Wasn't Mike Douglas (Mike Dowd) at WKY-TV at some point in prehistory? Seems like I heard that from some of the old-timers there;-)

Just stopped in for the first time in a couple of months, and was sorry to get the news about Gene Tincher. I got my start in commercial T.V. at KTUL as an audio man. Audio men don't get a whole lot of second chances, and Gene would always throw in a kind word to me if I had a major screw-up on air. Plus, he had that cutting humor that I highly admire. It's very fitting that he recently found this site and was able to make a few posts. 

On a completely different note, I was remembering Mazeppa's radio stint, either on KAKC AM or FM (kinda fuzzy now)...THE UNFILMY CAN FESTIVAL. Anyone remember that? One time on air, Mazeppa said he could instantaneously pronounce any word backwards. Many callers tested this skill, with one caller giving the word "CUFF". Mazeppa sputtered and spit, but didn't completely fall for it. As a giddy early-teen, I giggled uncontrollably. 
 
 

I believe the tapes from the show are still around, so we may hear them again one day.

Real Quick on Mike Douglas...back in the 60's, NBC and Westinghouse did a swap of Cleveland and Philly stations. I don't know why.

 Mike Douglas was working for Westinghouse in Cleveland, and came to Philly as that deal transpired. The KYW call letters also moved to Philly. 

Interestingly, the NBC station in Philadelphia was also the launching pad for a "wacky deejay" from Trenton named Ernie Kovacs, who did remarkable effects with primitive equipment.

 Anyway, NBC took the calls WKYC in Cleveland. Philadelphia now has three O&Os (there's that term again). Interestingly, too, NBC bought WCAU, which was the station from which cigar-merchant Bill Paley launched his Columbia network (CBS to y'all) in 1927. CBS got KYW through being merged with Westinghouse, and ABC had WPVI, which was a Cap Cities station when Cap Cities bought Len Goldenson out.

 Back in the 60's Westinghouse had an active syndication effort, including Mike Douglas, Steve Allen, and some other high-quality type shows. They were a classy group of broadcasters and sort of held their own with the people who made electric generators and refrigerators.

Before that, Mike Douglas was Michael Dowd (his real name) in Chicago.

Re: Bob Braun, Phil Donahue, Mike Douglas

I believe Phil Donanue got his start in Dayton on WDTN and Mike Douglas' show was from KYW in Philadelphia.

Bob Braun succeeded a lady named Ruth Lyons, a broadcasting pioneer, on the old Avco stations. The "mini-network" carrying their shows, out of WLW (or it may have been WLWT) in Cincinatti, consisted of WLWD, Dayton, WLWC Columbus and WLWI in Indianapolis. Not sure of Dayton but I think WLWC is now WCMH and WLWI is WTHR.

I am sorry this is late. I found out late about Dick Horan's passing. I can't believe we've lost another one. I have a couple of memories to add.

I will always remember Dick Horan as "dad".  He played my father in a non-speaking walk-on in the 2nd Melvin Simpkins spot.  It was shot on film.  In the shot, my "TV" mother is speaking to camera & Dick comes in behind her, in a night shirt, to pour himself a cup o' java.  He had, you have to admit, a great face.  His deadpan look made the shot.

Years later, when he left KTUL, I used to go up to him & say, "Dad, can I borrow the keys to the Challenger?"

One other note.  Does anyone else remember him talking about the "Director of Ka Ka" at ABC?  This guy's job was to come up with effects-laden opens & spots. For example, Monday Night Football opens, lol.

Ok, yet one more.  Sonny didn't mention Horan's Law:   "The content of a program is inversely proportional to the number of special effects used in its production."
 
 

Horan's law applies to web sites, too.

I think I am having a senior moment - Mike Douglas was in Ohio then at KYW in Phillie, but so maybe it was that Phil Donohue guy starting the same time in Ohio as the late Mr.Braun. I think the old Avco stations may have launched all three and Westinghouse picked up Donohue and Douglas.

In other DC news - funny so much of it on a Tulsey site - VOA is slaughtering staff...Bulgerian section and some other former Soviet block "satellite" countries' services will be people-less by August yet the USIA/VOA is buying digital shortwave transmitting gear. Staff is having a big run of RIF's (the agency has had several in the Clinton regime so it is much smaller any way now than when last Bush in White House...) and no openings at USIA/VOA for long-time folks to slide over to.

Funny - one day you defect/escape from your Eastern European Communist homeland, worry about the family members left behind in a "police state" and get a radio job in DC at VOA sending back news in your former native tongue. 15-20 years later, politics change, Russia "collapses", the new generation in power in the U.S. knows/cares nothing about 3rd World countries somewhere "over there" and you are out on the street...Ain't America a great place!!!!

To Mike Bruchas: A long time ago, probably about 1968, I did a news audition for KYW-TV in Philadelphia. It was on the set of the Mike Douglas Show. 

Could it be that Mike Douglas was taped in Philadelphia?

(Took a job here at WTTG-TV, Channel 5 instead.)

Test patterns and test slides. Besides the "Indian" one so many remember, there were other versions and some destined NEVER to air. Back then we had test charts and slides to set up cameras and film chains. Now so much of this is all "auto-everything" on similar devices.

At KTUL we had a very politically incorrect test slide in the early 70's that looked like it came from a '50's pin-up magazine. It never appeared up on the chains in daytime nor was left in the film chain room - I guess for fear of some yahoo punching it up on air. 

The engineers used it only on Sunday maintanence night (no women around then either) to help set flesh tones/color balance on the GE and RCA film chain cameras and I have never seen one elsewhere but was assured then it was "legit". It was some gal topless with red hair and I forget much else except that she was topless - maybe there was another color bar or reference item like a MacBeth color chart in the shot with her. If it was a SMPTE slide - I'd worry.

Never saw one at 6 or anywhere else, so I wonder if it was a "home brew" slide and an Engineering joke, too. If any other TV hand can remember such a thing, let me know....

I stand corrected - just heard the REAL National Prayer Breakfast is Saturday at the Capitol before Inaugeration stuff starts. Makes sense all go thru Security, eat & pray, and try to stay awake thru the speeches. Jerry Falwell is working on that gig I heard.

The National Prayer LUNCHEON that I got booked on for Friday - is for ultra-conservative right-wing religious leaders that were for Bush - maybe that is why he is doing a "drive by". Not wanting to be seen with "wackos" too soon.

Such a strange town here...I gotta wonder if there is an ultra-liberal left-wing Prayer Breakfast or Lunch for Bush somewhere here...."Prayer is good for any Presydink!" - to paraphrase Popeye...

Maybe Oral, Robert Tilton, Billy James Hargis or TL Osborne will show up...That 900 foot tall guy will probably not...

The things we get drafted into now -- I am shooting back-shop stills/video (for our Company's promotional efforts) of the previously mentioned National Prayer Luncheon with Dubya on Friday.

He is "scheduled to make an appearance" now.

 Like his former opponent Al Gore - folks are starting to overbook him for appearances in town even BEFORE he gets sworn in. Last week he was a "done deal" on this - this week a "drive-by".

Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a gaggle of known/unknown religious types set to be there. Wonder if Oral Roberts will be there? Where's Billy Graham when you need a "legit" preacher for one of these things????

Wanted to avoid DC Sat. because of traffic and possibly "wilding" by demonstraters (thinking we are back in the '60's), but now am shooting stills of a lobbyists' group "alternative" Inaug party here Saturday night--we may have a gaggle of those folks that also did all the GOP campaign ads you saw. "Grip and Grins" shots. It's a living...

DC has a lot of great Inaug. events going on before/during/after the swearing-in for turistas of ANY party - but there is NO PUBLICITY about half of the great freebies! Half of Rush Hour Thursday will be a mess due to fireworks on the National Mall at 6pm - this was decided way back when. Duh - why not later at night??

 There is free food and there are great tents of food (for sale) from restaurants around the U.S. to eat plus a lot of free good entertainment at the Lincoln Memorial and on the Mall. Though it is largely fenced off in many areas for "security reasons".

Have to name drop - one of the big event companies I drive past setting up tents/generators/porta-potties every day is "Lundy's" - too bad TTM contributor DON Lundy ain't making any $$ on this!

Unfortunately all hotels are 95% full and gouging prices - so if you hadn't planned ahead and show up here - any hotel room you get might be by the hour or 40 miles out. Ya keep hearing references to parties here as being tuxedo and cowboy boots thangs - cannot say how many balls/parties are happenin'. The town is filled with limos brought in from outta town (meaning more lost limo drivers) and scores of private jets are descending on DC. I heard you can still get airfare in on most airlines, though.

 Have a lot of lost out of town newsies driving logoed/stickered vans/cars by the White House - almost kissed bumpers with a WNBC "Suburban" this morning - driven by a lost Noo Yawker looking to park.

Govt agencies can't make up their minds about giving Federal employees Friday off - the city is being cordoned off and the commute in/out will be crazy.

Most are wishing B.Clinton will spare the staffs with an "executive order" - otherwise folks will be forced to take vacation time NOT to be here. Many may come in Friday and be sent home early and still be forced to take time off. 

Just a mess - not blaming the Demos or GOPs - very disorganized this year. 

From 7pm Fri. on unless YOU have a pass - a lot of areas by the Mall are closed till ceremonies open up. Ditto Pennsylvania Ave.

So if you are coming to DC for the hoopla - be patient, be early and be forewarned how wacky it will be! Glad this only happens every 4 years or so...

WKY-AM's tower fell on June 13, 1998 during a very severe, marginally-tornadic thunderstorm. That storm initially put down a tornado on Lake Hefner and damaged some property in that area, lifted, then set down again just past the TV stations. Frontier City amusement park took a glancing blow.

I remember several years ago when Fox bought out New World (I believe), and took over several CBS-affiliated stations. Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Cleveland among others were affected. I think some ABC stations (Birmingham, Tampa, and Memphis) were also part of this sale. I also remember when Denver's ABC, CBS, and NBC stations all swapped affiliations. I think their ABC station took NBC, CBS took ABC, and NBC took CBS. Things never change like that in Tulsa.

The last time I saw Bob Braun was at an NAB convention Las Vegas when I was working for NAB so that must be 12-13 years ago. I believe his son sells or sold ENG/SNG (dat's Electronic News Gathering/Satellite News Gathering for you newbies) trucks like all the news shops use to get the signals back to da station and on air.

He was quite charming and joked about his other work as a pitch man.

Help me, Ohioans - someone said he started out with a Mike Douglas-like daily show opposite Mike Douglas in Ohio - Mike went on to national fame. But I also remember something in the trades a long time ago about a show of his running a long time on air, too, but still back in Ohio - maybe regionally. Anyone know any more on him?

Thanks to John Hillis for clarifying my reference to "O&O" stations. I didn't get past the "Ahem" appended to my message, I guess.

 A further note: As an employee at these stations (at least this was the case with NBC) you worked for the network, signed contracts with the network, and were governed by network rules. Union agreements were made between locals and networks on specific local matters, but the national agreements between locals and networks were overriding.

 The nets also owned radio stations, of course, and these were also part of the network frame. When John speaks of the distinction of O&O employment, as opposed to the present day, I'm reminded that the CBS O&O in St. Louis, KMOX, required five years prior commercial broadcasting experience before you could even get an audition. 

I remember seeing Big Bill and Oom-A-Gog at Shoppers Fair in about 1960. What a thrill to see "stars" in person!

This is getting depressing...but the first generation of television folks are leaving us rapidly. All the more reason why our entries here are more than just brain dumps, they are historical records. No kiddin'.

I read tonight that Bob Braun died of Parkinson's at the age of 71. Braun was a legend in the unusually productive midwest television market of Cincinnati, which, like Tulsa, produced more than its share of broadcaster legends.

 Tulsans may remember Braun for his cheesy Craftmatic late night bed ads, but in his day in the 60s and 70s, his local show was syndicated to nearly a dozen markets from Nashville to Lake Erie. Maybe Ken Broo will chime in with some reaction from Cincy.

 Back in the olden days, there were few nicer tributes than for someone to say, "he was a real broadcaster." In this age of Temptation Island, I'm not sure the term has the same meaning anymore. 

I know someone's said that even though Mantle, Maris, and diMaggio are gone, there are still good ballplayers out there, but the long shadows the giants of that generation cast are missing in their modern-day counterparts. I feel the same way about broadcasters.

Richard N. Horan was a Father, a Teacher and a Mentor to me. He and his wife Ruthie were 2 of the best people ever to exist on this earth. While I am quite sorry for their passing, a large part of them is in me, just as my time with Geno on this earth was. 

When I'm gone, I hope that people remember me as well, and realize that I wasn't a single individual. I was the product of many people like my Father, Grandfather, Dick, Geno, JMB, Melvin Simpkins and others who shaped me into the dribbling idiot/ unexplainable success that I am now. 

Respect your elders, sooner or later you're going to be one too. 

later,

 pda

O&O....local stations owned and operated by a network. F'rinstance, Mr. Ruddle's WMAQ, Chicago, the NBC O&O. 

It used to be that nets could only own 5 local tvs, 5 AMs and 5 FMs, so only the largest cities had O&Os..New York, LA, Chi, Philly, SF, etc. Today, the rule is that networks can own as many stations as they want that don't exceed in toto 25% of the population of the country. As a consequence, you'll find O&Os in such odd places as Birmingham (NBC and Fox), Toledo (ABC), and Green Bay (CBS). 

To work at an O&O in news or production used to mean you had arrived in your career, made it to a big market, and were hot stuff. It is considerably different now, as the management of networks is centralized and highly financially directed and formula-oriented. 

I vaguely knew Dick Horan to talk to - thru friends in Tulsa. 

Yep - he was some great guy and a fantastic engineer. One of the many great folks to have passed thru//lived in OK in our time.

 A visionary.....

Some current and former KTUL, Challenger, and Winner Communications employees will remember Dick Horan. He died on Friday, January 5th, following a heart attack at age 75. There were no services. 

Dick started work in radio in New York following WWII. He migrated to television during the 50's, landing in Florida, where he took part in several space launches while working for a Jacksonville station.

ABC hired him in the mid-60's. He moved back to New York and was responsible for taking ABC from black and white to color. 

Many of us met him during the 1977 US Open. He was technical director for that event and for many others, including Monday Night Football, during a prolonged NABET strike. He became the remote vehicle manager for ABC in Lodi, NJ. He won several Emmys through his technical work with ABC Sports and the Olympics. 

In 1980, Jim Leake hired him to run the remote operations for KTUL. By that time he was ready to leave/retire from ABC, and moved to Broken Arrow. After a few years at Channel 8, he left to form Challenger. 

In the early 90's he retired to Broken Arrow with his wife, Ruth. Ruth preceeded him in death early in 2000. 

Dick was active in Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 56, and was newsletter editor for a time. He held a lifetime Certification from SBE. 

Dick was very proud that he had met and had corresponded by letter with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt until her death. 

Many of us were able to learn much about broadcast engineering, and broadcasting in general, from Dick Horan during his work and retirement in the Tulsa area.

Brings back a lot of memories!

Getting panic calls from more friends at Voice of America here in DC. Rumor here is many VOA broadcast services may die before Dubya gets in. Why not let the services stay up a few weeks longer?

Very bizarre, Clinton appointees I guess trying to look like they saved the U.S. taxpayers millions, may kill off most European services that are left by the weekend! Stupid - will add to unemployment here and a lot of these folks defected in the Cold War era to help the U.S. "save" their homelands from Communism - this is kinda a slap at them. A couple of years ago in this same regime - there was talk of laying off same staff and hiring contractors in Europe to run services. VOA ain't the BBC or Deutsche Welle.

 Let Bush and new regime decide what to do this news aka propaganda arm or figure out if they wanna re-invigorate all. We Americans have written off the troubles in the former USSR and other Middle East countries. They hear the BBC WorldService but American voices are coming off the airwaves. Seems like Asian services are safe for now at VOA.

I guess other than Christian Science Monitor Radio and assorted bible-thumping fundamentalists on shortwave, there may not be any U.S.-based shortwave voice any way.

Thank Gawd for Radio Canada International!

I worked with Bill Blair at KVOO-TV in the early ‘60s and have only fond memories. Bill seemed always in a good mood and was one of those naturally funny people who kept everyone loose.

During that period, I anchored my first television newscasts and Bill usually did the weather. In that role he really helped me make the transition from radio to TV.

Bill often broke up the floor crew with his quips. I’ll never forget one exchange when I asked him what part of Oklahoma received the most snow overnight. “Maude got seven inches last night,” Bill deadpanned. The studio burst out laughing and I finished the newscast only with great difficulty. 

Bill Blair will be greatly missed by his many fans, and by those of us who were lucky to have worked with him.

Mike, your lament about DC having people now running things who never learned the craft, reminds me that the fellow who has just taken over as head of NBC's o&o's came from GE Plastics.
 
 

Ahem, what is O & O?

I was really sorry to learn of the death of Bill Blair...whom I knew as a friend during his days on Channel 2 (then KVOO-TV).

 I located the El Paso Times website www.elpasotimes.com to locate a death notice and obituary. 

In the absence of that, I e-mailed the editor and he advises today that the obit appears in today's paper. I copied and paste it here in its entirety:

 Billy Duane Blair, a former radio announcer, television weather forecaster and television personality in El Paso and Tulsa, Okla., died Thursday (Jan. 11, 2001). He was 66 and had lived in El Paso for more than 30 years. 

Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today in Martin Funeral Home-George Dieter. Memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in All Saints Episcopal Church. Burial will be private. 

Survivors include his wife, Nan; his daughters, Beth Leffler and Michelle Snider; and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Melvin P. Blair, Jr.

Being a dinosaur/aka perceived old fart/website "geezervator" - I directed news for years in several markets and loved it IF with the right team of producer and crew. Had just as many nightmares and "casts from Hell" with the wrong players or stoned/drunk/mentally dysfunctional staff members. 8 back in the '70's made M-F news the "A" shift because grabbing that news audience was important. The best crews were on it and if you could not be a team player - you weren't on the Prime Time M-F shift. Weekends - that was another story...

I never was a commercial director - liked news, talk, music and sports specials. To survive as long as I have - I learned to shoot, edit and be more of a producer.

 Now I am in charge of a Master Control for a small cable network and Transmissions services for a company that really doesn't want to be in that business but has been doing it so long - they don't know what to do with it. We are a post house in DC. 

I don't TD any more - the stress was killing me but I love live shows. Also my right eye is going - hard to have good peripheral vision in a truck or control room full of monitors and be half sighted. Was asked to work on the National Prayer Luncheon with DUBYA and a gaggle of wacky religious groups as TD/director (as a free-lancer)on Friday 1-19 but declined. Glad I did - what was to have been a simple 3 camera shoot with a split to feed "I-Mag" (really video projectors) in the room has become an ill-planned 5 camera shoot directed by a former exec. producer here who plays director. He has directed numerous "abortions" of productions here and management who knows nothing of the business they are in - can't ascertain he is a flake. Crews hate him.

DC has a lot of failed lawyers/accountants running TV facilities - it is so much more "sexy". BET was running that way before the VIACOM buy, too. In the old days you had managers who might have been salesmen groomed for advancement or enlightened newsies/techies becoming GM's - not no mo'...They had some grounding in their chosen field.

Such is life in DC and though I still can manage a production or direct live events - am regarded here as a only "that old Master Control guy". In any managers meetings or pre-production meetings - questions and alternative thinking for back-up plans is strictly pooh-poohed in this town. We are surrounded by "auteurs" and geniuses. Very frustrating for a guy that grew up working at places in OK/TX where we tried to be more collaborative in big projects to make all fly.

 We have a lot of folks on staff here that did not work their way up in local stations - they came out of college with maybe an internship and are ready to run NBC with no stops along the way, learning their craft. I have unfortunately worked with too many folks from Discovery Channel here suffering from the same syndrome. Some times the "glass ceiling" in DC is that you DO have knowledge of TV technology and production methods....You may be an indirect threat rather than a collaborator on "shops" like this.

Tough being a dinosaur....

I hate to hear about Bill Blair. I did not know him but I sat in his audience more than once and loved his show. I thought he was talented on air and good with the kids in person. I was quite excited when, on his program, he read the letter that I sent him.

As a ten year old kid, I used to wear an ascot because Big Bill did. I even tried to copy his autograph style when I wrote my name on my homework.

This fan is getting just a little misty so I'll sign off. Thanks for all the fun, Bill. You'll be remembered.

Sad news about Bill ("Big Bill") Blair:

Nan Blair called Bill Hyden saying that her husband died of cancer Thursday (Jan. 11) evening. She said that he had prostate cancer and cancer of the throat. There is to be a memorial service on Tuesday in El Paso. More details as we get them.

I may be off the air for a couple of days, since my home computer is in the shop, so please feel free to add updates to the Guestbook.

Pat says:
>ALL the people there?! Oh, how the passage of time makes our memories 
> all warm and fuzzy! ;-) 
 

Pat knows me too well. Granted, there are always a few co-workers you'd just as soon not, um, direct a newscast with again, but hey -- water under the bridge, over the parking lot and into that stagnant puddle in the old field out back.

Classy forum, indeed...

BTW, saw an obit in the Tulsa World for Kenneth Raymond Summers, 65, retired technical director. Does anyone know if this is the Ray Summers that worked at KTVY in the 70's/80's? 

I am wondering if anyone has any old pics of the old KELI building? I am researching Tulsa and need info on the west side and old amusement parks here. Crystal City Park, Lakeview, and Skyline amusement park? This is such a cool website! I still have Mazeppa's autograph!
 
 

Thanks, Kathy. So far this picture under the KVOO icon on the main page is the only one we have.

Ooh! Good pictures!

WKY's tower was erected in 1941. It was a center-fed dipole, with an insulating section in the middle, which is no-doubt why it buckled in the middle like that. It was unusually tall for an AM tower; it needed to be tall since it originally had an FM transmitting antenna mounted on top, for the short-lived WKY-FM. The FM antenna was replaced by WKY-TV's first antenna in 1948 or '49.

Thanks again, for the link.

Remember when KWTV/OETA lost part of their tower? Maybe that is what you are thinking of re the KTVY tower hit by a tornado?

Still remember pictures of when KTUL's tower collapsed from the icestorm in the '80's....

"...went on to work at WKY/KTVY/KFOR, and I had a great time with all the people there..."

ALL the people there?! Oh, how the passage of time makes our memories all warm and fuzzy! ;-)

This is a very classy forum, so I won't bring up those few people that were less than fun to work with, not at any price.

Say, [changing the subject] does anyone know if they ever rebuilt the big WKY tower that was blown down by the tornado? 
 
 

See the WKY tower fall down in stills or in moving pictures (AVI)!

Woody (Lee), I am the guy that paid you back the $20 I owed you a while back...I know you didn't remember me at the time, but I'm the one you called "Marty" (because I have a left eye that looks out) If you remember you & I and "Steve the kid" with a balloon in the production edit area, you will know who I am...Edwin

How about more background on "Maintain"?

I received this photo from a lady who lived in my neighborhood when I was growing up in Ponca City. It may very well be my first Brush With TV Greatness. It was taken in September of 1968, when I was 11 and my brother Lance was 5. That's me in the white shirt with my back to the camera and my hand on Lance's shoulder. Foreman Scotty (Steve Powell) is handing out autographs and pencils at a strip mall during a publicity tour in Ponca.

Lance & I both went on to work at WKY/KTVY/KFOR, and I had a great time with all the people there -- even ran camera on the last "Sleepwalker's Matinee" with Count Gregore (John Ferguson), when we "blew up" the Castle... Lance directs newscasts there still. Met my wife at the station, too.

(sigh) Good times.... 

I thought 94.1 did a pretty good job of marketing. A lot of teens enjoyed the station. However, maybe Lee has some ideas that would take the venue up another level. Well, anyway, now that I have a car with a 10 CD changer, I can put the music in I want and not miss 94.1 as much.

 Ah, the benefits of being a highly paid and respected school teacher.

Yeah, right. I may go back on tour with Surprise Package.

Lee is right - wait for Satellite Fed Radio. DC has the HQ for 2 competitors - XM Radio and WorldSpace. XM may be heard in the US first but for some reason WorldSpace is doing English language programming to Africa then Asia. A friend from VOA applied at WorldSpace - she speaks 5 languages - but they either had nothing then for her or wanted to pay her about $15k less a year to be just a staff producer. I looked at XM's web page - they want computer not broadcast types to work there. So is it really radio?

WorldSpace has 4-5 radios they have developed with Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba - on display at their website. Costs on these WILL go down as the service becomes more prevalent.

This is a better plan than VOA's wanting to get out of transmitting services all together and feeding all via internet radio. Whether it was a decision directed by Al Gore or a non-world-wise Clinton appointee - VOA may soon be heard on computers only in many parts of our planet. Duh!

In countries with bad phone lines,erratic power supplies, low incomes where computers cost more than a family makes in a year, this is VERY stupid. Portable AM/FM/SW/MW radios are cheap - the world is not web-connected like we are in so much of the US. 

The BBC and Deutsche Welle still transmit via shortwave AND on the internet and seem to know their audience better.

Hate to say it but in OUR future the only way to get good (or ANY) classical programming may be by satellite delivered venues....

Classical music has a hard time hanging on in Tulsa. KCFM is now Pulp Music and we still have to try and tune in the AM station in Wichita, Kansas to hear the Metropolitan Opera on Saturdays.

About a year or so ago I asked the Sales Manager of KCFM why they never played any vocal music. She told me that the "suits" in New York who programmed the music told her that it was their opinion that it drove listeners away! I then told her that this was one of the main reasons I DIDN'T listen! She said, "What is the other?" I then mentioned that no one seemed to know what time it was at KCFM. I could tune in at eight a.m. and there would be a Bartok chamber selection or a Beethoven symphonic piece going full tilt. But this is what you get with formula programming. Done right, classical can be as entertaining and enjoyable as any other venue. 

But, before too long we will be able to subscribe to Satellite Radio and get whatever our heart desires.

Currently I listen to my Digital Cable Menu. Great stuff! 

The mentions of KAKC-FM @ 92.9 reminded me of what seemed, at the time, a bizarre twist of broadcasting: One of the duties of all the KAKC "Big 97 Jocks" back in the 60's was to pre-record the intros and outros of all the classical pieces that were broadcast on FM. I never realized that until I had been hired. 

Anyway, it was somewhat amusing to hear the likes of Scooter B., completely straight, intoning these quiet, "mature and sophisticated" breaks. And of course I, at 17, didn't know an opus from an aria, but tried my dangedest to sound like I did: S. Carl was that station's biggest (onlyest?) listener, and I remember being cautioned once or twice to "tone it down a little."

For those of us who enjoy occasional Bach or Beethoven, you'll have to either move, catch it on the internet, or on the KWGS classical dayparts. 

KCMA 94.1FM (licensed to Okmulgee) is now programming "Soft Oldies" of the 60s, 70s, and 80's. Looks like they're going after some of KBEZ and KOOL-106.1's listeners.

I used to have some Circle 4 Ranch letterhead stationery that I found hidden in an old cabinet at KTVY, years ago. Don't know where it is anymore :P

As many of us know, those kids who appeared on the Foreman Scotty Show near the time of their birthday, got to sit on Woody the wooden horse. Woody was big enough to hold 3-or-4 six-year-olds, and if you pulled on his reins, his head could swivel up and down. Someone once showed me that if you slowly tilted Woody's head up, it would squeak the first few notes of "Moonlight Bay".

About the time Channel 4 changed its call letters to KFOR, the new owners decided to throw out a lot of "junk". Horrified that Woody was going to be tossed into the dumpster, some employees called the Oklahoma Historical Society and asked if they would like to have him. Far as I know, they've still got him.

OKC readers, I just came into possession of a letter welcoming a "Wrangler" into Foreman Scotty's Circle 4 Wranglers club (courtesy of Kathy Shaw). There is no date, but a letter cost .03 to send bulk rate at that time. I am due to get my capability of scanning back this week, so this and some backlogged items from Noel Confer and Don Norton are coming soon.

I think KXXO was still on the access road during my ill-fated few weeks on early morning radio during its ill-fated months as an all-news CBS Radio affil station. I mostly remember it being dark. 

That 1300 signal had about teakettle power in the daytime, dropping down to about nothing at night and before sunrise. It might have been more cost-effective had Clear Channel dispatched each of us to a listener's house to wake 'em up and read 'em the news...there were about three of us there and about three listeners.

 With the KMOD/KXXO combo, the lines had definitely crossed and FM was the big dog by my nanosecond tenure there in '78. 

Hey Mazeppa,

Hey Buck,

I thought it was gonna be Cowboy Hap Farley (on the vol. III tape) doing the lip sinc to "You're My Date In Panama" (or is the title "Panama City"?), but I was absolutely thrilled to hear it again after 30 odd years. So, was the recording artiste Jorge Rojo?

By the way, Bjorn Toulouse had a dreadful Danish accent, as are prunes.

Dites fromage : ) 

I had a little, um, run-in with a few of the good folks at Renda during my short tenure as OKC correspondent for radiodigest.com

It seemed to them (particularly the folks at KRXO) that I showed some favortism toward Clear Channel. At that time, Renda only owned KMGL, KRXO and KOMA. Clear Channel owned KTST, KTOK, KXXY, KQSR, KJYO and WKY. With more stations, there was more to report on! It eventually led to me receiving a letter from the then president of Renda, who basically informed me that I would begin reporting on some of the Renda stations...or else. I didn't have to worry, my position was terminated when the website wanted "professional" writers.

Someone mentioned a Spanish music network owned by a company called "La Z"...is this pronounced, "Lawzee"?

Just out of curiosity, what was the format of KCNW (am1300)?

 Also, does anyone remember "Juvenile Court" on channel 2?
 
 

That format had to be K Country 'N Western.

The station which is on the old KAKC-FM frequency is now playing soft Adult Contemporary music as KBEZ-FM. It's at 92.9 FM. S. Carl Mark sold the stations back in the late 70's, and KBEZ programmed automated "relaxing, beautiful music" for many years before taking on it's current format. 

KBEZ is owned by Renda Broadcasting, which also owns KHTT-FM in Tulsa (106.9, licensed to Muskogee) and stations in Oklahoma City, like KMGL-FM 104.1(the old KOFM).

KAKC is actually called "LaBonita". I think they are part of a Spanish music network owned by a company called "La Z". Wasn't KAKC-FM at 97.5? That's KMOD. Sometime last year, I submitted my "Deep Cut Lunch" on KMOD, which is 3 good 'ol classic rock songs. If your songs are chosen, you get a free lunch and a KMOD t-shirt! A lot like the one the Golden Driller wears at fair time. Fortunately, mine were chosen, and my girlfriend and I had a great lunch at Rick's Cafe Americain at 51st and Harvard.

The thing I found most interesting about the Clear Channel article is the fact that they will have tons of studio space, and the phrase "news capability" was mentioned with KOKI. Its no secret that Fox affiliates are quickly becoming news-saavy. 23 has had a weather segment at 10pm for several years, but still no news. They would probably have the services of former KOTV noon news anchor Lisa Jones, who hosted the MDA Labor Day Telethon on KOKI this past year. And, former KOTV sports director Scott Higgins is still in town, I believe.
 
 

Here is full info on OK Radio stations. And here is the same for OK TV. These links can also be found at the top of the Links page. I believe Erick discovered these in the first place.

Mike Miller and I saw each other for the first time in 25 years last night over supper here in DC - he still has good genes somewhere - other than a grayer head, about the same. Should have a picture here shortly of him in Winter garb. He too saw the ClearChannel article linked here. We wondered why KAKC is called "La Z". What ever happened to KAKC-FM? We both wondered if anyone else had taken up the call letters of either staion over the years. You know places change owners and drop the call letters they have been known by for years then later with format changes, often revert back to those old familiar call letters....

In 1977, I decided to go to Los Angeles for a two week vacation. I've always been a big movie fan, and spent the entire two weeks seeing the sites and trying to break into the studios and backlots. (I was successful at MGM) 

When I was getting ready to leave, I was telling Gene Tincher about my plans and he told me that in Long Beach there was a Eugene Tincher Elementary School. He told me that he had heard of it, but had never been there. 

When I got to California, I made sure to drive down to Long Beach one day and take pictures of the school, the sign and the portrait of Eugene Tincher in the hall. He didn't look much like Gene. 

I gave him the pictures when I got back and he was very pleased to get them. I think it might be the only time I ever saw Gene get caught off-guard.

Edwin Fincher I met once. Maybe twice. He left right (?) after I got there so I have small memories. What I *do* remember is Maintain. I was at TU when that was on the air. 

What is most prominent in the remaining braincells was Richard Wilson's tale of how, why and why not. 

"We put this show on the air, David and I and most everybody else involved knew what it was all about, and people all over Tulsa were Lovin it! Then, The management figured out what we were doin! 

And that was the end of that. 

pda, 

second hand relayer of trivial news. 

One more thing on the Clear Channel Stations:

 In 1974 KXXO AM-1300's studios were in the 2800 Center, located on the access road between Lewis and Harvard, North of I-44. KMOD was on the top floor of the University Club Towers at 17th & Carson, right below the antenna they shared with KRAV.

Clear Channel purchased two worn out Tulsa stations, KCNW (1300AM), and KMOD (97.5FM)in early 1974. The corporation at the time was known as San Antonio Broadcasting.

KCNW was transformed into KXXO, and played easy listening and light rock. The slogan was "Gentle On Your Mind". The station (now KAKC) was and still is plagued by a horrible nightime signal pattern.

 KMOD was either off the air or severly sputtering at the time of purchase. The new owners put a quadrophonic (remember those?) transmitter on the air and programmed the album-rock hits of the day (e.g. Seals & Crofts, Elton John, Eagles). All music was played from large 1/4-inch reels on Ampex machines that would come up to speed in time if one spun the capstan by hand just prior to hitting "start". 

I think there was one more corporate name change to All American Broadcasting before the change to Clear Channel. 

Well, folks, I just talked with Ken Broo on the air in Cincinnati a few moments ago! (Would you believe I made the call free on the internet, using Yahoo Messenger? 513-871-ESPN) We talked about Lee Woodward and King Lionel, and Ken's old picture on The Sports Page (also check out his story about Mr. Wrestling 2 on The Rasslin' Page). The Bulletin Board has a link to Ken's show, "The Morning Broo" on ESPN 1160 and the internet.

Strange how things come full circle...Clear Channel occupying Oertle's location. The ghosts of booth announcer tags past may haunt what goes up at 27th and Memorial.

 I was a little surprised that the FAA allowed a 278-foot tower there, but on the other hand, didn't OHP have a self-supporter at its old post nearby at 44 and Memorial? My guess was it was maybe 150 or a little higher.

 I think Tulsa was the second market (after San Antonio) that Clear Channel bought into. The first was WOAI radio, the Clear Channel AM from whence the company got its moniker.

Today I, along with a number of other people, said farewell to Gene Tincher. To paraphrase Josey Wales, I worked with him and I got no complaints. 

I think Gene would have liked the understatement. He was a master of understatement. The preacher who spoke at the funeral had talked to people, and the first thing he brought up was Gene's giving nature. The second thing was his dry sense of humour. I kind of think they were part & parcel of the same thing. Gene made it fun to come to work. You knew you could count on him and that it would not be dull.

Quite a few people showed up today. The left side seemed to be reserved for family. The right side had a number of people I didn't know, but many I did. Carl Bartholomew was there. A pair of engineers named Jack, a Leon, two directors [myself & Davis], Lynn & J. from KTUL. I felt like I was in quite a group! There were a couple of moments Gene himself would have loved. One was when the preacher repeated something he'd heard [possibly from the newspaper, which, as Sonny pointed out, made the same error], saying Gene worked as an electrical engineer. I think he would have chuckled. At another point, someone's phone went off. When I recognized the tune, I bit my lip. It was the wedding march. The person quickly took up the phone & left, returning after taking the call, I suppose. I'd had a bad moment for a second until I remembered I'd turned mine off. I understand that not everyone has that luxury. And I think Gene would have gotten a chuckle out of both of these things.

The casket was a nice, subdued color, with a spray of flowers on top & a perfectly folded American flag. Gene's service in World War II was mentioned, as well as his having run audio at the Nuremburg Trials. A couple of hymns were played over a sound system. I apologize for not being able to remember what they were.

Towards the end, they opened the casket, and some of us filed past to say goodbye to our friend. I knew I would have no trouble remembering Gene, not as he was there, but as he was when we worked all those late nights together. Though he might not crack a smile, there would be a twinkle in his eye. I don't know about the rest of you, but on those occasions when I made him laugh, I felt like I had done something.

I've tried to do a couple of things with this posting: 1. to say farewell to Gene, and b. to give a brief description ot the funeral for those of you too far away or tied up to make it. I know you would have been here if you could have and I bet Gene does, too.

My memory of Gene is this, that he could synch up ABC late night delay tapes so well, that you could dissolve, or even wipe from one 2" tape machine to the other, and not see the wipe. That's skill! So he would come down the hall into A control to tell me. Well I would watch my monitors, testing the match on my preview monitor. Then through the window, I saw him approach. I made the switch. In walks Gene, opens his mouth to tell me, sees that I've already made the switch to the other machine by the tally lights, shuts his mouth, turns & walks out. Both of us chuckled about this, then & later.

I also have to thank him for an image he put in my mind. When the equipment was "getting on in years" at channel 8, he used to say they would one day shut the station down, turn it into a museum, and have wax dummies of all of us in natural poses around the machines.

I remember how he used to put his name on a styrofoam cup & say how nice it was for Mr. Allbritton to supply us with coffee cups. And I think he tired of people tearing the bottoms off of memos on bulletin boards anytime they needed scratch paper. So he wrote at the bottoms of memos, "If anyone needs any paper, tear off here." I too got an email from around December 21. The header was one of his favorite sayings, at least in my time there. I close with. Farewell, Gene.

Don't pay the ransom! I escaped.

Erick Church just brought an article in the Tulsa World to my attention...Clear Channel is taking over the old Oertle's building. It has pictures.

Gene and I spent many nights working together at 8. Besides being great at his job, he was just a great guy to be around. 

I was very young at the time, and used to stay there talking to Gene long after my shift was over and we were off the air. He would be making dub reels or cleaning the gates on the film chain projectors. 

It was late one night he told me about his experiences working on the Nuremburg Trials. He told me never to tell, that he didn't want the news department wanting to interview him. I wish they had, he would have made a great story. 

We had the same sign-off tape running for years. When they had produced it, the NAB seal was mounted crooked in the slide. Every night when the tape ran and the crooked slide showed up on the air, you could always count on Gene to announce over the production page, "slide's high on the right". 

I, too had been in contact with Gene since he showed up on this forum. I'm glad I had a chance to get in touch with him one last time.

Still trying to get LARRY BURNETT from KLAC to peek in here. He worked at both 8 and 6 before going on to ESPN and other sports networks. Now he does Los Angeles Lakers games on da radio...

Noticed the obit in the Tulsa paper had Gene Tincher as a former KTUL "electrical" engineer - duh.

 Here are some e-mail excerpts I got from other former co-workers....

 From R.L. Bullock – former 8 Tape Engineer now at CBN:

 “I can't believe it. Gene and I exchanged Email on December 21. This is one of the times when I'm glad I followed up. You never know….”.

From Rick Christensen – former KTUL projectionist:

“ I wished I had dropped Gene a line, since you told me he had e-mail. I remember Gene very well, particularly his kindness. Some of the people working at KTUL seemed to me at the time to have "attitudes" or were rather high strung, but Gene was not one of those people. He was always trying to help me out as much as he could when either I goofed up, or things got bizarre around there, and more than anything, he calmed us all down. He, along with Cy Tuma, and John Chick, and you of course, were part of my fondest memories of working there. Sorry I cannot attend any services.”

From Mike Miller – former KTUL newsman/anchor/news director:

“Strange. I just exchanged email with Gene on December 20 and told him I was glad to see he was "alive and kicking." This is indeed sad news.”

From Don Lundy at KERO – remembering a classic Gene pun:

“…wasn’t Gene the one that lamented about going to a "seminar" and wishing that the company could have afforded a full "nar"?”.

From Sonny Hollingshead – a former Supervisor at 8:

(Gene spoonerisms) "I wonder how much those Tornado Watches cost?"

 "Say...does anyone know the name of this Indian feller on the air?" (He knew it was Dick West from the super that ran forever on the tape!)

 "Thank Q."
 
 

"I was Gene's supervisor for a number of years until his retirement in 1993. Toward the end of his career, Gene was somewhat misplaced because much of what he had done in television had become automated. The (RCA) 22's and 70-C disappeared long ago. He adjusted well to the Ampex 1" and Sony Betas, but spot playback was carted in the mid-80's".

"Jay Johnson, a MC op at 8, spoke with his wife, Doris, Thursday night. Jay had done the best job at maintaining communication with Gene since he left. He visited with Gene last April and told me that back at that time he was having a hard time moving around, and depended on an oxygen bottle for breath".

"Gene blamed it on smoking, but there's some experiences in his military background that suggest otherwise".

"I kick myself for not visiting him since his retirement, except for occasional phone calls on his birthday.”

From Bob Coxsey – former KTUL announcer + talent – out in Vegas:

“Sorry to hear about Gene. I really liked him when I was at 8”. 

Re: the UHF pics, I believe the office building is on Lewis just south of the country club. The 6655 numbers would lead me to that conclusion anyway. I saw UHF at Blockbuster the other day, and I should've rented it. Hmm...maybe I'll do that tonight.

I just found out last night that Howard Neumann had died. For those who don't know, Howard started college coaches shows. He hosted OU's coaches shows from the 50s through the 80s until his son Steve took over. I hate to say it, but I thought Howard had passed on years ago. It looks like Bob Barry will be out as "voice of the Sooners", which I think is unfortunate. He may slip up on occasion, but he can still get the job done, and he provides a ton of excitement to otherwise boring football radio broadcasts. If he should retire from anything, its television.

Archived Guestbook 68. In it, we learned of Gene Tincher's passing. There is a special page about him linked from the "8's The Place" page.

We also were told about the passing of Gene Atwood (KOME), and of Greg Sherrill (KTUL) 1 1/2 years ago.

Ken Broo has a new internet ESPN radio show, "The Morning Broo". A link is on the Bulletin Board. One of the creators of "MAINTAIN - A concert of video realizations", Edwin Fincher, wrote for the first time. MAINTAIN was a late night show in 1973 that provided visual interpretation of some of the spacier music of the era. We heard from more of our OKC brethren.

Please stand by for more...