During my year as host of Dance Party - 1968 - the show was directed for a while by Jim Kudlacek. Any of you KOTV'ers know what ever happened to him? He was always willing to go along with whatever envelope-pushing ideas that Bill Southard and I cooked up to try to put a little "wow" factor into the show. Yes, Kudlacek was an experimental guy, alright...

Help! I have Jim Bunn and James Baum cornfused! Okay so where is KRMG's Jim Bunn - brother of Susan Bunn now?

Jim Back previously reported on a related instance of confusion: Don Cummins of KRMG apologized to his listeners with the line, "Sorry folks, I got my Back and my Bunns mixed up".

Dale McKinney was a director at 8 and later at 6 and is the production manager at the tv station at Rogers College in Claremore. I'm sure he's lurking out there somewhere. Come on Dale, speak up!

The director who moved to PA was Dan Miles. He and another KTUL alum named Steve Nosoff had a production company there last I heard.

Great to hear from James Baum. We shared many a tense hour in "A" control.

James Baum - weren't you both a veteran of 6 & 8 news? Plus KRMG radio?

Wasn't Dale McKinney an '80's talented director at 8 that moved East to start his own production company in PA?

Tell us whassup in your lives and careers!

Dale was also known as "Melvin Simpkins" on Don Carlton Honda commercials here in Tulsa throughout the 80s. I got to meet Dale at the KOTV 50th party last year...he is a nice guy.

Wonderful to see some of us actually survived Tulsa TV! Stand by to Roll A.

We've now heard from both gentlemen on this Total 8 Tulsa credit. Welcome, James!

I went to school at Webster High, grad of 1966. I remember we used to ride our Cushman and Mustang scooters up Channel Eight hill. It was also some of the best rabbit hunting around with our .22 rifles. I have so many great memories of Mazeppa and Teddy Jack Eddy. LOL

Regards

Thanks for writing, Bill.

I always wondered why everybody started leaving right after I got there in '75. I had always taken it a little personally.

To: Jim Reid

Production Managers Howard Sanders/Glenn Blake hated prime time news but would do morning news/Chick Show news, so they might do a prime time weekend cast once in a great while with much kicking and moaning.

I too - after Mike Simmons left - was on a wacky schedule. For about 3 mos. worked 18 days on, 4 off - how they came up with this number I'lll never know. If I got sick in the middle of one of these marathons for day and came back in - I was felt to have been a traitor to the cause. News didn't care - they wanted good shows and supported rested directors.

(edited by request of Mr. Bruchas)

Tom Goodgame was the best boss I've ever worked for.

I'm not sure of everything going on behind the scenes, but he was at least smart enough to get other people to do the dirty work around there.

At one point I was the primary (and for the most part ONLY) director doing news at channel 8. We only had the 5:30 and 10 and I was working 7 nights a week. It went on that way for about 6 months and I was too young and dumb to complain about it. I happened to mention it to Tom's assistant, who mentioned it to him. The next thing I knew, another director took over and I found myself with a week off (paid) that didn't count against my vacation time.

What a great guy!

A footnote to the editorial by Mike Bruchas about Leake TV etc. As one who was News Director under James C. Leake, Bob Doubleday and Tom Goodgame, I agree about Goodgame’s people skills.

Leake kept a keen eye on Channel 8 from nearby Muskogee. But when I moved to KATV (Channel 7) in Little Rock, I found Doubleday ran a much tighter ship in Arkansas. Bob micro-managed the Arkansas station down to ordering paper clips. He had an overpowering personality and could have intimidated Adolph Hitler. Doubleday wielded a lot of power because he was just out of Leake’s view and he did a good job of making KATV a dominant station.

I was News Director at both stations and not only answered to Leake and Doubleday, but also to Bob Gregory, who was Vice President of News. So I was micro-managed to death.

I also worked for Harold Stuart at Channel 2 (very early in my TV career). As one who had to kiss the rings of both owners, at least on Lookout Mountain, you didn’t have to kiss more than Jimmy’s ring.

One final note: I don’t believe Eric Nelson, who was program director at KATV in the late 70’s played a role in the Bob Hower transition from Program Director to news anchor. The Hower move to news anchor was a Doubleday decision, I believe. For the first few years at least, Hower retained his Program Director duties while anchoring the six and ten p.m. shows. Jack Morris had moved to Channel 2 and Sam Stewart was still anchoring at least one of the shows when I took the News Director’s job in 1971. The Hower move was made about that same time.

Oklahoma has three state fairs because Texas only has one! (This year, Longhorn fans probably think one was about 40 points too many.)

Two years of remotes from the Tulsa State Fair learned me two things: don't stand under the Golden Driller in a thunderstorm, and don't mix fried pickles and funnel cake. I still have one of the "Take a Look" t-shirts we gave away in '78, though it was pretty cheap poly/cotton and after 22 years, the thread has just about disintegrated.

Also in the t-shirt drawer: an "8's the Place" from the late 80's, the very first-ever CNN t-shirt, black with white letters and all polyester, so you can't wear it without suffocating, and a "CNN Beirut" shirt from 1982 with Arabic on the back that says "don't shoot" (or something like that), a gift from Peter Arnett in his days there.

Mike quoted the dust-up in the '80 presidential campaign re John Anderson's participation in debates. After the sponsors refused him, CNN rented Constitution Hall and tried to do an "enhanced" debate, with Anderson answering the same questions as Carter and Reagan were as the sanctioned event went off elsewhere. The theory was, you'd see Carter and Reagan answer a question, then see Anderson. Great idea, but the execution was a train wreck. Because each Anderson answer added length to the event, and because the "real" debate was being recorded on one-inch tape in the remote truck outside the hall, I think the event ultimately ended with about 6,000 feet of one-inch tape unspooled on the floor of the remote truck, with the poor tape technician knee-deep in videotape, with two producers from the Washington bureau, the bureau chief, and CNN's prexy all yelling conflicting orders at him.

It was a good lesson on the KISS theory--and some of us who had suggested recording each exchange on a separate 3/4" cassette for playback found our stock with our bosses had risen.

Re Tom Goodgame - originally from KATV in Little Rock, after 8 he went on to Pittsburgh, PA and Westinghouse Broadcasting stations management but got out before the CBS buy. He WAS a good GM and he made money for KTUL.

His wife's family owned a lot of theatres in AR and TN that became UA Theatres in the '70's after they sold out. Just heard UA Theatres now has filed for bankruptcy. She was a class act, too.

Goodgame answered to Jimmy Leake and Bob Doubleday as COMPANY President - who looked good in a suit. Goodgame was VP & GM. Doubleday has vanished in the mists now. He later brought in the late Eric Nelson from LR as dual VP over both stations for programming/production. (see previous squib on "Gimme Shelter" re Mr. Nelson). That move may have sent Bob Hower to News full time, I don't remember.

Lot of jealousy between KTUL and KATV and Doubleday usually won out but 8 always had better numbers ratings-wise and was a happier shop.

(edited by request of Mr. Bruchas)

Thanks for the info on "Pierre" Pickett at KTUL radio. When I ever get back to Tulsey - need to look him up -- ditto Buddy Allison and a gaggle of KOTV n KTUL folks.

"Sweet Sue" was Sue Staggs' nickname at 8 - I think the engineers gave it to her! She was one of the nicest and most hardworking folks to ever work there! Besides being the cute woman in the 8 promotions.

Webmeister Ransom has all of the classic Carl Bartholomew 8's The Place spots from the late 70's - maybe he can grace us with some more stills from them. Carl (Uncle Zeb) was/is the best Promotions Director 8 ever had. Had previously noted changes in management/ownership not cast him out - I am sure we would have had "classic" Carl promos at 8 in the '80s and '90's!

Had to wonder about management at 2,6, and 23 - why they didn't scoop him up - or realize HE was the creative power behind some of the most memorable local promos in Tulsey TV...So he went to Tulsa Cable TV.

Then again a lot of TV management in Tulsa over the years has been by *MORONS* in suits. The city had a lot of that - did they look good in a suit - not did they understand TV, weren't "local" and Tulsey was a train stop in their "careers" elsewhere....Sorry, a personal comment from an ex-techie.

8 under Tom Goodgame - had a lot of "fire", excitement over broadcasting.

8's team of creative, production and news folks made it all work. Bob Hower bought good programming - he was big on good movies - folks forget he was Programming Director besides news anchor. Sales knew how to sell and made good money from it, too - best compensation in town was at 8 for TV salesmen. 6 paid a lot less to their Sales staff - no idea on 2 or 23 pay though Jim Stunkard did well for a while I recall. Lastly ABC was the weakest network for so many years till the late 60's - add to that 8 having their antenna SE not NW like "established" 2 and 6 - it was an uphill fight to dominate the market, but they did it. Funny how 6 and 2 moved their "sticks" to Oneta...

For all the talk for years 8 - WAS the local station in the '70's and '80's while 2 and 6 were pale imitations in community involvement dominated by uncaring (except for revenue) out of town ownership. Only their news showed any community involvement....Always wondered what would have happened had Harold Stuart kept ownership of 2 - he gave it up to join Leake in the pursuit of Tulsa Cable TV in the '70's - which neither won. He got a tidy sum from Scripps Howard but I am sure now the station would have been worth 10 times what he sold it for!

(edited by request of Mr. Bruchas)

I'm looking for my good friend Jim Bobillbob. We worked together at KTUL.

People were talking about Roy Pickett a couple of pages ago. Here are my memories of him.

Roy Pickett was a staff announcer at KTUL when I was there from 1952-55. He was a very laid-back, great guy with a beautiful, dulcet voice. He also performed at the Tulsa Little Theater, having the lead role in a play that had the words “silver whistle” in it. (He had a great line in the play that was VERY shocking for the times: “I’m forty years old, and still have my full sexual powers.”)

Roy did an afternoon shift that overlapped with mine for the first couple of years. He did a news commentary (provided via the United Press), the “Roy Pickett Show,” that was a half-hour DJ program, and followed it up with the Pepsi “Silver Dollar Man,” a unique show that I described in an earlier yarn. (I took over these programs after Roy was moved to an earlier shift.) He also did newscasts here and there.

In his free-lance capacity, Roy did those raucous, screaming Charlie Shepherd Kaiser-Frazier commercials along with Jack Morris. Finally, I think he was the first person to do those "You Need-um Tires? See Needum.” commercials. He could sound so much like Jay Silverheels, that even Brace Beemer would not have been able to tell the difference.

Shameless promotion here - don't know if KJRH is carrying it but Court TV and the other NBC kin like CNBC may be carrying it --- next Tuesday 10-16-2000 - watch "Safe Passage" from Noon to 1pm Eastern time on kids and growing up.

That's 11am-Noon OK time.

Court TV is doing a commercial free *LIVE* hour with NBC on this program from where I work. It will repeat the following Saturday. Some NBC stations will air it live, some may tape it to air later - like 3a.m. on St.Swithan's Day.

Hosted by Al Roker and Catherine Crier.

Al will be doing all of his Today Show cut-ins from here. We love him - but he is NO Willard Scott. Willard playing with his toupeee was more fun to watch than Bill "Pokey"Howard - but Willard has gone "straight"now - NO TOUPEES.

Originally Dubya Bush and Al Gore were to appear with Al Roker to support this, but something called a campaign is pre-empting their appearance...They had Ukrainian hod carriers and Mesopotamian taxi drivers to woo in Michigan. (I am mad OK is NEVER considered a swing state for EITHER candidate..)

Some guy from Arkansas named Clinton - who is looking for a new job - may come by to tape a message for the program - if out jogging in the neighborhood (sorry no McDonald's!) before golf or if not out mediating peace in the Near East...He has a lot of time on his hands now...

Erick! Shame!

You call yourself an Okie?

The MUSKOGEE STATE FAIR is the third!

You should always remember Betty Boyd on 8 doing spots for it with the *famous* "Get a wiggle on" worm slide for it!

3 state fairs? I'm obviously aware of OKC and Tulsa. Where's the third?

The OKC state fair was the first. It's the biggest, and draws more people. I would venture to say it is *the* state fair. It is, after all, The Great State Fair of Oklahoma! The Tulsa fair, well, I'm not really sure why it's called the Tulsa State Fair.

Okay - can ANYONE here explain why Oklahoma has *3* State Fairs?

Are any of the Tulsey stations doing stories on the 10/16/2000 Million Family March here? It seems very disorganized compared to the Million Man March or Million Mothers March -- but these things always gel together at the last moment....

It has been awhile since I have been at this site. The 113 degree heat melted my CPU and fried my modem. Thank God for MSN and satellite service!!! Like I can afford that kind of speed!

Wrote to Sartain the other day, too good to write me back. Probably remembers he owes me money from '74.

By the by, whatever happened to the Nine Of Cups? Great place for Beef Stroganoff.

Got to go change the filter in the A/C. So long for now.

You are possibly referring to the joint Mazeppa/Leon guestbook at mazeppa.com, run by Steve Todoroff (TTM lent its guestbook format to the Mazeppa site...it's not deja vu). Mr. S' note of a couple of days ago says that he plans to check in on it periodically in the future, but he may have missed your note of 9/18.

I loved the Channel 8 Talent Show. I always went to it and I remember that they did televise it some years. I played in it one year with my rock band. We didn't win but I remember that my friend, Chuck Douglas, had a band (The Infernos) and they did win.

For the first time in years I did not go to the fair but when I heard about the carney who was arrested for the crooked dart game I am reminded of one year when I took my kids along and one of them wanted to play the dart game. He missed the balloons completely but, surprise, the carney gave him a large prize anyway. Puzzled but pleased, I left the game to meet my wife who was waiting with my other children. The other kids saw us coming with our large prize and they wanted to play, too, so we went back to the same game. As before, the dull darts missed or bounced off of the under-inflated balloons. It didn't matter, they still won the larger prizes! One of the kids was not happy with the large prize he had won and pointed to an even larger prize. The carney happily handed it over! We left but I was really perplexed! I had never seen anything like this in my life!

It was much later as we were leaving the fair that I noticed the shirt I was wearing and all became clear. The shirt bore the emblem of a law enforcement badge and the words "Tulsa Citizens Police Academy", a leadership training program sponsored by the police department that I had once attended.

Curses! Thought we had sufficiently disguised that message in the backmasking.

In answer to Mike B's question about the KTUL Talent Show...alas, it is no more. I really miss that little girl in the nightgown on her knees doing the Lord's Prayer in sign language! That was talent!!!

Does 8 still sponsor the Talent Show at the Fair or am I flashing back too far in the last century? If they aren't - has another station taken up doing this? Or in this latte swillin' generation - is this too passe for the good people of Green Country?

Had to try to explain to a gal born in Stillwater but lived here most of her life here on the East Coast - why there are THREE State Fairs in OK - Muskogee, OKC and Tulsey....I think it is is regional hucksterism but can someone tell ME why there are 3??????

Re: The Televac Personality Analysis computer at the Fair...my analysis always was -

"You have potentially a great career as a professional cheese shaver at the Coney-I-Lander downtown, TV is just a passing fad in your life, quit wasting your time with it! Get a real job!

Oh, yeah - no one can read your handwriting either - so learn to type...and your Father was right - ENGINEERS are the real POWER in TV broadcasting, directors shmirectors - get a technical not management job....".

This message brought to you by the Oklahoma Farrier School, Turley, OK..."A shoed horse is a shoed horse!"

Ya know - all them carny rides at the Fair - I'll ride Bell's stuff any day!

Though I appreciate the epicurean wonders you find on the Midway and you can't do the Fair without Bell's gondola ride over all at night - neato!

Wm. B. aka Bill Certain - nephew of the late and legendary Ralph Blane is head mechanic at Bell's and keeps all humming. He too of KTUL "butt" knits story fame (elsewhere in TTM)....Wonder if Bill is getting a check from his uncle's estate each time they play "The Trolley Song"????

Per Bill Certain, he is certain he isn't related to Ralph Blane...webmaster, 2/24/2003

Re: The Televac Personality Analysis computer at the fair...my analysis this year shows, among other things, that I am an idea person with great communications skills, and that my manner is tough and no nonsense, but that my spirit is kindly.

So there!

I visit your country back in l965 and it was a kool TV show I do remember Willy the Hill billy but I thought he was only how you say the radeeo...crystal radios were popular in the our country too back in 1964...we met Jack Morris at a dance in a club in one those tall bildings in Tulsa Down town he kept saying play Mercy Mercy to the band...I came back again somewhere in the 70's and there was Mazzeepa at the Nine of Cups with his TV Buddy (forgeet hiz name) they were hard to reconize because they were dressed like how you say narcs...I kept thinking they would jump up on the bar and do a skizzy wazzle but they were on their best behavior and didn't throw any olives at the band...it wuz how you say yippy ki yo fun there in the amerzica

Ummm hmmmm....

I spent an hour or two at this year's state fair and I must say that only in Oklahoma would you find a bridal gown entry in the exhibits section accessorized with a cowboy hat with a veil. I am still in awe!

That "Handwriting Analysis Computer" hasn't changed in the last 35 years! When you've got a technology that works, why mess with it?

Mike Bruchas mentioned "whatever happened to Ken Greenwood" in last guestbook. Ken did teach a course in communications at TU, then went to work for the OK State Dept of Tourism and helped develop the program that gave our the area the "Green Country" theme. After that he started Greenwood Communications, sold that and went to work for the Oklahoma Chapter of The Nature Conservancy as Director of Development. This springboarded into a position heading up the annual Natureworks art show, a fundraiser for the conservation of habitat harboring endangered species. They are also responsible for the annual contribution of the many wildlife statues spread around town at Swan Lake, Riverparks & the lawns of Gilcrease to name some.

I had so much fun reading this page! Memories of years worked with the greatest crew ever put together....KTUL--8 was the Place....1972 to 81. I love my time in the channel 8 family. Uncle Zeb was my boss...so you know it was never a dull moment. Thank you for providing me with a touch of a very sweet time in my life.

Hi, Sue! Sue is aka "the shorts gal" on the KTUL page.

Just archived Guestbook 56.

In #56, we discussed the Tulsa State Fair, just ending today. Several readers weighed in on the old Mayo Hotel, where oil barons could be found minus their later PR gloss. We heard about "dollar a holler" cheap TV spots. KOTV director Dave Davis was remembered as was KRMG's Johnny Martin and KTUL's Roy Pickett.

Read all about it, then add your comments!