Final WWJ channel 4 signoff July 22, 1978 

Under the FCC's cross-ownership rule of 1976, operators could no longer own an AM, FM and TV station, along with a newspaper, in the same market. Thus, the ownerships of a number of stations changed; newspaper-owned stations were either sold outright or traded, as was the case here. Some stations got 'grandfather' clauses to keep theirs; WGN-AM-TV Chicago stayed with the Tribune, and WMC-AM-FM-TV in Memphis stayed with Scripps-Howard. AM 950 kept the WWJ calls, so Post-Newsweek got WDIV. WDVM was later sold to Gannett, which changed the calls to the current WUSA.

I was a teenage kid, in from Saginaw to attend the twi-night doubleheader at Tiger Stadium mentioned at the start of the sports report. I spent more than 30 years in radio and TV, which is perhaps one reason I could put up with the tone that runs throughout the video posted here. I'm certainly old enough to remember newscasts read over a slide such as the one offered in this piece.

RIP Mr. Van Sice! Ms. Turner...always loved your voice and deep breathing! RIP Mr. Steve Lawrence!

This is one of those things where I just can't believe that we actually have this in any form.

Also, according to an ad in Broadcasting magazine's July 17, 1978 issue, the WWJ-to-WDIV call switch occurred July 22, 1978 (contrary to Wikipedia); note the mention of an upcoming program on July 24.

Wisconsin Public Television flagship station WHA-TV in Madison, Wisconsin still has its three-letter callsign.

This was 4 years after Hartford's Channel 3, WTIC-TV was sold from Travelers Insurance Company to Post Newsweek Stations and becoming WFSB. In 1996, Meredith took over the CT CBS station.

Rest in Piece WWJ TV

After the Washington Post Company sold Newsweek magazine and the Washington Post newspaper, it changed its name to Graham Holdings Company. Also, Post-Newsweek Stations changed its name to Graham Media Group which is still based in Detroit.

Thanks for the info. I knew that WWJ became WDIV sometime in the '70s.

This entire clip is just nuts.

1:05 Since this is an audio recording, I will be the one to tell you that the theatres which the film FOUL PLAY (which can actually be found on RU-vid) was showing at were: The Abbey, Madison Heights The Academy 59, Waterford The Movies at Fairlane The Movies at Lakeside The Old Orchard, Farmington Hills The Oxford Twin, Oxford The Renaissance, Detroit (later renamed to Ren Cen 4) The Showboat Cinemas, Riverview The Terrace, Livonia The Towne, Oak Park The Warren Cinemas, Warren The information came from the date's edition of the Detroit Free Press via newspapers.com. The Oxford Twin was the only one out of all these that wasn't mentioned in the ad in the paper and I do not know if it would have been given due mention on channel 4.

Well, RU-vid at it again. I get this on July 22nd. 42 years after the day it closed. What luck!

The other station involved in this swap was WTOP-TV (Channel 9) in Washington, DC, which after the switchover changed its calls to WDVM-TV (effective June 26, 1978). I wonder if anyone would have the final sign-off (whether video or audio-only) of WTOP, and if so, whether "The Evening News Association" was mentioned as owner (as the staff announcer at WWJ, Dick Van Sice, already noted Post-Newsweek as its owner).

They still make Towne Club!

Can I assume that when WDIV took over Channel 4 in Detroit that they took over the building pictured in this clip, with WWJ Radio eventually moving out?

Also remember that WWJ on the AM frequency also was one of the earliest AM stations too..?

What seal of good practice did they use in this sign off

This is nice... If only you had the actual video...

hmm my left ear loves this

Does WDIV still remain a Post-Newsweek station or has their ownership changed since then?

6:52,9:05 Sign-Off as WWJ-TV 4, return on air as WDIV.

Hey steelbeard1 if this video had actual footage, what Seal Of Good Practice did the station used as WWJ for their sign-off?

I live here

Going to miss WWJ Śo Long

What is this anthem film at 9:20

This audio aircheck solved the mystery of the source of this video of a National Anthem trailer at the end of the station's signoff. You can see it at www.fuzzymemories.tv/index.php?c=3205&m=xxnewsxx#videoclip-2928

5 years later the...the what?

Isn't WDIV still using the old WWJ Channel 4 studio?

Sort of a stupid idea to hang up those call letters, for something that the people don't know. I think "three letter" call signs are hard to get back from the FCC these days.

Why were all the three-letter call signs being replaced?

The annoying tone starts out at 690 Hz and slowly decreases to around 550hz over the course of the video.

What did the seal of good practice design look like in this sign off if it was recorded on video?

Sounds like the 80s

damn...i was 8yrs old when i lost my father on this day two hours earlier😢

back in the late seventies, the Tigers sucked wind...

It used to be call letters stood for something. Anyone what DIV stands for, if anything? I'm guessing the D is for Detroit...

That beeping noise distracted from the whole thing. Not sure how the reporters could talk over that.

What is that annoying high-pitched noise in the background? Can it be edited out?