Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2022 January 2

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

January 2

Historical local US TV schedules

Does there exist some kind of record or database of historical local TV schedules in the US? Local daytime TV, not prime time or network syndicated programming (those two I've found quite easily). Specifically I'm looking for one that would cover from 1978 to 2000, but any help at all would be appreciated. 108.6.47.12 (talk) 08:59, 2 January 2022 (UTC)

I suspect that such a historical database for daytime US television schedules is hard to find because local stations have always had the flexibility to re-schedule network programs in favor of local news or syndicated programming. For example, CBS stations have the option to air The Young and the Restless at 11:00 or 11:30 a.m. local time instead of 12:30 p.m. when New York City flagship station WCBS-TV does it. Likewise, NBC stations can air Days of Our Lives anytime between noon and 2 p.m. We do have articles such as 1978–79 United States network television schedule (daytime)#Schedule, but we do also include a disclaimer in the notes about the points I just mentioned; and the primary source that was cited on these lists no longer exists (and only now exists in archived links) and that web site's former domain name has been taken over by a new owner. Zzyzx11 (talk) 17:06, 2 January 2022 (UTC)

To get around the problem highlighted by the above user, you might want to narrow your search to one major city, and check their archives for local TV listings. --←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:08, 2 January 2022 (UTC)