Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here is a rare and neat video - a sign-on for WSNS Channel 44 followed by the transition to ONTV's scrambled signal.
Note: This is to replace an earlier, now broken (unplayable) video posting, preserved as an unlisted video here to save the original comments: youtu.be/j-9sqBC9jPw)
Includes:
Color Bars, Tone & "WSNS-TV Transmitter Maintenance Until 5:57 A.M." text message for about 52 seconds.
WSNS Channel 44 Station Sign-On
National Anthem along with various shots of Chicago (Marina City Towers, John Hancock building, the lakefront, Soldier Field, etc)
"Metro Focus" Community Calendar notice (voiceover by ??)
(Recording cut here)
ONTV WSNS Chicago 44 Logo
"WSNS now concludes its series of unscrambled Public Service programs. Please stay tuned for ONTV - the best value in home entertainment."
Scenes from ONTV movie offerings - can someone ID all of these? The ones ID'ed already are DC Cab, The Final Option (shooting scene), The Lonely Guy (Steve Martin & "company"), Terms of Endearment, and Sparkle (Irene Cara in red dress).
"Stay tuned for ONTV's scheduled programming, starting in two minutes."
Scrambled OnTV signal with The Chicago Theme (Love Loop) by Hubert Laws playing in the background (music bed had to be modified slightly to prevent YouTube blocking) (full music track can be heard here: youtu.be/Vhn0Q401FcU)
"You are now viewing our transition from the commercial mode to the scrambled mode. ONTV's regularly scheduled programming will begin shortly."
This aired on local Chicago TV early April 1985.
Thanks to Jack Demus for recording and saving this little piece of history!
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Here is a rare and neat video - a sign-on for WSNS Channel 44 followed by the transition to ONTV's scrambled signal.
Note: This is to replace an earlier, now broken (unplayable) video posting, preserved as an unlisted video here to save the original comments: youtu.be/j-9sqBC9jPw)
Includes:
Color Bars, Tone & "WSNS-TV Transmitter Maintenance Until 5:57 A.M." text message for about 52 seconds.
WSNS Channel 44 Station Sign-On
National Anthem along with various shots of Chicago (Marina City Towers, John Hancock building, the lakefront, Soldier Field, etc)
"Metro Focus" Community Calendar notice (voiceover by ??)
(Recording cut here)
ONTV WSNS Chicago 44 Logo
"WSNS now concludes its series of unscrambled Public Service programs. Please stay tuned for ONTV - the best value in home entertainment."
Scenes from ONTV movie offerings - can someone ID all of these? The ones ID'ed already are DC Cab, The Final Option (shooting scene), The Lonely Guy (Steve Martin & "company"), Terms of Endearment, and Sparkle (Irene Cara in red dress).
"Stay tuned for ONTV's scheduled programming, starting in two minutes."
Scrambled OnTV signal with The Chicago Theme (Love Loop) by Hubert Laws playing in the background (music bed had to be modified slightly to prevent YouTube blocking) (full music track can be heard here: youtu.be/Vhn0Q401FcU)
"You are now viewing our transition from the commercial mode to the scrambled mode. ONTV's regularly scheduled programming will begin shortly."
This aired on local Chicago TV early April 1985.
Thanks to Jack Demus for recording and saving this little piece of history!
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
