The WPIX Yule Log

The WPIX Yule Log is a television program which airs traditionally on Christmas Eve (from 1966 through 1989) and/or Christmas morning (since 2001) on New York City television station WPIX.

The program, which has run anywhere from two to four hours in length (currently set as of 2007 as three hours), has no story and no TV commercial interruptions. It is simply a film loop of a Yule log burning in a fireplace, with a traditional soundtrack of classic Christmas carols and secular music playing in the background.

History
The Yule Log was created in 1966 by the station's General Manager at that time, Fred Thrower, who was inspired by a Coca-Cola ad the year before, wanted to give a gift to New York residents who had no fireplaces in their apartments, and decided to cancel programs and advertising valued at an estimated $4,000 that Christmas Eve night. The original film, a seventeen second loop, was shot at Gracie Mansion, which served at that time as the official residence of the Mayor of New York City. A wayward spark in the midst of filming (on 16 mm film) destroyed an antique rug as the grate was removed. In 1970 the fire was re-shot on 35mm film in California with andirons akin to the ones at Gracie Mansion. This version, whose loop runs approximately six and one-half minutes, has been the one viewers have seen ever since.

The program was canceled (or for this case, burned out) in 1990, because it wasn't worth the money to run it ad-free. Beginning in 1997, WPIX offered various versions of The Yule Log via the Internet. That was not enough for Joe Malzone, who had grown up viewing this cherished holiday tradition, and started a website to bring it back called "Bring Back The Log". Shortly after the attacks of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, demand was greater than ever. Finally, on December 4th of that year, WPIX general manager Betty Ellen Berlino announced that the special would return to Channel 11 for the holiday. The digitally restored program was the most-watched TV program in the metropolitan New York area for Christmas Day of that year, and has been winning its time slot annually ever since. Other Tribune Broadcasting stations (as WPIX is owned by the Chicago-based media company) were given the chance to air the special starting on 2004, including their flagship station, WGN-TV.

In 2006, to commemorate the program's 40th anniversary, WPIX produced a one-hour television special about its history of the program entitled "A Log's Life." The title comes from a container where the original 1970 film was in from a Honeymooners box marked with the episode title "A Dog's Life." Also that year, a restored three-hour version debuted, with a restored soundtrack researched by Malzone and musicologist Chip Accuri that came from a listing of the 1970's version.