1969 NFL Season
See also 1969 AFL Season.
As originally written by Jimmy Delach:
National Television
PRESEASON
8/10/69 Cleveland vs. San Francisco @ Seattle (CBS) 6:00--Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Gil Stratton
8/16/69 Chicago @ Green Bay (CBS) 8:30--Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
8/30/69 Detroit vs. Washington @ Tampa (CBS) 6:30--Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Don Perkins, Bill Mazer
9/6/69 New York Giants @ Minnesota (CBS) 9:30--Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
9/14/69 Baltimore @ Dallas (CBS) 9:00--Frank Glieber, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer
NFL WEEK 1, 1969:
Sunday 9/21:
Browns-Eagles, 1:15, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Andy Musser
Lions-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
Vikings-Giants, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bruce Roberts
Bears-Packers, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bill Mazer
49ers-Falcons, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Ed Thilenius
Rams-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Dick Stockton
Cardinals-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
Redskins-Saints, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Jim Thacker
NFL WEEK 2, 1969:
Sunday 9/28:
Redskins-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, John Fitzgerald
Colts-Vikings, 1:30, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Dick Stockton
Steelers-Eagles, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, Andy Musser
Cowboys-Saints, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Ed Thilenius
Giants-Lions, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
49ers-Packers (Milwaukee), 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Thacker
Bears-Cardinals, 2:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
Falcons-Rams, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 3, 1969:
Sunday 10/5:
Cowboys-Eagles, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Andy Musser
Colts-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Bill Mazer
Cardinals-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Frank Gifford, Pat Summerall, Dick Stockton
Bears-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Don Perkins
Lions-Browns, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
Packers-Vikings, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Saints-Rams, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Jim Thacker
Redskins-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Tom Brookshier, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 4, 1969:
Sunday 10/12:
Packers-Lions, 1, CBS, Frank Gifford, Jerry Kramer, John Fitzgerald
Cowboys-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Ed Thilenius
Cardinals-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Andy Musser
Browns-Saints, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Jim Thacker
Steelers-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Don Perkins, Bill Mazer
Vikings-Bears, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, Bruce Roberts
Rams-49ers, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
Monday 10/13:
Eagles-Colts, 7:30, WPHL-Philadelphia, Al Meltzer, Tom Brookshier
Note: PHI-BAL was moved from Sunday afternoon to Monday night due to potential conflict with the Orioles in the World Series.
NFL WEEK 5, 1969:
Saturday 10/18:
Steelers-Browns, 8, KDKA-Pittsburgh, Dick Stockton, Jack Butler
Sunday 10/19:
Bears-Lions, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Jim Thacker
Colts-Saints, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer
Giants-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Andy Musser
Vikings-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bill Mazer
Eagles-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron
Falcons-49ers, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, John Fitzgerald
Packers-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 6, 1969:
Sunday 10/26:
Saints-Eagles, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Andy Musser
Cardinals-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill Mazer
Redskins-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Dick Stockton
Falcons-Packers, 1:30, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, John Fitzgerald
Rams-Bears, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Gil Stratton
49ers-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Jim Thacker
Lions-Vikings, 2:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
Monday 10/27:
Giants-Cowboys, 9:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford
NFL WEEK 7, 1969:
Sunday 11/2:
Cowboys-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, John Fitzgerald
Packers-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer
Rams-Falcons, 1:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Jim Thacker
Saints-Cardinals, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke
Eagles-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
Redskins-Colts, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Andy Musser
Bears-Vikings, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
Lions-49ers, 4, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
NFL WEEK 8, 1969:
Sunday 11/9:
Falcons-Lions, 1, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, John Fitzgerald
Browns-Vikings, 1:15, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Dick Stockton
Eagles-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Andy Musser
Packers-Colts, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Jim Thacker
Saints-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron
Steelers-Bears, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, Bruce Roberts
Giants-Cardinals, 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
49ers-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 9, 1969:
Sunday 11/16:
Browns-Steelers, 1, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, Dick Stockton
Bears-Falcons, 1:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Ed Thilenius
Cowboys-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Andy Musser
Rams-Eagles, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Jim Thacker
Cardinals-Lions, 1:15, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, John Fitzgerald
Vikings-Packers (Milwaukee), 1:30, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Bruce Roberts
Saints-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Bill Mazer
Colts-49ers, 4, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 10, 1969:
Sunday 11/23:
Falcons-Redskins, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Dick Stockton
Giants-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Andy Musser
Colts-Bears, 1:30, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bill Mazer
Lions-Packers, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, John Fitzgerald
Eagles-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Jim Thacker
Steelers-Vikings, 2:30, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
49ers-Saints, 2:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke
Cowboys-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 11, 1969:
Thursday 11/27:
Vikings-Lions, 12:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts
49ers-Cowboys, 6, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Glieber
Sunday 11/30:
Rams-Redskins, 1:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Bill Mazer
Falcons-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Jim Thacker
Browns-Bears, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Eagles-Saints, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald
Steelers-Cardinals, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
Giants-Packers (Milwaukee), 4, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
NFL WEEK 12, 1969:
Saturday 12/6:
Bears-49ers, 4, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, Gil Stratton
Sunday 12/7:
Cowboys-Steelers, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Dick Stockton
Packers-Browns, 1:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, John Fitzgerald
Redskins-Eagles, 1:15, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer, Andy Musser
Saints-Falcons, 1:30, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Ed Thilenius
Cardinals-Giants, 1:30, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
Lions-Colts, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Jim Thacker
Vikings-Rams, 4, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Gil Stratton
NFL WEEK 13, 1969:
Saturday 12/13:
Colts-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Bruce Roberts
Sunday 12/14:
Falcons-Eagles, 1, CBS, Frank Glieber, Eddie LeBaron, Andy Musser
Packers-Bears, 1:15, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman
Rams-Lions, 1:15, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald
Saints-Redskins, 1:15, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Jim Thacker
Giants-Steelers, 1:15, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Dick Stockton
49ers-Vikings, 2 (live in SF and Min regions) 4 (tape delay nationally), CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
Browns-Cardinals, 4, WJW-Cleveland/CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall
Note: A strike by KMOX-TV technicians forced CBS to cancel the national telecast of the CLE-STL game. However, the game was seen locally in Cleveland by CBS affiliate WJW. CBS substituted the SF-MIN game as the DH game on a 2 hour delay outside of the SF and MIN regions.
NFL WEEK 14, 1969:
Sunday 12/21:
Browns-Giants, 1, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Bill Mazer
Vikings-Falcons, 1:30, CBS, Chuck Thompson, Jerry Kramer, Don Perkins, Ed Thilenius
Lions-Bears, 2, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Clarke, Dick Stockton
Steelers-Saints, 2, CBS, Jack Drees, Johnny Sauer
Cardinals-Packers, 2, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall
Redskins-Cowboys, 2, CBS, Lindsey Nelson, Eddie LeBaron, Jim Thacker
Colts-Rams, 4, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Gil Stratton
Eagles-49ers, 4, CBS, Andy Musser, Tom Brookshier, John Fitzgerald
Post Season:
NFL Divisional Playoffs:
Saturday 12/27: Rams-Vikings, 2, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Jerry Kramer, Bruce Roberts
Sunday 12/28: Browns-Cowboys, 2:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Glieber
Playoff Bowl from Miami:
Saturday 1/3: Cowboys-Rams, 2, CBS, Jack Whitaker, Frank Gifford, Don Perkins
1969 NFL Championship:
Sunday 1/4: Browns-Vikings, 1, CBS, Ray Scott, Paul Christman, Bruce Roberts, Pat Summerall
SUPER BOWL IV from New Orleans:
Sunday 1/11: Vikings-Chiefs, 3:30, CBS, Jack Buck, Pat Summerall, Frank Gifford, Jack Whitaker
NFL Pro Bowl from Los Angeles:
Sunday 1/18: East-West, 4, CBS, Don Criqui, Frank Gifford, Frank Glieber
Local TV Crews
Originally written by garretta
Here's a look at television in the Century Division for 1969:
Browns: WKYC-TV will televise the Browns' August 23 preseason game against the Chargers in San Diego. Adverising will be sold on a participation basis. Dick Hammer will call the play-by-play.
WEWS-TV will air the September 6 preseason game in Washington against the Redskins. Advertising will again be sold on a participation basis. Gib Shanley will do play-by-play. If there were color commentators for either of these games, they weren't listed in the article.
WJW-TV. the CBS station in Cleveland, will air the Week 13 game between the Browns and the Cardinals on Sunday, December 14. The game was supposed t be nationally televised, but the telecast was canceled due to a technicians' strike at KMOX-TV St. Louis. Kickoff is at 4PM Eastern. The top CBS announcing team of Jack Buck and Pat Summerall will call the action. It will also air the network telecast of the Browns' August 10 preseason game against the 49ers in Seattle.
(If the KMOX technicians were on strike, who did CBS get to work the game? Was it still televised in color?)
Steelers: KDKA-TV, the CBS station in Pittsburgh, will air all five games on tape delay, Three of them will be in color. Koehler Beer and Mellon Bank will each sponsor a quarter of each game; the rest remains unsold. Dick Stockton and Jack Butler (mistakenly referred to as "Jim" in the article) will call the action.
KDKA will also air the Steelers' Week 5 game against the Browns in Cleveland on Saturday, October 18. Kickoff is at 8PM Eastern, with Stockton and Butler on the call.
Cardinals: KMOX-TV, the CBS station in St. Louis, will air all six preseason games. Sponsors for a quarter of each game are Laclede Gas, Southwestern Bell, and Falstaff Beer. Bob Wilson will handle play-by-play; no color commentator was mentioned in the article,
Giants: WCBS-TV, the CBS station in New York, will air four locally produced preseason games, two of them on a tape-delayed basis. Sponsors are Northeast Airlines, Shell Oil, Bristol-Myers, Hertz Rent-A-Car. First National City Bank, Ballantine Beer, and Carter-Wallace. Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford will call the action. They will also air the network telecast of the Giants' September 6 game against the Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium.
Here's the television situation for 1969 in the Capitol Division:
Eagles: WCAU-TV, the CBS station in Philadelphia, will televise all five preseason games. Sponsors of each game for a quarter apiece are Piels Beer, Household Finance, Dodge, and Coca-Cola. Tom Brookshier will call the action; if there was a color commentator, they weren't mentioned in the article,
WPHL-TV will televise the Eagles' Week 5 game against the Colts at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, which was moved from Sunday, October 12 to Monday, October 13 because the Orioles were hosting the Mets in the World Series. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM Eastern, with Al Meltzer calling play-by-play and Brookshier providing color.
Redskins: WTOP-TV, the CBS station in Washington, will carry all six preseason games, including the network's telecast of their home game against the Lions on August 30. Of the five remaining games, the three road games will be televised live, while the two home games will be shown on same-day tape delay. Sponsors include Schaefer Beer, Canada Dry, Humble Oil, Gino's Restaurants, Dave Pules Pontiac, the local Pontiac Dealers, and Lake Monticello. Jim Karvellas and Warner Wolf will describe the action for the local broadcasts; Jack Buck, Pat Summerall and Don Perkins will call the August 30 game for CBS. with Bill Mazer in CBS Control. Kickoff is at 6:30 PM Eastern.
Cowboys: KRLD-TV. the CBS station in Dallas, will carry all six preseason games, including the network's telecast of the September 14 home game against the Colts. Of the other five games, the three road games will be shown live, while the two home games will be shown on a one-day tape delay. Lone Star Brewing will sponsor half of each game; other participating sponsors include Humble Oil, Goodbody and Company, Sanger-Harris Department Stores. Gordon's Jewelers. Delta Steel Buildings. Conoco, Runaway Bay Resort, Linz Jewelers, and J.K. Wilson Men's Stores and Western Company. Frank Glieber and Eddie LeBaron are your announcers. Glieber will also call the Colts game alongside Chuck Thompson, with Jerry Kramer in CBS Control. Kickoff is at 9PM Eastern.
(Am I wrong in assuming that Kramer was at the Control position for this game? CBS could certainly have done this game without a Control guy; Frank and Chuck split the play-by-play, with Kramer as analyst throughout.)
Saints: WWL-TV. the CBS station in New Orleans. will carry all six preseason games live, KNOE-TV (El Dorado, Arkansas-Monroe, Louisiana) will carry them on tape delay. Falstaff Beer will sponsor a quarter of each game; no other sponsors were mentioned in the article. John Ferguson will call the play-by-play, with Robert Khayat handling color.
Lions: WJBK-TV, the CBS station in Detroit, will air four preseason games. One is the network telecast of their August 30 game against the Redskins in Washington; the other three will be locally produced. Sponsors for a quarter each of the local games are Ford, Marathon Oil, and Little Caesars Pizza Parlors. The other quarter is being sold to participating advertisers. Van Patrick and Sonny Grandelius will call the action.
(I'm assuming that Patrick chose TV over radio when there was a conflict. In that case, who replaced him on radio during preseason? If Bob Reynolds moved over to play-by-play, who replaced him as the analyst?)
Vikings: WCCO-TV, the CBS station in Minneapolis, will carry the network broadcast of the Vikings' September 6 preseason game against the Giants at Metropolitan Stadium. Kickoff is at 9:30 PM Eastern, with Jack Whitaker and Frank Gifford calling the action and Bill Mazer at CBS Control, They may carry some other games locally, but nothing was settled at press time. Last year, KSTP-TV aired two preseason games.
Packers: WBAY-TV, the CBS station in Green Bay, is packaging a number of Packers-related shows for a five-station network. There will be two taped shows featuring coach Phil Bengtson: a Saturday night show featuring predictions of the next day's game and a Monday night show. Both shoes will be sponsored locally. on WBAY the sponsors are the local Arctic Cat Snowmobile Dealers (Saturday) and Old Milwaukee Beer (Monday).
Also on the network will be three videotaped preseason games. All games will be sold locally; on WBAY the sponsors of each game for a quarter apiece are Kerr-McGee Deep Rock Oil, the Area Savings and Loan Members, the local Curtis Mathes TV Dealers, and the local Ford Dealers. They'll air a fourth game on August 16, as they present the network telecast of the Packers' clash with the Bears at Lambeau Field. Kickoff is at 8:30 PM Eastern, with Ray Scott and Paul Christman describing the action and Bruce Roberts at Control. Chuck Ramsay will call the play-by-play for the locally produced games; no analyst is mentioned in the article.
Bears: WBBM-TV, the CBS station in Chicago, will carry all six preseason games. Five will be locally produced; the sixth is the network telecast of the Bears' game in Green Bay against the Packers on August 16. Three-quarters of each locally produced game is being sold to participating advertisers; the other quarter will be sponsored by Shell Oil. Ray Scott and George Connor will describe the action.
Now let's discuss television in the Coastal Division:
49ers: KTVU-TV Oakland-San Francisco will televise two live preseason games, both in color. The games will be sold to advertisers on a participating basis. Bud Foster and Gordie Soltau will call the action.
KPIX-TV, the CBS station in San Francisco, will air the CBS telecast of the Niners' preseason game against the Browns from Husky Stadium in Seattle on August 10. Kickoff is at 6PM Eastern. Lindsey Nelson and Tom Brookshier will call the action, with Gil Stratton at CBS Control.
Rams: KNXT-TV, the CBS station in Los Angeles, will air all six preseason games in color and on tape delay. The games are sold to advertisers on a participating basis. Gil Stratton will do play-by-play, while Dom Paul provides color.
Colts: WMAR-TV, the CBS station in Baltimore, will air three preseason games, all in color. Sponsoring a quarter of each game are Schaefer Beer, Coca-Cola, and Western Electric. STP will share the other quarter with Baltimore Gas and Electric. Jim Gibbons and Jim Mutscheller will be on the call. WMAR will also carry the CBS telecast of the Colts' preseason game against the Cowboys in Dallas on September 4.
(For those of you who follow Baltimore broadcasting history, who or what is Dennis Dunn Inc.? That person/entity owned the Colts' preseason TV rights in 1969.)
Falcons: WAGA-TV, the CBS station in Atlanta, will televise all six preseason games, four live and two on a one-day tape delay. Sponsors are Goodbody and Company, Cotton States Insurance Company, Kahn's Meats, Western Electric, and the Atlanta Buick Dealers. Ed Thilenius will call the play-by-play; no analyst was mentioned in the article.
Local Radio Crews
Originally written by garretta
We begin our look at 1969 by examining the NFL's Century Division. First, the radio side:
Browns: WHK-AM heads a network that should grow to fifty-two stations. Six preseason games and all regular season games will be broadcast. Sohio and Duquesne Brewing will each sponsor a quarter of each game on the network, Household Finance and the Cleveland Oldsmobile Dealers will each sponsor one of the other two quarters on WHK. Sponsors for WHK's pre- and postgame package are Retail Clerks Local 880, Sylvania, Palevsky Hardware, and East Ohio Gas Company. The Blanton Collier Show will be sponsored by Union Commerce Bank on weeknights (Monday-Friday) and by Arby's Restaurants before each game. The halftime news show will be sponsored by Uncle Bill's Stores, while the halftime sports scoreboard will be sponsored by the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers. Gib Shanley and Jim Graner will call the games.
(This is the exact sponsor lineup that was with the Browns last year, which is a rarity in sports broadcasting.)
Cardinals: KMOX-AM will lead a network of approximately forty stations in six states that will air five preseason games plus the entire regular season schedule. Game sponsors on KMOX for a quarter of each game are Kroger, General American Life, Anheuser-Busch, and General Finance Corporation, KMOX also airs three pregame shows: Cardinal Spotlight. sponsored by Goldbeck Motors; Coach's Corner, sponsored by Tower Grove Bank; and The Jack Buck Show, sponsored by Hamilto Jewelers and Associated Finance. The Star of the Game postgame show will be sponsored by the South County Plymouth Dealers. Ray Geracy and Jim Butler are your announcers.
Steelers: KDKA-AM will carry all nineteen scheduled games this season; there are no plans for a network. Koehler Beer and the local Ford Dealers will each sponsor a quarter of every game; the rest will be sold to participating advertisers. Jack Fleming and Tom Bender will call the action.
Giants (New York): WNEW-AM is the Giants' New York station for the ninth consecutive year; it will carry five preseason games and all regular season games. Sponsors are TWA, Schaefer Brewing, Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Getty Oil. American Express, Equitable Life Assurance Society and Volvo. Marty Glickman and Chip Cipolla will describe the action.
Giants (Northeast): Trans National Communications has put together a separate Giants network of seventy-five Northeastern stations. Sponsors of a quarter of each game are Utica Club Beer, Mobil Oil, and Volkswagen; the other quarter remains unsold. Bill McColgan, Dick Lynch, and Joe Hasel will call the games.
Now for a look at the Capitol Division in 1969.
Saints: WWL-AM will head a forty-five-station network in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Arkansas. Falstaff Brewing holds the rights and will sponsor a quarter of each game. All other time is sold on a participation basis. There will be a fifteen-minute pregame show and a fifteen-minute postgame show. Weekday programs include coaches' shows and I Married A Saint, an interview show featuring players' wives. Al Wester and Maury Magill will describe the action.
Redskins: WMAL-AM/FM hold the Skins' rights for the sixth consecutive year. They will serve as the flagships of a thirty-two-station network in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Gameday will start with The Bobby Mitchell Show, which will be sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. Next comes the pregame show, which will be sponsored on WMAL-FM by Heathkit Electronics and on the network by Hickory Farms of Ohio. Game sponsors of a quarter apiece are Washington Gas Company, the local Ford Dealers, National Beer, and Household Finance, Steve Gilmartin and Mal Campbell will call the games. The Postgame Show will be sponsored by Goodyear, and the day ends with Locker Room Reports sponsored by Koons Ford
Eagles: WIP-AM is the team's new flagship. It heads a fifteen-station network in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey which will carry all five preseason games as well as all regular season games. Sponsors of a quarter of each game are Schaefer Brewing, Gerard Trust Bank, and Hirn and Hardart. The remaining fourth is still open. There will also be a twenty-minute pregame show and a twenty-minute postgame show, as well as a seven-part weekly interview with head coach Jerry Williams. The first segment will air on Friday nights, with additional segments running at intervals until game time, Charlie Swift will call the play-by-play, with Clarence Peaks and W. Thacher Longstreth (a Philadelphia city councilman) handling color.
Cowboys: The Cowboys have the largest radio network in pro football with 146 stations. The Texas State Network out of Fort Worth will handle production. For advertising purposes, the network will split three ways:
Arkansas: Twenty stations in Arkansas will sell their time through the Arkansas News Network out of Little Rock, Schlitz Beer has bought five spots in each game, and Texaco has bought four. The rest of the time will be sold locally. The pre- and postgame shows remain unsold at press time.
Oklahoma: Thirty-four stations in Oklahoma will sell their time through the Oklahoma News Network in Oklahoma City. Texaco and Schlitz have four spots per game. McCulloch Chain Saws has one spot per game plus the pregame show, and Wilson and Company (livestock trailers) will sponsor the postgame show.
Texas: Ninety-two stations in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana will sell their time through the Texas State Network/ Schlitz and Lincoln-Mercury sill each have four spots per game. Texaco will have one spot plus the postgame show. The pregame show will be sponsored by Hanes Mills.
Play-by-play announcer Bill Mercer will host a five-minute show airing Monday through Saturday on many of the Texas network stations, The network has yet to sell its half; the other half will presumably be sold locally, although the article doesn't confirm that.
Now for the Central Division in 1969.
Lions: WXYZ-AM has picked up its option to carry the Lions this year and has an option to do so in 1970 as well, It will head a network of about forty stations that will air all six preseason games and all regular season games. Marathon Oil will sponsor half of each game on the network, with one quarter each being sponsored by Hamm's Beer and Ford. Pre- and postgame shows have been sold out on a rotating participation basis. The pre-pregame show with Lions coach Joe Schmidt will be sponsored by Robert Hall Clothes. Van Patrick and Bob Reynolds will call the action,
Vikings: WCCO-AM will lead a thirty-nine-station network that will carry all scheduled games. North Star Features will again handle distribution of the network. On WCCO, there will be two pregame shows: The Bud Grant Show sponsored by Jacob Schmidt Brewing and Fan in the Stands sponsored by F.C. Hare-RCA, Blue Flame Gas, and Muska Lighting. The postgame Scoreboard will also be sponsored by Schmidt Brewing. Half of each game will be sponsored by Twin City Ford, with the other half sponsored by Midwest Federal Savings and Loan. Ray Christiansen and Paul Giel will call the action.
Packers: WTMJ-AM Milwaukee, which has covered the Packers for every year but two since 1929, will head a six-station basic network plus a bonus network numbering about twenty-four stations. All scheduled games will be carried. Thorp Finance will sponsor half of each game, with Blatz Beer and Humble Oil each taking a quarter. The pregame and postgame shows will be sold locally; on WTMJ Packers Preview (the pregame show) will be sponsored by Montgomery Ward; Packers Playback (the postgame show) will be sponsored by Ruby Chevrolet. Your announcers are Ted Moore and Jim Irwin.
Bears: WGN-AM is the head of a sixteen-station radio network in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. American Oil Company's Standard Oil Division will sponsor the Bears on radio for the twenty-fourth consecutive year. Other sponsors are Household Finance and G. Heileman Brewing. WGN will air three exhibition games and twelve of the fourteen regular season games; because of conflicts with Chicago Cubs baseball, the first two regular season games will air on WCFL-AM. The pregame show will be sponsored by Robert Hall Clothes, the halftime show by Fame Steak House, and the postgame show by Montgomery Ward. Jack Brickhouse and Irv Kupcinet will call the games.
There will be two sponsorship differences for the first preseason game (August 2 at Washington). First, the warmup show will be sponsored by M. Hyman and Sons (clothiers). Second, Statistical Tabulating Corporation will take the place of both American Oil and Household Finance.
Now to 1969 in the NFL's Coastal Division
Rams: KMPC-AM, which has carried the Rams since 1954, will head a twenty-three-station network that will carry all games. There will be four stations in Nevada, three in Arizona, and one in Alaska. Sponsoring a quarter of each game are Schlitz Beer, Standard Oil of California, Continental Air Lines, and Household Finance. Pre- and postgame shows, which the network airs on a co-op basis. are sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken and Bluett-Grodin's Men's Stores. Dick Enberg, Dave Niehaus, and Steve Bailey will call the action.
(Co-op advertising means that the advertiser pays part or all of the cost of an ad.)
49ers: KSFO-AM will head a thirteen-station network in California and Nevada. Sponsoring a quarter of each game are Standard Oil of California, United Vintners, Bristol-Myers, and the local Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers. The pre- and postgame shows will be sold locally; on KSFO they will be sponsored by Spreckels Dairies and Household Finance. Lon Simmons and Hugh McElhenny will describe the action.
Falcons: WQXI-AM will head a sixty-five-station network that will all scheduled games across seven states: Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Sponsors on WQXI are Bristol-Myers, Citizens and Southern National Banks, BT Oil Company, Ellman's of Atlanta (catalog merchandising). Arby's Roast Beef Restaurants, and the local Ford Dealers. Fifteen-minute pre- and postgame shows will be sold locally. Stations may also pick up the pre-pregame Norm Van Brocklin Show if they wish. Jack Hurst and Alex Hawkins are your announcers.
Colts: WCBM-AM will lead a forty-station network in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and Virginia, Sponsors of a quarter of each game are National Brewing, Commercial Credit, Humble Oil, Baltimore Sunpapers, and the local Ford Dealers. Joe Croghan and Charley Eckman are your announcers.
There will also be two pregame shows and two postgame shows. The first pregame show is the ten-minute Johnny Unitas Show, sponsored by Eastern Air Lines. The second pregame show is the fifteen-minute Colts Kick-Off, sponsored by Thompson's Sea Girt Restaurant. The first postgame show is the ten-minute Colts Scoreboard, sponsored by United Clay and Supply and Carrier Air Conditioning. The second postgame show is the fifteen-minute Colts Locker Room with Jimmy Orr, which is sponsored by Maryland Cooperative Milk Producers.