Author Archives: Natalia

Channel 29 – The (Juke)Box

On Saturday night I got my dance on at the Pittsburgh Deli Company and I heard sounds for the first time in years. As I waxed nostalgic about the late 80s/early 90s (dear God), I started thinking about The Box. Or as us OGs remember it – The Juke Box.

Even before I googled it, I remembered The Box as Channel 29 on our non-cable television set. The Pittsburgh Area Radio and TV Stations site tells us:

29 WIIC-LP IND PITTSBURGH PA
WBPA was at one time (mid-80’s?) the “Video Jukebox” or just “The Box” – an automated (and low power) UHF station that you could dial up with a 976 number to play videos by request. WIIC broadcasts MTV2 locally originated programming. WIIC-LP was known as W29AV until 2/6/2002. Owned by Abacus Television Network.

And Wiki sez:

The Jukebox Network was a cable and satellite television service which allowed their viewers the ability to dial a telephone number enter a code and the latest or a classic music video that was requested was played on their TV. At first all of the Jukebox request lines used a large block of Miami, Florida telephone numbers and callers were only charged for a long distance call, However realizing that they needed to make money Jukebox switched to the pay-per call 1-900 line service in which callers were charged from $1.99 to $3.99 per call to make a request of up to three videos. The company was acquired by MTV Networks and Jukebox’s programming was replaced with a new channel called MTV2.

had to add the pictureOh, The Box. I was never allowed to call 1-900 from my house, so I always went over a friend’s house, where we’d sneak in requests. I mean, honestly, $3.99 was a lot for a 12-year-old! I remember watching those scrolling lists of videos for hours before something would pop up. But then, of course, when you finally made the freakin’ phone call, you’d have to wait for another 4 hours to see it. Some videos I remember playing over and over from that era include:

  • Young MC – Bust A Groove
  • Wreckx-N-Effect – Rumpshaker
  • H-Town – Knockin’ Boots

    And of course, your R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, and Bel Biv Devoe standards. Am I the only one that remembers these days???

    By the way, I was totally amused to find out that The Box still exists in the UK. And their tagline is still the same: “Music Television You Control.”

    But here’s the thing: since Viacom bought The Box, you can now get MTV2 on all your non-cable television sets. (I didn’t know this, and I remember turning on the TV a few years ago and thinking I was just lucky.) Yep, it’s still Channel 29, but you might need some rabbit ears and aluminum foil for your antenna.

    I hope we all enjoyed this walk down memory lane. This has got me thinking … I really need to have Shanice’s “I love your smile” on call at my wedding. Or LL Cool J – Around the Way Girl. Or maybe Color Me Badd – I Adore Mi Amore …*giggle*

    • Pittsburgh – with an H!!!!!!

    “Patriotic Pittsburghers will assist in educating the public in the correct spelling of the name of their city. The “h” is all important, and distinguishes the Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from other towns of the same name in various parts of the country.”

    – “All May Assist Nation-Wide Campaign How to Spell Pittsburgh.” Reprinted from Pittsburgh First, the Official Organ of The Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, 23 July 1921.

    Indeed, the first thing you need to know about Pittsburgh is that it is spelled with an H. In 1891, after a printer (accidentally?) dropped it, the Post Office removed the letter, and it took 20 years of protest to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names before the city got it back. Yep, this H speaks to the pride, backbone and traditionalism that Pittsburghers have about their fair city…

    In 1921, The Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh even wrote a series of national bulletins about it! Check it:

    “How to Spell Pittsburgh.” Reprinted from Pittsburgh First, the Official Organ of The Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, 23 July 1921.

    Whether to write Pittsburgh or Pittsburg is a question which recurs with what seems surprising frequency until one remembers that each year the industries and other interests of Pittsburgh bring to the city large numbers of people who are not acquainted with the history attached to the name, or with the official decisions which have been made concerning the way in which it should be spelled.
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    Steel City Derby DEMONS

    Well now, this is amusing. I attempted to post this back in March, but the date was incorrectly posted to read 1969.

    HMM. Laughter. Back to the original post:

    Thanks to Subdivided We Stand for pointing out this slideshow of the STEEL CITY DERBY DEMONS.

    Hell yeah!&#!@$!!!! Team membership is closed to overwhelming response BUT they do need VOLUNTEERS and SPONSORS. They’ll have their first bout in 2007.

    There’s just one thing I don’t understand though …
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    Call in Sick … Pittsburgh? On the cutting edge?!

    One more media hit before the sun goes down.

    Our New York correspondent (hi Sarah) sent along this article from Budget Travel online. The author dotes upon local favorites such as the Church Brew Works, Mattress Factory and Andy Warhol Museum, but also highlights local art collective, Art From Chaos. Out of towners – check out the article below hip spots and accommodation.

    CALL IN SICK
    Cutting-Edge Pittsburgh
    It’s not an oxymoron: Does your local art museum have rock bands and a mixed-tape exchange?

    Brian Raftery
    Tuesday, May 23, 2006

    It’s an unseasonably chilly Friday night in Pittsburgh, but inside the Andy Warhol Museum, a swarm of stylish 20- and 30-somethings aren’t letting that stop them from imagining themselves at a Factory party. Wandering around the lobby, wine glasses in hand, they gather around Pop Art prints. The museum’s theater has been temporarily turned into a concert space, and indie rockers The Mountain Goats can be heard tuning their guitars. It’s part of the museum’s weekly Good Fridays event; admission is slashed in half, and young folks gather from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for drinks and special programs, such as a mixed-tape exchange, in which participants swap cassettes they’ve made.
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    Esquire + Dee’s sitting in a tree

    I was in Carson News today and I saw another plug for the South Side … The June 06 issue of Esquire magazine profiles the best bars in America, among them Dee’s Cafe. Considering their modest prices, laid-back atmosphere, and oldies on the Juke Box, this may be a surprise to many old-time South Siders, I’m sure. 😉 But this is why we (and the country) loves the ‘burgh. They write:

    dee's
    Dee’s Cafe
    PITTSBURGH
    YOU’RE HAVING: Yuengling, late.
    A twenty-three-ounce beer for only $2.25. Pool tables, three jukeboxes, and Ping Pong. Every ‘Burgh bar crawl goes though Dee’s. (1314 East Carson Street 412-431-1314)

    As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recalls, “You might remember a few years ago Esquire ranked Pittsburgh as the No. 1 City That Rocks. They must have stopped at Dee’s along the way.”