More shorts------------

I noticed a reference to “You Needum Tires? See Needum.” I’m almost sure that Roy Pickett’s was the first voice on these commercials. He sounded more authentic than Jay Silverheels did.

There was a TV sportscaster in the mid-‘50s who was very knowledgeable and did a good job. However, his lazy eye made it a bit disconcerting to watch him. A viewer could never watch both eyes at the same time. He supposedly tried something to enable him to maintain constant eye contact with the audience instead of periodically glancing down at the script. (This was desirable because of the paucity of visuals in those early days.) He tried learning Braille. I would have thought it would have been easier to turn his head sideways, then train one eye to look at the script while the other kept contact with the audience.

I wonder when the use of the “Quick Brown Fox,” etc. was eliminated.

Remember the radio countdown to start a program or recording? “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, WOOF!

I assume that those transcription services have been replaced by something much better. They had all the music you could want except for the latest hits. They had sound effects, musical interludes, musical bridges, a wide variety of musical selections, and even whole programs which could be “localized” by inserting voiceovers. The two services I used at KTUL, KAKC and KFPW (in Ft. Smith) were Langworth and World. The latter was a continual booby-trap to a neophyte like myself when I was running a combo operation, i.e., operating the board while doing the announcing. (Although KRMG announcers performed in the combo mode, the smaller stations especially did this, thereby saving the expense of an engineer to run the board.) The World transcriptions were unique in that they not only required a re-setting of the sound filter on the turntable, their records traveled inside out rather than the usual outside in. For many weeks I would mess up, either not setting everything correctly to play the transcription, or forgetting to go back to the old settings for the next records or commercials.

Rudy Cohen, head of the traffic and writing department at KTUL, played violin in the Tulsa Philharmonic.

Bob Wertley, KTUL’s librarian, was a music major who was a very accomplished piano and organ player. He provided background music for various programs, particularly those in which poetry was read. He was let go from KTUL when the station downsized during the transition from the glory days to whatever lay ahead. I assume that getting rid of the old staff, including engineers, and moving the operations to the transmitter site at Turley was the nadir in this progression.

One weekend I went to KTUL for my Sunday shift and entered the announcing booth to do the next station break. I woodshedded, as usual. After I finished rehearsing, Al Clauser walked in. I said, “What are you doing here? Trying to get some overtime?”

He replied, “What are YOU doing here?”

“I’m starting my shift.”

He chuckled. “Well, you can take my shift, if you want to. By the way, it’s Saturday, not Sunday.”

To those who have known Chris Lane or who have worked with him now or in the past…
Jan. 27, 2000.

I am his wife, Lorna. Chris has been having a health crisis lately, and his birthday will be on March 23. I am putting together a “Chris Lane Memories” book with notes and remembrances of those that have known him socially or professionally.

If you have a funny story about him, or a comment about him, or any kind of fond memory that includes him, could you send it to me so that I can include it in his Memories book? I have heard so many hilarious tales of his past and I know you all have even more! If you could send a photo from Then or Now, that would be great too!

If possible, I would like to ultimately put the whole thing on a website so that you ALL may see the notes (and photos) when it is completed.

If you have an email address or a website, please include it with your fond or funny memory.

I hope that everyone will be able to participate! Please mail your text and photo to me, Lorna, not to Chris! This is to be a delightful surprise for Chris so I don’t want him to see any of the notes in advance!

Thanks so very much in advance!

Lorna Reiko Alexander
818-988-4883
FAX: 818-904-9086
email: lorna@westworld.com

[If you know anyone else who knows Chris and would like to participate, please let that person know the details. I know my address list is incomplete!]

4/9/00: Chris Lane passed away on February 14, 2000. The memory book Lorna wanted to put together is here....webmaster

Enjoyed Jim Ruddle's comments on Chi-town news back when. There's one Tulsa connection to his story of NBC intrigue and Jane Pauley. Pauley came to WMAQ from WISH in Indianapolis, KOTV's sister Corinthian station. Phil Lombardo, Corinthian's prexy at the time, supposedly said as she left Indiana in the tail lights, "Jane Pauley will never make it in a major market."

You'd think with that sterling example, I'd have learned not to ever say never, but I have to confess I made a similar remark about a colleague at CNN when she went off in search of an on-air job some 15 years ago: "nice kid, hard worker, but I don't think she'll amount to much on camera." I was right on two out of three about Katie Couric.

BTW, KTUL is offering a free ad-supported internet access deal that's really pretty simple and neat. You can click on their website www.ktul.com to download the software (or outside Oklahoma, you can come to mine at www.newschannel8.net).

I just switched to free internet service on NetZero and AltaVista, and so far, so good. Wouldn't hurt to add another one to the stable, though...(later) This KTUL/1stUp internet access uses exactly the same two Tulsa access phone numbers as Altavista. Not surprising, as they are both majority-owned operating companies of CMGI, just FYI. But you get a nice little "8" icon to start it up, so if you don't already have Altavista in Tulsa, you might give this a try.

Just got a bunch of photos from Rex Daugherty of the KOTV 50th anniversary reunion...they'll be out here later today.

Hey, your site is too cool! Great job...what memories with the Mazeppa stuff, love the real audio files. but, what?? no Mr. Zing and Tuffy pics? Bummerinsky

Yes, we have Mr. Zing and Tuffy pics.

Well - that shot of me in snow garb on this page - makes me look like "Two Ton" Baker a long time kids show host in Chicago in the 50's. He pre-dated Bozo there on WGN I recall, played the piano, sang, told stories.

Thanks to Jim Ruddle on the Chicago TV news info!

Speaking of Bob Thomas - KOCO's Fred Norman echoed an old Ed Dumit story about Bob. Said Bob often swallowed his words on the air - typical was when he might be saying "in other words it may snow" sometimes came out as sounding like "'nurds it may snow". I think also Bob went from Chicago to WLUK or one of the stations in Green Bay, WI - a smaller market but a "good weather town" (as Ross Dixon of OKC might say) besides being world command center for CHEESEHEADS (Packers' devotees).

Being in the Tornado Belt has launched a lot of weather careers. Jerry Brown from Wichita worked at KTUL's sister station WJLA here in DC, got bounced in WJLA's revolving door of talent - I think went back to Wichita and now is fill-in talent on Fox's WTTG here.

This page is really cool.

I've always wanted to visit Tulsa, and maybe one day I will. Sounds like an interesting place :)

Anyway..hope everyone's fine.

Bye Now. -Julia

Kalber had one of the most successful runs in the business, with his ten o'clock news getting more than half the viewers for many years. Volkman was the weather bird on that show for a long time, followed by another ex-KOTVer, Bob Thomas. Kalber's ratings became weak in the mid-seventies and the geniuses brought in a 24-year-old blonde from Indianapolis to give the show a boost. It was a disaster. Her name was Jane Pauley. After a little more than a year, with ratings in the dumpster, the brass decided it was never going to work, so, as punishment, Jane was brought to New York to do the Today show, with Floyd coming along as the news presenter on that program. At some point in the eighties, he was replaced, as was Jane, and he did nothing for a short while then returned to Chicago to do early news on WLS-TV, the ABC O&O. He returned to popularity, although not the ten o'clock, and remained on the air until two years ago. He now lives in Arizona, in retirement, and is not in the best of health. I did the early news for much of the time Floyd was at WMAQ-TV, co-anchoring with John Palmer for a couple of years, and later alone.

Sorry to toot my own horn, but since I wrote a little about Buddy Holly in past guestbooks, I have to tell you that I entered KRMG's Buddy Holly impersonator contest on Thursday (1/20) and actually won! It was held at Elephant Run and broadcast on DelGiorno's show. It was a lot of fun but I was really surprised when they handed me the winner's purse, along with the tickets to see the musical, "Buddy".

Congratulations, Lowell, sorry I missed it.

2 questions: Where is Joe Henderson now, long time KELI voice and OTASCO man (when not being done by Bill Mitchell).

FOR JIM RUDDLE - who again was your co-anchor when you first went to Chicago and where did he end up at?

When you were on WMAQ-TV, did you ever work with Floyd Kalber? His nephews worked in OK and AR radio too and attended TU BTW....For non-ex-Chicagoans, NE native Kalber was a Chicago news "icon" that retired and came back for several years.

Chicago TV has had several folks do this - ex-Tulsan Harry Volkmann never retires - just hops stations and has been on the air there a marathon run. His son is a hot DJ on the CBS O&O FM there, also a TU alum.

Not long afer KVOO-TV hit the air, Joe Pierce joined our announcing staff. I've been told that he's here in Tulsa with a voice over business. Does any one out there know how I might reach him? I'm in the 'phone book and have the above E-mail. Where are you, Joe?

JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW I FINALLY HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS THAT WORKS. HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF MY OLD FRIENDS FROM KTUL. I'M STILL PLUGGING AWAY ON THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, WE'VE JUST COME OFF A TWO WEEK CHRISTMAS BREAK. HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY!

We did...Mike, you might enjoy typing "Denney" into the search engine to see what has been said about you and by whom.

Mike picked up an Emmy for his direction of "The Young and the Restless" since his last visit.

Add to the Bill Pitcock story. If anyone recalls whether Bill spelled his last air name at Channel 8 Reeves or Reaves, please let me know. Thanks.

The recent submissions regarding “on-air” name changes reminded me of a somewhat X-rated example from the book I’ve been writing about radio, TV, and politics.

When I worked at KOTV in the late ‘60’s the late Bill Pitcock loved to tell how his “on-air” name was changed when he earlier worked at KTUL-TV, Channel 8.

According to Bill, the newscast began with the booth announcer saying: “Channel Eight News is brought to you by Consumer Service Stations. And now, substituting for vacationing Jack Morris, here is Bill Bigcock, er, make that Pitcock.”

It was one of Bill’s first newscasts, and of course, he was totally shaken by the blooper. The next day, the station manager called Pitcock to his office and asked, “Bill, do you have a middle name?” “My full name is Bill Reeves Pitcock,” Bill replied. “From now on your name is Bill Reeves.” And so Bill Pitcock became Bill Reeves at Channel 8.

On name changes, inspiration sometimes comes from unusual places. Harold Jenkins saw a road sign in Arkansas and became Conway Twitty. (There useta be a sign around Muskogee pointing to Porter and Waggoner...I always wondered about that.) For a while, when I was a radio sprout working two stations at the same time, I figured if I ever got caught I'd go to the state pen, so I was Chuck McAlester. That was a long time ago, kids, so don't try this at home!

Regarding air names: after seven years on the air in the San Diego market, using my real name, Noel Confer. I switched formats from top-40 to country. Management insisted I change me name to sound more "country". I suggested a family name, "Kelly". I waited for the subject of my first name. Nothing was ever said, so I was Noel Kelly. I ask you...how "country" is "Noel"?

Speaking of folks working for the late Alf Landon's stations.

Former KTUL TV engineering whiz Ed Morris was Chief Engineer for some of Landon's stations out in Liberal and Goodland, KS in the late 70's. He said Landon was a decent employer but his spread of stations to serve was wide and off the beaten track some places in Western KS. Ed spent many miles on service calls. Used to joke about Liberal, KS still having a well-known house of ill-repute then - no, he was NOT a customer!

He later gave up this job with Landon stations to move his growing family to a bigger, more populated area with better medical care for his kids.

Ed worked with TTM contributor Don Lundy at KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi and their co-owned Laredo, TX station as Chief Engineer sometime before going to the Landon stations. He later went on to be Chief at WJOL-AM and their FM operation in Joliet, IL (Chicago market) for a number years. I visited him in the '80's at WJOL and was very impressed to find a great sounding union-talent station with a loyal Joliet hometown audience in the midst of one of America's strongest radio markets. He was still doing Marti remotes in Joliet like he had in KS. Speaking of Marti transmitters - maybe one of our radio folks reading here can tell us more about local remotes in the days before cel phones.

Last heard - Ed had moved back to the Springfield/Branson, MO area. If any one has been in touch with him - let us know.

The matter of changing one's name for on-the-air purposes should be a personal one, but, unfortunately, management has frequently felt that it should make the decision. Noel Confer and I worked for a station that had imposed some of the dumbest names one could imagine on their personnel. (Fortunately, they had rescinded the order before I got there, so I was left alone.)

While working in Tampa/St. Pete, one of the sales types went to the station manager and told him he thought I should change my name. "Ruddle" was too different for people to relate to. The station manager, one of my favorite two management individuals, looked at him and said, "What about Walter Cronkite?" Issue closed.

But the best was at NBC in the days when the correspondents were such people as Ray Scherer, Robin McNeil, Charles Quinn, and others. One of the others was a great guy named Bob Goralski. Somebody in a suit decided that his name was not fitting for such a high class operation and Bob was called in and told that he should consider a name change. "Not at this minute, mind you. Take time to think it over."

Bob thought about it for a few days and then told the suit: "I've thought it over and have decided you're right. I want to change my name."

"Great! What name do you want?"
"Robin Goralski," came the reply.

Nothing more was heard about the matter.

Glad to see Bob Coxsey here! Wondered where he went.

I have been using one of his best lines for years in TV and radio. I was a kid projectionist at 8 and Bob was in the booth. He also did weekend sports for a while. We had him as "Bob Shannon" and the BIG Z as weeknight sports.

We always joked in Austin, Zabriskie was called Steve Zanon because management felt Zabriskie was too ethnic a name in the 70's there!

Announcers at 8 could read copy live or "cart" it - if playing back in a busy time like a live newscast.

Bob's best line was - as he hit a cart with his voice on it for a spot - "Watch now - as my lips don't leave my face!" and the cart would air and we would break up on headset.

Lynn had a massive fatal heart attack approx. five years ago. He was working in Topeka, and among others called Alf Landon boss. Probably what killed him! I would appreciate info about Marvin McCullough and Keith Bretz for starters. Anyone at KRMG during that time would like info. Although I have not seen Noel in several years we keep in touch by e-mail. E-mail with anything you know or remember---OK!

There is a picture of Keith Bretz on the Tulsa Radio in the Fifties page.

I never worked for KRMG, but they were our downstairs neighbors at the original KVOO-TV in the old Akdar Shrine bldg. Some names I haven't found in these pages are Country DJ Marvin McCullough and a great DJ from the Joe Knight, Johnny Chick days. I refer to Lynn Higbee. He left Tulsa to go to a PD job in Kansas City even after the station went country. Lynn left to go with a chain in Topeka as station mgr. He passed away after a series of heart attacks, several years ago. His widow, Jan, and his daughter, Cristi, live in the Kansas City area. I did comedy on Marvin's Ch 2 show "The T-town Jubilee. I was Grandpappy Hawkins. I'm sure you all hold that memory close to your heart. We had a great local Gospel quartet.

Do you have any pictures of you as "Grandpappy"?

In answer to Guestbook 31, Noel Confer, wishing to have more names of the first top 40 station in Tulsa, KAKC:

Other folks were: DJ Bud Curry, Frank Lawrence, who was sales and on the air, Don Hughes, news, and from Altus, Oklahoma, Roy Cordell, sales manager. The last I heard of Roy, he was in Bend, Oregon. Kelly (and I cannot remember the first name because we referred to him on air only as KELLY -- shame on me) who later owned radio stations in 2 or 3 Oklahoma markets. Bill Alred, of sales, and Bob Hoth, who was General Manager after John Pace left. We also as a promotion backed Anita Bryant for the Miss Tulsa contest. She won that and we sent two busloads of listeners to Oklahoma City for the Miss Oklahoma contest, which she won. She later, of course, ran for Miss America and was assisted by Don Cherry's (the recording artist) wife, who was a former Miss America. She was a runner-up, and her career went from there.

-Chris Lane

Hi everyone! What a pleasure it is for me to perhaps be able to contact old friends and colleagues. I first worked at KOTV and from there was asked to join KAKC as a DJ.... became program director there, and from that, became national program director for Lester Kamin, who owned KAKC, KIOA, Des Moines, and KATR, Corpus Christi. From there a career of broadcasting, telecasting, and film work. I retired circa 1996. My wife, Lorna, is an ESL teacher at the high school level. I look forward to hearing from you.

-Chris Lane

Hi, Chris, so you were the first Dance Party host? Glad you found us here.

Hey! Nice to do a little remembering with Terry Young on the nite he introduced me by my real name. Some bill collectors called me the next day. I remember the last weathercast Terry did. Wore a full dress Tux.

By the way, what was the name of the guy who did a dance party on KOTV..ala Dick Clark. I believe it was during the late 50's.

Noel Confer mentioned Chris Alexander, aka Chris Lane.

How about that...twice in the same day. Just minutes after hitting the submit button with the earlier notes I got a phone call from Wade Hayes...the country singer who did "The Day She Left Tulsa..." and he was calling from a car....leaving Tulsa. He had just spent some time with the guys at KVOO. It's a small world after all.

God bless,

Lee

Now that the holidays are over maybe there will be more time to read and react to the guestbooks....I wanted to pass on some comments and info following some past content...

-I got a sweet note from John Chick's daughter regarding the story I told about John and his kindness to me. That was nice.

-The comment from Terry Young about the day he was on Dance Party with his Edison class and I handed him an unplugged microphone brought back vivid memories. As I recall, that led to a job at KAKC for him...and, of course, it was the beginning of his public career. You're welcome Terry...

-I am told the anniversary show on KOTV was really good. A number of people taped it for me but so far not one of them has mailed it to me. Hello..... Stephanie Hill at KOTV has promised a copy of the show.

-Another of my valued tapes is "Things that are gone"...or something like that. One of the TV stations did it and there is a lot of KAKC stuff on it. It had Dick Schmitz, Scooter Segraves and me.

-Heard from Scooter not long ago. He is in gatorland as a COUNTRY disc jockey, having fun and being happy.

-Other KAKC jock notes. Beau Weaver is in LA doing a lot of voice work...many of the Saturday morning cartoons feature his voice. Robert W. Walker is a big name in Miami radio and internet ventures. Steve Suttle is an attorney and weekend Oldies jock in Albuquerque. Steve Hatley died in Albuquerque in a motorcycle accident. "Tiger" Dave Shaw died in Hawaii a few years ago. Jim Peters has had success with his acting career. Tom "Count Gordonski" Gordon was promoting records in St. Louis the last I heard. Don Bishop is still in the Tulsa area but I'm not sure with whom. I lost contact with Randy Castle and Johnny Lane but last I heard they were on KHOG in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I have lost touch with Dan Stone. Bobby Otis and Bill Terry were headed west years ago.....

Would love to hear from any of you. All the best,

Lee

Hi, Lee...Don Bishop is with KRMG. The tape you mention was produced by KJRH Channel 2's Jack Frank. It was done before he went to work for KJRH, but is available from the TeamTulsa web site.

Bobby Otis can be seen here. More to come?...

Scott "Scooter B." Segraves can be seen here, and his earlier comments appear on the KAKC page on this site.

Thanks for the updates.

Check out Guestbook #31, just closed, for some great stories and comments.

If you play the "TV News Drinking Game", please have designated drivers standing by.