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United Network
The United Network (commonly referred to as United; known prior to launch as the Overmyer Network or ON) was a short-lived attempt at a fourth television network in the United States that operated through the month of May 1967. Founded by Daniel H. Overmyer, a Toledo, Ohio, warehouse chain operator and television station owner, majority control of the network was sold by Overmyer to a 14-person syndicate weeks before it launched, resulting in the name change to the United Network.
Despite lofty plans outlined by network president Oliver Treyz, United's lone offering was The Las Vegas Show, a late-night talk show hosted by comedian Bill Dana. This program was successfully cleared in a majority of the nation's television markets; many United affiliates had existing primary affiliations with a Big Three network. Significant financial losses, poor timing, and a lack of overall advertising support prompted the network to shut down after only one month of operations.
A second-generation warehouse owner, Daniel H. Overmyer had entered prominence in the field, owning and operating up to 260 buildings in 55 cities nationwide by 1965. By 1966, Overmyer successfully built and signed on WDHO-TV in Toledo, Ohio, owned the Toledo Monitor, a weekly tabloid paper, and founded Progress National Bank; he also secured construction permits for six additional ultra high frequency (UHF) stations across the country, joining existing UHF station WDHO.
The creation of the Overmyer Network was announced on July 12, 1966, with former ABC president Oliver Treyz hired as network president. In addition to Overmyer's planned UHF outlets serving as owned-and-operated stations, New York City station WPIX-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting, was signed up as the planned flagship. Los Angeles station KHJ-TV, owned by RKO General, was announced as the lead station for the West Coast; had KHJ-TV not signed, KBSA (channel 46), a station that had yet to sign on the air, would have been designated as West Coast flagship. The network, abbreviated "ON" with the slogan, "Turn ON", was regarded as the first credible attempt at forming a fourth national network to join ABC, NBC and CBS since ABC's formal reorganization in 1953.
Treyz envisioned ON supplying up to eight straight hours of evening programming to affiliates, including a prime time block devoted to different genres every night, two hours of newscasts supplied by United Press International (UPI), and a late-night talk show originating from Las Vegas, Nevada. Cultural and sports programming including Tales from the Great Book (an animated Bible series) and regional games of the Continental Football League were also planned, as was professional soccer. Lewron Television, a Baltimore, Maryland–based production company that provided mobile television facilities for ABC, CBS and NBC, was contracted to supply their facilities for the late-night show. By July 1966, 35 stations agreed to affiliate with the new network; this grew by October to 100 stations, 75 of which already agreed to carry the late-night show. The number of planned affiliates increased to 123 by December, including 24 of the largest 25 markets. Many of these new affiliates were existing CBS affiliates; after ON made the late-night show a priority, CBS declined to launch a late-night show of their own.
Overmyer encountered numerous financial difficulties in late 1966, attributed largely to an overexpansion of his warehouse company. Construction of his warehouses was briefly halted after the lead contractor encountered financial distress, owing $18 million to shareholders; in response, Overmyer agreed to guarantee the contractor's $5–6 million debt. Overmyer also employed a large financial development staff for his warehouse arm that traveled across the country, resulting in substantial travel expenses and monthly airfare totaling $80,000 a month. Consequently, construction of the other UHF stations was delayed, with only the San Francisco (KEMO-TV) and Cincinnati (WSCO-TV) permits having any tangible progress to speak of. Overmyer sold off 80 percent majority control of these unfinished construction permits to American Viscose Corporation in exchange for a $3 million loan.
Overmyer announced the sale of 80 percent majority control in the network on March 5, 1967, to a 14-person syndicate led by three stockholders in the Mutual Broadcasting System: Jack McGlothlin, a Texas oil operator; Willard Garvey, a grain dealer, an oil investor and land developer; and James Nichols, a Texas advertising and public-relations executive. No money changed hands. By February 15, 1967, Overmyer encountered second thoughts over the feasibility of the network and realized the original projected April 3 launch date promised months earlier in trade advertising would not be met. Overmyer proposed to the Mutual board a merger with the Overmyer Network as a way to help finance production of the new late-night show until advertising revenue became more available. While the Mutual board rejected the idea, McGlothlin, Garvey and Nichols, were receptive and formed the syndicate. As part of the deal, ON was renamed the United Network and now had a launch date of May 1, 1967. The new date came after negotiations with Lewron that included a $60,000 rider inserted in their contract and the right for United to terminate with seven days' notice. Broadcasting called the transaction "a rescue mission ... [that] has saved the fourth television network from death in the womb." Overmyer also relinquished any managerial role or board seats with the network.
Rechristened the United Network, the new network signed on the air on May 1, 1967, with The Las Vegas Show on 106 stations. Hosted by comedian Bill Dana from the Hotel Hacienda, the show featured regulars Ann Elder, Pete Barbutti, Danny Meahan, Jo Anne Worley, Cully Richards, and Jack Sheldon and aspired for a younger audience than NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The Las Vegas Show also debuted two weeks after ABC launched The Joey Bishop Show. Dana had a 13-week contract with United to host the show and was reportedly paid $8,000 per week. The primary focus on Las Vegas, coupled with changes to the network's distribution, delayed the UPI newsfeed to a September 11, 1967, launch. UPI merged their television news service with ITN earlier in the year to form UPITN, and United was to have been one of UPITN's first clients.
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United Network
The United Network (commonly referred to as United; known prior to launch as the Overmyer Network or ON) was a short-lived attempt at a fourth television network in the United States that operated through the month of May 1967. Founded by Daniel H. Overmyer, a Toledo, Ohio, warehouse chain operator and television station owner, majority control of the network was sold by Overmyer to a 14-person syndicate weeks before it launched, resulting in the name change to the United Network.
Despite lofty plans outlined by network president Oliver Treyz, United's lone offering was The Las Vegas Show, a late-night talk show hosted by comedian Bill Dana. This program was successfully cleared in a majority of the nation's television markets; many United affiliates had existing primary affiliations with a Big Three network. Significant financial losses, poor timing, and a lack of overall advertising support prompted the network to shut down after only one month of operations.
A second-generation warehouse owner, Daniel H. Overmyer had entered prominence in the field, owning and operating up to 260 buildings in 55 cities nationwide by 1965. By 1966, Overmyer successfully built and signed on WDHO-TV in Toledo, Ohio, owned the Toledo Monitor, a weekly tabloid paper, and founded Progress National Bank; he also secured construction permits for six additional ultra high frequency (UHF) stations across the country, joining existing UHF station WDHO.
The creation of the Overmyer Network was announced on July 12, 1966, with former ABC president Oliver Treyz hired as network president. In addition to Overmyer's planned UHF outlets serving as owned-and-operated stations, New York City station WPIX-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting, was signed up as the planned flagship. Los Angeles station KHJ-TV, owned by RKO General, was announced as the lead station for the West Coast; had KHJ-TV not signed, KBSA (channel 46), a station that had yet to sign on the air, would have been designated as West Coast flagship. The network, abbreviated "ON" with the slogan, "Turn ON", was regarded as the first credible attempt at forming a fourth national network to join ABC, NBC and CBS since ABC's formal reorganization in 1953.
Treyz envisioned ON supplying up to eight straight hours of evening programming to affiliates, including a prime time block devoted to different genres every night, two hours of newscasts supplied by United Press International (UPI), and a late-night talk show originating from Las Vegas, Nevada. Cultural and sports programming including Tales from the Great Book (an animated Bible series) and regional games of the Continental Football League were also planned, as was professional soccer. Lewron Television, a Baltimore, Maryland–based production company that provided mobile television facilities for ABC, CBS and NBC, was contracted to supply their facilities for the late-night show. By July 1966, 35 stations agreed to affiliate with the new network; this grew by October to 100 stations, 75 of which already agreed to carry the late-night show. The number of planned affiliates increased to 123 by December, including 24 of the largest 25 markets. Many of these new affiliates were existing CBS affiliates; after ON made the late-night show a priority, CBS declined to launch a late-night show of their own.
Overmyer encountered numerous financial difficulties in late 1966, attributed largely to an overexpansion of his warehouse company. Construction of his warehouses was briefly halted after the lead contractor encountered financial distress, owing $18 million to shareholders; in response, Overmyer agreed to guarantee the contractor's $5–6 million debt. Overmyer also employed a large financial development staff for his warehouse arm that traveled across the country, resulting in substantial travel expenses and monthly airfare totaling $80,000 a month. Consequently, construction of the other UHF stations was delayed, with only the San Francisco (KEMO-TV) and Cincinnati (WSCO-TV) permits having any tangible progress to speak of. Overmyer sold off 80 percent majority control of these unfinished construction permits to American Viscose Corporation in exchange for a $3 million loan.
Overmyer announced the sale of 80 percent majority control in the network on March 5, 1967, to a 14-person syndicate led by three stockholders in the Mutual Broadcasting System: Jack McGlothlin, a Texas oil operator; Willard Garvey, a grain dealer, an oil investor and land developer; and James Nichols, a Texas advertising and public-relations executive. No money changed hands. By February 15, 1967, Overmyer encountered second thoughts over the feasibility of the network and realized the original projected April 3 launch date promised months earlier in trade advertising would not be met. Overmyer proposed to the Mutual board a merger with the Overmyer Network as a way to help finance production of the new late-night show until advertising revenue became more available. While the Mutual board rejected the idea, McGlothlin, Garvey and Nichols, were receptive and formed the syndicate. As part of the deal, ON was renamed the United Network and now had a launch date of May 1, 1967. The new date came after negotiations with Lewron that included a $60,000 rider inserted in their contract and the right for United to terminate with seven days' notice. Broadcasting called the transaction "a rescue mission ... [that] has saved the fourth television network from death in the womb." Overmyer also relinquished any managerial role or board seats with the network.
Rechristened the United Network, the new network signed on the air on May 1, 1967, with The Las Vegas Show on 106 stations. Hosted by comedian Bill Dana from the Hotel Hacienda, the show featured regulars Ann Elder, Pete Barbutti, Danny Meahan, Jo Anne Worley, Cully Richards, and Jack Sheldon and aspired for a younger audience than NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The Las Vegas Show also debuted two weeks after ABC launched The Joey Bishop Show. Dana had a 13-week contract with United to host the show and was reportedly paid $8,000 per week. The primary focus on Las Vegas, coupled with changes to the network's distribution, delayed the UPI newsfeed to a September 11, 1967, launch. UPI merged their television news service with ITN earlier in the year to form UPITN, and United was to have been one of UPITN's first clients.