It is my recollection from working with Mary Rose (what a babe) that Charlie was still in Fort Worth when she was here in Tulsa, but my vision may have been clouded. I always thought she was way too talented for KTUL in those days......obviously she was, as she didn't stay long there...... but always a solid job whether reporting, or anchoring the weekend news.

Y'all might have been going ? when a alert showed at the beginning of the news saying KSBG (KVOH) is on the air now (12.31.99 10:00P). SBG stood for the fact that KSHB was already on the air. K LHC stood for Lake Hoohaw County. K ROT stood for Right On Track. K VOH stands for Voice of Hoohaw. KSBG was the first to broadcast in surround sound. On 02.07.01, a Ronnie Matthews Concert aired. A KVOH Special.

Hello Everyone. What a great site.

Growing up in Okmulgee, I spent many hours listening to KAKC, KELI, KOME, all the great stations. I just recently found Steve Suttle of KAKC on a website called 400.com. I have been in Tulsa radio since the mid-70s, worked at the Great KAKC in the late 70s, but the glory days were long gone. KAKC at 970 was sold to the people who owned KCFO-FM around 1979-80, changed the calls to KCFO-AM. The people who owned AM 1300, promptly grabbed the KAKC calls. The company I worked for at the time, First Stuart Corporation, purchased KCFO-FM around 1987-88, and it became KVOO-FM at 98.5. In 1990, KVOO-AM-FM were sold to Great Empire Broadcasting in Wichita, owned by two of the greatest broadcasters I have ever known, Mike Oatman and Mike Lynch. During this time Great Empire purchased KICK 99 (which used to be the FM frequency for KHEN Radio in Henryetta). In 1999, the Great Empire group of stations were sold to our present owners, Journal Broadcast Group in Milwaukee. But the old days in Tulsa radio are the days I remember with such fondness. I was always proud to work in the same studio as the greats from the KAKC days.

My only career regret is not being able to work at the satellite studios of KELi. My longest radio stays were with KBEZ during the easy listening days; KWEN when Ron Curtis owned the station (pre-country days) and I worked with Dick Van Dera at Channel 8. The really great fun job I had was in the mid-80s at KGTO. We played oldies, Beatles, Stones, 60s. This little firecracker of a radio station, a daytimer at AM 1050, had a loyal following of oldies lovers. People would bring by records and obscure B sides to me (I did middays 10a-2p). My little noon hour request show was the most fun. Of course KGTO was owned by George Kravis at the time, with KRAV being in the same building in the Mansion House apartment building. I was always amused whenever there was a scout tour through the station, the promotion director would show them KRAV, but wouldn't even indicate we were even in the building - right across the hall. We didn't care though. It was great. The KRAV studios were the best, so we had all the goodies of a great facility, with none of the ratings hassle. It was such fun.

God bless the internet which gives us all a way to stay in touch easily and frequently. It is a real treat to be able to find all of you, and view all of the photos, charts, airchecks, and read the comments and memories from the best days of Tulsa radio and rock 'n roll.

Dick Loftin
Country 98 (KVOO-FM)
Afternoons 3pm to 7pm
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Reading a question of my whereabouts from an entry last October... I now live in a CT suburb of New York City. After leaving Tulsa I had a rewarding career as a broadcast journalist in Cleveland, here in CT, and San Francisco. I then did a stint overseas working for the United Nations as one of the people who started what is now known as UN AIDS, after which I started my own television production and consulting firm. Today I am a happily semi-retired occasional consultant who devotes most of my time to my duties as a househusband/homemaker to two of my four children (the older two are adults) Thanks for asking!

I grew up in Tulsa, graduated from East Central High School in '69. This site is really "a blast from my past". I hate to admit that I remember a lot of this stuff!

For anybody interested in trivia on the great Tulsa band of the late 60's Rubbery Cargo, I happen to be married to the keyboard player, Bill Phillips. We have current info on all former members of the band. Three of them are here in Tulsa, with one in Norman. Bill is still the hottest keyboard player around! (I know, I'm prejudiced, but the general concensus tells me I'm justified in my opinion)!! We're also in regular contact with Randy Ess from the late 60's band, The Rogues Five. Anyone interested, drop me a line!

Mike, you are truly blessed that you didn't meet "The Guy Lombardo." He had more moves than Fred Astaire. The ever present fifteen dollar "Havana" cigar and a "bed down" demeanor with the ladies.

He was the fellow who brought Duane Harm into Corinthian and into KOTV.

The last I heard of him was at the 97 KOTV reunion when Art Biggs mentioned that his company sold equipment to Phil. I think that was in the Houston market?

As a judge of talent, I would rank him right in there with "Bubba." I'm sure he assured Duane Harm that Bob Brown would be no great loss either!

Gotta go, Granny's hollering for her "Smirnoff" cough medicine.

Brother Hillis - I suggest that you e-book it like Stephen King with your Nawrlins novella. Give us a link for "us broadcasters" to read snatches from it on. So much cheaper than publishing all on paper...Need brother Miller to do the same with his non-fiction book on Tulsey....Hell if we could find Bob Gregory - he could excerpt some Dizzy Dean anecdotes!

Yeah, not to get too commercial, but the book is "Me and Ted Against the World" a personal memoir by Reese Schonfeld, who has been my friend, colleague, and occasional co-conspirator for more'n 20 years now.

Almost more interesting than the stuff about CNN is how he got there, starting from being a copyboy at the old UPI Movietone newsreel company, through 20 years at the underfunded fringes of the national news business, always battling the big three nets, and winning a surprising number of times.

Reese's pronouncement to keep a very young Katie Couric off the air is now legend, much like Corinthian prexy Phil Lombardo, who supposedly said Jane Pauley'd never make it in a market larger than Indianapolis when she left KOTV sister station WISH. The last time I was in New York having lunch with him, Katie flew by our table and had a hug for both of us, so all is long forgiven, I suppose.

My own book, a bad novel, has a couple of chapters languishing in WP5.1 on my ancient 286. It's about radio, the 50s, New Orleans, big band remotes, the Mafia, hard-drinking announcers, and weekly take-home paychecks of $37.28. At the rate I'm going, it should be finished in summer...of 2043. I hereby promise autographed copies for all TTM'ers when it's done.

Brother Hillis - is this the new book by your mentor and the man that built CNN, Reese Schonfeld?

If so - brother Ransom may have Amazon.com links to that site for all to buy it on-line!

Me - I would be happy to be in a coloring book given away at OTASCO at this time.....

"Keep rollin' with Bolen/ Bolen has the deal that's right for you!" That one has to date back to KVOO pre-Big Country days and maybe is the longest running jingle in town. I never bought a car in Tulsa...not on Corinthian wages...and never got off the 'pike at Bristow, neither, so Bolen wasted his money on spots aimed at me. I can still sing the jingle, though.

Reading the new book about CNN (which mentions me kindly a coupla times, he said, immodestly), I was reminded that CNN talked to Charlie Rose when he was the less-famous spouse of Mary Rose, ex-KTUL anchor. By then, Mary had moved on to WXIA, then the ABC affil in Atlanta, so Charlie was local. Sam Zelman, the CBS vet who had great eyes for talent, passed on him, pronouncing him too dull, but was interested in Mary, who wasn't interested in the kind of dough CNN was paying anchors then. I hear they split and went separate ways thereafter. Charlie was in Chicago all the time Mary was in Tulsa, if I remember right. If I don't, it's only because it's been twenty-leven years, but let me sing you the jingle about the Reeves boys...

First we had kind of monopoly in markets - bad in a small market if a radio and newspaper or radio and TV station owned by same Company - in theory or practice in some towns. No opposing opinions but heck - what is "equal time" now? Some markets you could do this in - others it might be scarey to consider.

Then we had duopoly - meaning you could own 2 stations. I get confused when stations were allowed to own AM/FM combos like in Tulsa or smaller markets with AM/FM/TV combos. Now...you get my drift. Need ex-radio guy Jim Back to give us some radio insight on all.

I think the big fear of multi-owners like Clear Channel is wall-to-wall automation on air - no live people with jobs, salaries being driven down in the market because they would control ALL the radio/TV jobs AND the station not really serving the market that it is licensed in.

Today's ownership numbers of stations used to be unthinkable. De-regulation strikes again.

Is it better or worse? If your local owner was gonna go bankrupt, a station go "dark" and NO radio service was available - it might be a different story. That almost never happens - unless you were in an all "daytimer",low powered AM market.

Now folks like Clear Channel research the market and make a go of it and make $$. What formats don't fly - they jettison. Will be curious to see if they do more internet radio (maybe are doing already in Tulsey) or buy into/buy up companies like satellite fed XM radio.

I just learned though WorldSpace Radio feeds via satellite from DC - it is NOT broadcasting here for now -just to Africa, South America and Asia.

In addition to the number of stations Cox owns, Clear Channel owns KIZS 92.1 FM, KMOD 97.5 FM, KQLL 106.1 FM, KAKC 1300 AM, and KTBZ 1430 AM as well as KOKI-23 and KTFO-41. They may still own KMRX 101.5, but that station recently underwent a major format change, so they may have been sold. Journal Brodcast Group owns KVOO 98.5 FM and 1170 AM, and KCKI 99.5 FM. Shamrock owns KTSO 94.1 FM, KMYZ 104.5 FM and 1570 AM. Renda owns KBEZ 92.9 FM and KHTT 106.9 FM. And now, Perry owns KJMM 105.3 FM and KGTO 1050 AM.

I'm not sure there are any one-station owners left in Tulsa. And with the major companies quickly gobbling up smaller companies and stations, that may never change.

How times have changed. Remember when a company couldn't own more than one radio station in a single market? The following is an excerpt from the Tulsa World for 2/7/01 regarding the stations Cox owns in Tulsa:

"Perry Broadcasting Company of Tulsa purchased the former KGTO station from Cox Radio Inc.-Tulsa. Cox Radio Inc.-Tulsa also owns KRMG (740 AM), KRAV (96.5 FM), KJSR (103.3 FM), KRTQ (102.3) and KWEN (95.5 FM)."

Becca asked about Jilda Unruh. Jilda is a reporter for WPLG, the ABC affiliate here in Miami Flori-doo-dah.

OK, the facts you have on Bokchito are mostly right. My family has lived there for God knows how long. The school district is consisted of a consolidation of Blue and Bokchito, the graduating classes have so far been under 70 since the school was built, and it's located 13 miles east of Durant, and 20 miles north of the Red River (the way the crow flies).

Yes, it is a small town and like most small towns word gets around quicker than you can get home. The town prides itself as being the biggest little town in Oklahoma, and its biggest humiliation (to most anyway) is the fact that Dennis Rodman lived here while he was attending college (not racially speaking, morally speaking, they have more churches than they do anything else besides people). Any more information you would like to know?

Gary Busey starred in the movie "Bootleggers"? Gee, I went to see that movie when I was in college and never even noticed. I guess I should have paid more attention, to the movie, that is.

When my cousin was a teenager, he made a commerical to be shown at the drive-ins. He portrayed a frycook's apprentice. One evening, he went to the drive-in by himself in his `57 Chevy convertable and was watching trailers for coming attractions when the advertisement came up on the screen. He looked around and remembered he was alone so he just jumped up in his car and started yelling, "Hey! That's me! That's me!"

People thought he was nuts (I wonder why?). Anyhow, they showed that commercial for years in drive-ins across the nation.

re: Doug McAllister. The last I heard of Doug, he was in San Diego. He had been a reporter at KFMB-TV there for years. I believe he was hired by Jim Holtzman when he went there as news director. McAllister (and Holtzman) left KFMB-TV years ago. Think Jim is still doing PR work and not sure if Doug is still in town. Margaret Radford has made the rounds of all the affiliates in San Diego and is still at KNSD-TV, the NBC O&O, and has survived the latest NBC purge there.

Ahhhh! King Edward Cigar Time! Forgot all about it from DXing Nawrlins stations!

Rollin' with Bolin stuck in my brain too-IN DC I worked with a John Bolen - now in CA doing audio mixing and some time here way back when - I burbled a "Rollin' with Bolin" remark at him and had to explain what it meant. I have lived too many places with people and thangs is all a'jumbled inside my tiny brain.....

Someone mentioned a "Jonathon" hosting the John Chick show. That was Jonathon Jeffries, who was a director at the time. Last time anyone saw him he was working at a hardware store here in Tulsa.

MB mentions sponsored time checks. I spent some time in New Orleans as a kid, where WWL's (870-AM) time checks were sponsored by King Edward Cigars. It stayed that way until the early 1990's (I think), when all tobacco advertising left the airwaves.

Do you remember that Winston cigarettes sponsored early b/w versions of the Flinstones? The billboard showed Fred and Barney lighting up to enjoy!

Smoke'm if you got'em!

Right now the most irritating local commercial is some "Christian" singles dating service. The woman has a really grating voice and you hear "ARE YOU CHRISTIAN ARE YOU SINGLE?" AAARGH!!!!! one commercial that stands out from the 70's or early 80's was this Vietnamese guy doing a Der Wienerschnitzel commercial, he had a very thick accent and was naming off menu items. I thought it was a real hoot. I am, however, somewhat easily entertained.

I'm wondering if anyone remembers the overrun ads in the 70's for National Motor Company where the little comes out an says "My daddy gives the best car deals in the whoooooooooooole world!!!"

Also KVOO radio ran a spot for decades for Bolen Ford in Bristow with a Dixieland band singing "Keep rollin', with Bolen -Bolen has a deal that's right for you!"

Dougie Mac aka Doug McAllister I have heard a lot of stories on -from reporting in bigger markets to writing books to playing the stock market, but I don't know where he landed. Would be interesting to know. Bob Leder-who was a reporter at 8 with him - was for a long time a p.r. flack at American Airlines after leaving 8.....

Trying to see if any ex-Tulsans with CBS are here in DC for the mega-NBA week....

The most annoying commercial I ever saw on Tulsa television was for some auto dealer, whose name, blessedly, is forgotten. Unfortunately, I can't forget the portion of his commercials in which a child--his, I must assume--lisped the words "My Daddy say buy new car."

It probably accounted for fifteen additional homicides each year in Tulsa County.

I was just wondering....and remembering ...what ever happened to Doug McAllister and Jilda Unruh...I know Doug has a brother named Gordon who is a judge here, but I havent seen him around in sheesh over 20 years. Might help if I got out some...but anyway, anyone know?

I had a very surreal moment back in the Mazeppa days...I was about 13 yrs. old, and my cousin and I went to the movies in Waldron, AR. We saw a movie called "The Bootleggers" (I think that was the name). When we arrived home, we turned on "Mazeppa" and the first thing we saw was Teddy Jack Eddy (Gary Busey) with the same shirt on he had on in the movie (He starred in "Bootleggers")!! It was a gas station shirt with a name embroidered above the pocket ("Bud" or "Bubba" or something like that). This happened before I actually did any mind-altering substances. It's still weird to me. I need to get a life.

Time again to poll folks for what are/were the most memorable, but also most obnoxious commercials on air in Tulsey now and "back when" again. Haven't asked for this in a while....

Whom/what can you remember as THE most memorable but most irritating sponsor.....

"...'Cause we love folks!...".

When brother Ransom comes back from his well-deserved vacation and resumes webmeister duties - I told him I found a picture of a boyish Harry Volkman and KOCO's Fred Norman from from about 18 years ago - when Harry was visiting in OKC. It should be posted here.

Thanks to Don Norton on the Harry update. We need to get Harry and Ed Dumit on-line here!

I'm very sorry that I never got to meet Bill Tietgens (Teegins), but I left Tulsa for Texas several years before he left Nathan Hale High School. Edward Dumit told me, "After 25 years I remember Bill as one of my kindest, nicest, and most thoughtful students--a happy guy, full of joy."

A message from Harry Volkman via what you "computer freaks" call "snail mail," relative to Mike Bruchas' supposition that Harry and Ed Dumit rode city buses to TU together (true, sometimes) and that Harry lived west of the Arkansas river (not true).

Harry writes: "When I was at TU I lived at 1408 South Cheyenne--now torn down. I walked up to Fifth Street and took the bus out to college usually from Main or Boston....Sundays after choir at Boston Avenue (Methodist) I walked down to Smith's (restaurant) on 18th--next to the Louisiane, where I never ate--and spent half of my weekly check on a steak--about $10.

"Incidentally, I never crossed the Arkansas into Red Fork or Carbondale. About as far as I got was KTUL at 'Boulder on the Park'--Karl Jansen (sic) and Ed Niebling, et al."

For Erick: I must "confess" I've never listened to 1430 khz since I got back to Tulsa except for TU sports and Art Bell, the UFO man among other oddities (that basketball team of Howard and Haney is superb!). If I promise to try to catch Michael Del Giorno soon (what time is he on?) maybe you can find out for me why Mr. Haney is "J.B." on the broadcasts--he even recorded a spot that way--and "J.V." in print ads for his monthly television show and in a Tulsa People Magazine profile. I refuse to believe it's two different people--maybe he'll show his drivers license with his full name! As for Art Bell, he returns TONIGHT (Feb. 5) to about 475 stations, apparently not including 1430 kHz. Any Tulsan who wants to hear his show will have to break out a long-distance, super-sensitive antenna!

That photo of "Chuc Wagon" brought back a lot of memories. They, like Johnny Harden, were famous for "greasy hamburgers with steeeenky onions"! I remember they had real good limeades too. I think Tulsa had a hammerlock on the hamburger market for a lot of years.

re. Kim Alfano...

I worked with Kim as she spun Keating's first bid for Governor -- we were at the county jail, Frank was coming out of a cell, his first words in the spot were, "No, not -Charles- Keating, -FRANK- Keating. "

I really enjoyed working with her...

I celebrated my 4th birthday on the Mr. Zing and Tuffy Show, and COULDN'T have been happier about it! Free school cafeteria-style cups of ice cream, and, of course, John Chick himself! What could be better?!

About 15 years later, I had the privilege of appearing on "The John Chick Show". Unfortunately, John had already contracted his disease (MS or MD, I believe), and another nice gentleman named Jonathan something was hosting in his place. The FUNNY part was, being an irresponsible 19-year-old musician, I almost FORGOT the booking!

It was after midnight the DAY OF my scheduled appearance; I was playing "PONG" (!) at my friend Mark's (a then-drummer) house with he and bassist Kevin. Suddenly, and thankfully, my memory jarred me, and I exclaimed aloud "Holy **** - I'M `SPOSED TO BE ON JOHN CHICK'S SHOW IN 6 HOURS!!!" With Kevin, Mark and our friend Pat on guitar, (and NO sleep!) we performed JAZZ on the show; I remember "This Masquerade", George Benson style, "Green Dolphin Street", and our weak effort at simulating/satirizing country music, the Stones' "Faraway Eyes". The guys saved my rear at the last minute, and I NEVER forgot the time I ALMOST missed my appearance on the famous "John Chick Show"!

Kim Alfano - of Alfano Communications is one of our resident clients here in DC.

Got to see her "demo reel" video donut in the making today with testimonials from JC Watts, Frank Keating and Wes Watkins among others. Politicos generally do NOT do endorsements for folks that sculpt their campaigns - Kim got some good ones and had an excellent bed of material.

Yep - the further I gits from OK - the more I keeps on running into folks from Okie-land...

Late late last night on the drive home - on CBS Radio they had soundbites from NREC (National Rural Electric Cooperatives) Pres. and former central OK "congersman" and general nice guy, Glenn English - talking about the scary ramifications of the CA power...He has done well for himself and his NREC members.....

Re: my picture as Grandpa Hawkins...Grandpa was a character on the T-Town Jubilee show on Ch-2 in 1954. It was a 60 min C/W show on Saturday nights. The star was Marvin McCullough(sp?). He was the morning "country" DJ on KRMG. His program was the only C/W show in Tulsa. Marvin was very good at it and had a huge following. The last I heard of him, he was still on the air, someplace in Arkansas.

P.S., I look a lot like that picture today. Without any make-up.

Added a good bit to Noel's section of the Isabelle Ronan page. Also, look for other Tulsa Central alumni, very recognizable today.

After the demise of the Golden Days of Radio, stations in Tulsa tried different approaches to reach an audience, particularly KOME. Gone were the glory days when there were only three stations in town, each with its own network: KVOO(NBC), KTUL(CBS), and KOME(ABC). When NBC came under antitrust scrutiny for having two networks—the Red and the Blue—the Blue Network, with its lesser programs, was cut loose to become ABC. As a result, KOME always was behind KVOO and KTUL in listenership.

In the 1950s, KOME swung from one primary format to another in attempt to gain an audience: classical music, religion and local sports. It also dropped all network affiliation. The station carried the Tulsa Oilers with Hugh Finnerty (later Tony George) and TU basketball games with Tony George. It was during the emphasis on sports that a rather strange broadcast took place at the station.

TU freshman Bob Croskery was working at KOME as an announcer. He told me one day that he had just come from a broadcast of a high school wrestling tournament in which he performed the function as the “expert, color” man. I asked him what he knew about wrestling. He said, “Nothing. And neither did the ‘play-by-play’ announcer.”

When I asked him how in the world they could describe anything meaningful to the audience, he said, “Well, we would say that so-and-so was crawling on top of his opponent. Stuff like that.”

My next query was, “How could you ever sell the time?”

“We went to the most gullible advertiser we had, and told him about the proposed broadcast. He said, simply, ‘What’s it going to cost me?’ And, that was it.”

That was the last amateur wrestling broadcast KOME ever had. It was also probably the only radio broadcast of high school wrestling in the history of Tulsa radio.

Leroy McGuirk could have done color on that broadcast.

Looks like Tripod is having some server problems, so the main pages may be unreachable for awhile. Stay tuned!

why isn't his hair moving????

Here is a Mike Miller stand-up I shot 2-3 weeks ago in 10 degree weather and 20mph blowing wind!

I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to those of you who lost a friend in that tragic accident. One of the things that really ripped at me is how many young children and infants lost a father that they will never have the opportunity of knowing...

To KOTV's credit, their website is always slow to update to current news. And I think they mostly take AP wire stories. Also, they were one of the first Tulsa stations to raise the possibility that Bill Teegins was on the plane. Mike Wolfe and Paul Serrell were discussing the possibility, and Wolfe said he had paged Teegins several times and had called his home. The worst was shortly afterward when I flipped to KTUL. Jack Bunds was just updating the situation when he was apparently told over his earpiece that Teegins was on board. I think a less focused man would have broken down then and there. For a while before the details were clear, KOTV was simulcasting KWTV's coverage, and you could tell that the anchors feared the worst. They were all able to keep their cool. Especially Jenifer Reynolds, who joined KWTV about the same time Teegins did.

Thanks, Erick.

Here are stories about Bill Teegins from the Tulsa World:

Bill Haisten: Colleagues mourn for Teegins
Dave Sittler: Bill `n' Will: two alike for right reasons
John Klein: There was no way to prepare for this
Tom Dirato - 'Why was I spared?'

How sad it was to learn about the death of Bill Teegens (Tietgens). He was a great guy. He and I were classmates at the University of Tulsa in the early '70's. He was always friendly to everyone. One of the best memories I have of broadcasting classes at TU was announcing an exhibition TU baseball game against the Tulsa Oilers at old Oiler Park with Bill. He announced football and basketball for Tulsa in the late '80's on KRMG Radio and then OSU when he moved to OKC. He was the first TV guy in OKC to announce Tulsa scores. Even though he did OU and OSU stuff, he still had a deep love for TU. He was a big baseball fan. He will be missed. He was a friend to everyone.

Jim Back sent this link to a Bill Teegins bio on the KWTV site...the same info is now on KOTV's site.

KOTV under new ownership - no mention that former Sports Director Bill Teegins was among the those killed in the OSU crash. Sad. (Sent KOTV a couple of emails to let the webmaster know...MR)
...
Kathryn Kuhlman Show on 8 in the '70's but telecast nationally - remembered that she was either a relative or close friend of then Tulsa mega-car dealer Tink Wilkerson. It is a smaller world...

Got an e-mail from Randy Kindy also re Bill Teegins. J.Lee Ready and old TU classmates have been calling others who went to school with Bill in the '70's at TU. We are all in shock.

Randy - BTW - has been off work due to a detached retina since Xmas. We are all getting older I guess.

But for what happened to Bill Teegins...unthinkable.

Oh, Lord!

Yahoo says Bill Teegins WAS on the plane that went down. See quote:

"The victims were Oklahoma State players Nate Fleming and Daniel Lawson, sports information employee Will Hancock, Oklahoma State director of basketball operations Pat Noyes, trainer Brian Luinstra, broadcast engineer Kendall Durfey, Oklahoma City broadcaster Bill Teegins, pilot Denver Mills and co-pilot Bjorn Falistrom were on board the plane."

I figured it was some radio guy that I wouldn't know from Stillwater, not someone I went to school with....Can someone post Bill's KWTV bio here? I think he has a wife and kids....

I woke up at 6am to CBS radio and heard the story and was afraid it was someone I knew though....This is very sad.

Those of us who have been in the media (or still are) can imagine the emotions that must have played out in the KWTV newsroom in OKC Saturday night as they covered the OSU plane crash.

All 3 OKC TV stations had almost continuous coverage of the crash starting about 9:45 PM or so and continuing until nearly midnight. The drama became personal at Channel 9 as bits and pieces trickled in. When one of the reporters indicated he had just spoken to Tom Dirato (the color analyst on the OSU radio broadcasts) who had just made it back to Stillwater, and added that OSU play-by-play announcer and KWTV Sports Director Bill Teegins was not on either of the two planes that made it back, you could sense everyone in the newsroom suddenly frozen in shock. As the anchors tried to continue with their coverage, you could sense the range of emotions that hits anyone when they contemplate the ominous possibility that eventually proved true. But they had the added burden of being live on TV, with the responsibility to keep reporting the story and keep searching for the facts.

When a reporter for a Denver TV station said live on KWTV that she had learned "from sources" that the downed plane included "the radio play-by-play announcer" it was even more gut-wrenching.

Certainly our thoughts go out to the families of all the victims, but also my heart goes out to the broadcasters who had to keep reporting the story even as the news took a direct hit on a 13-year member of their TV family.

Thanks for your insight into this side of the story, Jim.

I just wanted to send my prayers out to Bill Teegins' family and the families of the other victims of the plane crash. They will all truly be missed. Tis a sad day. So many lost, their stories left untold. Again, my prayers to the families.

Update: OSU has established a web site about the crash: http://okstate.fansonly.com.

Mike, YES! I thought you guys were nuts when you headed out to the TV station in hopes of being live on The Uncanny Film Festival. I squealed so loudly when I saw you three that I woke up Bar & Big Joe (remember I was barely a teen at the time). I'm certain the line was "We didn't throw any snowballs, OCCIFER" whether intentional or not. I don't have a clue where Joe Hargrove is. Maybe a search for "Kowalski" would turn something up...but that's a different story.

"Vanishing Point"...that movie has been placed in the same august company as "Dirty Larry, Crazy Mary" and "Smokey and the Bandit" as a car chase film. Joe was definitely into Kowalski...a fine role model for all youth. (uh huh)

I'm glad you witnessed our moment of glory, "stars" on the Mazeppa show. I added your comments to the Origin page.

I regret to inform the readers here that former KOTV sports director Bill Teegins was killed Saturday evening in a plane crash in Colorado. This plane was carrying people associated with the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team, and was returning from a game. Bill had been the radio play-by-play voice for OSU for several years. Bill left KOTV for KWTV in OKC in 1987, but many people in Tulsa do remember him. He is from Tulsa, graduated from Hale High and the University of Tulsa. I met Bill a couple of times, and had the pleasure of communicating via email with him several times recently concerning an OKC TV site I've been working on, and I always found him to be kind and very personable. My thoughts are with Bill's wife and daughters, as well as the other 9 persons who died in this horrible accident.

Erick, I found this story on CNN about the terrible tragedy. Our deepest sympathy to the families, staff, team, friends and fans.

If anyone here from Tulsa went to or remembers McLain High School, I would like for you to protest the changing of the name our Super (Dr. Sawyer) is going to try to do on Feb. 5. The alumni (all years) are E-mailing & doing what I am right now to prevent it. We think it stinks...ya know? Hamiljo@tulsaschools.org. He is a friend of the alumni & is helping. Also head of TPS PR. Also an old chan. 41/radio guy. He's expecting a lot of mail.

Here is a story in the Tulsa World about the proposed name change.

An example of the hysteria caused by the McCarthy period and the Cold War can be found in the preparation for a KRMG Newsmobile broadcast in 1957. Larry Strain had a lady friend who had an avocation of airplane spotting for the government. Larry asked me if I wanted to go with him to watch her perform her patriotic duty.

We met the woman at the National Bank of Tulsa building, and ascended to the tower, where we could see in all directions. It was a beautiful view of Tulsa. But, we were not there to enjoy the view. We were on a mission of helping to protect our fair city from the nasty “Rooskies.”

The lady explained that, because the Russians might fly airplanes under our defensive radar blanket, we needed to observe the skies and report all aircraft we could see. As we scanned the heavens for the approach of Armageddon, we spied an airliner. She hopped to the phone, and made a long-distance report to the Kansas City processing center. “Alfa, Baker, Kilo, Kilo, Gulf. I have an American Airlines flight heading northeast at about 3,000 feet.”

She returned with a satisfied smile on her face. Larry then spotted a Piper Cub out for a spin. Our heroine rushed back to the phone. “Alfa, Baker, Kilo, Kilo, Gulf. I have a single-engine plane--probably a Piper Cub—on a southwesterly course at about 4,000 feet.”

I asked her why she reported all airplanes, even commercial airliners that were landing at the airport as well as such a non-threatening thing as a Piper Cub. She replied that those were her orders. The people at the federal agency told her that atomic bombs possibly could be placed in any type of aircraft.

We stayed there until it became dark, enjoying the darkening, soft view of our beautiful city, and reporting on each aircraft we could see. I had qualms about the long-distance telephone bill that the taxpayers had just paid for, but I had a warm feel from knowing that, at least for now, the Tulsa skies had been made safe from a Soviet attack and nuclear incineration.

For more about this period in Tulsa, take a look at Tulsa Radio in the Fifties on this site.

I must say to Becca from Mecca that I rarely ever just stood around. Sometimes I languished or kanoodled.

I came to KOTV in June of '57, so I can't speak to what actually went on from '49 on. I do know from reading and talking to others that if you mentioned TV, a "Talent Show" broke out.

When I did "Dance Party" and "Sun-Up", we regularly had entertainers on, but I never remember any regularly scheduled show, and there would not be any kinescopes, etc. available.

KTVU in the Bay area helped popularize Roller Derby, mentioned by Becca in the previous Guestbook. KTVU's site even provides the rules of the game in their entirety!. Other interesting pages on their site: All Star Wrestling (featuring Ernie Ladd, who appeared in Tulsa), Creature Features and Classic Commercials. John Stanley, one of the "Creature Features" hosts, wrote a book of the same title, which can be found in the Tulsa TV Memories Gift Shop. It is a sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie guide.

OK you guys, my dad is looking for some info and I assured him this was THE PLACE for answers. He and some friends were on some talent or music show locally done in the 50's on KOTV. He wants to know the name of the show, any information on it, and if at all possible would there be some old film or tapes of it somewhere? He is also remembering that Lee Woodward might have been involved or just starting there or something. SO, whaddayaknow?

Well, Lee did host "Dance Party" early on, but if Lee is reading this, maybe he can fill us in directly. Before Lee, Chris Lane hosted "Party Line" on KOTV. It is very unlikely that any film or video from a 50s local TV show would have survived, unfortunately.

Just archived Guestbook 70, where we heard from Becca and several other visitors for the first time. You may wish to look back at it to catch up.

Mike Douglas and Donohue were discussed from personal experience. The wreck of OKC Channel 4's truck and other mishaps were remembered. Links to articles about the restoration of the Atlas Life neon sign in Tulsa were given. We heard from Ken Broo, from Lee Woodward about his early radio days, and from many other regular contributors.

The webmaster got a new computer, so look for new scanned photos this week!