Anyone know where Johnny Martin's son ended up? I forget his air name from KMOD in the early '70's.....Also anyone remember where in OK former KTUL anchor/producer (now Doctor of Medicine) Dan Baxter went? I think it was WEST of OKC.....

My dad's theme song (HoHo the Clown, KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City) was a song from a movie called The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. My sister the music teacher tells me this, but she also could not remember which particular song it was just that it was from that movie.

Here's a note from Patricia Birchall on this page.

One of my favorite treasures is the record, "Scope Them Turkeys Out."

It may be a little scratchy after all these years, but hearing 'Zeppy's voice is still funny as ever. My teenage son plays it over and over.

"JudyJudyJudyJudyJudy, let Mazeppa hear you toot that flutie!"

Mitch

Hey Webmaster Mike,

A very belated but heartfelt congrats on your recent wedding. Best of luck to you both. And congrats on the recent story in the Tulsa World. You've helmed a unique cultural phenom.

And how 'bout "Scope Them Turkeys?" I think people would love to hear that on the site.

Thanks!

I would like for "Scope Them Turkeys Out" to be available, but it is under copyright protection. I am hopeful that it may be released commercially in the future (this is a non-profit site, unless you do your Amazon.com shopping here--see the Bulletin Board on the main page).

The "Cowboy Dick Show" was at the Fox Theater at 51st & Harvard and ran on Saturdays. Some local talent was showcased and he was able to bring in a musical group that was popular in the early 70s called the Cowsills. One of the key members of the Cowboy Dick Show is a member of Tulsa's radio community now. Thanks for the kind words about Dick Evans.

I had wondered what happened to Dick Evans. When I was at KRAV-FM (fall of 1970, before it left the air only to return later with religious programming), Dick was one of our weekend guys. However, the big thing I remember was his Cowboy Dick events at one of the theatres. As best I can recall, they occurred every Saturday. Dick hosted a movie (generally a western) and other activites for younger kids. A really nice guy; sorry to hear of his passing. Peace, llk

I wanted to add the name of Dick Evans (b. January 1939 d. June 1982) to the list of Radio and Television personalities. He began in the late 1950s at the University of Tulsa's radio station and had a career serving as a personality both full and part time in the 60's and 70's, and was working part time with KRMG at the time of his death. He also did a brief stint on KTEW television working as a weekend sportscaster with veterans Jack Morris, Jerry Webber and John Hudson. He would have really enjoyed this web site as I recognize many familiar names of some wonderful people he had the honor of working with while I was growing up. He talked the most about some people he idolized, Glen Condon, Clayton Vaughn, Scooter Segraves, Jim Hartz, Bob Brown and Mike Flynn. Besides KTEW television his career took him to KWGS, KTUL Radio, KRMG, KRAV, and KAKC.

The Big 7 KAKC DJ's (minus 1)

I enjoyed the site, but why isn't there any mention of the record "Scope Them Turkeys Out" It would be great to hear it again even if it's the worst song I've ever heard. It was so bad it was good.

Aloha one and all. I just want to ask for some help in hunting down an "Original" "Mazeppa underground uncola discount card" and any "Mazeppa" posters.

Also looking for anything that has the radio stations logo "KMOD" on it. Mitchell H.

Shasta was a "big buy" at KTUL in the mid-70's - think spots ran in and around the Zeb show - but for an out of town product it was way up there......

This was my first trip into Tulsa memories. I worked in Tulsa radio for 33 years (from 1962 to 1995) for one of the greatest radio stations around - K V O O -

I had the privilege and pleasure of working with two of Tulsa's greatest managers...Jack R. Cresse and Ron Blue.

I'm sure if Cresse were here today, he'd be calling, wanting to know "what are they doing to my station!"

Thanks for the memories!

An article about this site can be found in the Midtown section of today's Tulsa World. The author has given me permission to reprint it here on the site, and here it is.

I just added a KOTV ad spotlighting Gary Chew to his comments below.

Mike: I hadn't seen your posting of the black and white group shot of all the KOTV personnel. The shot was either taken just before or just after the one I keep in a large blow-up version in my living room. Everyone is in the same position...except Lionel is not seen...but the clinker is that Bob Brown has his tongue sticking out. The pictures were taken by Dino Economos sitting up on top of a rather high step ladder in the old studio where we did all our newscasts...and where The Uncanny Film Festival was taped.

I look at that picture everyday and wish that KOTV publicity had published it in a magazine or newspaper.

Remember when Shasta Root Beer ads began airing in the 60's?

In this day and age, advertising a kid's drink that produced a foamy head like real beer wouldn't be allowed.

Then, of course, there was Apple Beer.

Mitch

The link I added to your text is from Wes Clark's Avocado Memories, an inspiration for this site.

Do you all remember the KOTV "Late Show" back in the late 60's? I think it ran on Friday nights after the news. I remember seeing GORGO onetime...very exciting for a 2nd grader to get to see a crazy sea monster movie. Anyway, the theme has somewhat erased from my memory banks...but some of it is still in playback...

"The late show...da-dada-dada-dada...the late show...whether it's a comedy, a drama or a mystery".

Maybe more beer would help retrieve it!!!

Previous memories of this theme and commercial are in Guestbook 11.

11/21/2003:  "Late" breaking news: click at left to hear "The Late Show", courtesy of Joe Riddle and Wayne McCombs!

Episode title: "The Sixth Finger" (synopsis). Pop culture synchronicity: I combined the Sixth Finger/Sixfinger images below.

Another McCallum-toy association: From Ideal With Love.

Also see "The T-Town Affair" (U.N.C.L.E.) on this site.

	Click for original. Featured on Boing Boing, 5/26/05.

Date: July 14 2002 at 18:18:51
Name: Webmaster
Comments: Remember this 1965 toy? "Sixfinger, Sixfinger, man alive! How did I ever get along with five?" See just above for more about the curious Sixfinger "cover boy" in this photo mashup.

Hello Mike: And congratulations on tying the knot. All the best to you and your bride.

Since last fall, I've returned to an activity that I actually got started with Clayton Vaughn's blessing at KOTV: Film reviews, but on public radio, now.

If your "readers" are interested, they can go to my employer's web site capradio.org and click around and pick up all my reviews since last Fall. When I started doing film reviews at KOTV....NOBODY in television was doing them. Siskel and Ebert had a long time yet to make it on PBS. My first film review was "Doc," starring Stacey Keach (an O.K. Corral Story). Another early review I did was "The Candidate" with Redford and Peter Boyle; good political drama, not unlike the recent "The Contender" with Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater.

Besides feature films that first-run in moviehouses, I've been doing reviews of premieres of made for cable flicks, i.e. HBO.

Two good ones I've recently reviewed from HBO are "The Gathering Storm" with Albert Finney and "Path to War," John Frankenheimer's last directorial effort. He died over the 4th of July holiday. I'll always remember his "Seven Days in May" with Lancaster, Douglas and Gardner as well as his "The Manchurian Candidate" with Sinatra and Laurence Harvey. (Does anyone remember the Korean War?) I'm hoping that Mazeppa and/or Busey will be doing something in the future that I can review.

I've always been impressed with Gary's work in "The Firm," which also boasts another T-Towner, if you'll remember, Jeanne Tripplehorn.

If anyone who browses the Tulsa TV Ghosts Scene would like to be bored even further, they can check me out "live" on our classical music stream at capradio.org I've been programming and hosting an afternoon classical music radio show on KXPR in Sacramento for nearly 15 years. I stream from 4 to 7pm California time. Actually, I'm a radio man first, but with Mike Miller as a friend, I was able to get job a Channel Six and become a second banana weatherman behind Lionel and his friend.

I write, produce and voice a one-hour weekly, classical music program of performances given in the Sacramento area. Some are local musicians...but many times world famous artists are here...and if we can get clearance, which we usually do, we air them as well. The program listings for this broadcast, called Capital Concert, are also on our web site.

I also enjoyed the spread on KTUL Radio. I was one of the original Kelly Jocks. Most everyone used their real first name and took Kelly as the last. Management didn't like Gary Kelly, so I chose Pete Kelly, again thinking about a movie character that was played by none other than Jack (Dragnet) Webb. I moved to KOTV from KTUL when Mike Miller told me there might be an opening. I returned the favor to Mike by introducing him to his wife, Mary Beth, to whom he's still hitched.

Oh, by the way, I quite often email Lionel's friend back there in Tulsa, but I can't recall his air name. I just send my emails to "His Woodness" and I always get an answer.

All The Best To All. Chew says ciao.

Just discovered this great web site! Thank you, Chris Kelly, for mentioning me so kindly as the former mid-day gal on KVOO-FM, 98.5.

You mentioned you were the person on air who made the switch from KAKC 970am to KCFO-AM. Well, I unfortunately, was the last one on the air when KCFO-FM went dark and 2 weeks later became KVOO-FM. I had just put "Under Wings Of Love" by the Cruse Family on the air, about 2 minutes into the song the station went off the air by accident. There had been some trouble with the transmitter due to someone shooting thru the cable at the tower site a few weeks before. KCFO was supposed to be on the air up until KVOO took over, but due to the expense of the repair and the fact that the station was already sold, they just left it dark. This gave KCFO fans a 2-week buffer before the format changed to country. Unlike the recent format switch on Live 101.5. The alternative Christian format switched in the middle of the day to Urban.

I now work at KXOJ, 100.9FM which is AC Christian, and believe me, we've heard from hundreds of angry Live 101.5 fans. But then again, that's radio! Just another chapter for Tulsa memories.

See Charlene at the KVOO-FM site.

I've just found this site. Wow! I grew up in far western Oklahoma, listening to WKY Radio & KOMA Radio, especially after moving to Oklahoma City. But in particular, I want to set the record straight on old HoHo the Clown. He was my father-in-law for the 16 years prior to his death July 3, 1988 (my 16th wedding anniversary). He had been in failing health for several years with congestive heart failure, then was diagnosed in early spring 1988 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. His doctors had also found an aortic aneuryism. But the lady was right, he died of a heart attack whilst undergoing chemotherapy for the cancer. As for KOCO-TV ... well, they kept the HoHo show on the air, especially in those later years after the station was acquired by Gannett, mostly to fulfill their "public service" requirements. As I recall, there were no ads on the show the last 3-5 years.

HoHo is buried under the name of "Ed Birchall" in El Reno Cemetery. His widow remarried 4 years after his death and was widowed again 3 years ago. She still lives in the same house in Bethany in which they reared their six children. Four of their six children still live in and around Oklahoma City, as do 6 of their 10 grandchildren and one of HoHo's two great-grandchildren.

An incredible food mooch he may have been at work. In real life he was not much different than what you saw all those years on television: a gentle, kind little Irishman from Connecticut who liked "to hug trees" and took much teasing from his 6 children for his "hippie" ways. To us "in-law" outsiders, it seemed that when he passed on, the heart and soul of his large family died with him. Funny ... that he filled that position was not apparent during his lifetime. I think he must have been much loved by the community as well. It took 3 funeral services to accommodate his friends, fans, and clown colleagues (clowns from all over acted as an honour guard at the first funeral; it was the cheeriest funeral you could ever see!). We still miss his sly humour and sweet ways.

According to the Tulsa World, all 4 OKC TV stations broadcasted his funeral.

I just discovered your website-what a great way to refresh my memory. I LOVED T-TOWN!

I haven’t been back since the 80’s – would love to host a Long Live Rock Brigade Revival. During late 70s and early 80s I was the morning guy at KMOD- I'm proud to say I founded the LONG LIVE ROCK BRIGADE. I was pleased to see you actually have a copy of an old membership card on your site. I miss the beautiful women, kind hearts and hospitality of Tulsa. KMOD was an INCREDIBLE radio station. I would love to hear from former Tulsa radio folks who might recall those days at KMOD or any members of the old Rock Brigade that remember that era as fondly as I do.

We had some real talent on the station- “The Bruin”, Mel, Charlie, Rod Daily, and the beautiful Jeanne Tripplehorn, who was working weekends when I met her at the ripe old age of 17.

Anyone remember the world's largest rocking horse at the State Fair? I sat on that thing for 3 days, going for a new world's record. I also tried to set the record for kissing the most people in one day...never will forget the line of ladies at Whiskers, all in the name of charity of course. My fondest memory is of the radio-thons we held at KMOD to benefit a local charity. There’s nothing like staying on the air for several days, taking doobie breaks in the hallways at the old KMOD studios.

Bye the way, I have numerous framed KMOD posters from the early 80s, bumper stickers, tee-shirts and other stuff. Even albums with KMOD "play stickers". These stickers tracked the time of day each jock played the album. If any collectors are out there, drop me a line. I'd also love to hear from any folks who remember my old morning show where I became known as the General of the Long Live Rock Brigade. I still have the corny army jacket I wore at live remotes with medals sent in by listeners. Those were the days! Long Live Rock in Tulsa! (I almost forget- does anyone remember the "Contest I Couldn’t Talk About On the Radio"? And what ever happened to Randy Crouch, David Abraham, Counterpoint and Rhonda James?

After T-Town, I cut my hair, became a TV anchor, and eventually landed in the travel business where I work today for a major online travel company. While I live in Florida, I left several chips of my heart in good old Tulsa.

Love Ya Tulsa! Hard to believe I will be 50 next year and I still have my hair- it’s just grey now. Thanks for a great run.

Chris, we appreciate you checking in with us back here in T-town. That was a fun era...you're lucky to have been in the middle of it. If you want to send in scans of some of those artifacts sometime, I'll get them out here.

Also coming shortly: Capt. Ben!

RE: DSL

I have dsl (not DSL): a damn slow line!

;-)

Webmeister Ransom:

Now these DIESEL that you have in your new house - isn't it noisey to run when doing site maintenance? Oh, that's DSL, sorry.....

I am now set up on DSL in the new house. Still much more work to do, but I will find time for updates, I'm sure.

Watch for a new story about this site next Wednesday in the Tulsa World Midtown Community section. I did an interview, and the writer/photographer is coming over Friday to snap yours truly for the article.

Thanks again for all your good wishes.

Before June, 2002, fades completely into the rear-view mirror, let's briefly recall another 50th anniversary for KOTV. The station "got cable" that month--a connection to AT&T's network transmission lines. Thus several programs which had had to send kinescopes could appear "live". The big thing was "today's news," since the best that could be done previously was a one-day delay and it was frequently more.

For a station planning to retain CBS affiliation, the first "live" program from New York was NBC's "Today" show, with Dave Garroway, Frank Blair and Jack ("It's Friiiiiiday") Lescoulie. But the station also carried the CBS Evening News with Douglas Edwards.

Since KOTV remained the only TV station in town for the next two years, except for Elfred Beck's ill-advised, premature and hard to receive UHF station, KCEB, KOTV was offered programs from all four networks (Bishop Sheen's talks were carried by the soon-to-be-defunct Dumont network). That made "prime time" run to 11 p.m., when local news, sports and weather (in THAT order) were presented. Broadway Open House from NBC (Jerry Lester, Dagmar) came along at 11:30 p.m.

It's my understanding that when KOTV got a single connection to A T & T in Oklahoma City, the network switches had to be made there. Lots of changes in 50 years--and of course everything was still very much black and white. Only a few network shows were color-cast at first. At least technology has raced ahead--too bad programming hasn't!

If you have HGTV in your locale, I recommend watching the current episode of "Restore America w/ Bob Vila". It covers some interesting historical renovations in OK.

Of particular interest (!) is the last section, where the renovation centers around the Cains Ballroom. This might be old hat to those that still live in t-town, but it was a good piece of production in any case. Larry (Peter Frampton who?) Shaeffer gets a decent amount of talk time, and the B-reel footage is (as Cy Tuma used to say) "Soooperbuh."

The week after I started working at KTUL (10/74), we did a weekend remote at the Cains featuring Freddy King. I stood in the KTUL truck behind TD Howard Sanders, and called out who's gonna do the next solo/lead/whatever. I wasn't being paid, but I thought it'd be cool to at least be there, and somebody said ok, whatever. I did ok.

The other things I vaguely remember were John Heatley/Richard Wilson/Clint Ball on camera, and the not-so-successful attempt at curing the microphonics on the center platform GE PE-350 by wrapping/duct (whoops! Gaff) taping styrofoam all over the camera body. And peeking behind the back stage curtain and seeing EC pretty much out of things, rocking back and forth on a stool. And I'm amazed that I remember all of this. It must have meant something eh?

peace,

pda

Jax Fl.

I received the news late, but send a belated good wish. May your time together equal the past parts of some of mine.

Just browsing, reflecting on this Fourth of July, 2002. What do I find? Mike Ransom! Way to go Mike, luck with the marriage!

A whimsical suggestion for the newlyweds: Type in www.google.com and ask for, "When I'm 64." Scroll down to "Cartoon Fun and Sing Along with Brownilocks." You'll get not only the written lyrics, but even on my computer you get a nice instrumental backing!

Technicality: As a long time Anglophile I have to point out it's not "Isle of White," but "Isle of WIGHT."

Again, many good wishes for two long and happy lives.

Tried that out...computer karaoke.

The Isle of Wight was site of a big rock concert in 1970 with Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, Johnny Winter, etc., so that one was firmly fixed in my mind.

Thanks again for all the good wishes, everyone. Today is moving day for me. TTM is on a CD (as well as on the server) for safekeeping.

Congratulations to the webmaster and his bride. May you both have happy memories.

just to localize Mike B's soccer item...

The animated logo for all of ESPN/ABC's World Cup Soccer coverage was designed and created right here in Tulsa by Winnercomm's Frank Garner!

Way to go, Frank!

(new web pages at winnercomm.com, BTW)

I'm sure many a Tulsa-area father is happy that the likes of Mike Ransom is no longer prowling the streets!

Seriously, congrats to you and the new bride.

Congrats and much happiness, Mike and Gaye.

Belated good wishes and congratulations.

I imagine Mike Ran...some, but she caught him anyway.

CONGRATS, MIKE! ;-)

Thanks, everybody! We had a great view of downtown Tulsa from the Doubletree (across 7th Street from the Convention Center) on our wedding night. I'll try to get a photo out here soon as Don requested. Gaye has a banner in the credits at the bottom of the main page.

Is KTUL still doing a 4th of July fireworks show on the river????

Here in NC - all the Targets/WalMarts have the fireworks packs INSIDE by check-out - of the ilk of that we used to buy from stands by the side of the road in OK....

Many happy returns to the Ransom Family and their subsidiaries.

Hearty good wishes to Webmeister Mike and his bride. I hope we see a nice picture of the happy couple here on the Web very soon!

CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE!

May you have many, many years of happiness.

Thanks for the "Tulsa TV" memories.

Mitch

A TOAST!

To TTM webmeister Mike Ransom and his new wife!

Thanks for so much, Mike!

Soccer - love it or hate it but about 1.5 miles from my humble and cluttered Charlotte, NC home is ESPN REGIONAL.

If I can find a link to the Charlotte Observer story of yesterday - I'll post it. ALL of ESPN's World Cup Soccer shows are done here not in CT and the article had a good behind the scenes scope to it. One of my friends engineers there and they are on a Midnight to 1pm schedule most days cranking out soccer coverage....for you tech heads though having mega graphics gear and good digital switchers - the anchor portion is shot using 2 old Sony 537 cameras in studio kits - maybe what TU or TJC HAD in their studios at one time!

That's Wilkinson not Wilkerson a la DB and Tink, John!

I met Bud Wilkinson at 8 for something 30 years ago as a lowly underling and he was a CLASS ACT even then compared to the working college coaches doing shows on KTUL.

Here's a site for you working C&W fans - www.crb.org - probably the major org for country music broadcasters.

Wasn't Jack Cresse the long time KVOO Programming Director? Saw his name mentioned (as a posthumous winner) next to that of Charlotte TV legend Doug Mayes for getting an award this week at the Country Radio Hall of Fame. Did not know Jack Cresse was deceased.

Mayes could have been any of YOU older TTM writers/readers who started in radio. He grew up in TN and was working as a performer at a Kingsport, TN radio station on Dec. 7, 1941 and was pressed into reading Pearl Harbor bulletins that fateful day. After WWII and college - he was one of the first anchors on TV here - "Your Esso Reporter" - and was on air as an anchor or commentator till about '88. If you are over 40 - he was the TV newsman you grew up with. One of my co-workers said Doug Mayes was an anchor not a reporter - but someone with enough brains to ask the right questions in interviews without being prompted by a producer via ifb. He worked at WBT in it's golden days and later at WSOC-TV. Somehow in all of this he became a Shriner/Scottish Rite biggie and was one of the first media demi-stars here to sponsor charity golf events for kids and community fund-raisers. Big man for wanting to give something back to the community. But his love of country music never abated and in the '50's did radio in the daytime on WBT-AM and TV news at night. In the '60's and '70's he produced/emceed local stage show "spectaculars" of country performers here in Charlotte - I heard sometimes he made money, sometimes lost money at this but was a force in bringing country music artists to Charlotte on a regular basis. He's 80 and lives out of the city now. I thought his career had parallels with many of yours....

John: It's Wilkinson...Bud Wilkinson.

While KTUL had Chuck Fairbanks, KOTV for a while in the 70's had Bud Wilkerson in a five-minute show produced out of Wichita during college football season. If I recall correctly the sponsor was a little company out of NW Arkansas called Wal-Mart.

Of course ALL of us in TV have the worst mouths and are quickest to lampoon something that we were not crazy about working on or having to sit thru.

We often did so by re-arranging the syllables when talking amongst ourselves, for instance The Chuck Fairbanks Show at 8 - we called the ---- Chairbanks Show --well you the idea of how it turned out....

We never did find out what former TU football coach FA Dry's first name was - though some suggested Fine And....

Having grown up in Tulsa as a child, I've really enjoyed this website! Also, does anyone by chance know where I can get or view a picture of the old MaHu Mansion that was on Memorial about 26th street across from Oertle's? I was awestruck by it as a kid, and devastated when it was torn down.

Thanks!

No photo yet, but how about this ticket (courtesy of Mitchell Holt)? Try "Scream in the Dark" and "Mahu" in the search engine for more comments about it.

5/25/2005: There is now a Ma-Hu page.

Worked for Bob Gregory along with Paul Murray on the "Oil & Oklahoma" series at KTUL during 1972-73. Both are extraordinarily talented gentlemen.

Your web site is great! It brings back many memories. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, sir.

Archived Guestbook 109.