VHSgoodiesWA

AMAZING stuff in this post. Rare cable stuff and a new "holy grail" television market, all unearthed. Starting with this one...Jerry Bishop wishing us a wonderful tomorrow and all. First time finding a 1986 or earlier sign-off from Disney. Of course, both sign-off variants (including the "Mickey Ball") have been uploaded by other YTers. There were many tapes in this lot with free preview weekends from Disney. I drove all the way to the Packwood flea market to find this VHS tape from Lewiston. I have been looking for a KLEW taping for many years, and finally found one: Long-defunct KCWT Wenatchee from 1985...I'm guessing, can't find an exact date. KCWT was an indie, then was a Fox affiliate (mostly relaying KAYU with some local programs), then went to Channel America and TBN before a transmitter malfunction in 1993 knocked them off for good. I wonder how KCWT would have fared as a local Big 3 network affiliate with a news department...if they had been successful. Wenatchee is a weird area, with plenty of Seattle viewing on cable, yet there were Spokane VHF translators in all of those communities (and west to Leavenworth...even as far west as Lake Wenatchee). Another cable sign-off here...for American Movie Classics. Bob Dorian (1934-2019) wraps up "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" with a tribute to Cary, there's a promo for "The Bible" with George C. Scott, tomorrow's schedule, and they sign off the air. December 5th, 1987, around 4:30AM Eastern. (I wonder if Bob watched his own network once they started adding Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. Probably not.)

Latest finds: KNDO 4/6/87, Pat Dooris, Kyle Osborne WX and Doug Kershaw on sports CNN Headline News, 5/31/1998 via *KLEW Lewiston*!!

New content this Memorial Day: KWCH Eyewitness News (partial) 5/26/98 via KBSH Hays An amazing find for aviation enthusiasts, or anyone that grew up in Denver: Stapleton Airport closes, and the transition to DIA is on. KUSA 9 News, live from DIA, 2/27/1995 Part of KWCH Eyewitness News Weekend, 6/27/93 (via KBSH Hays again) And finally, one more from KWCH, 11/18/93

Our friend Henry Hanson just posted this 1992 Election night find from WHAG!! As well as a KIRO 7 special on the Nisqually quake of 2001

Some new additions, acquired a lot from a Hibid auction in Kansas, and more from Yakima too

There are still promos for the StormTrackers on KIMA Action News...the aforementioned logo on the lower right...the promos that pat themselves on the back for outstanding reporting...etc etc. Yet we have a different news branding at 5, 6, and 11. Even the Facebook page still identifies as KEPR Action News. A complete identity crisis at this point.

He needs no explanation. TBS was America's #1 cable network because of Mr. Turner. TNT was home to thousands of classic movies and WCW, because of Mr. Turner. Larry King became a nightly staple in millions of homes...because of Turner. Not to mention CNN Headline News, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, and more. All of these networks were staples of American life in one demographic or another. Dexter's Laboratory premiered on Cartoon Network to critical acclaim, not to mention the late Christine Cavanaugh was perfect for voicing Dexter. Toonami, Ed, Edd and Eddy, PowerPuff Girls, Adventure Time ALL came around because Ted decided to launch this network. He leaves behind a legacy around the world. He will be remembered for generations to come. RIP and welcome to Heaven, Ted.

New branding for local news on KIMA/KEPR in central Washington as of today. TRI-YAK News. Call signs going away from their branding next, perhaps? "Tri-Yak CBS"? The sports cutaways continue with Ryan Rogers at 19 and Austin Peppers at 29. Imagine if they added KLEW to the branding. "Tri-Yak-Lew". Try me, yak!

Newest finds:

Rincon is selling. Verrrryyyy interesting. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/4/12/rincon-is-selling-off-their-stations I have noticed that KIMA's Austin Peppers is still at the station doing sports in a cutaway with Ryan Rogers (at the KEPR studio). But no JKOC anymore. He's still listed on the KIMA website, however. Would be interesting to see KIMA end up LMAed with Cowles or Morgan Murphy...but I wonder if Gray or Nexstar will try to buy them up (plus KEPR/KLEW)?

I don't recall him saying anything on Monday night (the 30th). Just that we'll see you tomorrow, "join us for your local KIMA Action News at 11", etc. This also affects the relatively new sports director, Austin Peppers, who took over Alan Sillence when he retired last January after a 31 year run at the station. He's young and hopefully will end up somewhere too.

UPDATE: Looks like lights out for Yakima's first television station. RIP KIMA, 1953-2026 https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/kima-newscasts-apparently-moved-from-yakima-to-tri-cities-amid-ownership-changes/article_9ee73618-04de-4129-a252-68e3be4b480a.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social A Facebook comment on the YH-R from Steve Rocha (Morning guy on 100.9 Cherry FM) says John Kennedy O'Connor was seen at a brewery yesterday, close to news time. Casually dressed. I pray he ends up either in Pasco (with Scott) or in another amazing location. JKOC could be in Boise, Birmingham, or Binghamton and I'd still watch him. He was the best thing to happen to KIMA's news department in years.

In Yakima...Fox 41 is now Fox 29.3 (well, I believe it's still called "Fox 41"). KCYU dropped Fox this morning after over 35 years. First as K53CY, then K68EB, then KCYU. Channel 41 is now Roar. Meanwhile, Scott Stovall was on the newscast last night at 5 and 6. I hope the absence of John Kennedy O'Connor is temporary...but I have been predicting the demise of the KIMA television studios for years now. So who knows?

Noticed this a few nights ago. I guess KFFX wasn't satisfied with KNDU's partnership anymore (or Rincon wasn't). Meanwhile, this is happening 1,400 miles away. Live newscasts have ended at KGAN Cedar Rapids. The March 23rd newscast was all pre-recorded except for weather...just reports from MMJs and prerecorded anchor blurbs from other parts of the state. Another news department falls. How long before Sinclair (or someone else) experiments with AI anchors, AI weather, AI sports?

All I have this time around is a brief KNDU clip from November 1997. It's the open to the 11PM newscast with Scott Stovall (still at KEPR).