KnoxvilleTVFan

We are going way back to 1972 and a look at television in Southern California thanks to Obsolete Video Services. Take note at 31:33 when we feature a short, but rare clip of KCST-TV 39, in its independent days, before its became an ABC station (currently NBC). The clip is in the form of a promo for a short-lived syndicated show called "The Mancini Generation" and the slogan "Join 39tv" is in the form of a campaign button.

I recently came across a segment from a WLWT weekend newscast anchored by Robin Phillips (formerly of WTVQ Lexington) and Michael Collins. You can see the open at :01 into the video.

No news opens featured, but a couple stories about Ronnie Speeks, a local East Tennessee singer and Elvis tribute artist Ronnie Speeks. Featured at 2:07 is anchor Elisa Jaffe who would go on to host a local show on KOMO for a number of years. FYI: Elisa Jaffe's first television job was at WATE-TV, Knoxville in the 1980s and on her Facebook page, she shares a photo collage of her time at WATE. But wait...there's more. Here is a rare look at Idaho television news at the end of the decade with a full KBCI newscast. It features an interesting "Action News" logo and *NEWS OPEN*. The year: 1979. You may notice longtime WLEX news anchor Alan Cutler in the sports anchor chair. This was one of his earlier gigs before hitting it big in Lexington, KY at WLEX-TV. Now, wait just a minute...we have another sighting. This time, from KBYU-TV, the PBS station. Their newscasts were known as "Newsroom 11" and their theme: Bob James' "The Golden Apple." Not too long after the newscast was recorded, their newscast became...."Weeknight."

I am going to share something you need to see; it's a video of the CBS NBA wraparounds that aired as part of game four of the 1990 NBA Eastern Finals. In the video, it features legendary CBS Sports announcer Don Robertson doing a piece called "As The Playoff World Turns." You'll love this one and it can be seen at 1:06 into the video.

I see KNTV, KCBA and KTNV mic flags on the photo. Eat News, these mic flags look so awesome.

I need someone to please identify this thematic piece as used on Mazda Sports Look which aired on ESPN in 1986. You can listen to the theme at 4:19. I've got one more...American Movie Classics from 1988. Listen for a hint of the WROC early 1980s news theme in the intro. You can watch the intro at the beginning of the video. But, it begs the question...who did this theme?

Here is a rare Richmond news goodie...a WXEX news open and clip from March 1984. You can view this news open at 1:56:34, but beware...there may be low audio.

From 1980, here is a story about Red Bank High School's computer class as aired on WTVC. The clip features a WTVC news open and close using Tuesday3 by Tuesday Productions.

If you go to https://www.youtube.com/user/MrYoumatic, you'll notice that BigO! PlaBax has uploaded a number of rare Omaha clips from the 1970s and 1980s. Here are the first moments of a KMTV newscast from 1977; anchored by Jeff Jordan. And, here are the first minutes of a WOWT newscast from 1977; anchored by Gary Kerr and Walt Dean. Watch during the video for a newscast open that was done on film and was reminiscent of the classic WBAL open that was used.

While BigOPlaBax has a Jerry Fannin news tease from the early 1980s, bmboldt from YouTube has most of a KETV weekend newscast from 1983...with *NEWS INTRO*. I have to share this, because this is a surprise find. Not only is it a surprise find, but it also has the opening theme we have not heard before. Go to 3:57:57 to see the news open; you're going to love this one, because of the theme.

And, I notice a longtime WCYB personality in the clip - Paul "PJ" Johnson. He is currently news anchor at WCYB in Bristol, but used to do sports at the station for a long time. When I saw that, I decided to share this one. Thanks for sharing, Info Junkie!!

I came across a clip of KDFI as Texas 27, a news update from 1985. KDFI 27 Newscene -- 1985

I agree, but I will tell you that at least a year or two later in the mid 1980s, they became WMGT and their news branding became "41 Newswatch".

What you're about to see is a WMAZ special that aired 35 years ago this year. In 1983, WMAZ celebrated its 30th anniversary with a special hosted by executive editor Bill Tribble. Watch at the end, because it features clips of a local Headline News update aired on WCWB during that year and clips from a WGXA newscast (WCWB clip at 28:02 and WGXA clip with news open at 28:53). NOTE: WGXA's first anchor team were Dave Nemeth and Donna Fowler who came from WTBS in Atlanta.

Does anyone know who composed this theme?

Just came across a number of WTMJ commercial blocks from 1979; included is a WTMJ news promo at 3:34 and the theme they used was featured at CKVR in Vancouver as the news theme for CKVR First News during the late 1970s-early 1980s. Does anyone know who composed the WTMJ promo theme? Maynard Ferguson?

It'll be interesting to see these news open montages for other markets. Speaking of which, here is a montage of NBC/KPLC commercials from 1985. Included is a KPLC "SevenNews" intro from 1985 featuring Cynthia Arceneaux at the anchor desk along with an unknown theme being used in the news open. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=RdKNvmkg6zA;t=612

I checked the first few seconds of the video and the ending of the KVUE news promo featured the final strands of TuesdayB by Tuesday Productions. So, KVUE must have used TuesdayB as their news theme at the time.

Tomorrow, WATE-TV in Knoxville will be celebrating its 65th anniversary as East Tennessee's first television station. I did check their schedule, but I don't see anything about any special programming to air. But, I'll definitely be watching to see if they mention anything about their 65th anniversary. By the way, Happy 65th anniversary to WATE, East Tennessee's first television station!!!

Here are a couple of rare WCEE "C-13" goodies that I am sharing with you. First, here's a clip of Joe Lauria with the weather from 1984. And second, here is the station's news open which was used at the time (audio only).

We finally have a CFCN news open with Gari's classic "On Your Side" theme being used. This one was recorded back in 1987 during the first moments of a weekend newscast.

I came across this video from CFRN-TV in Edmonton on YouTube and it was recorded back in 1984. The Skate Canada promo seen at the beginning features some music that sounds Frank Gari-esque. Anyone willing to chime in?

Here is WCFT in Tuscaloosa during their final days as a separate CBS affiliate. Take note at 1:16, because they used a TVbD graphics package.

I checked the WLAX link and it's KLAX, the ABC station out of Alexandria, LA, that was sold to Northwest Broadcasting.

You never know what you are going to find. I say this, because I came across something rare. WCBI-TV in Tupelo had a reporter named Dan Black and here are a few reports. While scanning through the video, I noticed the first moments of a WCBI newscast from 1979 with news open. You can view the news open with newscast at 4:26. Enjoy this rare piece of video. More rare video...this time, in Jackson, Tennessee. WBBJ-TV had a sports director named Jack Church and is featured in this video. There is no news open, but features a sportscast from Jack himself. Oh, wait. Jack Church also worked for WCBI-TV in Tupelo. Here's more of him from the early 1980s.