UHF did have its moments. I'm suprised it didn't do better at the box office, but from what I understand it opened against some heavy competition that summer ("Batman" for instance).

"UHF" - THE MOVIE! I thought I was the only crazy ex-Tulsan to love it - as bad as it is! I loved seeing T-town throughout it and may have been the only person in Edmond, OK at the $1 movie house to watch it when it first came out.

Let's hear it for "Wheel of Fish"! Also the scene where Raoul of "Raoul's Wild Kingdom" shot at the old apt.building by City Plaza is delivered some badgers - "Badgers! Badgers! Don't need no stinkin' badgers!"....Sorry, John Huston.

See the movie to see what Raoul did with the animals.....

The UHF TV station is on west Edison on the south side of the road, west of Central H.S. and east of Sand Springs. As with all movie sets and locations, it is nondescript, looks like an old transmitter shack and antenna in the middle of an over-grown field. It has a big asphalt parking lot, fragmented by weeds and time. You can drive right up to the old building.

Wilma Jean Cummins, one of the many Tulsans who had been cast in the movie, walked up to me yesterday and said, "I heard your voice over here and knew it was you, so I had to come over and say 'Hi!'. Do you remember me?"

I said, "Of course I do! In fact, I just saw 'UHF' on TV a few days ago!" Mrs. Cummins asked, "Are they still showing that thing?"

No doubt about it, UHF is still popular. My teenagers watch it everytime they get a chance. So do I.

P.S. Loved the picture of L&L and Miss PPPB

Check out the new comments from Lee about this picture at the top of the Lee & Lionel page today!

I have a question regarding the movie "UHF" ....where were the exteriors of the TV station (looks like an abandoned transmitter) shot? I heard it was possibly out west of Sand Springs.

Thanks Mr. Bruchas for your answers. I wonder if you knew my wife's father, Ken Vandever. Ken was unable to see his youngest daughter get married. Thanks, Mr. Harm, you were something else. What else I cannot write down for public viewing. (In Cindy's humble opinion and mine.)

I remember George's goodies, also. The broadcast mixer board in particular. You never knew when the thing was going to die in the middle of a broadcast during its maiden voyage. It sure livened things up!! He was an innovator and a lot of his "brewed-up" gadgets are today's standards.

I saw were Lee added that Clyde Parker was gay. Any man that can walk up to me at the KOTV Christmas party and say that, "I just love your father", had to have had a different outlook on life. Clyde was a true showman and could probably done a lot better than Tulsa. He had the "right stuff" to make our little station seem so big. Good man, good director, enuff said.

By the way, KFMB-TV in San Diego was started by the original group that owned KOTV before the Corny folks and D&B. They were still running the SUN-UP show, when I got there in 1974. Sarah Purcell got her start there co-hosting SUN-UP. The layout of the station was so much like KOTV, that I felt right at home from the start. It was like finding the same old familar coffee shop 1800 miles away.

Tell Mazeppa that I still had the original 7-UP Flicking light that he gave me up until my first daughter was two. Yeah, you guessed it, CRASH!!!

I got my 7Up lamp through eBay. Did a little research on the flickering bulb. They can still be had for about $100(!), so I passed and went with the modern equivalent from Lightgraphix. According to reports, the flickering filament bulbs didn't last too long, anyway!

Don Norton is right: One of the two is Miss Peter Pan, but I can't be sure which.

Woodward, jump in here and tell us when you came to KOTV; it was '56 or '57 wasn't it? And what was the name of the woman who was Dale Hart's secretary who did the Lionel voice at one point?

On another subject, there was (and perhaps still is) the matter of clients who either did their own commercials or had a son/daughter/cousin do them. Sometimes, a company would dragoon an employee to act as their spokesman, and sometimes it worked. There were the others.

Case in point: Some company in Tulsa, OG&E, Public Service, somebody like that, had a co-op commercial schedule for a weekly show that ran in the evening. It had to do with electrical appliances--stoves, washing machines, etc.

On one memorable night, the item being flogged was a refrigerator. The company had sent a lovely young woman down to the station to deliver the pitch. She was truly gorgeous and, in rehearsal, had performed well, if a bit on the nervous side. The spot was to open on a medium shot of this doll-face standing in front of the all-white fridge. She would present her little spiel, about a paragraph's worth, open the top-door freezer, and step aside, at which point the camera would dolly in to a studio card cleverly placed in the freezer compartment that gave the price, or some other detail about the refrigerator. As I say, it looked like it would run on rails.

Bardgett or Dave Davis was the director.

It's showtime!

The red light goes on and we see something blur down out of frame, leaving the old orthicon tube burning on the bright white exterior of the refrigerator. No girl in sight. Because the door was still closed, there was no place to go but black. Another make good loomed.

What went wrong? Simple. She fainted. Just as the camera came on, she dropped out of the picture like a poleaxed calf. All kinds of pandemonium ensued, in the control room where they were desperate to get something on the air, and on the floor where they had a casualty of broadcasting lying at their feet.

Those of us who were trying to make a living as live broadcasters smiled smugly and gave each other the 1950's equivalent of a high five.

The last time I used the word "poleaxed" was in a "Three Stooges" movie review.

That looks like Miss Peter Pan Peanut Butter with Lee Woodward in your latest opening photograph--circa l954 or l955, I think!

And quite a strapping wench she is!

Reading laments regarding long ago facilities, I must nominate the original KVOO-TV studios, 3rd floor, Akdar Shrine bldg. KRMG had the 1st floor, all air conditioned and frosty. Upstairs...a sweat box. The studio w/lights on was hell--the 2nd.The tiny announcer's booth was a copy of phone booths everywhere. I grant you there were window units elsewhere, but they were too noisy for the studio in the first days. Howsomeever, I couldn't believe that Tulsa decided to tear down that lovely old building...or the Ritz theater. They were irreplacable. It was all done while I was living in California. Let that be a lesson, you turn your back for a mere 40 years..and look what happened!

I have a nice B & W picture of the Akdar Shrine building which I will get into the Briefcase when I regain my scanning capability (in the next 2 weeks or so).

Roy Byram asked - when was I at 6? From August '76 thru end of Sept.'77. I knew Dick Schaan from TU though 4-5 years before - he was in my dorm when he went back to school full time after the service. Dick I think finally got a PhD in Library Sciences from OU or TU. Remember when he commuted to OKC for classes, too.

Worked with the late Wayne Johnson but never knew the Bob Mills connections till after he died (I am a Wills fan); Dick Schaan; George in film make-up; John Gurkowski; Brad McLaughlin; Stu Odell; Theda Newkirk (whom I believe I heard also has died); Paul (?); Bob (I forgot his name!); Leon Rolllerson; Mr. Bill from the xmitr ditto Brad's Dad, Gordon McLaughlin; Neal Wiilits; Irv Johnson; Buddy N Leon from Studio; Chan was CE in my time there. I was lucky enough to get to meet MR. TV NEWS - Ralph Bardgett.

I have probably forgotten a lot of folks but we had fun making George Jacobs "inventions" work -- or at least bitching about them!

A mention of WBAP in Ft. Worth jarred my memory banks.

Both Bob Mills and I worked there in the mid fifties. We were hired at KOTV by Dale Hart who had worked there in the early fifties. Bob came to 6 after me. I detoured to KRBC-TV in Abilene Texas (The Outhouse of the Industry) to break into TV. Then spent nine months trying to break out! Since (if I am correct) WBAP went on air in 1949, we were pioneers. I worked for the FM sector there (we did not ring the cow bell in FM.) The TV side was a closed shop with Frank Mills, Tom Mullarky etc. One Booth Announcer was Melvin Dacus who was an Operatic Baritone who ended up running Ft. Worth's Casa Manana. (Opera Co.)

This is a long intro into describing the terrible conditions in studio at that time. This was just after they had gotten rid of the "Water cooled Lights!" I remember it taking them an hour to bring the lights up to full intensity. The anchors wore this heavy gray makeup and during commercials had to be touched up because of the excess heat. I know it must have been 120 degrees or better on the set. They wore no pants and had stage coats to wear over celluloid "Dickies." This was a device that had a tie painted onto a replica of a shirt collar. Just what would be visible underneath a coat. No ordinary cotton shirt or tie would last five minutes.

The cameras were B&W and one was mounted on a large Hollywood seesaw crane that could take the camera down to a foot off the floor. Fantastic facility and a great history.

I was at KOTV as a broadcast engineer from 01/1970 until 8/1974. Denny Delk, KTBA-FM dj and KOTV cameraman/announcer, helped me move to San Diego. I lived in Tulsa from age 3 until age 23. My home was one block east of the KVOO radio xmitter on 11th st. I remember listening to KAKC and KELI as a pre-teen and as a teen. I saw Mr. Zing and Tuffy get plastered at the Rolling Hills Country Club and Golf Course during a kiddie show performance (what a blow to a 15 year old second cook, whose dad was executive chef). Tulsa was, is and always will be in my blood.

I need to ask Mike Bruchas a question. When were you at KOTV? Have we ever met? You seem to Chan, how about the other members of the engineering team? I would really like to chew over old times. Dick Shawn, Roy Morris, Clark Wilson, et al.

Jerry Pippin is doing a segment on KBIX (which you can hear on the internet) about Chris Lane on Friday, June 16, 8:30-9:00 p.m. CST. If you worked with Chris, or have a story about him, you may wish to contact Jerry via email.

The Videocruiser was gone from KOTV by the time I got there so I don't know if it came from Houston but they had the "bunny bread truck" with a couple of cameras and toy switcher which they did the opening of the then NEW Woodland Hills Shopping Center and pre-empted a soap opera for it! Maybe this came from Houston - it was lent to KXTV in Sacramento and never came back. Some thought it high tech but 8's old ex-mobile post office truck had better gear. I think if 6 did a remote - they threw a 3/4" deck in the bunny bread truck. They never knew how to use or sell it - but KAKE and KARD in Wichita had trucks like this and did Noon shopping center remotes and remote news broadcasts all the time with theirs.

Frank Morrow - see earlier guestbooks on portable ENG cameras in town.

Rocky Stegman - former Mr. Susan Bunn and another 6 escapee had - I believe the first portable color 3/4" based camera for production in Tulsa. He was with KOTV News initially. Started Bunn-Stegman Productions.

Though I may be blurry brained - I remember Beau Anello shooting for Stunkard-Phipps Productions at about the same time, so it may be a tie in that regard to which Company got in the independent production business first. Jim Stunkard and son run a plate painting store in Tulsa (he also has ties with a Tulsey band doin' gigs), Terry Phipps I think is still doing motorboat race coverage for some biggie boat/motor company. Jim and Terry were both former very good TV time salesmen that jumped on the bandwagon with this then new technology. Jim reads this page - maybe he can fill in the gaps here in my brainwaves.

Both firms had Sony color cameras like 6's initial types. Is Stegman Productions still listed in the Tulsa phone book???

We need Exec. VP Chris Miller from Fairview/AFX - now MCSI - in Tulsa to tell us about his days in this same time frame at Oral Roberts' TV facility. Chris also later was with another Tulsey based production company that regreattably went under, I can't remember the company name but I do remember them doing multi-camera set-ups at the opening of Williams Center. When they started - they had better, bigger more high tech gear than the 2 other firms mentioned above....

Rocky Stegman is listed...I'll give him a call today.

RE: Chan Allen - he has gone to the big repair shop in the sky - maybe 10 years ago I heard. I believe Don Stafford may have been his replacement or in a KOTV re-shuffle maybe Dick was brought in as Chief and Chan demoted to Maint. Supv. - maybe John Hillis remembers....

I may have my Staffords confused - brothers Dick and Don both were TV engineers. Dick at KVII in Amarillo and a great guy - Don was okay too. Never saw Dick not in jeans and a workshirt - never saw Don without a white shirt and tie! Funny - they never really looked alike....

Larry Vandiver - haven't heard that name in years! I was at 8 when he was 6.

BTW Mike Denney, David Finch and others from 8 made "guest camera op" appearances on the Mazeppa Show when at 6. Denney later directed it at 8 in its short life there. Wonder if he can get G.ailard S.Artain a guest spot on "The Young and Restless" which he directs today at CBS.

When did portable color cameras make their debuts at the commercial stations? My experience all was with public access equipment in Austin. The GP-5 was the first one we had. This was in late 1978.

By the way, the picture of the wooden TU camera is from the 1956 Kendallabrum.

By the way #2: I find it hard to believe that the Tulsa TV stations couldn't afford the best equipment. It couldn't possibly be that they were just wanting to keep their big profits.

There seems to be a lot of conversation regarding the color cameras at KOTV. Yes, there were three Norelcos. Two units required two cables each while the newest(1972)only required one cable. All units were set on hydraulic pedestals. My brother in law, Steve Vandever, ran one for three years while attending TU. He also built most of the sets for our local programming. The remote truck only had B/W RCA cameras that were used to do the Church remotes on Sundays, until KHOU-TV our sister station in Houston got a new truck and sent us their old one. By the way, is Chan Allen still amongst us or has he joined Bill Pitcock in that "Big Studio". He was a good boss and a good man. Oh, Henry Lyle was working for Wonder bread bakery as a route salesman when he was "stringing" for KOTV news. He used to take the old bread and dump it out of his plane to feed the birds in the winter.

Modest mystery solved. The '64 KVOO color camera is a GE PE-15A.

In researching this puzzler, I found an interesting fact--both WKY in OKC and WBAP in Ft. Worth were recipients of early RCA TK-40 color cameras in the mid-50s. WBAP's was used most famously on November 22, 1963, in the NBC bulletin that President Kennedy was shot in Dallas. It was the only color camera in the NBC coverage, and after the second or third cut-in from WBAP into the NBC network, engineers flipped the switch and brought it into monochrome along with the rest of the news. Full-color news didn't happen for most of us until '67 or '68.

The "Lumberyard Special" looks a lot like the dummy wooden cameras used to teach the TV classes at TU in the late 1950's.

Dale Hughes was there about that time and possibly, Larry Strain, althogh I couldn't find his photo in the KWGS Reunion booklet. Some non-broadcast majors (such as Jim Hartz) used to hang around KWGS while I was there.

The camera in the Mike Miller photo is a GE. A photo of a similar is at http://www.pharis-video.com/p2629.htm. It did look like the RCA TK-41, but the GE was somewhat bulkier and the sheet metal work on top was angled, not curved as with the RCA.

At first, I thought it was an RCA TK-42, which were introed in the mid-60's and were larger and boxier than the 41s, but comparison with the Pharis photo shows conclusively it was a GE. I think KTUL also had GEs of a later vintage. Mike can confirm this.

I don't know the comparisons between the mid-60s GE and RCA. I suspect GE was cheaper and may have been more prone to smearing when moved. As Mike Miller noted, any of the color cameras of that era needed high-noon light levels. The Norelcos that KOTV had were early Plumbicon tubes and required only midafternoon light levels. They also made nicer pictures, particularly when shooting motion, than did the GEs. I didn't remember KOTV having a third Norelco PC-70, but will take Mike's word that it was out in the bread truck.

I do remember when "box" graphics became the vogue, KOTV couldn't afford a digital effects unit, and so we set up one of the original KOTV color cameras (jurrasic Norelcos, I think, but I could be wrong) aimed at a monitor to create the "box". You panned the camera left or right to put the box over the anchor's preferred shoulder. Corinthian reverse innovation at its best! (or worst)

To my untrained eye, the camera in Frank Morrow's photo looks like a plywood special, crafted to look like an RCA TK-11, the original widely circulated B&W Image Orthicon camera. One giveaway is the tripod and camera head look pretty light and the old cameras weighted about 16 tons. Schools often used dummy cameras to simulate the "on-camera" experience. Alternatively it could be a very early "industrial-type" camera, but my guess is a lumberyard special. Those two guys are really working hard on it, though! As KOTV's Chan Allen would say, "I can't get it to fail for me."

"Lumberyard special" it is!

How much does the camera have to do with overall picture quality? Some comments from Guestbook 2: "... I've noticed that most ABC stations have a "hazy" quality to their picture, while CBS and NBC stations have a much "clearer" picture. I'm sure some of it has to do with the network, but I've also seen this during local programming...I had always thought in the past that 6 had the brightest image, and 8 a somewhat muted look, with 2 in between."

Does any of that make sense from a technical standpoint?

Thanks for the info on Tad Allen's Ch. 2 duties. One corrective note, his aerial experience went far beyond hot air balloons. As I told Frank Morrow, in a separate note, Tad began flying while quite young and was a licensed pilot all during high school. His father, "Spider" Allen had been a pilot during World War I, and Tad was always competing, unsuccessfully, alas, to overcome that hero image.

This last week I was watching THE CHANCE OF A LIFE TIME and two questions had Tulsa connections. They asked who played Buddy Holly in the movie and had recently purchased one of Holly's guitars for 242,000 dollars. The correct answer, of course, was Gary Busey. The second question asked where Kathy Lee went to college. The correct answer, ORU. I went there myself for awhile and met her since we were both in music. She was pretty nice in person.

Speaking of ORU, I was there when they were taping the big specials. They had bought state-of-the-art color tv equipment. It was supposed to have been comparable to anything, anywhere. They brought in some super talent for the specials. That was great, seeing so many big stars - Johnny Cash, Pearl Baily, Doc Severnson, etc.

P.S. I couldn't stick it out at ORU. Being in the music program at ORU during that time gave me alot of opportunities to play some great gigs but they were always on me to get a haircut, straighten up, fly right, etc, etc. I finally enrolled in a state college to finish up my education. I guess I did not fit the ORU stereo-type.

Mike Bruchas may be right! However, KVOO-TV's color camera (election night) looked the same to me. It's possible it was not the first color camera that Ch-2 used. That was long ago. I figured if they added another camera later, it was probably identical to the first.

I looked up an old photo I have anchoring the news at KVOO-TV, but THAT camera was apparently a black and white.

Ch-2 heavily promoted the first local live color programs while I was there and switched to color news film whenever possible, (usually features that could be shoot in advance.) Also, I thought Norelco cameras were newer, smaller, of better quality and required less light. When Ch-2 fired up that monster for the first colorcast, they seemed to double the lights. Hot! Very hot!

I felt like Albert Brooks in Broadcast News.

For all you technicians: can you identify the camera in the photo? (courtesy of Frank Morrow; pictured are Larry Strain and Dale Hughes)

I forgot to mention the Morning show "Coffee Break", I do not remember the exact name. I do remember leaving classes at Tulsa Technical College that used to be across from Central HS and going to the station on taping days and getting a free lunch. That is if Leon left anything for anyone else.

That would be Leon Meier, who can be seen in one of the Java photo albums, the KOTV page...or here.

My wife Cindy and I really enjoyed seeing the 50th anniversary shots. Glad to see Mike Flynn. He really helped me out one day when all the world was on my back. Thanks, Mike! I always wanted to say that. By the way, there is a guy here in Yuma with a Roadrunner Super Bird car like you used to have.

If anyone can get a hold of Ralph Bardgett, tell him hello for me. He is still as skinny as a fence post. He really helped me to understand that I was truly a behind the scenes person and that I did not have air appeal, in the nicest of ways. I was 20, young and brassy.

Cindy was happy to see Mack and thought that he aged very gracefully. Is Marge Creager still among us? She was Cindy's Dean of Girls at Memorial HS.

Where is Lee selling cars? Does he still have a passion for Corvairs?

I did not see a reference to BILL PITCOCK (that was him opening the 10:00 O'clock news, when you worked the sound board, you had to "pot" him down!!!). Is he still around?

I recently got in contact with Denny Delk, former KTBA-FM DJ and cameraman/announcer for KOTV in the 70's. He is still doing VO's in San Francisco via Internet. And to all those people that never knew, Yes, the news crew did not wear pants behind the anchor desk. The audio booth had a glass window, I should know.

Marge Creager was voted national "Grandparent of the Year" in 1998, and was at the KOTV reunion with Mack. Lee just retired from Thomas Cadillac last month. Sadly, Bill Pitcock passed away some years ago... We also heard from Denny Delk in Guestbook 17.

Okay tech heads - just what brand/model of color camera is in the Mike Miller KVOO-TV picture link??? I thought an RCA TK-41 but it sure looks different!

Who DID have the first color studio camera in Tulsa? I don't know. I know 2 of KOTV's Norelco PC-70 cameras were like serial numbers #12 and #13 and had double video cables. Was told they were bought with an order of similar serial numbered cameras for CBS. The third PC-70 that 6 bought - was initially for the "Videocruiser" to shoot Billy James Hargis' TV show. It had the current (till triax cable) single video cable on it.

KVOO-TV did indeed use a black and white camera to shoot graphics and photo faxes (most were B & W anyway) because they had no choice.

There is a photo of the camera on the TTM KVOO-TV page on election night. The date is not correct, however, because I was at KOTV in 1968. Must have been 1964 or possibly 1966.

Also, when I was an intern on the floor crew at KTUL-TV in the late 50's, management went to one camera to save money. It was terrible holding up a fax in front of Jack Morris and refocusing. Two cameras quickly returned.

It's great to have a correction from the guy in the picture!

I need Mike Miller to confirm something Ed Dumit once told me.

That like KTVY in OKC - when 2 got their first and only VERY expensive color studio camera (an RCA-TK41 maybe?) in the '60's - that they shot the news anchor with it but shot weather or weather graphics with their GE B&W cameras. Is this true?

By 1969 they had several GE 250's or 350's like KTUL had and willed the old GE B&W turret lense cameras to TU. We used them with surplus KVOO-TV SUPER hot scoops and a very old video switcher to try to do TV fundamentals in the basement of the old Kendall Hall. I think this lasted about 2 years ('70 & '71 to my recollection). After that Kendall Hall was torn down and we went to TU's new Chapman Hall Nursing School studios to use then Sony COLOR cameras and 1" non EIAJ standard IVC machines. Nursing didn't like US using their studios and gear though... Us interlopers.....

Re: Jim Ruddle's remarks: When I worked at Channel 2 in the early 60’s Tad Allen’s primary aerial experience was piloting a hot air balloon. In fact, Tad used to brag about having obtained the very first “hot air balloon” FAA license.

Bill Hyden told me that Tad reportedly once had an uplifting experience when his balloon crashed through the stained glass window of a church. Parishioners thought it was some kind of “Second Coming,” or sign from the heavens. Perhaps Bill could elaborate.

In those days, Tad Allen was director of photography and was in charge of the processor and shot most of the commercials with a big film camera mounted on a tripod. I don’t recall Channel 2 having access to anything above street level.

Although I anchored the first local TV newscast in color, Channel 2 was not known for spending sprees. Owner Harold Stuart came ‘round at Christmas time and shook hands with everybody in the Brookside building. I recall one staffer saying he wasn’t going to wash his Christmas bonus for a week.

Former KTUL anchorman Judd Hambrick was mentioned in the previous guestbook as now anchoring in Cleveland. He was at the NBC affiliate, WKYC, for several years, but he's not mentioned on their new website. The hunt for Judd continues!

Foreman Scotty was waaaaaay before my time growing up in OKC. We had Count Gregor on Saturday nights and Ho Ho and Pokey on Saturday mornings. I'll never forget watching the program that replaced Ho Ho's one Saturday morning when a crawl on the bottom of the screen announed that Ho Ho (what was his real name?) had just died moments earlier. I thought it a bit ironic that he died on the day and timeslot in which he gave so much joy to so many kids for so many years. There is a wonderful portrait of Ho Ho and Pokey at the Clown Hall of Fame, which is located in Shepherd Mall (more of an office building since the Murrah Building bombing) in OKC.

Found this on a Drew Carey fan site: "...Judd Hambrick, who announced plans to leave the station for other ventures in August. Hambrick's last telecast is Nov. (1999)." Interestingly, the webmaster at WKYC still has Judd's page, if not a link to it: http://www.wkyc.com/talent/hambrick.html. He looks younger in the picture than he did during his time on KTUL!

There is good stuff about Ho Ho (and a bit about Foreman Scotty) in Guestbook 16.

Am I correct that Tad Allen did aerial filming for KVOO-TV? Tad died several years ago, but those who knew him have an indelible memory of him.

Archived Guestbook 40 today...this is #41.

We heard from Lee Woodward and King Lionel for the 1st time in Guestbook 40! Also heard again from Ken Broo in Cincinnati. There was discussion of Tulsa eateries; memories of Henry Lile, John Doremus, Les Lampson, and Steve Powell (aka OKC's Foreman Scotty) of the "Circle Six Corral". There's more, but you'll just have to read it yourself!