The Location Of NBC’s First Show With Steve Allen

Location, Location, Location #1

Finally, we know the location of the first ‘Steve Allen Show’ that debuted on NBC New York’s local station, WNBT. Before Allen became host of the first incarnation of ‘Tonight’, which began on September 24, 1954 at The Hudson Theater, his Knickerbocker Beer show had hit the air locally the year before from 101 West 67th Street. At the time, the property was the home of one of three independent stations in NYC…WOR TV, which they had built and occupied in the fall of 1949. Back then stations rented studio space to the big players all the time, like CBS renting studios at Dumont’s WABD for a couple of soap operas. WOR/Channel 9’s new building was known as “9 Television Square”. Shortly after WOR was sold to RKO, the studios moved back to Times Square at 1440 Broadway with WOR radio. NBC had produced the ‘Home’ show with Arline Francis from here starting in 1954 and when WOR moved, NBC took over the building. ‘Home’ continued here till 1957 and in ’58, ‘Concentration’ prime time editions came from here. NBC moved out in 1961 and The Video Tape Center moved in. Here is a point I need to clear up…I had thought that Video Tape Center started in 1961 and their first home was here at 67th Street…nope. No one has a firm date on when VTC went into business, but their first home was actually in the Century Theater. NBC had leased the Century from ’54 till ’58 and did ‘Caesar’s Hour’ with Sid Caesar (1954–1957) and ‘Treasure Hunt’ from there. Sometime after ’58, Video Tape Center moved in and stayed till the building was torn down in ’61, necessitating the move to 67th Street. Thanks to Dave Miller for help with the Steve Allen ticket and to Brett Henry for the personal photo of the property in ABC’s hands.

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