PBRTV - Pittsburgh Area Radio/TV Mailbag PBRTV - Pittsburgh Area Radio & TV

PBRTV Mailbag February 1-14, 2002

Adventure time, Ricky and Copper, Daybreak... local programing us boomers grew up with. Shame this generation will only remember "Real World." That's why we remember it so well, it was live, had mistakes, and God forbid was in black and white, (NO HDTV)...no surround sound. And it was performed by talented people!. ps. I could have listed some other local shows, but I'm hoping the memory banks of PBRTV regulars will flood this site with local shows from the 50's and 60's.! Mark M....North Hills (February 14, 2002)
The show that Rich was looking for, with a rocket full of mail heading to Santa at the North Pole, was "Adventure Time with Paul Shannon" on WTAE-TV. I remember this very clearly from the late 60's. For about a month leading up to Christmas, Paul Shannon would tell kids to send their letters to Santa to him, care of the station. He would read aloud who the letters were from as he loaded them into a rocket. He would then give a countdown, and they would cut to film footage of a rocket taking off. The next segment would be a "live hookup" to the North Pole where Santa would read the letters. I remember waiting all year until Adventure Time would start asking for letters to be rocketed to the North Pole. I guess it's one of those ideas that left an enduring impression on young viewers! I think they stopped doing this sometime after 1970, whenever Joe Negri took over as host of Adventuretime. JC, South Hills (February 13, 2002)
Eric: The program the fellow in the mailbag describes sounds almost like the late Paul Shannon's Adventure Time (hosted later by Joe Negri). I can't remember if it was on Saturday or Sunday--But it was on WTAE, channel 4. I seem to remember that rocket ship. Paul, as some might recall, was instrumental in re-uniting The Three Stooges in about 1959, who would go on to enjoy new fame, through the late '60s. Pittsburgh had many kids shows, like Captain Jim (my personal favorite), The Hank Stohl Show (with Knish and Rodney) and Romper Room with Miss Jan Bohna. Hank became a voiceover pro in Hollywood and--as I recall-- has since moved back to the Pittsburgh area; Miss Jan--as she'll always be to me-- still resides in the area, too..and may still have that mirror. Ed Weigle (February 13, 2002)

Eric's Response: I vaguely remember Miss Jan, but I do remember Miss Molly McCloskey though. She came about 1982 and hosted until the end in the mid-80's. I remember the poem, "Romper Stomper Bomper Boo, tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror Please Tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?" Then she saw kids with names that ended in "y" - ie - Joey, Billy, Suzy, Jessy, but never "Eric-y."
Hi- I found your website while searching for some information about an old, 1970's Saturday morning cartoon broadcast program. I grew up in Pittsburgh and remember watching on Saturday mornings around Christmas time a program that showed cartoons but also between cartoons submitted viewer mail addressed to Santa Claus in a "rocket ship" that would ultimately be launched at the end of the show to the North Pole. I remember watching this every Saturday morning...I think...maybe it was on at night? Anyway, I was wondering if you remember this show...I think it was on Channel 11. He would read the envelopes on the air (who they were from) and place them in the bottom of this make-shift rocket ship and at the end of the show, would show a real rocket blasting off. Thanks. Rich (February 12, 2002)
When Groucho Marx died, Byer reported it as "Groucho Marx's condition has taken a turn for the worse. In fact, he died." Most people were appalled at what they thought was a lack of taste on her part. The only people who weren't offended were Groucho Marx fans who realized that Groucho would have thought that was pretty funny. George (February 9, 2002)
Eric, Beverly Byer is a legend at WPXI for a number of reasons. She had some legendary on-air blunders and was also living with the news director at that time, which meant she got away with them. Two of the more famous ones: "Groucho Marx has taken a turn for the worse. In fact, he's died." Then there was the time she read a story about a war veteran who had been in the "Battle of the Bugle." After the show she chastised the producer because she said the script had "Bugle" typed as "Bulge." She told him it was a good thing she caught it. Infamous indeed. Vic (February 8, 2002)
In your "Where Are They Now" section, you describe Beverly Byer as "infamous." How come? (February 8, 2002)

Eric's Response: I don't know, I only put that there as it was written by the person who sent it to me.
Ahhh memories of my youth. You mention Dick Thompson, I remember when I was a kid, late 60's-early 70's WHOT-AM 1330 would simulcast from 5pm-6am with FM sister WRED101.1. From 6am-5pm 101.1 ran an automated "voice tracked" country format. But from 5pm until 6am the stations were"Red-Hot". Dick Thompson as I recall at one time called himself"Big Dick" on the automated overnight shift. Best Regards Trefdawg (February 7, 2002)
I like the website, having spent almost an hour and a half going through it and I didn't even know it'd been that long. One small piece of information that you might want to add to your AM station information is that WRCT stood for "Radio Carnegie Tech" back in the days when the school was Carnegie Tech. FYI... (February 6, 2002)

Eric's Response: Actually I just found that out the other day when I was guest-hosting the Jet Prop Electra on that very station.
Hi, gang! I have no idea where Joel Zelle is these days but I did find an old KDKA aircheck with him on it, circa 1978. If you're interested I'll send you a copy as soon as I get it dubbed from 8-track to CD (honest!). Roy Fox is also listed as being on the tape. Again, if you're interested in a copy just email me your address and I'll send a CD to you. If .mp3 format is desirable, please state that in your message. Otherwise CD will be sent in .cda format, which'll play in any CD player. Tom Lacko, formerly of FM 97 (when they were WFFM, Rockin' Easy people) and WESA (long before the dreaded frog!) Email: tom@tomlacko.com. (February 5, 2002)
A recent letter requested tapes of the Big Al Nite show heard years ago on WJET-AM. I don't have tapes, but you can listen to “Big Al” live. The Big Al Nite show was pre-recorded, and voiced by Dick Thompson, then the PD at WHOT-AM, 1330, Campbell, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown (the AM was sold a few years ago, and those call letters are FM-only). DT was heard on WHOT one hour mid-days as himself, and midnite to 6 a.m. as Big Al Nite. Big Al was also heard midnite to 6 a.m. on sister station WJET. DT was (and is) a superb radio talent who would sound great in the largest markets! An engineer or other staffer at each station played the various pre-taped elements, similar to automation, but the engineer was the "CPU." DT stayed in the Youngstown area, and is on-air 8 a.m. to noon weekdays at WSOM-AM, 600, Salem, Ohio. John Blasdell (February 4, 2002)
Just to let you know, WHUZ "Wuzz" 94 is now simulcasting on 107.7 WUUZ Cooperstown/Oil City. (February 4, 2002)
Eric: Just a reminder to you and all your readers--If you see Porky Chedwick on or near February 4th, wish him a Happy Birthday! Spoke with him moments before writing this and Our Living Legend is movin' and groovin'. Ed Weigle (February 4, 2002)

Eric's Response: Happy Birthday Porky!
Eric, I can't shed any light on the whereabouts of Randy Hall (former KDKA all-night DJ) but I can clear up the timeframe. He was on the air in the early 1960s -- he probably left the station around 1963 or so. He was followed on the all-night show by a guy named Kurt Russell and then Terry McGovern took over in 1965. I believe Randy Hall also hosted the Saturday Dance Party show on KDKA-TV before Clark Race took it over. Joel Zelle left KDKA in early 1977 to move to Columbia, S.C. to do a morning show. I heard a few years later that he had quit radio to start a charter helicopter service. Can't find anything about him on the web at all. He married a Pittsburgh girl (she was a teacher somewhere in the South Hills) so somebody should know something. Bob Kmetz, John Cigna and Dave James all would have worked with him so maybe they know something. He was not on their 80th anniversary special on Nov. 2, 2000. Joel was only in his early 20s when he came to KDKA from Boston in 1972 to replace Jim Horne so he'd be about 52 or 53 these days. Sorry I don't have more definite information. Vic (February 4, 2002)
Three more from local radio out of work?........200 Fleet Street is more and more like a fleet enema!!!!! When will it end? (February 4, 2002)
Let's try this again!!!!!! I asked last month....who knows what ever happened to Joel Zelle KDKA jock 1972(?) to 1977!!!!! (February 2, 2002)
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