BANGOR, Maine — Community Broadcasting Service, licensee of CBS affiliate WABI-TV and local CW channel, is adding a third over-the-air television channel to its lineup.
WABI has entered an affiliation agreement with Decades, a recently launched digital subchannel network that is a joint venture of the CBS Television Stations group and Weigel Broadcasting. Weigel Broadcasting is the creator of such familiar classic television networks as Me-TV.
WABI Program Director Steve Hiltz describes Decades as similar to other retro TV networks, but with a twist.
“Rather than airing a standard daily schedule of classic shows, Decades treats each day of the week as a separate time capsule with a common theme or tied to a common day or date,” he said in a prepared statement. “No two days are exactly the same.”
Each daily theme is established by the network’s original program, “Through the Decades,” an information and entertainment show hosted by TV journalist Bill Kurtis that features relevant clips from CBS News and “Entertainment Tonight” archives. Additional original programming includes celebrity profiles and historical documentaries.
One recent daily lineup looked back at America’s obsession with space travel during the 1960s. CBS News elements included coverage of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, while entertainment programming included episodes of the original “Star Trek.”
Another lineup recalled the fear generated during the Cold War, featuring a classic movie on the theme and relevant episodes of the original “Twilight Zone,” Hawaii Five-0” and “Burke’s Law.”
The Decades library includes other memorable television shows from the 1950s to the 1990s, ranging from “Peter Gunn” and “Naked City” to “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Dark Shadows,” “Cheers” and “Beverly Hills 90210.”
General Manager Mike Young said in the statement that a fall launch for the new offering is planned. He said the station will notify viewers when Decades becomes available.
“‘Decades’ provides a unique window on America’s history,” Young said. “It’s going to be a great new addition to the local channel lineup — not only for baby boomers but for TV enthusiasts of any age.”
The new channel will be broadcast as over-the-air channel 5.3 on most televisions. Time Warner Cable also will carry Decades within its Bangor service area, but a timeframe for its launch has yet to be determined.