on white photocopy PDF
Oct 11 1952 Bob Murphy photo green Chicago PDF
Oct 18 1952 Luigi photo orange photocopy PDF
Oct 25 1952 Eve Arden of My Miss Brooks photo pink photocopy PDF
Nov 1 1952 Arthur Godfrey photo-art red-orange Chicago PDF
Nov 8 1952 Ozzie & Harriet & Ricky & Davisphoto blue photocopy
Nov 15 1952 Fred Waring photo green photocopy PDF
Nov 22 1952 Marion Marlowe & Frank Parkerphoto purpe Chicago PDF
Nov 29 1952 Eddie Cantor photo brown Chicago PDF
Dec 6 1952 Perry Como photo red Chicago PDF
Dec 13 1952 Carmelita Pope photo blue photocopy
Dec 20 1952 many shows photo montage red on white Chicago PDF
Dec 27 1952 1953 calander / TV couples photo montage light green photocopy
1953
Jan 3 1953 Jackie Gleason photo montage dark orange photocopy
Jan 10 1953 TV Awards photo-art m gold Chicago PDF
Jan 17 1953 Ed Sullivan photo montage red photocopy PDF
Jan 24 1953 great cowboys photo-art m blue photocopy PDF
Jan 31 1953 Mary Hartline of Super Circus photo red Chicago
Feb 7 1953 Davey or Galivan? fighters photo montage light orange Great Lakes PDF
Feb 14 1953 Kukla- Fran & Ollie photo montage red Great Lakes PDF
Feb 21 1953 Johnny Coons photo blue Great Lakes PDF
Feb 28 1953 Eddie Fisher & Julius La Rosaphoto purple Great Lakes
Mar 7 1953 Jimmy Durante art orange photocopy PDF
Mar 14 1953 Mr Peepers photo brown Great Lakes PDF Forecast and Guide
Mar 20 1953 Wayne Griffin- Operation Foxholephoto blue-green Chicago Guide and Forecast
Mar 27 1953 Patti Page photo dark orange Great Lakes PDF Guide and Forecast
Becomes TV Guide- national publication