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Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
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MWmetalhead
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Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 29, 2022 11:58 am

The old LIN Communications was very aggressive in revamping the on-air look of the station after it acquired ownership of what was then WOTV from Time-Life in 1983. Their goal was to reclaim #1 ratings honors for sign-on to sign-off as well as #1 ratings honors in television news.

New and fancier (for the time) news set, Live at 5:30 was launched, new computerized graphics, new news helicopter, expanded live broadcasting capabilities, and a new anchor team at 6 & 11 PM (plus a new weather staff).

Other than Henry Erb, Dick Evans, Warren Reynolds, Bill Freeman, and probably a couple other reporters, did anyone else from the "Newscenter 8" era remain?





When the very likable Gary Bazner was fired in the mid 80's, it created quite a brouhaha. Once it became known Craig James would be his successor, I think most folks realized that it was actually a deft move by News 8. Mr. Bazner, at the time, was not a certified meteorologist.

Around the same time, Barry Shanley bolted WZZM's anchor desk to help lead the rebirth of TV-3's news operation in Kalamazoo.

During the latter half of the 80's, WOTV (channel 8) and WZZM were in quite the spirited race for newscast viewership, as I vaguely recall.

There are also some video footage clips floating around on YouTube from 1980/1981 era WOTV. What a craptacular product it was back then. The booth announcer sounded about 85 years old, and the newscasts looked low budget and had the personality of a dry sponge.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by Sholmes » Sun May 29, 2022 3:26 pm

They actually had a camera person outside Chopper 8 filming!! WOW. I was not around for the big change in 1983 would be great to see some of those promos

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MWmetalhead
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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 29, 2022 3:56 pm

I noticed that, too. That guy had brass balls for sure.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by format this » Sun May 29, 2022 4:32 pm

Gary Bazner was quite the character. One hot and dry July day, he stated “It’s so dry out, your nostrils will cement together.” He had some zingers, that’s for sure.


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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 29, 2022 7:35 pm

It would've been nice if he could've remained on staff in another role at the station. As I recall, he took a lucrative gig at WOOD Radio after departing WOTV.

A number of years later, he became the lead weathercaster at WKBD in Detroit.

He passed away at a tragically young age from cardiac arrest. He was only 49. He always looked a bit old for his age.

I found an obituary newspaper article stating he also worked on air in Indianapolis and Dallas prior to arriving in Grand Rapids.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by originalzzmfmjock » Sun May 29, 2022 9:32 pm

Here is the story as I recall about Gary Bazner. He was not fired by channel 8. Skip Essick at WOOD radio wanted to hire Baz to take the place of the retiring Bruce Grant. Channel 8 told Skip the only way they would let him hire Baz away was if they could lure Craig James away from WZZM. They did lure Craig away with a lucrative contract and Mr. Bazner was free to do the morning show on WOOD radio.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by rugratsonline » Sun May 29, 2022 10:00 pm

In 1972, Time-Life sold most of its TV stations to McGraw-Hill, but for some reason kept only one station, WOOD-TV (re-called WOTV that year), in its portfolio until 1983. The reasoning is unknown, especially as Time-Life originally planned to sell ALL its TV stations to McGraw-Hill.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by MasterB » Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:45 am

Cool to see the old promos surprised that WOTV/WoodTV aired prime Wheel in the first few years as I thought it was always WZZM in the 80s until WWMT took Wheel & Jeopardy combo in 93. I knew NBC aired morning/afternoon Wheel in the 80s. Also surprised to see Phil Don & Sally in the promo as I thought WWMT aired those from day 1 and Different Strokes as well I thought that have been on WXMI in the 80s although watched Different Strokes on WKBD. When WKBD was Michigan's superstation in the 80s on the most cable systems in the state.


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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by Bull Shannon » Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:26 pm

MasterB wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:45 am
Cool to see the old promos surprised that WOTV/WoodTV aired prime Wheel in the first few years as I thought it was always WZZM in the 80s until WWMT took Wheel & Jeopardy combo in 93. I knew NBC aired morning/afternoon Wheel in the 80s. Also surprised to see Phil Don & Sally in the promo as I thought WWMT aired those from day 1 and Different Strokes as well I thought that have been on WXMI in the 80s although watched Different Strokes on WKBD. When WKBD was Michigan's superstation in the 80s on the most cable systems in the state.
Diff'rent Strokes was originally broadcast on NBC, except for its final season which was on ABC.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by rugratsonline » Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:39 pm

Bull Shannon wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:26 pm
MasterB wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:45 am
...Different Strokes as well I thought that have been on WXMI in the 80s although watched Different Strokes on WKBD. When WKBD was Michigan's superstation in the 80s on the most cable systems in the state.
Diff'rent Strokes was originally broadcast on NBC, except for its final season which was on ABC.
I think he was talking about the syndicated reruns.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by dwp49423 » Sat Jun 04, 2022 4:48 am

MasterB wrote:
Wed Jun 01, 2022 12:45 am
Cool to see the old promos surprised that WOTV/WoodTV aired prime Wheel in the first few years as I thought it was always WZZM in the 80s until WWMT took Wheel & Jeopardy combo in 93. I knew NBC aired morning/afternoon Wheel in the 80s. Also surprised to see Phil Don & Sally in the promo as I thought WWMT aired those from day 1 and Different Strokes as well I thought that have been on WXMI in the 80s although watched Different Strokes on WKBD. When WKBD was Michigan's superstation in the 80s on the most cable systems in the state.
WOTV-8 aired at least the first season of Nighttime Wheel. Trying to remember if it moved to WZZM for season 2 (pairing with the Alex Trebek version of Jeopardy!) or waited one more season before the pair moved. Dawson's version of Family Feud was on WZZM but I don't recall if they dropped Feud before production ceased.

Sally Jesse Raphael started on 8. Growing up, I referred to Sally as "Ratty Tail" as TV=8 aired her show in place of daytime network programming from NBC. TV-8 did this at least three times for game shows and then independent WXMI acted as a secondary affiliate and aired them (Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour, Time Machine, Super Password).


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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Jun 04, 2022 7:21 am

I remember Alex Trebek's Jeopardy started at WKZO locally. I want to say it replaced Tic Tac Dough at 7:30.

WOTV ditched a lot of NBC's game shows or relegated them to overnights. I think 17 only carried one or two seasons of Super Password in late mornings even though that show was in production for six seasons.

WOTV was late in adding Scrabble and Sale of the Century to its lineup. I think the first two or three seasons of Scrabble did not air locally.

I want to say Sally Jesse replaced Donapuke on WOTV, who was moved to afternoons at channel 3.

I know 13 ditched the daytime version of Feud before it ended its ABC network run. 41 carried it until the end.



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by matt1 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 1:20 am

I guess that someone deleted my message about Pumbaa the warthog (don't call him pig).



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Re: Old school TV 8 promotional videos from 1984

Post by TeleCine » Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:47 pm

There's a bit of confusion in some parts of this thread. You have to keep in mind that NBC was in the toilet in the ratings in the late 70s and early 80s so all NBC stations were suffering. This was also a time of innovation, so more live trucks and new ways of presenting news were going to happen, no matter who owned the station. Yes, LIN gets credit for doing a lot of things right but they benefited most of all from Cosby and NBC's rise in the late 80s.



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