hmmm...

It was always the ST switcher while I was there -- maybe Pat Bryant is lurking: HE would probably know...

Thanks, Greg Leslie - NOW tell me what was 4's production switcher PRIOR to this. I interviewed at 4 many many years ago and they had 2 older obscure brand switchers ganged into each other for production!

I have to say how much I enjoyed the Jim Hartz page. While growing up in Tulsa my family lived next door to the Hartz family. Jim was nice enough to invite my now-deceased father to New York City and take him backstage to the Tonight Show. Dad talked about that night over and over. Jim was a wonderful neighbor and great friend to my father. I would just like to thank him for the great memories.

For a copy of Mazeppa's Favorite Recipes, go here:

http://www.ukrainianbookstore.com/1.0/cookbooks/cookbooks.htm

p.s. it's not what you think

re. Sarkes Tarzian video switchers...

Yup -- KTVY's pair of ST switchers were the ones I cut my teeth on! Switched many a newscast on it. One of the first transistorized switchers (wow! vertical interval!) ever made. A little Google-ing on the name came up with several tidbits, like this:

Ziff Corporation bought WRCB (Chattanooga) from Rust Craft in May of 1978. In 1982, Rust Craft sold the station to Sarkes Tarzian, Inc., which owns it today. Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. is named for Sarkes Tarzian. Mr. Tarzian was a prolific inventor. He developed several important components and systems used in radio and television sets. Sarkes Tarzian held the position of Chairman of the Board until his death in October of 1987. Tom Tarzian, Sarkes’ son, became Chairman upon his father’s death, and continues in that position today.

Apparently Mr. Tarzian was also big in the TV tuner business, as well as selenium rectifiers. The coolest thing about KTVY's switcher was the great selection of wipe patterns, including ROTARY WIPES, which were very neato and not too common in those days.

Mike, you are absolutely right, Denise Burress was Miss Sand Bass one year. The guys in the band used to tease her and call her "Miss Big-Mouth Bass" when she would get on a roll and talk till you couldn't get a word in edge-wise. Denise really is a sweetheart though, the teasing was all in good fun. Keep up the good work, I love this site!

Sarkes-Tarzian - Anyone remember this outfit that made cameras, switchers, transmitters and also owned TV stations? I think were from Indiana and may have sold their UHF TV stations to religious broadcaster LeSea Ministries...I think WKY-TV or KTVY in OK had "Sarkie" switchers for a while - do any of our OKC readers remember? I think also it was the name of the man who owned the company....It came up in talk here at work today but all of us are getting fuzzy-brained on more obscure TV gear makers of the 60's/70's....

Good to hear Shepelwich after all these years, and not too far from this neck o'the woods, to boot. Shep came to KOTV from Waco, I think during the Ian Pearson News Director era, and I enjoyed the months he sat in the vaunted slot to my right, in control of the mighty RCA two-way KKY-615 terminal, astride the magisterial Channel 6 news assignment throne.

Though his post may have been the first time Gloria Strickland and Christiane Amanpour were ever used in the same sentence. (And I worked with each within the space of about 18 months....)

I didn't realize that Katie Daley (I knew her before she had the definite article) had realized her on-air aspirations at 2 (the curses of leaving town in a hurry), but she was a firecracker in her intern days at 6. Good to know you married well, and durably, Shep.

About Henry Lile...my favorite (after the first time he did it to me and I like to croak) was when he'd get to cruise altitude, turn to a neophyte reporter and say, in that George Gobel way of his, "y'know, John, I was out here last week when I got vertigo and went into a dive...just like this!"

And with that, he pushed the Cessna over, dropped about a thousand feet and then leveled out, saying, still deadpan, "But I'm okay now..." Always good for a laugh and soiled britches. After that, you were in Henry's club, and he was your pal forever.

Denise Burress of the TufNut band was nick-named "Ms. Sand Bass" (maybe by Glen Blake) and alternatively "Ms. Hoppity-Hop" by us control room minions because she formerly seemed to bounce up and down as she sang or patted her thigh in rhythm.

She had won SOOOOOO many local beauty contests in her heyday that I think she actually WAS a Ms. Sand Bass winner!

Glad to hear she is still practicing her musical craft.....

The guy the FBI has tenatively nabbed for being our anthrax mail bandit of last year - formerly went to Southwestern College in Winfield, KS with my brother in the '70's...in fact one Xmas he car-pooled with my brother and 2 others to the Chicago area for Xmas break.....as my bro sez - it IS a smaller world.

What a hoot! I always suspected that Tulsa TV was somewhat incestuous--this Website proves it.

I worked as news assignments editor at KOTV during the late 70s--that interesting period when news anchors seemed to change almost daily (Dodd to Hale/Roberts to Roberts/Pitcock to Roberts to Losure/Dodd and back to Clayton, or something like that). Broo and Woodward always held down the fort. Losure and Kenny Ragsdale could, if pressured, turn out six news stories a day. Rex Daugherty, if pressured, could turn out one artistic six-minute piece a day. Gloria Strickland was our Christiane Amanpour. Henry Lile would fake a heart attack every now and then while flying a reporter somewhere, but saved our collective ass many times on overnight stories ("John, would you like some video of that multiple homicide last night in North Tulsa?"). Hillis, Irv Johnson, Chan, Gil, Buddy were always there. 8 (Totally Late Tulsa) always had great promos but little real content. Bob Stevens (my counterpart at 2 before turning to sports) led KJRH in monitoring our two-way comm.

My real claim to fame, of course, was marrying the Katie Daley, who had been the "How To" reporter at KJRH. She started her career reading hog futures at KOSU and interned at 6. When we married, she was flack for then-mayor Jim Inhofe. I, too, left broadcasting in 1980 for corporate marketing and communications.

We're still married (3 kids). Just discovered this great site and will spend some time going through it. Will also see if we have any Corinthian-Age memorabilia laying around. Best to all. --Shep

Mitch, that radar was one of the only types then. (no Doppler) It could only see clouds. Don could tell us where the clouds were!

Mr. Robin Gomi of NEC Solutions, Inc., who works in Massachusetts and who is a son of Kazuo Gomi, one-time intern from Japan at KOTV (circa 1956) has emailed Jim Ruddle and me saying he (Robin) has come back to the TTM site for the first time since it moved to its own domain. Fortunately or unfortunately, he has offered a correction.

It seems that the Kazuo Gomi promoted with fanfare inside Nippon Television last fall has the same name as Robin's father (in English) but it is phonetically different in Japanese (I assume the Japanese were not nearly as confused as I am).

Kazuo Gomi, Robin's father, did retire from NTV and then went to work for the Australian Embassy in Tokyo and has now retired from there.

Robin thoughfully attached a picture of his father, apparently at the Aussies' retirement gala (Gomi pere has a nice white beard!). Maybe Jim can send it along to Webmaster Mike; I'm not enough of a computer nerd to know how to do it (no advice, please; I don't have a scanner and my printer isn't hooked up--but I am reading some computer books).

Don, I added your correction to Guestbook 99.

Anyone remember when Don Woods' weather segment began with a close-up of Doppler radar?

I also recall his current weather conditions consisted of a camera panning two rows of weather gauges on the wall.

It was so cool!

Mitch

It's hard to overestimate Art Elliot's influence in Tulsa television in the 60's and 70's. He was the program director of the most influential TV station in the city, and thus not only decided what went on the air, but hired and fired all the talent.

He hired me in 1962 for my first job on television from my radio days at KRMG.

See Jim at KRMG on the new Jim Hartz page.

Reading the Guest Books has brought back memories and stories long forgotten. The name of Chuck Bowman and Clyde Parker, makes me remember the late news and weather. Chuck would lay out the weather board and then go to dinner. While he was gone, the crew would rearrange the items, he never knew the difference. A far cry from the Doppler Days we know now. This all occured in about 1961 and 62. In those days another person had a part in the late night Friday progamming with Mr Sartain, does anyone remember?

Robert Jennings is not the only one who owes a debt of gratitude to Art Elliott at Channel 6. He's the one who gave another unknown cameraman, named Gailard Sartain, the OK to do the Mazeppa show. He also kept Dance Party on the air on Saturdays when some mucky mucks wanted to kill it.

Just got in from the Harvard Tower club, where J.T. and I are doing a duo on Tues. through Thursdays and had to do some more "site-seeing!" In response to C.R. Anthony, Ted still has a band and plays regularly around the Tulsa area. He and part of his band played at the benefit, I played bass for him. He plays at the American Legions, Moose Lodges, etc., and just goes by Ted Creekmore when it's listed in the paper. Are you the C.R. Anthony from the department store, or just the same initials? It's 3:15 a.m. and I have to work at Tulsa Guitar & Electronics in the morning so I better go to bed. See you all tomorrow night, same bat time, same bat guestbook!

In response to a comment that I read asking if anyone remembered KMMM in Muskogee, OK. How could I forget... Delightful-D, Daddy Daryl, Brother Coffee, Dr. Dan and the rest of the crew. Covering local sports and news and playing a variety of formats... Jazz in the afternoon, R&B in the evenings and classical music in the wee hours. I will never forget KMMM. It was my home from the time I was 2 weeks old until my father sold it to Hicks communication out of Dallas in 1982. Here's to KMMM and great memories past.

In 1960 a News Director, Tuck Stadler and a Program Director, Art Elliott took a chance on a 20 year old and let him shoot news film and run studio camera. 42 years and 4 Emmys later, I wish I could tell them how much they mean to me. Without their help, I wouldn't have been able to work Lee & Lionel or the first late appearance of Mazeppa on Channel 6. I will always remember giving time cues to Lionel and then figure out I have talked to Lee's hand for an hour. Without this experience, one of the best in my life, I wouldn't have had the career I love.

Robert Jennings, cameraman for ABC News, 20/20, Nightline and Primetime.

Congratulations on a great career, Robert. Say hi to Bob Brown out there for us.

You all should have heard His Most Highness making "comments" to the secretaries as they walked thru the studio between takes. For some reason (I suppose because after all it WAS The King) they knew His "comments" were perfectly allowable & even cute! If I or His squire would have said the same things we could expect a firm & not so subtle SLAP. It must be good to be King!

While I'm at it...another old story. I was 17 & running boom for the first time. As a boom operator I, as a matter of course, would turn the mic toward His squire when he was allowed to speak, then would turn the mic toward our Most High King in order that no subject would miss His words of wisdom. I heard people laughing & looked over to see who would dare laugh at Him. I was pleased to see they were laughing at me & felt comfort in knowing that the King (Himself) was not offended.

Michael: Sorry to hear about Steve. Whatever happened to Teddy Bear Creekmore?

I just discovered this site tonight and have been reading so long I can't see straight! What great memories. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface, but I have some unfortunate news to add to the history of "The John Chick Show." (If someone else hasn't mentioned it already.) I played bass for "Teddy Bear" Creekmore on John's Show in the early 70's. The rest of the band was made up of Steve Chamberlain/Guitar, Dave Mathews/Drums, Denise Burress/Vocals, and there were others from time to time who worked with us off and on. We were the "Tuff-Nut Rover Band" for a while, and also the Tuff-Nut Challenger Band."

On April 12, 2002, Steve Chamberlain died of smoke inhalation in a house fire in his home between Owasso and Collinsville. He had quit playing in clubs in the 80's and became a welder. In the past several years he had started playing some again, and was in the process of putting a new band together at the time of his death. Steve and I were like brothers, in fact he always called me "Brother Mike." All of his family, friends, and I miss him greatly already. We held a very successful benefit in his honor, to help his family on July 21st and re-united a lot of the people from the old days. Teddy Bear, Denise Burress and her husband Denny Farris, and I were all re-united for the first time in about 30 years. Dave Mathews was unable to attend, but there were lots of Tulsa's finest musicians on-hand that Steve and I had worked with through the years. Tony Twist, J.T. & the Mudflaps, Touch of Class, Denise & Denny, and too many others to mention, all took turns entertaining a great turn-out of family, friends, and fans. Everyone had a great time, and we raised a lot of money for the family. I'll try to contribute more another time, it's getting late, and I have to work in the morning. Thanks again for a great site! If you're interested in my career, check out my website at: http://www.geocities.com/mgreen1996/michaelgreen.htm

You're welcome, Michael. Sorry to hear about Steve Chamberlain. Please come back again later after some shuteye.

It is always a pleasure (and some good giggles) to hear the punderful words from our beloved King Lionel.

Why isn't the King writing for network TV sitcoms, where his clever words wouldn't require those annoying laugh tracks?

:-)

Erick, I don't know what Michael Powell's problem is. Has he ever heard of The Dish Network??

I should have him to do his own research but, obviously he doesn't know much (especially for some one who work's for the FCC). SUPERSTATIONS YES! This address qualifies for all SuperStations.

KWGN Denver
KTLA Los Angeles
WPIX New York
WSBK Boston
WWOR New York

Want more info?? Look it up yourself at either Dishnetwork.com or maybe even Directv.com

Erick, Michael might be confusing the job he has...he most likely works for KFC not FCC.. by the way Michael, I live in Owasso (I wrote the past posts at my brother's home in Skiatook)

Nice to know the Lion's still got his chops after all these years! Kiddies, the King used to do raps like that every darn day, ending with the 5-day forecast, which, this week, would be, as he'd say, HOTHOTHOTHOTHOT.

What a talent! That guy he worked with was a pretty fair country pitcher, too.

Donald, I wouldn't worry about Michael Powell. His email address is @ffcc.gov (for faux-FCC?...webmaster).

TV-related, I was just thinking it was time to hit the Admiral Twin this year. Been too hot to go lately, maybe when it cools down a little...

12:49 a.m.: It was cool enough this evening...we enjoyed "Goldmember" at the Admiral Twin with windows down. Bought a couple of pickles and a bucket of popcorn at the concession stand, brought in a Cherry Mash, Crunch bar and Sam Adams...very tasty. The screen seems even brighter this year.

Summer is a great time to visit the Admiral Twin Drive-In. Their web site has current movies and showtimes. Get your free Drive-In Kit list on this site.

Michael, this is Donald. As for the TV stations I am receiving, (WWOR, WPIX, WSBK, KTLA, KWGN) you can get them too!! It's like getting Showtime, HBO etc.... I pay $5.00 and some odds cents a month it's called (Superstation Pack) Now, as for New York and L.A. NBC yes I did get a waiver from Channel 2 for those. By the way, Channels 6, 8, 23 turned it down.. So, no I am not doing anything illegal.

My premature entry in yesterday's guestbook was pulled on the suggestion of my right-hand man (what's his name) as to it being a slight double entendre questioning my "Lion Hood." I found this odd because when I'm feeling down I always order a double entendre with a twist at my favor-rite bar. The only exception to that was one night they advertised three for one Long Necks! I of course thought they meant "Giraffes." Anyway, I hope no one was polarized. That begs the question; "Are people who are polarized called "Polaroids?"

That's the kind of question Yassir Arafat's brother was always asking. His name is Nossir. Yassir would get quite peeved at him during "Bunker Bingo Games" and yell at him; "Why don't you go smoke a Bus or something!" Why is it that all famous people have a klutzy brother? Remember Billy Carter? Even the old Emperor Haile Selassie had one. His name was Haile Unlikely.

I'm getting the "Glare" so I better wrap up.

Being a full-furred Lion, I want to ask this question. Why does this exercise guy on TV (Basedow?) shave every hair on his body except his head and under his arms? But I gotta admit, he's got nice breasts!

Well, I see Granny has my breakfast ready so I gotta go. It's a big bowl of "Toadal."

I've only recently discovered this site. I've started at the first guestbook, determined to read all input.

In Guestbook #6, there's a lot of conjecture about Mazeppa's reference to "Boca-chita" Oklahoma. There may be a lot more factoids in remaining guestbooks about it that I've yet to see, but here is a memory of mine: I was a member of "Bo Velvet and the Desert Snakes" (back-up singers, "Bo's Belles".)

When Gailard announced and introduced us, he would always say he "picked up Bo's Belle's during a road trip stop p at "Angie's Minnow Farm and Donut Palace in Boca-Chita, Oklahoma". He never said why he picked Boca-Chita, but he referenced it a lot during the summer of 1971.

This was also the summer that the character of Coach Chuck was created--during a creativity session with Jim Millaway, Gailard, the Bo Velvet crew, and right in the middle of "Bo's Belle's" living room on 8th and Atlanta. (a lot of skits that got on the show were born in that very house, if my memory serves me well.)

Thanks for giving me a place to reminisce. Also, Mike: I own the very same "Mazeppa-Bo Velvet-Sundog-Civic Center" poster that was pictured recently in your newspaper article. As a "Belle", I performed at that show, and Gailard and I sang a duet of "Your Cheatin' Heart".

Thanks very much for that inside info, Susan. It may take you awhile to get there, but we heard from a Bokchitan in Guestbook 71.

Donald: On my map, Skiatook is in the Tulsa DMA, therefore you are illegally receiving the WNBC, KNBC and other LA stations. That is, unless you received a waiver from the Tulsa stations, which I doubt. I will have someone look into it.

Ladies and germs, Michael Powell, Colin Powell's son and current FCC chairman, has just taken valuable time away from the Worldcom hearings in D.C. to scrutinize Donald's setup. Let's really hear it!

Hey, all of you guys that dislikes Cox cable for what ever reason. Fear not..go ahead and get a satellite dish. Next week July 29, Tulsa will have local channels on Dish Network. DirectTV, I believe some time in August. As of now, I get WNBC (NBC from New York) and KNBC (NBC from L.A.) I'm keeping KNBC so that if I miss something on KJRH at let's say 7:00, I can watch it from L.A. at 10:00

And I'll still subscribe to the "Super Stations" WB KTLA Los Angeles, WB WPIX New York,UPN WSBK Boston,UPN WWOR New York and WB KWGN from Denver.

Been meaning to sign in more often with some of my (hopefully) interesting anecdotes about TV and radio in the 50's and 60's, since I was fairly heavily involved. In reviewing old Guestbooks, I saw the references and stories about Big Bill and Oomagog. You never know how much impact various characters have on little kids' lives.

In the mid-sixties, one of the TV or radio stations sponsored a Halloween costume contest. It was held on the parking lot at Oertle's at 27th and Memorial. The prize was a bicycle. Since my son's birthday was in October and he wasn't thrilled with what he got that year, I decided to make a costume and enter him in the contest to go for the big prize. He was about 6 or 7 years old. I got some silver illustration board and taped it into a big cylinder, cut a hole in the "chest" so he could see out, fashioned a sort of head for the top and drew buttons and gauges on the thing. It was kind of a robot cum spaceman suit but not necessarily modeled after Oomagog. But when we showed up at Oertle's and he got out of the car and put the suit on, you'd have thought it was Elvis and the Beatles all rolled into one. The kids came from everywhere, yelling "It's Oomagog!" They swamped him. The poor kid was knocked down and scared to death. An impromptu security force of sympathetic dads surrounded him to get him to the judging stage. Fortunately, he stuck it out and we won the new bike. It was his first glimpse of celebrity stardom and idol worship. (He got more of it as a young adult on the road playing rock & roll shows.)

The costume didn't even look that much like Oomagog, but that didn't deter the little kids. They went crazy. I decided not to let him wear it out trick or treating on Halloween. I think we bought some cheesy Casper costume or something at the TG&Y. Just think what life must have been like for guys like John Chick, Buffalo Bob, Bob Keeshan, etc.

Kirk Demarais showed us his Phantasmagoria Flash animation in Guestbook 100. I found an interview with him commenting on the nature of nostalgia that really hit home with me:

http://www.popcultmag.com/passingfancies/websiteoftheweek/secretfunspot/secret1.html

I love to see the new pix that appear on this site.

I've got some old pictures of my dad, Bob Scofield, and I all around the station at KTUL.

They show the old VTR machines in engineering and some of the main consoles there. The director's seat gives one a feel of how crude the atmosphere was, ( I think that Wayne Johnson's behind is in one of them.) And Dad is setting in the audio booth too. The film editing department and an old camera on the studio floor are also featured. I'll get them scanned and uploaded if this interests anyone. The photos are circa 1966-1969.

David, yes, please send the pictures. Bob Scofield can be seen in Guestbook 95.

I just more or less stumbled onto your site, and found it to be very exciting to know that although gone, is not forgotten.

My name is Shirley Sanders, aka Skwirley Shirley. I worked for Bill Payne at KTFX/KFOX radio, where I learned, learned and then learned some more about the ups and "downs" of radio. It was there that I became friends with Jim Chase (now gone but not forgotten) who was with not only KTFX/KFOX, but also KAKC,KELi, KVOO, etc.

I also am still very close and good friends with Becky Hyden, daughter of Bill Hyden of early KVOO Channel 2 fame. Becky and I teamed up with Pat "Trick" Richardson, to put a TV show on UPN 41 called the TV version of the Urban Almanac. It was a Saturday mid-nite show featuring local Tulsa talent and merchants, who also happened to be advertisers of the show. It was often as unpredictible as the Mazeppa show, probably because we all grew up? during the same years.

I'm gonna put you on my favorite places so I can keep up and I look forward to hearing from you as well. Take care and keep up the great memories.

Good to stay in touch with home. Thanks for a great site. Visiting Tulsa in October.

Ah, you're in KPIG country...ugh, just discovered that KPIG's webcast has been suspended in the face of the fees that would be due under the most recent Copyright Office ruling. KPIG has a link on their main page with information about what is going on with internet radio and what we can do about it.

Dick Schmitz was another person who was talked about frequently at the Evans' household. Both of my parents really liked and spoke well of him. It's great to hear that he is still around and doing well.

Boaz Rauchwerger is alive and well in San Diego!

Isn't he amazing!? I lived in Tulsa after he left, but have friends there who went to school with him. I met him out here!!

Anyone have information or can tell me which guestbook has information on KTUL's PLENTY SCARY MOVIE?

Try "plenty scary" in the search engine on this site, and you will find several mentions...

Archived Guestbook 110.

We heard about the late Dick Evans of KWGS, KTUL Radio, KRMG, KRAV, KAKC, and KTEW-TV from his son, Scott, and Dr. Larry L. Kraus. Pictures of him were just added, including one of the Big 7 KAKC jocks of the 50s.

OKC's HoHo the Clown (Ed Birchall) was remembered by his son and daughter-in-law.

KOTV's "The Late Show" was recalled. Gary Chew paid us a couple of visits; then and now pictures of him illustrate his entries.

"Sixfinger, Sixfinger, man alive! How did I ever get along with five?" (pictured).

There were several new visitors, including Shirley Speechley of KVOO, Chris Van Dyke of KMOD, and Charlene Lewis of KVOO-FM. The MaHu Mansion was mentioned again. And the webmaster received many congratulations on his recent marriage.

Check it out!