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Tulsa TV Memories Guestbook 122 TTM main | What's new on TTM? | GB Archive
Don't worry, this will pass...
But I wished I would have been there! Still got to know "Cleezer" aka Al Clauser - who built all for ya......
Re OK TV - it still may become an option - am trolling here in NC and Hotlanta
- DC has had a lot more lay-offs in our biz in the last year. After hitting
a job fair yesterday - a lotta guys 'n gals in the 50-60 age block are on
the street - looking for anything in NC/Northern SC, but pickin's is
slim....
Talked to Mike Miller tonight about him and Bob Schieffer - both worked together at WTTG in DC with then intern/p.a. Connie Chung! Schieffer's new book, "This Just In" is great - I read it in 2 days. Sent a copy to Mike Miller to peruse. He said his wife ain't impressed by folks in TV, but one time several years back when they went to a party at the Schieffer house in DC and she met then White House reporter, Dan Rather. He IMPRESSED her. Need to ask if "brother" Woodward knew Schieffer from Ft.Worth - Schieffer was at KXOL then WBAP-TV and he notes too - WBAP's radio ID of the ringing cowbell! BTW - Schieffer came on at CBS-DC after Bob Gregory left - Mike Miller and I presume it was when Gregory went back to Leake TV to be VP of News.
You can buy the book here thru TTM links, too...
Just reading something Hurst Swiggart had
written sometime ago about KTUL. He mentioned the big promotion we had
on "Lookout Mountain" called the "Treasure Hunt" - I thought it only appropriate
for some of you to know more than the production side.
Nick Adams was a big star, with a good personality. Little Rebel caps were handed out to children in the downtown area for a parade prior to our Treasure Hunt on the Mountain. Nick riding his fabulous horse opened the parade and the rest of our KTUL talent followed behind him. After the parade, Nick Adams and I opened the "Treasure Hunt" and appeared on television for the next two or three hours. It's the "Treasure Hunt" - The interviews lasted forever, it seemed to me. We finished in time to get dressed for a dinner the station was giving for Nick Adams. According to Hurst Swiggart, it seems Mike Bruchas was on camera the day of the Treasure Hunt! Is that right, Mike? I generally worked with the director Vic Bastian and Tim Penland, and my hero Al Clauser - Roy Pickett, was forever loyal and always there when we'd interview superstars like John Wayne, Jeff Chandler, Louie Armstrong, etc. He'd edit the film and have it ready for Vic Bastian the following day. It was a fast "rock 'n roll" kind of show with upbeat jazz bands on when we didn't have a superstar. It was always fun. Vic would borrow props from a display house to suit the interview. We had fun! No wonder we won National Awards for best show in the Southwest and others. I've often wondered why ABC didn't get at least one "Soap" like "As the World Turns" - to have that advantage, in my day would have been too perfect.
Louise's show is listed at 12:15 p.m. on this 1961 TV schedule.
After Jack left KOTV he had an interesting career doing weekend sales blitzes
for car dealers throughout the southwest. We connected a time or two while
I worked in Beaumont and Shreveport. Jack was sick a long time and died at
his retirement home at Horseshoe Bend, Texas. He loved flying his own plane
but had to give it up.
Peace!
Louise produced and hosted "Spotlight" on KTUL in the early 60s. You can see stills from it at her site, Art of Charm.
I've had a group of photos from the years that I lived in Tulsa and my dad, Bob Scofield, worked at KTUL. I've finally got them scanned and I'd like to share them with the folks that come to Tulsa TV Memories. They show the inside of the station as it was in around 1966-69. I hope that someone enjoys these. I've emailed these pictures to whoever maintains the site.
That would be me, and here is a link to the photos David sent.
It's still listed in the phone book. It has to have been there since the 60s. Is it some kind of elite power cult, or just a hangout for drunks? And what is a "protocrat"? There is no such word, but if there were, it would mean an adherent of "protocracy", or "rule by the first" (from the Greek roots). The first what? The first guy to buy a round? And how does 007 enter into it? At least 007's car has made it to Tulsa. Incidentally, "drugry", as in "T. Roy Barnes Drugry", is also not in the dictionary. This word, known only in Tulsa, was posed as a possible solution to the infamous and contrived "GRY" puzzle by listeners to John Erling's show awhile back.
Billy Parker is back on the air. His show is
now simulcast on KVOO-FM 98.5 and KXBL-FM 99.5 from 6-8 am on Saturdays.
The 1300 kHz frequency has been used lately as a Spanish-language station, but quite recently has been replaced by ANOTHER all-sport station to go with KTBZ. "Mexican music" and other things may be heard at 1530. I'm old enough to remember when radio stations tried to attract listeners by offering variety in their programming--and the FCC insisted on at least a minimum of news coverage. Now we get all-sports, all rock, or all-talk, the latter with xenophobic gasbags whose success depends on stirring up people, with or without logic or even truth.
Years ago the FCC threw out its "Fairness Doctrine," and two attempts in
Congress to bring it back and put it into law were blocked by Republican
presidents. Amazingly, one Congressman who voted FOR the fairness doctrine
was none other than GOP Representative Newt Gingrich!
Ms. Glenda Silvey isn't "most recently" of KXXO "talk radio" (in 1980, she was most recently of KXXO...webmaster). After a year or so with KOTV news, she returned to school teaching for a year and apparently missed the so-called "glamour" of TV news and returned to KOTV. She now appears almost daily on the noon news, Tulsa's only televised noon news, and specializes in coverage of the school board, naturally! Does a good job, too!
Also, 1300 kHz is now occupied by Tulsa's first and only full-time
Spanish-language station, "La Bonita."
I couldn't remember my air name for the first couple of hours....Chris Mills, Chris Miller, Christopher Mills, whatever. I left with Johnny and Steve Scott to put KZUE-FM on the air in Oklahoma City in May '77. I haven't heard from my old Tulsa buds John Durkee (KRMG News) or Gary Reynolds (last of KRAV) in a long time, but I've heard Durkee from time to time. I'm sure he misses walking up the lyrics coming out of the weather. The main thing I remember about KELI was that building was spooky out there at Expo Square late at night with all the lights off.
I stayed in OKC radio till 1988 and now I'm a writer and a reporter for a
newspaper.
Read all about this at Snopes.com, the #1 resource for urban legends.
Here is the story from Fox23. Another story there: Former Tulsa radio station owner (Michael Oatman) dies in Texas...webmaster
Love does strange things to people.
But we were El Chico piglets and the one down the street from Louisiane - we visited bi-weekly. This was in the days before Casa Bonita....oink oink oink...
Its like Jamil's - went there 3-4 times while in Tulsa - usually with Matt
Bunyan who knew all the wait-staff and management. We ALWAYS got a much bigger
meal than what we paid for!
Moved up to OKC to seek greener radio pastures. A major player up here is about to make a big change, some of you may be aware, but I won't spoil it. Don't know if anyone is aware, or cares, but KBIX-AM, Muskogee's grande dame of radio, is now technically a Tulsa station. Some type of loud, annoying sports format. I was there with Jerry Pippin during the final live broadcast (I, Scott Simon, left the station at first sign things were going south). It was depressing, really. Jerry closed out the show with a cart I supplied of Paul McCartney doing the song "Goodbye" (yeah, a bootleg, I know). Jerry continues his internet broadcasting though at jerrypippin.com.
BTW, yes, I'm in OKC now, about to get married. Never thought I'd experience
Tulsa TV withdrawl! Some of these 'newscasters' up here, sheesh!
In my limited view of that day, I thought it was Tulsa's most elegant dining establishment and I never ceased to be impressed by the mountains of oyster shells piled up in back. The oysters were brought to the restaurant in large, iced barrels, a rarity in Oklahoma in the forties.
As I recall, Christina's Flowers was just to the west on the opposite
corner.
TTM Infrequently Asked Questions: Many of our Webmaster's favorites are also mine. It is worthwhile to promote "Gregory's Girl". I am guessing many of you have not seen it. You can get that quirky little love story through TTM's Gift Shop for less than 15.00. Also, I am a big fan of the Gong Show so I went to see Confessions of a Dangerous Mind last night. I have only two words to say about that movie: Chuck Barris.
"I don't know why they gonged you. I loved your act. But then again, I love fungus."
Any way - folks forget that long haul trains had radio service in cars like roomettes (what?) and compartments (what again?) not the canned music Amtrak has in cars now (but that may come from John Doremus' old biz..).
I remember that to everyone's delight - the conductor had the game pumped
thru the p.a. system throughout the train even to us minions in the coach
cars on that cold day as we headed across Iowa into KCMO.
Needless to say I was in shock - a cultural icon of my youth selling wigs by mail? That was a Zsa Zsa or Eva Gabor thingie - wasn't it? Boy am I am old geezer. BTW in my aged Wards trunk from TU days - now full of bedding and junk - it a poster of her from the forgettabble "1000 BC" or was is "10,000 BC" movie that she did in the late '60's. It adorned many a TU guys dorm room in John Mabee Hall - why I still have it - I dunno. Which leads to a question for BOB HOWER'S next visit here. Is it true he hired Raquel for her first TV job as a weekend "weather girl" (see Raquel Welch as weather girl...webmaster)on KFMB-TV when he worked there or was it just a coincidence that they both worked at KFMB at the same time? Should also ask if his friend Regis Philbin was there then too. Regis ain't such a young pup, ya know! 10 of my fellow employees are on the streets and several others face drastic salary cuts as new highly paid VP's join my workplace - running with scissors to cut budgets and jobs. My tenure as contractor for Speed Channel is over - I was to move to another role in Video Compression technology for my contracting company - INSP/Media-Comm in early January - but we had a corporate re-org on 12/23 while I was blissfully shopping in Chicago. In short: my new job evaporated; my old job was filled; I have been offered 5-6 jobs in-house at anywhere from $15,000-$20,000 pay cut but have said no because it would put me back salary-wise close to what I was making when I left KOCO 17 years ago. For 2 weeks I have been a "utility" technician doing feeds and playing tape op. So Tuesday after I do a 4pm-1am shift - I am laid-off. Jobs are in short supply here in NC as unemployment high. Most TV shops in town have 30 hr. a week tape ops, cameramen, etc. to beat paying benefits. So it may be time for - "Hello, WalMart?".
Hopefully in this lull in employment I will drag out my yr. old but unused
scanner and send in some more pix from the old days at 8 and 6 to TTM.
That business has been there a long time and as to how long? When I hosted Dance Party, I would have as guests, two young Spanish dancers from that restaurant. I'm old and can't remember the young man's name but he was related to the owner of C. Laredo. There was a very good waitress there who eventually bought the place and as far as I know, still runs it. Around about 1986-87, I sold a Cadillac to the Indian Bingo Palace to be a special prize. This car was won by the owner of Casa Laredo. It took him one day to convert it to cash. Years later, this old gentleman worked the cash register there and had the habit of giving you back more change than was correct. One would hope that honesty prevailed. Uh right!
Now, a new can of worms! Remember the great club next to Casa L.? "Little
Joe's!" I could do a chapter on that! A book on "The Celebrity Club!"
Given the tough lives that most of the oldsters lived in the pre-WWF/E era, it's a wonder any lived past 65, much less into their 80s, as many noted on the site did. Heart trouble, booze, and car wrecks claimed many at younger ages. But as the old joke goes, nobody wants to give up show-biz. Speakng of show-biz and happier notes, what a pleasure to see the pics of the Four Horsemen of the Tul-pocalypse (Woodward, Chew, Flynn, and Sartain). You could put a network on with the talent and creativity of just those four guys around the table.
I'm late to the Mexican food table, but remember a joint around Pennington's
on Peoria, maybe (it's been a loooong time, kids). Maybe named "Casa Manana,"
or maybe not. Family-run place, great food, strolling guitars. Anyone else
remember, or am I just hallucinatin' again? As Granny Lion would say, time
for my medicine.
There was a recurrent character, John Brewster of the OK Oil Company...what was our Mr. Brewster's first name? Was it Walt?
I wanted to see concerts back in my teenage years but never had the car/money
or the all important permission from my parents. My parents saw a news story
on Channel 8 from the 1978 Styx concert at the assembly center where 120+
people got busted for drugs (proably pot). Finally got to see my first concert
in the winter of 1980-1 - Kansas with Loverboy at the Pavillion. Those were
the classic rock days!
They have both passed away, and I am sure they are fishing together up in
the heavens. Thanks for all of the postings of them. It is nice to know that
people still remember. I am trying to get some of his stuff put in the Oklahoma
Aquarium so that everyone young and old and see his history. Thanks!
Maybe our TTM dinner could become an annual event. Let's get it on the calendar! By the way, I just watched "Signs" for the first time, myself. Good suspense thriller, certainly a throw-back to Living Dead, Snatchers, Hitchcock, etc., but the plot didn't hold water. Hold water! Get it? Hold water? See, the aliens didn't like...
Oh, never mind.
See Rue McClanahan on a date with Frank Morrow during their T.U. days in Guestbook 94.
I used to work at KUSH in Cushing, OK. A station that was owned by former KAKC DJ Don Kelly. By the time I met Don in the 80's he was an older gentleman, but he had the most wonderful voice. It was also amazing to watch him in studio when he did Chauncey. He acted just like it was nothing. I was amazed. He had been quite a success in small market radio, owning several stations in OK and KS. Don has left the radio business, retiring with some illnesses, but still living in Cushing. His son, Sean, now owns KUSH. I hope the station survives to keep up the legacy of small market radio, and I wish Don the best.
If anybody has anything more on KAKC -- particularly Don -- I would appreciate
it.
That brings me to today's quiz! I believe my cousin, Don Cummins, got his start in radio at KTUL about 1960. I remember the station he was broadcasting from was almost as far north as Turley, so that may ruin it being KTUL.
Anyhow after being there long enough to get bored, or frustrated with management,
he decided one day that it would be his last. I don't remember the song,
but a new, obnoxious, silly tune that people would request as a joke, became
the only thing "Bucky" played that morning. After barricading the entries,
and refusing to answer the phone, all he did was introduce, and play this
one record. I remember my parents talking about it that morning, but I don't
know if all of that was a true story. If anyone knew about that, I would
enjoy finally knowing if it was true.
It's too bad that I missed out on some of the best days of the television industry. Local productions besides news programming would be so much fun to be a part of. Most people my age don't appreciate those things I guess. Many of the others just see the bottom line, and locally produced programs aren't part of it anymore. :(
Granny Lion briefly reviewed "Signs" in Guestbook 112.
Casa Bonita may not be the best Mexican food in town but I love themed decor and C.B. is the best. Of course, I am big into themed environments because of my love for TV, theater, movies, etc. I was even mentioned in the Fort Worth Star last year because I themed my own backyard as a tribute to Six Flags. I think a TTM-themed restaurant would be fabulous. I may look into that.
In the previous Guestbook, Emily Webb had just asked if any TTM readers ever get together for dinner. Maybe we should set a time and date for an informal get-together of whoever wants to show up at Casa Bonita or some other worthy Tulsa eatery...
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This promotion was for
a superstar, Nick Adams who starred on ABC - a show called
"
