June 24 2009 at 17:13:58 Name: Scott Linder Topic: Resume request
Comments: This week, I was asked to send a resume to a 27-year
old "producer". Heck, I was mixing network television ten years before he
was born!! Maybe I should have asked him for his resume...
June 24 2009 at 03:16:23 Name: Wilhelm Murg Topic: Joe Christ R.I.P. Email: wilhelmurg @ yahoo dot
com Comments: After all the death that's been mentioned on the
site lately, I was hoping to have some cheerful thing to write in about,
but one of the cornerstones of the Tulsa punk scene, Joe Christ, died in
his sleep over the weekend.
The Roy in the article is frequent TTM contributor Roy Lee.
Joe Christ was both loved and hated, often by the same people. There was
a definite likability about the man, but he could sure talk about himself.
What most folks failed to understand was that the hype was actually his medium,
whether the film or music was good was a secondary consideration, that it
offended people was his main concern, like the old Oscar Wilde quote (that
most of us learned from Monty Python) "The only thing worse than being talked
about is not being talked about."
I first met Joe at The Dance Café (I think that was the name of the
place) in 1983 (or somewhere around there.) At that point the was still calling
himself "Joe Danger," and had just broken up his seminal Tulsa punk band,
Los Reactors, so he could move to Dallas. He was putting out a magazine about
himself called "Pure Hype," in which he interviewed himself, reviewed his
own records, and announced his up coming shows. It was Joe at his purest
form.
At some point in the 1980s he was living in New Orleans and SOMEHOW tracked
down Pewee Trahan, a.k.a. Johnny Rebel. Under the guise of "Johnny Rebel,"
Trahan cut out an infamous niche for himself in music history where he released
a series of pro-segregationist singles in the 1960s, nearly all of which
have the "N-word" in their title, except for the most common one that shows
up from time to time, "Lookin' For a Handout." Joe was able to get a whole
run of the series and within weeks it ran like wildfire through the punk
underground, samizdata style (people were recording it and passing it on.)
Listening to the tape was like getting a face full of hate with every play.
Now these songs can be downloaded from most p2p sites, like Limewire, but
at the time it like unleashing an unpleasant genie from our shameful past.
Once again, pure Joe; outrageous, shocking, and at the same time, not without
its historical interest. The first time I formally interviewed Joe it was
about the "release." I was asked to write something for the local "underground"
paper at the time, Uptown Tulsa, but they ended up not wanting the story
- they ran a review of a Madonna record instead.
While in New Orleans Joe saw various avant-garde film retrospectives and
decided he was a filmmaker. Communion in Room 410 was his first effort, a
silent 8mm affair where he sat in bed with two huge topless women (Joe liked
big girls) who cut some of their very tender button, soaked up the blood
in bread, and ate it - and keep in mind that this was not a special effect.
The soundtrack was a mix of Joe's music and a montage of noise with a sample
of Robert Tilton repeating (at different speeds) "I found God and I went
crazy!"
Joe was briefly married to the horror and comic book writer Nancy Collins
who showed him that he could sell his films at sci-fi conventions. That's
when the film making started really got going. With titles like Acid is Groovy,
Kill The Pigs (a phrase that Green Beret Captain Jeffrey MacDonald claimed
was yelled by a Manson-like gang while they murdered his wife - MacDonald
was later convicted of the crime) or My Struggle (taken from Hitler) they
sounded like twisted visions, yet they were really black gross-out comedies,
as funny for their incompetence as they were for their content.
In 2006 Joe came back to Tulsa for a reunion show with Los Reactors. He and
his wife stayed at my house; I felt it was easier to just have the younger
pups I hang out with to have "The Joe Christ Experience" rather than try
to explain it. It was a week of Joe talking about himself. One high point
was watching the commentary track of his DVD with Joe talking over the
commentary. At one point Joe was simulating sex in the film with his butt
showing while he described the scene to us in person. Drew Smith, now a DJ
on the Edge, yelled out "Does anyone else find this creepy?" Joe didn't,
it was like he was talking about his car.
I always liked the duality of Joe's personality - in the middle of his crazy
persona, he had a real soft spot for dogs. Mine loved him to death. For the
concert a good chunk of the old punk scene came together for the show.
Joe was a true Oklahoma original who helped to define the Tulsa scene during
the punk days, whether anyone liked it or not. I'm sorry he's not still out
there creating chaos. It's a thankless job, but Joe took to it on with
gusto.
June 23 2009 at 23:40:59 Name:
Lee Woodward Topic: Job Description Email: oickonedotcom Comments: Everyone in early television was assigned to be
what the management wanted them to be, in certain situations.
When I first came to KOTV, Cy Tuma was THE news anchor. The real newsman
on staff at that time was Don Norton. They did have bona fide weather people
in Bob Thomas and his wife, but I believe they were the last real meteorologists
until Jim Giles replaced me. In my case, I became an educated amateur,
accumulating an extensive library and attending numerous seminars...but still,
not a meteorologist...a professional "vent."
I worked with many news people who were people that just came up in the business
after being put in the job. Ask the guys who went on to the networks if they
considered themselves real newsmen when they were breaking into the business
at KOTV. Jim Hartz, Bob Brown, etc.
Again, in the early days, I read news, sports and did weather. I also ran
floor cameras, boom mikes. Ran the audio board and edited film, hosted all
kinds of shows. In other words, you did what you had to do in Abilene, Texas.
By the time you got to a bigger market, you might be more focused, but KOTV
in the late fifties was not all that different. Jim Ruddle was Zeta and then
got to be Dr. Jim Ruddle, news anchor in Chicago.
As a great opera singer (Jean Madeira) once told me; "So many are called,
so few are chosen."
Mike also asked in an earlier post, "Who could fill Walter Cronkite's shoes
for believability?" I offer you the Max Headroom of the millenium, Shepard
Smith. Complete with pinball sound effects for every breaking story, while
around every frame of the screen, a whirling dervish of distraction to the
entire enterprise.
Where's Charlie St. John when we need him?
June 23 2009 at 19:40:48 Name:
Mike Miller Topic: Readers vs newsmen Comments: I certainly didn't mean to slight Bob Hower
in any way. In fact, I liked the fact that Bob didn't pretend to be an
experienced news hound. He didn't talk to me about working at KOTV. He
occasionally mentioned working at a San Diego station with Regis Philbin.
In fact he consulted Philbin before taking on the anchor role at 8. Regis
urged him to try it out, figuring he could always return to management if
the anchor job didn't work out. And, of course, it did and his news judgment
excelled.
Several anchors I worked with considered themselves newsmen. But the only
news gathering they did was rearranging the Sunday paper. Of course, even
then, the comics were on top. One was in Little Rock and he wouldn't recognize
a news story with a teleprompter. I was repeatedly instructed by the station's
president to send him on stories so that viewers might begin to "think" he
knew what he was doing. Every time it was a disaster. Bob Hower was no such
type and grew enormously on the job. In my view, Bob became an excellent
newsman!
When I was at Ch-5 in DC, there was a story going around the Washington Press
Corps that a certain local anchor would read a newscast on the air but when
finished, couldn't tell you any of its content. He was a good reader, but
didn't have any clue to what he was reading. The story goes that one night
the floor crew changed his closing tag line on the teleprompter to read:
"Good night. I'm Peter Rabbit." Of course, the anchor read it verbatim.
June 23 2009 at 18:50:33 Name: Erick Topic: Bob Hower
Comments: I think in the early days of television news, the actual
"newsmen" came over from newspaper and radio. Everyone else was just a jack
of all trades. I think the webmaster is correct - just because Bob Hower
anchored the first television newscast in Tulsa doesn't mean he had any news
background. Heck, it may have been the only newscast he anchored until the
"gamble" mentioned by Mike Miller below. Let's not forget that David Letterman
used to be a weathercaster in Indiana, and I'm pretty sure he has no meteorology
background.
Then again, I'm not aware of whether or not Mr. Hower's resume included any
news background prior to KOTV.
June 23 2009 at 15:48:46 Name: Greg Topic: Bob Hower Comments: Regarding Mike Miller's comments on Bob Hower,
I seem to recall once reading that Hower was a news anchor on KOTV, Channel
6, during the early 1950's. So, that would have given him a certain "news
background" would it not? Is my information correct or am I mistaken about
Bob's early days in Tulsa television? Just wanted to clarify the facts!
Greg, I believe you're right. From the Cleartone site:
Bob Hower got his start in television in 1949 at KOTV, Channel 6, which was
Tulsa's first television station. Bob was their first chief announcer and
Tulsa's first television "anchorman."
In fact, he is credited with delivering the very first newscast seen on
Tulsa TV in 1949. Perhaps Bob was more newsreader than newsman at that early
stage of his career?
June 23 2009 at 09:57:52 Name:
Mike Miller Topic: Bob Hower Comments: When I came back to Tulsa as News Director
at Channel 8 in the early 70's, Bob Hower and I had an unusual relationship.
Hower was operations manager but soon was named to anchor the six and ten
p.m. newscasts. Suddenly, a member of the station’s management was one
of my employees. The late Sam Stewart (a very competent and funny individual)
had been holding down the anchor chair after Jack Morris left for Channel
2. The brass (Jimmy Leake, Bob Doubleday and Bob Gregory) decided to gamble
on Hower who had no news background, as I recall. He agreed, but retained
his title and duties. It was a long day for Bob but I never heard any complaints.
Another gamble that soon paid off was adding Susan Silver, Tulsa’s first
female co-anchor, to the mix.
Bob Hower off screen was the same as he was on screen. With his very likable
and easy going demeanor, the new anchor (and Susan Silver) helped improve
KTUL-TV's ratings, dramatically!
June 22 2009 at 02:51:24 Name: Wesley Horton Topic: 8 is the place question Email: whorton4@cox.net Comments: Hey Mike,
Quick question, I noticed on RTN's retro commercial, the name "Bob Howard"
popped up a few times as being part of the 8's the place news team.
Is this the same Bob Howard that is now a major car dealership owner in OKC?
Kindest Regards,
Wesley Horton
Wesley, Bob Hower is the 8'sThe Place
newsman. I'm sure liking that RTV.
June 19 2009 at 19:57:35 Name: Webmaster Topic: Mr. Zing, Uncle Zeb music Comments:
June 19 2009 at 19:17:05 Name:
Mike Miller Topic: Cronkite update Comments: The Vietnam War had widespread popular support
until the Tet Offensive of 1968 when, after a visit,) Walter Cronkite declared
the war was unwinnable. After that, LBJ acknowledged he'd lost middle America.
Clayton Vaughn and I were in Vietnam for KOTV during the same period and
I had personally come to the conclusion that we were involved in a primarily
civil war.
Little known fact: Cronkite started his broadcast career in 1935 at WKY in
Oklahoma City.
Although CBS News is reporting that Cronkite is gravely ill, The Chicago
Sun-Times and The Boston Globe are now quoting an assistant as saying he's
home recuperating. The newspapers say Cronkite's grave condition may have
been exaggerated.
So I'm pleased to report that's the way it (hopefully) is.
June 19 2009 at 15:00:01 Name: Mike Miller Topic: And That's the News Comments: I see where 92-year old Walter Cronkite is
gravely ill and near death. It seems so long ago when Cronkite anchored the
CBS Evening News and every major event....and tragedy like the JFK assassination.
And it was 1981. I wonder what he thought of today's cable news outlets that
mainly repeat political talking points and try to embarrass and ridicule.
Although he occasionally showed his emotional side, as he did on some space
shots and on November 22nd, you never got a clue where he stood politically.
He had a unique quality; a style that raised the bar of credibility to an
unequaled high. Since he left the anchor desk no network has come close.
June 18 2009 at 09:22:24 Name: Les Barrett Comments: Sorry to hear of your Dad's passing.
Thank you, Les.
June 18 2009 at 08:37:36 Name: Dennis McAtee Topic: Another passing
Comments: Sad to note yet another passing: Bob Bogle, Ventures
guitarist (Walk, Don't Run, Hawaii 5-O, etc.) and a Wagoner, Oklahoma native,
died June 14 in Vancouver, WA. He was 73.
I'm sorry to hear it. I didn't realize Bob was an Oklahoman. I listened
to their
"Telstar"
album a lot as a kid.
June 17 2009 at 22:15:32 Name: Webmaster Topic: New Tulsa history blog Comments:
Nancy, a Tulsa Historical Society volunteer and second generation Tulsan,
has started Tulsa Gal's Blog.
She's off to a good start with entries about Brookside, the Belvedere, and
old Tulsa doors.
I was able to solve one
minor
mystery for her; maybe she will be able to return the favor on this site's
B Girl Mystery. Maybe you can identify one
of her doors.
June 17 2009 at 21:02:58 Name: Karen Brakefield Topic: Mike's Dad Comments: So sorry to hear of your loss, Mike. It's hard
to lose a parent, our Prayers are with you.
Karen, Jim, Erick, Mitch, and John, thank you, I appreciate your kind
words.
June 17 2009 at 18:33:49 Name:
Jim Hartz Topic: Mike's Dad
Comments: Just heard about your Dad, Mike. I never got to meet
him, but he had unanimous approval from everyone I knew. Alex and I send
our condolences.
June 17 2009 at 13:09:30 Name: Erick Comments: I'm very sad to hear of the recent passings of Noel Confer,
Josef Peter Hardt, and Jim Ransom. My thoughts, like everyone else, are with
their families. I've never met any of them, but they all contributed to this
site in their own way, and it has benefitted us all.
June 16 2009 at 19:28:10 Name: Mitch Gray Topic: Fathers Email: North Of You Comments: Mike, So sorry to hear of your father's passing.
My father left us 11 years ago. One of his offerings of sage advice was "If
you're repairing anything mechanical, it's not fixed unless you cut yourself
while making the repair". I have found this to be true more often than not.
As a young boy I recall telling my dad "I wish I had all the money in the
world".
His reply.."Then you couldn't get change". I hope your father left you with
some favorite quip or tongue in cheek advice that you can fondly recall.
I wish you well during this difficult time.
June 16 2009 at 18:46:31 Name:
John Hillis Topic: Condolences / Balops Comments: Condolences to you and your family, Mike. I
know from experience how tough this process is to get through. The only thing
I can add is just "one day at a time."
Meanwhile, Jim Ruddle uses the term "balops." Whew, I haven't heard that
word in a dog's age. Jim recalls the great times when everybody flew by the
seat of their pants and did what felt right, rather than some focus-grouped
copy of the next thing down the street.
I think it was Fred Friendly who was supposed to have said that television
makes so much money doing its worst that it can never do its best. It's no
longer making that huge money, but the statement seems even moreso now.
June 16 2009 at 00:43:46 Name: Webmaster Topic: Poem Comments:
From the remarkable blog of famed science fiction writer
Frederik Pohl, this poem
by a past close associate of his:
Gym Class
One, two, three, four,
Clap your hands and prance
In stinky shirt and stinky shoes
And stinky little pants.
---C.M. Kornbluth
June 15 2009 at 20:14:00 Name: Beverly Comments: Mike,
My thoughts and certainly my prayers are with you.
Beverly, Charles, Sonny, Scott, Mike B and Mike M, thank you.
June 15 2009 at 19:20:18 Name:
Jim
Ruddle Topic: Noel Confer
Comments: Noel Confer's passing is another
mark of the period immediately following the birth of television in Tulsa.
We graduated from Central in 1949, both worked in radio before turning to
television in the fifties. He was at Channel 2, then, later, worked at Channel
6, where I was.
We worked in a period of no videotape, all live, balops, studio cards, memorized
scripts, and do-it-yourself special effects.
I've seen some remarks over the years about this and that personality who
was in a position of some authority in those--and subsequent--days in which
one would have thought malice was the operating technique. But it was a
challenging time and nobody knew all the rules, besides the rules were changing
as we went.
Noel worked in Mexico and California in the period from the late fifties
to the nineties, then, after retiring from a radio station in Brawley, CA,
he returned to Tulsa.
I'm sad to hear this news. I met and chatted with Noel at the Tulsa TV
Icons presentations. His many contributions here are valued. His
Uncle Hiram stories link Tulsa TV all the way
back to the days of vaudeville. Our sincere condolences to his family and
friends.
June 15 2009 at 19:10:50 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: Mike Ransom's dad
Comments: So sorry for your loss. He meant a lot to you. Hang
in there...
June 15 2009 at 16:05:54 Name:
Mike Miller Topic: Condolences Comments: Mike:
Very sorry to hear of the death of your dad. I'd like to join the others
and extending my condolences. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
June 15 2009 at 10:22:23 Name: Charles Comments: Mike. I'm so sorry for your loss. Thoughts and prayers
are coming your way from Fargo.
June 15 2009 at 09:57:54 Name: Sonny Hollingshead Topic: Noel Confer Comments: Mike,
My condolences on the loss of your father. I know this is a tough time for
you and we appreciate all that you do to bring us back together on this site.
Seems that every time I open the Tulsa World there's another loss. Today
it's Noel Confer, a frequent contributor to this site, who passed away Sunday
at 78.
June 14 2009 at 18:41:30 Name:
George Tomek Topic: Analog versus Digital Email: mr anchor at cox dot net Comments: I started in TV news in 1960
at KOTV -- a station with a rich heritage and reputation which it deserves
to this day. TV has come a long way over the years and so has the news business
- but that's a separate story. Although the shift from analog to digital
broadcasting is certainly a paradigm moment, the fact of the matter is that
the heart and soul of the medium (picture and sound) are still the key elements.
We're seeing the stuff thanks to other means - satellites, Ipods, laptops,
Blackberry, computer towers and the TV set sans rabbit ears.
Some people with whom I worked for or with back then never got a chance to
witness June 12, 2009 - George Stevens, Dale Hart, Ken Vandever, Art Elliot,
Mack Creager, Bob Mills, Cy Tuma, Dave Davis, Roger Sharp, Sid Lasher, Gene
Jackson. Bruce Hinson, George Jacobs, Ralph Bardgett among them. Others like
Lee Woodward, Betty Boyd, Pat O'Dell, and Bill Hyden are still around to
have witnessed the event.
I don't know about the rest of you, but as far as I'm concerned (special
effects, other bells and whistles, computer-generated this and that aside)
the more things have changed technology-wise, the more they seem to have
stayed the same. We're certainly entertained and informed when we see sports,
news events, nature programs, and movies. We like to see people interacting
with each other, and we still really like to see them talking to us. That
was the basic draw of analog TV in the first place. It was such a personal
medium -- digitally, it still is today.
June 14 2009 at 16:16:56 Name: Scott Linder Topic: My condolences
Comments: Mike, please accept my condolences and sympathy for
your loss. I send my prayers and good thoughts to you and your family.
June 14 2009 at 13:08:35 Name: Bill Hensley (via email to webmaster) Topic: Gusty lost then found Email: billhensley aht earthlink
daht net Comments: I posted back in
1999 about getting a couple Gustys back in the early 70s. I had misplaced
them, but last night I found one of them. It's posted at:
June 13 2009 at 19:35:19 Name: K. Bolen Topic: Condolences Email: bojoker@att.net Comments: Very sorry to hear the passing of your father and
the host of one of my very favorite memories, Fantastic Theater's Peter Hardt.
I still remember sitting on the couch with my Grandpa, listening to the intro,
eating homemade ice cream or popcorn, thinking how can it get any better?
Since discovering this wonderful site, each day when I fire up the laptop,
I get to listen to the into of the Fantastic Theater theme... makes me wish
I was five again...
To both Kennys, thank you.
June 13 2009 at 17:53:28 Name: Kenny Quinn Topic: Condolences
Comments: So sorry to hear about Josef Hardt's passing. I have
so many good memories from our old TV days.
Also my condolences to you Mike, and to your family, on your recent loss.
Thinking of you during this sad time.
June 13 2009 at 06:29:03 Name: David Bagsby Topic: Tulsa Greats
Comments: Mike
My thoughts are with you and your Brother. I never got to meet your Dad but
you guys are a reflection of his dedication, compassion and intellect. I
know I speak for a lot of folks here when I say you guys are a stellar legacy.
Thank you, David and JW. My dad was a big fan of Western Swing and liked
to play the ukelele. In the service, we plan to play a couple of tunes from
Steve Bagsby's Tahahina Hula CD, "Dad Tune" and "Pookalily Rag", to stand
for those sides of my dad's personality.
June 13 2009 at 02:41:34 Name: JW Topic: Sorry for your loss Comments: Mike, I am very sorry you lost your father.
I don't believe I've ever met you face to face, but I've read this site
practically since you put it up.
Again, very sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to your family.
June 12 2009 at 23:52:26 Name: Wilhelm Murg Topic: Missing RADIO KOTV Email: wilhelmurg at yahoo dot
com Comments: KOTV went off analogue months ago. I discovered
it because while cruising around Tulsa, I used to enjoy listening to the
local news, the national news, or Letterman, depending on what time of day
I was driving, on 88 FM.
During the 2006 ice storm that knocked out power in most of the city, I kept
up with what was happening by listing to Channel Six news on a small FM radio,
while laying in bed with my two large dogs (i.e.- heat sources).
I really feel like we lost something by not having KOTV on FM. Now when we
go out of town we take comedy CDs and downloads, since we can't listen to
Letterman on the way back. I never thought I would see the day when I would
miss listening to television on the radio. I guess those old TV-radios are
totally worthless now.
June 12 2009 at 13:14:54 Name: Sonny Hollingshead Topic: Josef Hardt Comments: Just saw on the Tulsa World website that former
Channel 2 director Josef Hardt passed away yesterday at 82.
I'm so sorry we lost Mr. Hardt. He was a true Tulsa TV icon for his
unforgettable work as host of "Fantastic Theater".
In January 2008, I and Kenny Quinn visited him at his house. He was a delightful
gentleman.
Today, I lost my dad,
JimRansom.
I must apologize to several readers who have sent interesting materials for
the site recently. But I have found working on the site to be therapeutic,
so I hope to get those great things out here soon.
June 12 2009 at 12:02:38 Name: Webmaster Topic: Tulsa broadcast TV timeline Comments:
November 30, 1949:
KOTV, Tulsa's first television station, began its first broadcast day with
a Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Tulsa Club. Helen Alvarez, the ambitious
27-year-old station manager, was the driving force behind the new station
with the backing of oilman George Cameron.
March 13, 1954:
KCEB Channel 23 signed on. In the 1950s, television sets required an external
converter box to view the UHF channels (those above 13). This requirement
was a major factor in the demise of KCEB in December of that same year. The
call letters were owner and oilman Elfred Beck's last name spelled backwards.
September 18, 1954:
KTVX Channel 8 in Muskogee aired an OU football game as their first broadcast.
In 1955, John T. Griffin and son-in-law James C. Leake opened an auxiliary
studio at the former KCEB site on Lookout Mountain. The call letters were
changed to KTUL when the entire operation transferred to Tulsa in 1957. The
first program from the Tulsa location was the "Lewis Meyer Bookshelf". Today,
the Griffin family owns KOTV and KQCW in Tulsa.
December 5, 1954:
KVOO-TV Channel 2 broadcast a dedication ceremony from their temporary studio
at the Akdar Shrine Building at 4th and Denver, followed by NBC's Sunday
"Meet the Press". Oklahoma lawyer Harold Stuart played a pivotal role in
starting up the station. Stuart was married to Joan Skelly, daughter of oilman
and Tulsa radio pioneer W. G. Skelly. KVOO later changed call letters to
KTEW, then KJRH.
January 12, 1959:
KOED Channel 11 came on the air. Originally affiliated with National Educational
Television (NET), the station offered PBS network programming beginning in
1970. Charles C. Mason, then superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, worked
to bring the station online.
October 26, 1980:
KOKI independent Channel 23 arrived on the airwaves. By this time, television
sets were designed to receive UHF stations, but required a loop antenna.
These were made available for a dollar at QuikTrip stores. KOKI was the first
local station to use computer and live action graphics. KOKI affiliated with
the Fox network in 1987.
March 18, 1981:
KGCT Channel 41 (Green Country Television) began broadcasting from their
storefront studio on Main Mall. News and local programming such as "Erling
on the Mall" were presented in the daytime, switching to subscription TV
(requiring an unscrambler box) in the evenings. In 1987, an ice storm knocked
down their tower. Channel 41 was dark until it returned as KTFO in 1991.
KTFO affiliated with UPN in 1995. Now under the letters KMYT, affiliated
with MyNetworkTV.
December 29, 1981:
KBJH Channel 47 (named for evangelist Billy James Hargis) was allocated,
but was first on the air as KTCT (Tulsa Christian Television) in 1985. It
became KWHB under religious broadcaster LeSEA in 1986.
June 9, 1987:
KGLB Channel 44 was allocated. The call letters were changed to KTPX in 1998,
when it affiliated with Bud Paxson's PAX TV network, now known as ION.
July 1, 1987:
KXON Channel 35 signed on as an educational channel in Claremore. In 1992,
the call letters changed to KRSC (for Rogers State College, now Rogers State
University).
February 12, 1993:
KWMJ Channel 53 was allocated. The call letters became KGEB (Golden Eagle
Broadcasting) under the auspices of Oral Roberts University in late 1999.
September 12, 1999:
KWBT Channel 19 was the Tulsa WB (Warner Brothers) affiliate. Later, CBS,
having acquired UPN, merged it with WB to form the CW, hence the call letter
change to KQCW. Now a sister station to KOTV.
February 17, 2009:
Some stations made the transition to digital, but the final date was pushed
out by President Obama to:
June 12, 2009:
Tulsa analog TV signals leave the air, except, as Sonny noted below, KJRH
plans to keep a "nightlight" on until Jun 26.
June 12 2009 at 10:54:26 Name: Erick Topic: DTV transition
Comments: KTUL ended its analog broadcast at around 9:10 this
morning during "Good Day Tulsa" with a reporter live at the transmitter.
A 40+ year veteran of KTUL was given the opportunity to "push the button"
to end the analog transmission.
June 12 2009 at 10:20:54 Name: Charlie Tooley Topic: End of Analog TV: Signoffs Email:
charlie_tooley@wellsfargois.com Comments: In a solemn salute to the sign-off of analog TV,
I think they should end the sign-off with the familiar B&W version of
the National Anthem and the popular "High Flight" epic poem and film... just
like the "olden days".
June 11 2009 at 19:02:50 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: DTV in Chicago Comments: I am cable and dish poor; had 2 converter boxes
since last year from BestBuy.
Finally got off my butt and installed 1 today on my late Mom's 2004 Sam's
Club vintage Chinese-cheapy Magnavox. The first b&w set that the Bruchas
family had in 1948 was a Chicago-made Magnovox cabinet model which lasted
till about 1960!
Have 2 more for elderly friends to install. They can't understand that after
NOON tomorrow, no more analog TV.
I am still "mono sound" on the Magnavox and need to wire the other, which
should receive stereo. It is Xmas 2005 vintage Sony, but my late Dad refused
to buy a flat-screen with HD tuner built in.
Have to find my 20 year old NEC tv stereo amp and put larger speakers in
the room with the smaller set for better sound!
WTTW/PBS has low audio output on it's channels. The Polish and Korean language
stations have NO audio. Us "poor" Chicagoans have 18 full power stations
on air.
The 4 Spanish stations are fine; ditto the net affils. ABC's WLS-TV has had
audio problems on their analog audio path via the boxes but not in digital.
Whole new TV world tomorrow!
June 11 2009 at 13:12:38 Name: Jim Reid Topic: End of Analog TV Comments: Sonny, my station, KDFW is the Nightlight station
from DFW. We have to keep our analog signal up for a month.
I'm sorry I'm missing all the fun. The Avid editor who fills in for me when
I'm on vacation told me yesterday he's already done a ton of spots about
this and had more to do today.
You're not at KTUL, are you? I thought about seeing if I could go get a tour
of the building but I don't think I know anyone there anymore.
June 11 2009 at 12:43:43 Name: Sonny Hollingshead Topic: June 12, 2009 - The End Of An Era Comments: Starting tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., the final
three analog television stations will be signing off. Here's the list of
events, courtesy of David Shaffer of KTUL and Society of Broadcast Engineers
Chapter 56:
9:05 am KTUL analog shut-off on channel 8
9:05 am KJRH analog programming ends (nightlight info spot airs for two weeks)*
9:05 am KJRH DTV channel moves from channel 56 to 8
1:00 pm KOTV DTV channel moves from channel 55 to 45
1:00 pm KOKI analog shut-off on channel 23
* Nightlight Info is a repeating instructional video walking the viewer through
setting up a converter box to receive over-the-air digital television channels.
KJRH Channel will be the final television station to take it's analog to
snow. That will be 2 weeks from tomorrow.
Much of the history remembered on this site was from moments in time on
television station channels that will no longer exist. Here's my toast to
analog!
SPECIAL NOTE...Everyone in the Tulsa area must re-scan their digital receivers
and converter boxes tomorrow after 1:00 p.m. due to the digital channel swapping
that will take place.
June 11 2009 at 10:19:43 Name: Jim Reid Topic: KTUL Anniversary Comments: Does anyone know if part of
this anniversary might include a reunion of ex-Channel
8 employees? They had one a few years ago and I didn't find out about it
till it was over.
I'm in Tulsa this week, reconnecting with the siblings. Already been to Coney
I-Lander and loaded up my sister's freezer with Ike's Chili to take back
to Texas.
Drove by the construction site for the new ballpark. It looks like it'll
be nice. I hope it's as successful as Bricktown's been for OKC.
Having dinner tomorrow night some fellow ex-channel 8 folks.
June 11 2009 at 00:28:41 Name: Webmaster Topic: Previous GroupBlog link Comments:
Lee Woodward
Mike Miller
Jim Hartz
John Hillis
Jim
Ruddle
George Tomek