Jerry Lewis Telethon - 2009 Affiliate List

[DToTheJ]

The MDA has a list of this year's telethon affiliates on its website:
http://www.mda.org/telethon/FindYourStation.pdf

The list includes stations' network affiliations, as well as the number of years that each station has carried the telethon. According to the list, the oldest MDA telethon affiliate appears to be WMUR/Manchester, NH with 42 years, followed by WHEC/Rochester, NY at 41, and thirteen stations at the 40-year mark.

Only two first-time stations carrying the telethon: WTNZ (Fox) in Knoxville and KIVI (ABC) in Boise.

Also, only five independent stations are carrying the telethon this year, in cities such as Los Angeles and Minneapolis.

[Tim from Springfield, IL]

I posted this question previously, but with this Labor Day being the first MDA telethon since the DTV transition, I wonder if there will be stations that had usually previously only aired the Labor Day portion of the telethon air the show in its entirety--but put the Sunday evening/Monday morning portion of the show on a subchannel then the Labor Day portion on their main channel.  Or do you think the digital era will not stop the practice among some Love Network affiliates of only airing the Labor Day portion of the telethon, even those with subchannels?

[DToTheJ]

If I read the list correctly, I believe one of the channels listed had "DT2" in their calls. So it appears at least one of the digital subchannels will be airing all or part of the telethon.

[BRNout]

Interesting side note - the station which has the longest streak of carrying the telethon is New Hampshire's WMUR.  42 years (1967).  How's that for consistency?

Congrats to WMUR for their long-term dedication to this worthy cause.

[WhoDat!]

is it on in France? they still love Jerry over there.

[The Voice of Reason]

This should be an interesting year for Lewis. Ed McMahon is no long with us, and Jerry, now in his 80s, is slowing down.

With the current economic depression....oh excuse me....recession, still gripping the county, I wonder how many people can or will afford to give money to the MDA?

Also how many people are planning to use the long Labor Day week to be out of town on vacation being its the last holiday of the summer and before school officially starts in many states?

[azumanga]

Interesting side note - the station which has the longest streak of carrying the telethon is New Hampshire's WMUR.  42 years (1967).  How's that for consistency?

Congrats to WMUR for their long-term dedication to this worthy cause.

I thought WHEC and WGRZ were the longest Love Network affiliates -- I read at http://www.thetelethonyears.com/showhistory.htm that those two stations were the founding members of the Love Network back in 1968, along with WKBG Boston (WLVI) and WTEV Providence (WLNE). Speaking of which, did another Providence station carry the telethon previously? According to MDA's site, this is WLNE's 16 year carrying the show.

Also, I noticed that WKAQ-TV in San Juan carries the Telethon (or local equivalent) at 11AM ET on Labor Day; however, according to schedules at El Nuevo Dia, WKAQ has normal programming at that time. Does WKAQ carry a MDA telethon, whether or not on Labor Day?

is it on in France? they still love Jerry over there.

In all fairness, Jerry hosted the first telethon for a local Muscular Dystrophy charity in France in 1987, and again as co-host in 1991. Even though only two years were fronted by Jerry, the telethon there bests the US counterpart -- 95,200,125 Euros (somewhere over $100 million) was pledged during the 2008 show.

[azumanga]

With the current economic depression....oh excuse me....recession, still gripping the county, I wonder how many people can or will afford to give money to the MDA?

Though last year, neither the recession nor Hurricane Gustav could stop Jerry from getting "one dollar more" (and then some).

Also how many people are planning to use the long Labor Day week to be out of town on vacation being its the last holiday of the summer and before school officially starts in many states?

The telethon almost didn't get their charity license in New York City in 1966 because of that reasoning. Yet, that year (and every year), millions upon millions are still pledged.

[alg2468]

WPRI in Providence carried the telethon in the years that WLNE/WTEV did not.

[cowboybud]

This should be an interesting year for Lewis. Ed McMahon is no long with us, and Jerry, now in his 80s, is slowing down.

With the current economic depression....oh excuse me....recession, still gripping the county, I wonder how many people can or will afford to give money to the MDA?

Also how many people are planning to use the long Labor Day week to be out of town on vacation being its the last holiday of the summer and before school officially starts in many states?

Actually, the recession and the fact that Labor Day is the latest possible date this year means *fewer* people will be traveling.