TV POWWW
Encyclopedia
TV POWWW was a franchised
television game show
format, in which home viewers controlled a video game via telephone in hopes of winning prizes.
station KABC-TV
as part of A.M. Los Angeles, and by the start of the next decade was seen on 79 local television stations in the United States, as well as several foreign broadcasters. While most stations had dropped TV POWWW by the mid-1980s, stations in Australia and Italy were still using it as late as 1990.
Stations were originally supplied with games for the Fairchild Channel F
console, but following Fairchild's withdrawal from the home video game market, Intellivision
games were used. Kempner later unsuccessfully attempted to interest both Nintendo and Sega in a TV POWWW revival.
While the underlying technology was standardized across participating stations, the format of TV POWWW's presentation varied from market to market. Many presented TV POWWW as a series of segments that ran during the commercial breaks of television programming (a la Dialing for Dollars
), while some (such as KTTV
in Los Angeles
) presented TV POWWW as a standalone program.
Accounts vary as to what kind of controller technology was involved. Some sources state that the gaming consoles sent to the stations were modified for voice activation. However, a 2008 WPIX station retrospective claimed that for the station's version, an employee in the control room manually hit the fire button when the caller indicated a shot.
One of the pitfalls of the gameplay was that, due to broadcasting technicalities, there was significant lag
in the transmission of a television signal. The player would experience this lag when playing at home, which likely made playing the game somewhat more difficult.
based television station WPIX
, called TV-PIX (a play on the station's call letters). Hosted by station staff announcer Ralph Lowenstein, it was aired during the traditional weekday afternoon slot of children's TV as an interlude. Participants would be called at home to play a videogame that appeared on their screen.
Participants interacted with the game by saying the word "PIX" to perform game-related actions. Prizes included T-shirts and $10 U.S. Savings Bonds. They could double their prize or win a bonus prize (such as advance tickets to see upcoming films) by answering a trivia question. For a chance at playing, children could send a postcard with their name, address, and phone number to TV PIX.
David Elliot of Staten Island
, NY was the all-time TV PIX champion, winning the "Keyop" award (named after the character from Battle of the Planets
). WPIX's program lasted until 1982; for many New York viewers, TV PIX was their first glimpse of the Intellivision home game system.
station CBRT in Calgary, Alberta in 1985, also including Intellivision games.
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
format, in which home viewers controlled a video game via telephone in hopes of winning prizes.
History
The TV POWWW format, produced and distributed by Florida syndicator Marvin Kempner, debuted in 1978 on Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
station KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
as part of A.M. Los Angeles, and by the start of the next decade was seen on 79 local television stations in the United States, as well as several foreign broadcasters. While most stations had dropped TV POWWW by the mid-1980s, stations in Australia and Italy were still using it as late as 1990.
Stations were originally supplied with games for the Fairchild Channel F
Fairchild Channel F
The Fairchild Channel F is a game console released by Fairchild Semiconductor in August 1976 at the retail price of $169.95. It has the distinction of being the first programmable ROM cartridge-based video game console...
console, but following Fairchild's withdrawal from the home video game market, Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
games were used. Kempner later unsuccessfully attempted to interest both Nintendo and Sega in a TV POWWW revival.
While the underlying technology was standardized across participating stations, the format of TV POWWW's presentation varied from market to market. Many presented TV POWWW as a series of segments that ran during the commercial breaks of television programming (a la Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars
Dialing for Dollars was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.-Format:...
), while some (such as KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) presented TV POWWW as a standalone program.
Gameplay
In the video game being featured, the at-home player would give directions over the phone, while watching the game on their home screen. When the viewer determined that the weapon was aiming at the target, they said "Pow!", after which that weapon would activate.Accounts vary as to what kind of controller technology was involved. Some sources state that the gaming consoles sent to the stations were modified for voice activation. However, a 2008 WPIX station retrospective claimed that for the station's version, an employee in the control room manually hit the fire button when the caller indicated a shot.
One of the pitfalls of the gameplay was that, due to broadcasting technicalities, there was significant lag
Lag
Lag is a common word meaning to fail to keep up or to fall behind. In real-time applications, the term is used when the application fails to respond in a timely fashion to inputs...
in the transmission of a television signal. The player would experience this lag when playing at home, which likely made playing the game somewhat more difficult.
Intellivision
- Tic Tac Toe
- Moving Target (a game similar to BreakoutBreakout cloneA Breakout clone is a sub-class of the "bat-and-ball" genre introduced with the Magnavox Odyssey's Tennis and Atari's Pong...
) - NFL FootballNFL FootballNFL Football is a 1989 football video game, developed by Enteractive and published by LJN exclusively for the Nintendo Entertainment System.- Gameplay modes :This game was the first to get an official National Football League license...
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
- NBA Basketball
- Space Battle
- Sharp ShotSharp ShotSharp Shot is a video game released by Mattel for its Intellivision video game system in 1982. Specifically marketed towards younger children, Sharp Shot is a collection of four simple games where the object is to score points by correctly timing shots at various targets.-Gameplay:Sharp Shot...
TV PIX
One notable version of TV POWWW was used by New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
based television station WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
, called TV-PIX (a play on the station's call letters). Hosted by station staff announcer Ralph Lowenstein, it was aired during the traditional weekday afternoon slot of children's TV as an interlude. Participants would be called at home to play a videogame that appeared on their screen.
Participants interacted with the game by saying the word "PIX" to perform game-related actions. Prizes included T-shirts and $10 U.S. Savings Bonds. They could double their prize or win a bonus prize (such as advance tickets to see upcoming films) by answering a trivia question. For a chance at playing, children could send a postcard with their name, address, and phone number to TV PIX.
David Elliot of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, NY was the all-time TV PIX champion, winning the "Keyop" award (named after the character from Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets is an American animated television adaptation of the Japanese anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman . Of the 105 original Gatchaman episodes, 85 were used in the Battle of the Planets adaptation, produced by Sandy Frank Entertainment...
). WPIX's program lasted until 1982; for many New York viewers, TV PIX was their first glimpse of the Intellivision home game system.
Switchback
Switchback aired on CBC TelevisionCBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
station CBRT in Calgary, Alberta in 1985, also including Intellivision games.
Other stations that carried TV POWWW
- KLKK-TV (now KNAT-TVKNAT-TVKNAT-TV is a religious television station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, broadcasting locally on digital channel 24 as an owned and operated station of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Founded October 17, 1975, the station is owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network...
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- KCOP-TVKCOP-TVKCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
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)
See also
- The Golden ShotThe Golden ShotThe Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
(similar British program with a play-at-home element)