Category Archives: History

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.
    Continue reading →

    Downtown Art in Public Places

    Just released today: Pittsburgh Art in Public Places; Downtown Walking Tour

    The Office of Public Art has published an exciting guide to art in public places in downtown Pittsburgh. No matter where you are downtown, you are steps away from experiencing a work of art. By taking this tour of four downtown neighborhoods, residents and visitors will experience remarkable artwork by some of the nationally & internationally recognized artists. Since many of the artists were inspired by our region when they created their pieces, the tour is also a great way to learn about Pittsburgh’s place in history. Explore the dynamic collection of art in public places in four downtown neighborhoods. Each tour takes an hour to 90 minutes.

    There are three ways to get a copy of the tour:
    1. Download a free copy: www.publicartpittsburgh.org

    2. Visit the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council offices, 707 Penn Avenue, 2nd floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

    3. Call 412.394.3353 to have a copy shipped to you ($7 shipping/handling fee). To request more information, send an email to publicart@pittsburghartscouncil.org

    The Teenie Harris Archive Project Needs Your Help!

    We’re on a photo kick this week!

    teenie

    Know these ladies?

    Pittsburgh owes much of its visual history to photographer Teenie Harris. I was going to attempt to capture the spirit of Mr. Harris in this post, but this letter from Larry Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh describes the project best:

    “Teenie Harris’ photographs are unsurpassed in the range of subjects they portray and for their ability to evoke the spirit of an era and to display the humanity of a people. Harris’ 40-year career with the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the largest and most influential Black newspapers in the country, began as the nation emerged from the Depression and ended with the Civil Rights Movement. Numbering upwards of 80,000 images, this archive represents the largest single collection of photographic images of any Black community in the United Statesâ€â€?or the world, for that matter.

    “Harris’ photographs are finally receiving the recognition they deserve, nationally and internationally. They have been extolled by The New York Times, exhibited in a number of venues, and made the subject of a recent book and exhibition. Harris’ photographs are now taking their place alongside those of such eminent photographers as James VanDerZee of New York City’s Harlem. But the Teenie Harris collection surpasses that of any other African American photographer in its breadth and in its rich documentation of the life and community spirit of Black urban America. In the long run, his photographs may cause Pittsburgh’s Hill District to join New York City’s Harlem in forming our view of urban Black life from the 1930s to the 1960s.”

    (Cue: NOW HERE IS THE REALLY AMAZING PART!)

    “On these pages we present a sampling of images from the Harris collection. Many of the images have not been identified, and as caretakers of the archive, we are seeking your assistance in discovering and preserving information about Harris and his photographs.

    “This electronic image gallery offers an on-going forum for the presentation of Harris’ work. Each month an additional 100 images will be added to the site until all 3600 images are publicly accessible. Visitors can comment on the images, view the comments of others, and e-mail images to increase participation in this documentary project.

    “These photographs provide you, the viewer, with a unique opportunity to enhance this visual documentation of Pittsburgh’s history. You can do this by helping to identify the people, places, and events in the photos, by telling the “story behind the picture,” by sharing the memories these photos elicit. In doing so, you, the viewer, can help magnify their power and significance as a vivid historical record of the 20th-century Black experience in Pittsburgh.”

    What’s so beautiful is that you can see all the memories and comments on each photograph; some comments, such as these, are especially moving and powerful.

    You can see the full list of comments here.

    In 2008, the Carnegie Museum of Art plans to present Harris photographs in a major exhibition and publication, followed by a national tour.

    a special day for Pittsburgh’s best neighbor

    As you know we here at I heart PGH are not big on celebrities – but this post is about one special friend of Pittsburgh, who probably did not consider himself a celebrity.

    March 20th marks the birthday of Mr. Rogers – yes that is the Mr. Rogers of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.

    Yes another important claim to fame – Pittsburgh was home to Mr. Rogers and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was filmed right here in Pittsburgh. Not only is this one of the best and most loved children’s television shows ever, but Fred Rogers was an outstanding person and gave much to Pittsburgh and children around the world.

    You can read some more about the history of Mr. Roger here

    But I would also reccomend googling “Fred Rodgers” – There are just many wonderful things that were writen about Mr. Rogers after his death that describe what type of person he was. And if you had the great fortune of meeting him in person, as I can attest to, he was just true to character.

    I added Mr. Roger’s birthday to my calendar a few years ago and when it popped up as today’s reminder – I did a quick google search to double check the date. I came across some lovely writings about Mr. Rogers. I think that both of these articles demostrate what type of person Mr. Rogers was…

    (I found these articles this morning and I have thought about them all day – I was just about to turn out the lights but I decided that I had to get out my computer and recognize Mr. Roger’s birthday).