Acceptable registrations in the queue through June 3 at 5:00p ET have now been activated. Enjoy! -M.W.
Terms of Use have been amended effective October 6, 2019. Make sure you are aware of the new rules! Please visit this thread for details: https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 16&t=48619
Terms of Use have been amended effective October 6, 2019. Make sure you are aware of the new rules! Please visit this thread for details: https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 16&t=48619
Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
What was the station like, when it was owned by the Detroit news? Did that station have any legendary talent, or any popular news personalities?
I am asking, because the station isn’t talked about much during the WWJ days. I know there was Sonny Elliot but that’s all that I’ve heard, as far as news talent.
I am asking, because the station isn’t talked about much during the WWJ days. I know there was Sonny Elliot but that’s all that I’ve heard, as far as news talent.
-
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:50 pm
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
In the late 60's and most of the 70's it was crap.
Its newscasts were being eaten alive by channel 2 and channel 7. Channel 4's news was adequate but, behind whatever ABC and Storer were doing.
The only thing it had going for it was Sonny Eliot and Carol Duvall. At least those are the two I remembered from that era... and the Tigers when they moved over from TV2.
Sonny's zoo show was fun.
The Detroit News was supposedly really cheap too. Making station employees pay for parking on its own lot. The building WWJ-TV was in was next door to the current WDIV building. The newsroom was in this big studio type room with the anchor desk in the middle. Dean Miller was one of the main anchors back then. I think it's he was a former soap opera star? Some of the bigger named reporters like Ven Marshall and Al Ackerman had already left for channel 7.
I think Bowling for Dollars was on then too.
I can't think of any good syndication it had.
Basically nobody talks about it because nobody watched it.
In the 50's and early 60's it was supposedly a really entertaining station.
Its newscasts were being eaten alive by channel 2 and channel 7. Channel 4's news was adequate but, behind whatever ABC and Storer were doing.
The only thing it had going for it was Sonny Eliot and Carol Duvall. At least those are the two I remembered from that era... and the Tigers when they moved over from TV2.
Sonny's zoo show was fun.
The Detroit News was supposedly really cheap too. Making station employees pay for parking on its own lot. The building WWJ-TV was in was next door to the current WDIV building. The newsroom was in this big studio type room with the anchor desk in the middle. Dean Miller was one of the main anchors back then. I think it's he was a former soap opera star? Some of the bigger named reporters like Ven Marshall and Al Ackerman had already left for channel 7.
I think Bowling for Dollars was on then too.
I can't think of any good syndication it had.
Basically nobody talks about it because nobody watched it.
In the 50's and early 60's it was supposedly a really entertaining station.
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
On Saturday mornings they had a clown called Oopsy. Even for a clown he was very strange looking. He was played by Bob McNea who was a former Bozo.
Around the time of the change they always seemed to show All In The Family and Barney Miller Reruns in the late afternoon. They also didn't show the first couple of seasons of SNL, (they ended up on 50.)
As a young kid I always seemed to prefer Channel 7 for some reason For reasons I can't really explain.
Around the time of the change they always seemed to show All In The Family and Barney Miller Reruns in the late afternoon. They also didn't show the first couple of seasons of SNL, (they ended up on 50.)
As a young kid I always seemed to prefer Channel 7 for some reason For reasons I can't really explain.
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
[quote=sfpcc post_id=566605 time=1552507977 user_id=4168]
On Saturday mornings they had a clown called Oopsy. Even for a clown he was very strange looking. He was played by Bob McNea who was a former Bozo.
Around the time of the change they always seemed to show All In The Family and Barney Miller Reruns in the late afternoon. They also didn't show the first couple of seasons of SNL, (they ended up on 50.)
As a young kid I always seemed to prefer Channel 7 for some reason I can't really explain.
[/quote]
On Saturday mornings they had a clown called Oopsy. Even for a clown he was very strange looking. He was played by Bob McNea who was a former Bozo.
Around the time of the change they always seemed to show All In The Family and Barney Miller Reruns in the late afternoon. They also didn't show the first couple of seasons of SNL, (they ended up on 50.)
As a young kid I always seemed to prefer Channel 7 for some reason I can't really explain.
[/quote]
-
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
I remember their legal ID, ""WWJ-TV, The Detroit News," from when I became aware of who owned the local radio and TV stations. And that, in each hour's Detroit News daily TV listings, and in the Sunday TV supplement, 4 always came first, followed by 2 and 7, then Toledo and the UHFs.
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
I went to high school with a racist broad who dated Bob McNea's son .
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Channel 4 became WDIV-TV in the summer of '77,around my 24th birthday,just before I went to St. Clair College here in Windsor and a month before Elvis died. They had a bigoted sportscaster named Bob Hillman who,as I remember,was fired for making prejudiced remarks about Reggie Jackson .("Mr.October," that is,not the Pistons' point guard.) Big Jim Forney,I believe,replaced Hillman and did a good job,but only lasted a couple of years .
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Oopsy replaced Bozo because of concerns that Bozo was too aggressive for young children .
- moldyoldie
- Posts: 1711
- Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 1:04 am
- Location: On that thar' interweb jobber
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Dick Westercamp
Sonny Elliot
Don Kremer
Sonny Elliot
Don Kremer
"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris
- Sydney J. Harris
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Thanks for reminding us about newsman Dick Westercamp and sports another Don Kremer,who with Chuck "Buck" Walby hosted "Bowling For Dollars ."
- bjmcdevitt
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:54 pm
- Location: Hartland, MI
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Bob Allison hosted Bowling for Dollars for a time as well
Please look at my signature.
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
[quote=borderboy653659200 post_id=566679 time=1552574724 user_id=14801]
Oopsy replaced Bozo because of concerns that Bozo was too aggressive for young children .
[/quote]
As clowns go Oopsy was kind of laid back.
Oopsy replaced Bozo because of concerns that Bozo was too aggressive for young children .
[/quote]
As clowns go Oopsy was kind of laid back.
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Ed Tyll was at WKRK about 20 years ago,but seems to have disappeared . Anyone know where he is today ?
-
- Posts: 951
- Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am
Re: Channel 4 in the pre-WDIV days
Oopsy was laid back,but I recall Bozo's using a (fake) hammer in one of his skits .