'Calling All Stations! Clear the air-lanes! Clear all air-lanes for the big broadcast!' This statement is the opening announcement to a kind of program and a method of TV production rarely seen on U.S. airwaves. But for over 25 years, Chicago has enjoyed the Emmy award winning (albeit low-budget) antics of Svengoolie, a B-movie horror show hosted by local radio and TV personality Rich Koz. As his dapper alter ego, Rich Koz offers viewers a unique blend of humor, comedy, and satire to make even the most 'horror-ible' movies ever made funny and entertaining for both children and adults. At one time, most local broadcast stations in the U.S. produced their own shows with local talent and content geared toward a local audience. This business model, known as the 'Chicago School of Broadcasting,' prevailed in American broadcasting for many years. Sadly, this fact is no longer true. Due to media consolidation and the current economics of broadcast television, a locally produced show like Svengoolie represents the exception on American TV rather than the rule. But Weigel Broadcasting (WCIU TV) - one of the last locally owned, programmed, and operated independent stations in a major U.S. market - is challenging this trend by returning to its independent roots. Discover how a quirky local show and its independent-minded station survive on the airwaves in this day and age. 'Calling All Stations' is an homage to independent TV programming and the lost art of the local TV host - focusing on Chicago's Svengoolie.

Forms: Documentary, Short
Genres: Alternative, Family, Comedy, Underground, Horror, Avant-garde, B-movie, Cult, Independent, Urban, Satire, Docu-Drama, Culture
Niches: Student