This local magazine program was created at KPIX-TV/San Francisco in 1976. In April 1977, sister station WBZ-TV/Boston launched its own
Evening Magazine, using the same format and music and animation packages. The three other Group W stations -- KYW-TV/Philadelphia, WJZ-TV/Baltimore, and KDKA-TV/Pittsburg -- started their own versions soon thereafter. The show aired at 7:30 weeknights on all five stations.
I think it was in the fall of 1978 when Group W franchised the show to stations in other markets. It was called
PM Magazine on the non-Group W stations.
Each franchise would send its better stories and "tips" segments to the National Office at KPIX. The best of these were placed on a weekly national reel that was provided to each
Evening/PM station. Stations produced about half of each show locally, with the remainder coming from the national reel.
The franchise was especially strong during the early 1980s. At its peak, I think there were over 110 stations producing their own
Evening/PM.
Evening/PM had a long, successful run, earned many industry awards, prompted many imitators (i.e.,
Real People,
That's Incredible,
The World of People), and launched the careers of many celebrities (such as Mary Hart, who co-hosted the Los Angeles
PM Magazine during the early '80s.)
KingWorld, successor to Group W Productions, today owns the show's tape library.
http://www.kingworld.com/licensing/generic.html