Dialing for Dollars was a franchised format local television program in the United States and Canada, popular from the 1950s to the early 1990s.
Format
At the beginning of a typical Dialing for Dollars program, the host (a local television personality) would announce the day's password, which often contained one or more of the following: a secret word, the amount of money at stake, and a randomly determined "count." Each time the game was played, the host would randomly select and call a telephone number, using either numbers previously submitted by viewers or slips of paper cut from residential telephone directories from a bag or a drumroll. If the chosen person answered the call within a set number of rings and gave the correct password, he/she won the money at stake; if not, money was added to the prize for the next playing. The prize was reset to a starting value after it was won.
The count, when it was part of the password, consisted of a number from 1 to 9 (or 10 in some markets) and a direction of "up" or "down" (in some markets, "top" or "bottom"). Those were being delivered in various ways in different markets, such as a flip machine, a wheel, or an electronic counter among others. The host drew a slip cut from the telephone book(s) for the viewing area, each containing several numbers, then used the count to choose the number by counting down from the first number listed or up from the last one. For example, a count of "6 Down" (or "6 Top") meant that the sixth number down from the top would be called. A common password was "the count and the amount," or the day's count and the total money at stake on that particular playing.
Dialing for Dollars originated as a radio program in 1939 on WCBM in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted by Homer Todd. With the advent and rise of commercial television broadcasting in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s, the format switched to television and was franchised nationally as a popular, low-budget way to fill local market airtime, especially in the late mornings.
On some stations (such as KTVU hosted by Pat McCormick, who also did voices for the Charley & Humphry puppets during a local cartoon show), the Dialing for Dollars format would be used during the local telecasting of a morning or afternoon movie. The film would be interrupted by a Dialing for Dollars segment every so often, rather than going to a commercial break, after which the program either went to a commercial or directly back to the film. On others, such as WKBW's version and WTNH's version, both versions are variety shows complete with studio audience and mini-games, The difference between both stations is that WTNH's version also contains special guests and performances after dialing games or mini-games. However, WKBW's version runs for an entire hour, and WTNH's version runs for 30 minutes as normal.
By the mid-1970s, the popularity faded for the Dialing for Dollars format, as competition developed from daytime talk shows, and more sophisticated game shows coming from syndication. Another factor in the show's decline was the trend of fewer households having stay-at-home members available to answer the phone during the day. Dialing for Dollars left the Baltimore airwaves in 1977 (although it is still seen in a few markets), after giving away $800,000 locally in its 38-year run there on radio and television.
Broadway producer Lee Guber attempted to resurrect the concept on a national basis in 1987, meeting with Canadian broadcaster Peter Emmerson with regards to hosting what would have emanated from the former GFG Productions facilities in Brooklyn. The project was never completed due to Guber's illness which was diagnosed soon after; he died of a brain tumor on March 27, 1988.
The program has also been satirized on the Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV.
Live with Kelly and Ryan carries on the tradition with its daily Travel Trivia contest, and a few local shows directly trace their lineage to Dialing for Dollars (an example is AM Buffalo).
The program was also referenced in Janis Joplin's classic hit song "Mercedes Benz" from the 1970 album "Pearl".
More recently, cable network Adult Swim has periodically revived the concept beginning in mid-2018 for its online livestream; due to the original concept being rendered obsolete by the advancement of technology, instead viewers of the livestream must memorize a certain word (indicated by the onscreen appearance of a plane marked "SPY"). Viewers that enter their phone number into the Adult Swim website can then have a chance to be picked to win a prize of some sort if they are picked during the drawing (which is broadcast Thursdays at 9PM on the livestream) and say the correct word.
List of stations that carried Dialing for Dollars
CICT-TV (formerly CFAC) – Calgary, Alberta, Canada KARK-TV – Little Rock, Arkansas (originally used for newscasts since 2018) KATC-TV – Lafayette, Louisiana KBJR-TV (formerly WDSM) – Superior, Wisconsin/Duluth, Minnesota KCOP – Los Angeles, California, Johnny Gilbert hosted the show. KCPQ – Seattle, Washington KCRG-TV – Cedar Rapids, Iowa (February 1968 – January 1972), hosted by George Patrick. KDIX-TV –Dickinson, North Dakota, hosted by Stan Deck and Lorren Haake KELO-TV – Sioux Falls, South Dakota, during the noon news block KFIZ-TV – Fond du Lac, Wisconsin KJEO-TV – Fresno, California KHON – Honolulu, Hawaii, aired for a short time from 1968 until 1969. It was primarily hosted by Jim Peters, with Sydette Sakauye and Diane Lockwood taking over on alternate weeks. KICU-TV – San Jose, California (late–1990s) KIII-TV – Corpus Christi, Texas KMBC-TV – Kansas City, Missouri (1966–1968) KODE-TV – Joplin, Missouri KOAT-TV – Albuquerque, New Mexico (September 1966 – June 1984) KOBI – Medford, Oregon, used a different format version of Dialing for Dollars titled "Jackpot Bingo" which had different formats and developments until canceled in 1988. KPAC-TV – Port Arthur, Texas KPHO – Phoenix, Arizona (January 1965 – 1971), originally aired as a 30-minute program until 1968 when it began airing during movie breaks. KPTV – Portland, Oregon KQTV – St. Joseph, Missouri (late–1970s) KRQE – Albuquerque, New Mexico (early–1970s) KSHB-TV – Kansas City, Missouri (early-1970s, short-lived) KSL-TV – Salt Lake City, Utah KSTP-TV – Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, 30-minute (later 60-minute) local television game/variety show in color, hosted by Jim Hutton (1964–1970). KTAL-TV – Shreveport, Louisiana, “Dialing for Thousands” (1980s and 1990s), hosted by Ron Young KTBS-TV – Shreveport, Louisiana, first known as "Dialing For Dollars Theatre". KTHV – Little Rock, Arkansas, under a different title, to compete with KARK KTNT – Seattle, Washington, hosted by Al Cummings (nicknamed "Mr. Fortune") KTRK-TV – Houston, Texas (1968–1977) KTSM-TV – El Paso, Texas, hosted by weatherman and former El Paso city councilman Ted Bender. KTVI-TV – Saint Louis, Missouri, hosted by Morgan Hatch. KTVU – Oakland, California, Ran through multiple variations over the years since 1967. Mel Venter and later Bob March in the morning and Pat McCormick in the afternoon hosted the show. Bob Eldred hosted an evening version called "The Jackpot Movie." KTVU canceled its longtime run in September 1986 due to "poor revenue and the station not keeping up with their money". KTVX – Salt Lake City, Utah, hosted by disc-jockey Lynn Lehmann. KCPX/KTVX's version aired during The Mike Douglas Show from 1967 until 1972, and it was later aired during episodes of To Tell the Truth and Truth or Consequences. KUSA – Denver, Colorado, also as KBTV, Stormy Rottman hosted the segments. KVLY-TV (then KTHI-TV) – Fargo/Grand Forks, North Dakota, hosted by Bob Ivers KXLY-TV – Spokane, Washington KXMB-TV – Bismarck, North Dakota, hosted by Rodger Dixens and Karen MacKinson (1972 until 1977) KXMC-TV – Minot, North Dakota hosted by Davey Bee and a lady simply known as Euenvo (during the 1970s) WAAY-TV – Huntsville, Alabama WALA-TV – Mobile, Alabama, hosted by Danny Treanor, ran for a short time from 1968 until 1970. WANE-TV – Fort Wayne, Indiana, hosted by Dave King WAVE-TV – Louisville, Kentucky, aired during "Channel 3's Morning Show" and afternoon reruns of Dr. Kildare (February 1967 until April 1968). WAVY-TV – Norfolk, Virginia, hosted by Murray Roberts (1960’s), followed by a 30-minute program hosted by Troy Strait (1971-1972). WAWV-TV (then WIIL-TV) – Terre Haute, Indiana, hosted by Woody Berlin WBBH-TV – Fort Myers, Florida, aired for a short time until WEVU took it over. WBRC-TV – Birmingham, Alabama, originally known as "The Dialing for Dollars Movie" in 1972, but was renamed simply "Dialing for Dollars" when it aired during syndicated programming. WBRC's version only lasted for less than two years in the early-1970s. WCBD-TV – Charleston, South Carolina, hosted by Betty Hudson. WCIA-TV – Champaign, Illinois WCIX – Miami, Florida, Patricia San Pedro hosted the show. WCWB-TV – Macon, Georgia, first hosted by Barbara Cheshire, later taken over by an unknown woman with her last name being Colson for a short period of time, and ran during "Fortune Feature" movies from 1971 until 1974. WDAF-TV – Kansas City, Missouri (late-1960s, short-lived) WDBB-TV – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, originally called "Dialing for Big Bucks", hosted by Brent Jones. WDSU-TV – New Orleans, Louisiana WEVU-TV – Fort Myers, Florida, hosted by Gary Firestone (late–1970s) WEWS-TV – Cleveland, Ohio (September–December 1971) WFAA-TV – Dallas, Texas, hosts included Ed Hogan, Ross Cass, and "Dandy" Don Norman. It lasted from 1965 until 1978. WFBC-TV – Greenville, South Carolina (September 1969 – June 1970), aired during both its afternoon newscasts and The Mike Douglas Show on weekdays. WFBM-TV – Indianapolis, Indiana, hosted by George L. Davis, aired during breaks in several syndicated talk and entertainment programs such as The Steve Allen Show, The Virginia Graham Show, and Jim Gerald (January 1969 – Early 1970s) WFLD-TV - Chicago, Illinois (late–1960s, early–1970s) hosted by Jerry G. Bishop WFRV-TV – Green Bay, Wisconsin (September 4, 1966 – Early 1980s), hosted by Cal Dring. WFTV – Orlando, Florida, hosted by Russ Wheeler beginning in 1970, later by Pete Forgione until January 1984, and later by Merita Valentine until October 1984. An unknown personality hosted the last 3 months of the program, which was canceled on January 4, 1985. WGHP-TV – High Point, North Carolina (1968–1980), hosted by Dick Bennick and later Jo Nelson. WHBQ-TV – Memphis, Tennessee (January 6, 1969 – September 1, 1978), WHBQ news anchor Dave Brown was the original program host and continued various times during its run. Later hosts included local talk show hostess Marge Thrasher. WHTN-TV – Huntington, West Virginia (September 1973 – March 1975) WHO-TV – Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Bob Williams. It aired during its "Early Show Movie" and The Merv Griffin Show. WHO-TV's version also features a game show segment where prizes are hidden in pyramid-stacked boxes. WISN-TV – Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dialing for Dollars began at the station in December 1967. A news/talk/contest show, the program is noted for its long-standing husband-and-wife hosting team of Howard and Rosemary Gernette. The Dialing contest remained when the show was rechristened At Twelve in 1980. WJKS-TV – Jacksonville, Florida WJSU-TV – Anniston, Alabama WJZ-TV – Baltimore, Maryland, used "The Hustle" as the theme music, and at one point in the 1970s, Oprah Winfrey hosted the show. WKBD-TV – Detroit, Michigan, aired during the final quarter of the 1960s. WKBF-TV – Cleveland, Ohio, Gary Essex hosted the short-lived version until his move to WKYC-TV in October 1968. WKBN-TV – Youngstown, Ohio, hosted by Rich Morgan ("The Money Movie")