Seems that the hallowed KVOO calls weren't Journal Broadcasting's only victim.

Was talking via email with a friend in Omaha who informed me that Journal bought and changed the calls of WOW-AM about 4 years ago, with promises not to touch WOW-FM's calls.

WOW-FM ceased to exsist just 2 years later.

Hopefully, we'll have KVOO-FM for a while longer...

Actually, the Plenty Scary Movie was on at 11:30. We used to run an hour show at 10:30 Mon-Fri. It changed over the years. Ironside, Star Trek, Gunsmoke, etc.

Plenty Scary Movie...in fact, didn't that get supplanted by some monster movie show from Chicago with a guy named Ed and his cat, "Caffina". Seems like Ed looked alot like Larry King.

I remember many happy hours sitting in front of our telelvision watching KTUL-TV. I am the only kid I know about that used to watch the 6 O'clock news every evening to see what Gusty would be doing. And of course I never missed Uncle Zeb's cartoon camp, because they had the best cartoons. I even got to be on the show when I was 8. And one of my fondest memories, is when I would stay the night with my grandparents, they got up early, I remember getting up with them, and sitting in my granfathers lap watching the John Chick Show with him while my Grandmother prepared breakfast. But does anybody remember "The Plenty Scary Movie"? If I remember correctly it came on every Saturday night @ 10:30, immediately following the 10 PM news broadcast. Thanks channel 8, for all the memories. 8's still the Place!

What! You mean all those broadcasts I did vanished into the ether?

Mitch, I for one (and one for me!) really don't care for "live" type chatter. My Mate seems to like it, but then she is somewhat younger than I and can operate on a quicker and, yea verily, higher level than yours truly. Besides that....it could easily turn into a T&A thing like ABC did long ago.

Heaven forbid! Actually, I'm not too worried about that. I've considered adding live chat, but it has one major drawback: it is ephemeral. I would hate to see memorable stories vanish into the ether, much like an electromagnetic wave.

Since TTM is such a terrific site, how difficult would it be to have a live chat room?

Mitch

Due to the bridge collapse tragedy along I-44 on Sunday, KTUL's coverage of the Indy 500 was interrupted often. The station did do a "picture in picture" thing with the race in a tiny box on the top left of the screen. Still, many viewers were unhappy with this and voiced their disappointment on KTUL's Sunday night sports call-in show.

My opinion is, breaking news comes before any sporting event. Period. KTUL tried to limit their coverage to commercial breaks.

A couple of mentions of TTM out there today:

Tom Jackson's On The Web column in the Lawton Constitution, and Gael Cooper's Pop Culture Junk Mail.

Jim Reid is right! Cecil's last name is Norris.

On the air during the final days of 970/KAKC he called himself Cecil B. That's probably where I got confused. I'm sure our Webmaster can fix it. (Done...webmaster) It's good to see Chris Fleming's pic. Wonder where she is now?

Speaking of the Webmaster...FANTASTIC job with all of the Channel 8 pics, as well as the successful diet for the newscast audio track!

It's back to the Webbers Falls compound for me today after some sleep. Seeing many old faces working for a number of local and national news organizations. 'Tis a shame our reacquaintance is due to such a tragedy.

I enjoyed reading Sonny's play by play of the 1978 KTUL newscast. I was probably doing projection on that night, because there weren't many of us around. That was the month after Chris Fleming left. How's that for memory? Just don't ask me what I had for lunch today. One question....wasn't Cecil the audioman's last name Norris?

I, too, deplore the loss of the KVOO call letters. Someone doesn't understand the value of tradition. I grew up in Tulsa when KVOO was THE POWERHOUSE! I was on the air there while still in high school. I was later Chief announcer for the then-new KVOO-TV and we hired my boyhood heroes from radio for part-time booth work. I had a tough time in refraining from calling them "MISTER."

I am amazed at broadcast people speaking of a campaign to the new owners about format changes and/or call letters. Since when did the suits ever care about anything other than selling time amd/or ratings? Give it a try. It might make you feel better, but take it from an old timer, "Don't hold your breath."

Read more about Noel's broadcast career on the Tulsa Radio: Central High alumni page.

Question for John Hillis...

If the station swap goes through, any thoughts on how that may affect network affiliation? I know the SF station recently went to NBC or from NBC. I can't off the top of my head remember if Granite owns KRON (ex-NBC) or KNTV (current NBC).

(Erick later added:) 86 my past comments. Looks like Granite owns the WB station in SF.

Rumors, we hear rumors, but only third- hand...A local broadcasting discussion web site here in the Washington area reports that the News Blues web site reports that Granite broadcasting will swap its San Francisco and Detroit TV stations to Scripps-Howard in return for Scripps' Baltimore ABC affil, WMAR and KJRH.

If it doesn't happen, it won't be the first time that News Blues has been inaccurate.

Here's a ex-Tulsa TV update. Former KJRH meteorologist Gary Shore is now the chief meteorologist at KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa. A link to his bio appears below.

http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=492783&nav=1kgt70eW4y3O

Hey kids, it's the last day of school. Bring those report cards to Bell's and for every "A", you'll get two free ride tickets. WOOHOO!!! Great memories from the late 60's.

Jerry Dunphy passed. Here's a msg. from the KCAL Website.

"We are devastated by the loss of our dear father Jerry Dunphy. To us, he was our beloved father, grandfather, and great grandfather. To the people of Southern California, he served as a constant beacon of truth and guidance in our ever changing world. We ask you to share in our celebration of an American life well lived, with the peace of knowing he is now with God. From the desert to the sea to all eternity, we bid our Father a fond farewell." -The Dunphy Family

Okay, I surrender! Mr. Hillis has "nailed" me! I was a little too anxious to get my condemnation of the change from KVOO to KFAQ on record that I relied too much on memory.

Quick research shows that in 1980, Channel Two's call letters were changed from KTEW (previously KVOO-TV) to KJRH to honor JACK R. HOWARD, chairman of Scripps Broadcasting (maybe that was to compensate him for having his name dropped out of the corporate name, which is now just SCRIPPS BROADCASTING).

Thanks a lot, John, for keeping me honest. We old-timers have to watch our memories closely.

I always thought KJRH was for Jack Howard, one of the Howards in Scripps-Howard, and, I'm told, the guy who did the big push for Scripps to go into broadcating TV. (Brag: I won a national Scripps-Howard Award a few years back, and had a nice dinner in Cincinnati with the S-H people.)

Scripps also was owner for a long time of UPI, until they sold out to a successive chain of foreign money people around the mid-80s. UPI was scrappy and understaffed, but did the first wire written for radio, and to my mind was always a little better written than AP.

One early memory I have from visiting relatives in Okla. was that big voice with the reberb that did the station id--Kaaaaaayyy-Veeeeeeeeee-Ohhhhhhh-Ohhhhhhhhh, the 50 thousand watt Voice of Oklahoma." Hail and farewell, old friend. Let me off at Archer, I'll walk down to Greenwood.

To answer the question about an all classical music station in Tulsa, the webmaster is correct in saying that we at KWGS want to launch a second station devoted to that very thing. However, I have to quibble with his use of the word "soon." We would be delighted with any interpretation of "soon" becoming a reality. However, our application for the second station has been in front of the FCC for 7 years. That's SEVEN years. Seven human years. Same time frame as the bad luck you get when you break a mirror. So no one out there hold your breath, but our hope is that, in our lifetime, we will have an all-classical, non-commercial station in the Tulsa market.

From the comments made on this site (e.g., Jim Ruddle's in Guestbook 106), the FCC sounds about as effective as a WWF referee (yes, I know, it's WWE now).

If you previously bookmarked this site, then starting today, you may experience being forwarded on to http://tulsaTVmemories.com. That's where you thought you were, right? The URL you probably bookmarked was formerly set up to forward you to TTM at webdub.com/tulsatv.

Thanks to Tim Schmitz of WebDub.com, "http://tulsaTVmemories.com" will now always be the base URL address you see in your browser (oops, except for the current Guestbook...that's another story).

Also, the server that now hosts this site is in a different physical location, no longer in some Dallas building's snack room (?!)

The best thing to do is to go to http://tulsaTVmemories.com and save it as a bookmark. The version of TTM at webdub.com/tulsatv is no longer being updated, and will soon have the plug pulled on it. Sorry to burden you with this technical stuff, but some of you will want to know.

Plug: WebDub is a way for professionals to deliver high quality media files to customers in TV/radio via the internet. If you are in advertising or production and this sounds intriguing, please email Tim from WebDub.com.

Saw former KRMG and KOTV newsman Bob Losure hosting an infomercial for a weight loss product this weekend. I knew he was living semi-retired since he parted CNN a couple of years back. I think he also does a lot of speaking engagements.

In answer to Mike Bruchas' question: KCMA is no more, as you may know. The frequency, 92.1, is now the home of top 40 Kiss 92.1

Bob is up to several things these days: BobLosure.com and Bellissima of Tulsa

What happened to KCMA - I thought it was sold. The WFMT-like station in Tulsey?

As previously mentioned here - in the early 70's KORU-FM, KAKC-FM AND KWGS had classical music with KWON or its FM sister station in Bartlesville having classical offerings. What are the B-ville stations playing now????

Is there any chance of Tulsa radio having a station for classical music?

Mitch

I believe that KWGS 89.5 is to have a classical sister station soon (NOT; see Casey Morgan's note, 4 up from here). And KWGS programs some classical on weekday evenings. The commercial classical station we had was converted to the "Soft Oldies" format a couple of years ago (with "Morning Mouth" Mike McCarthy).

Just wanted to chirp in and say while KVOO wasn't my favorite Tulsa station while I was growing up in Bartlesville, my Dad listened to it all the time, so I heard it whether wanted to or not!

I feel KVOO's move to Talk/News will bomb big time - there's no way they will compete against KRMG even with their former PD, and older listeners who are used to AM radio will have to switch to FM for country music, and once they do, most never return to AM.

Clear Channel here in Shreveport did the same dumb thing to KWKH-AM when they changed from Full Service Country to Talk/Sports in 1998. The station fell out of the Top 10 for good - not even a six month return to country oldies could save them. Now they are back to (Fox Network) Sports and are down near the bottom with the religious and low powered AM stations.

The people at Journal Broadcasting have made some bone-headed mistakes over the past year with call letters. They changed KFDI-AM in Wichita to KFTI, and changed WOW-AM/FM's calls in Omaha. These people have no respect for radio's rich history, and I hope the new KFAQ won't get any respect from Tulsa radio listeners.

Billy G. Spradlin

For your roots country music fix, Classic Country with Terrell Lester can be heard on KRSC-FM 91.3 every Saturday morning from 8 am - 12 pm. You can also listen online.

KVOO-FM remains in a country format at 98.5 with Dick Loftin, and Bob Cooper, who moved over from the AM side. Dick told us about his background and about KVOO's ownership history near the top of Guestbook 71.

Other local radio alternatives are on the Tulsa Radio: Yesterday and Today page.

Sure like to hear from the KVOO "Master"...Billy Parker.

Edwin is working on getting us more MAINTAIN material.

Billy's show with John Wooley can still be heard on KFAQ-AM 7-9 am Saturdays and 10-midnight Sundays. I believe it will also play on KVOO-FM, but I don't have the times.

1/2003: This show is no longer in existence.

10/2003: It's back with John Wooley only on KWGS-FM, 89.5, Saturday nights from 7 to 8.

Brian, I can tell you that the decision to change the call letters was not made in Tulsa, the decision was made in some board room in Milwaukee.

If anyone chooses to voice their displeasure over the call letter change, there's a message board on KFAQ's website:

www.1170kfaq.com

Some weeks later: the board was taken down.

I too want to add my 5 cents on the change in call letters at KVOO. What kind of idiot decided to change the call letters in the first place? Michael Del? KVOO is not only a Tulsa station but millions of people were able to turn to 1170 on their radios and hear KVOO coming in loud and clear. I cannot begin to count the times that I have been out driving far from Tulsa and tuned to 1170 KVOO "The Voice of Oklahoma". Does anyone know the reasons the higher ups decided on this change? Maybe, perhaps maybe if enough people flooded the corporate office with enough snail mail, emails, phone calls demanding the return of KVOO "The Voice of Oklahoma". Power to the people of Tulsa and the West. Let your voice be heard!!!!

Sorry to hear about Jerry Dunphy. I think he has worked at every LA station in his career. His famous opening to the news is something like "From the desert, to the ocean, to all of California. Good evening."

Liberals, aka "left-wingers." The political bird flies both ways, y'know.

Hopefully, it won't nest here.

KCAL (Los Angeles, Ch. 9) news announced tonight that veteran L.A. TV news anchor Jerry Dunphy suffered an "acute heart attack" and has been hospitalized. No further details were available.

I'll join the criticism of the new KFAQ. Took a listen last night, and it sounds very similar to when KTBZ 1430 switched to talk. I immediately thought former KRMG talker Michael Del Giorno had a hand in it, as he did with KTBZ when he was the head of Tulsa's Clear Channel Radio stations. Not moments later, I heard a commercial for Del Giorno's afternoon show on KTBZ.

Also, a warning, the national guy on at 8pm (name is something Savage), is VERY right wing. All liberals should steer clear!

Does anyone recall KTUL's "Beyond Control Theater?" I believe it ran during the mid 60's at 12:30 AM on Saturday nights and was 8's answer to 2's "Fantastic Theater."

The opening was a camera's POV as it dollied through the gate of a rickety picket fence (sound efx included shuffling feet), climbed the front porch steps of a dilapidated old house and entered the front door. Inside, a disembodied head (appearing underlit by a flashlight) introduced the featured horror film. I remember one of the films being "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."

I don't recall BCT remaining on the schedule for more than a year, but for a kid sitting in the dark and watching a small b/w TV, the show had a very creepy opening.

Mitch

You can see it listed on this site's 1965 TV schedule with your comments.

Hey, nice web site...! Regarding Mazeppa Pompazoidi....well, he was a pretty kewl dude way back in the day. Bet ya didn't know this but Gailard Sartain once got into a Giant Pickle Fight at a local area McDonald's. Yep. (Bad Boy Gailard.)

Also, if you are wondering how that great big "Tulsa Driller" Sculpture came to be....well, I heard tell that a couple of Tulsa artists entered a Sand Castle Contest on Riverside Drive years and years ago...and...ummmmm...well, they got sorta carried away with a buildin' and a buildin' this huge sand sculpture...and as things went...it ended up the Tulsa Driller....! True story.

I'm in complete agreement with my friend Lee Woodward's blast at the change from KVOO to KFAQ. However, a little nit-picking: when the "geniuses" at Corinthian took over KOTV in the middle-1950s (maybe a little before Lee's arrival) the thought among the Wall Street financiers was that since 11 p.m. news had always been the norm on the east coast that they would give Tulsa 10:30 news and make us like it. Besides, that would give KOTV the opportunity to run in another lucrative syndicated show at 10 p.m. When that failed, they cut down the already tiny news department and told Cy Tuma to prepare a five-minute newscast to be inserted at the beginning of a 10:30 p.m. movie (fortunately, I was still strong at noon). And that, my friends, was the beginning of the shift to Jack Morris on KTVX-KTUL and even Chris Condon on KVOO-TV whose bosses had the good sense to realize that this part of the country, having gotten used to 10 p.m. news on radio, was not going to give it up after the new stations allowed the opportunity of moving televised news to 10 p.m. from 11 p.m. where KOTV first had it (because the station had to show programs from at least three networks).

I'm sure Lee remembers that Scripps-Howard first changed KVOO-TV to KTEW (closest they could get to Two) and then to KJRH for J. R. Hodges, a Scripps-Howard icon.

Mayfest press release:

Mayor LaFortune and last year's Mayfest Artist Gailard Sartain will ceremoniously open Oklahoma's premier festival on Thursday, May 16 at Bartlett Square, 12:00 noon.

Promising to be a moving and emotional event, artist/actor Mr. Sartain will pass the first corndog to the mayor before the band begins playing.

Mayfest runs May 16 through May 19 in downtown Tulsa. This is Mayfest's 30th year. Visit the web site: www.tulsamayfest.org.

Note: the acrylic painting currently displayed on the main page was done by Gailard Sartain for the Mayfest poster last year. This year's poster is by artist Paul Davis...see it on the Mayfest web site. Other Paul Davis posters can be seen on his web site: www.okdavis.com/pd/posters/postergallery.html.

I also see that artist Monte Toon of KTUL has two works of art in the Mayfest gallery this year.

Giving up the KVOO AM call letters has got to be one of the more stupid moves in broadcasting in recent memory. The move to all talk is equally interesting. There is not much competition in that area in radio or television. Right? These people must be relatives of the New York types who, back in the late 60's decided that since the news ratings were so good at 11:00 in New York City, why...we'll just have the KOTV News at 11:00 P.M. in Tulsa too! "DUH!"

I'm sure Doc Hull is turning in his crypt.

Mentioning memorable voices from KVOO, how about Jack Campbell, the Sims brothers and a long list of "Who's who" talent.

Let me ask this question: What was the effect when Scripps-Howard came in and changed KVOO-TV to KJRH? "It's in the Book," as someone used to say.

Well, seems I couldn't stay away from the news biz forever. Now in Ramallah on the West Bank for NBC News as a correspondent for MSNBC. Been working for them since September 12th...'nuff said.

Spent too many months at Ground Zero and too many weeks in Kandahar. Completing my first month in the Middle East.

How nice this site is when one is a long way from home.

Regards to all...

Welcome back, Jim. Last time Jim checked in (Guestbook 71), he had semi-retired and was being a househusband/homemaker. What a difference a year can make. Take extra care!

Driving home from a night shift, I just heard Bob O'Shea on 50,000 watt KVOO-AM acknowledging many names from KVOO's long history, such as Harold Stuart, Jay Jones and Billy Parker. These were KVOO-AM's final moments of existence. The last three songs ever to be heard on KVOO-AM were "Hello Out There" (Billy Parker), "T-U-L-S-A, Straight Ahead" (Asleep at the Wheel) and "Take Me Back To Tulsa" (Bob Wills).

On KFAQ's inaugural program, we immediately learned from syndicated talker Laura Ingraham that jeans slung low on women's hips and multiple earrings are disgusting, and were treated to her crude Hispanic impersonation.

After all this discussion, I am surprised that no one mentioned that David Gates was married to Jo Rita Miller, who was right close to being the most beautiful woman ever born in Tulsa.

She can be seen near the bottom of this page: http://www.mid-tn.com/bread/tourphot.htm

Vernon Potts owned a former school bus that was loaded with sound gear. I worked with him on drag races at the Tulsa North Airport (along with Keith Bretz) and at the Easter Pageant at Memorial Park.

To Mike Bruchas: Thank you! Like Rex Daugherty I was laid off from Williams Communications on January 15. I was hired to be News Engineer for Fox 23's startup operation on January 18. The people here are top-notch and I expect great things to come. One of my tasks last week was to set up Sunday's satellite feed to the Speed Channel. Small world!

A regret I have from the WCG days is that there was a guy I should have met, and probably did but don't remember doing so. He was in the same group as me doing property easement work for our fiber construction operation. They called him Sammy.....Sam Stewart. Once I realized it he was already gone with one of the early rounds of layoffs.

Mr. Ransom's review of David Gates' free concert (in the previous Guestbook) reminds me of a former Tulsa area sound man named Vernon Potts. His name was "borrowed" for the lead character in the 1974 cult movie "Twisted Brain".

Archived Guestbook 107...