WTIC Schedule in 1960's and 70's
Wayne Kibbe
Anyone remember the morning schedule on WTIC Hartford, CT?
I believe it was:
Bob Steele 5:30-10:00am
Robert E. Smith and the theatre of melody 10:00 - 11:00am
Jean Colpert 11:00am - noon
Arnold Dean and the Lunch Bunch noon - 2pm
MikeLine 2-4pm
Lou Palmer 4-7pm
Brad Davis? early evening and overnight I think maybe
Thoughts, comments....?
WWGV
aprox 1976, my memory of the AM schedule is as follows:
5-6am-A farm program the name of which escapes me. I remember a host of
this program who retired in the 60's identifing himself as "Your neighbor
down the road." A 1/2 hour TV version ran on the weekends with the title
of RFD #3.
6-10a-"The Bob Steel Show" Children's Story @ 7:45a, a polka, a march, no
school announcements.
10-11a-"Your Theater of Melody" with Robert E. Smith. Show Tunes.
11a-12n-Jean Colbert with announcer Ed Anderson. Live guest interviews in
the studio. From local school kids promoting the school play to Winston
Churchill.
12n-12:35-News, Weather, Sports, the occasional editorial with the
President of the WTIC Corporation, Leonard J. Petrolseli.
12:35-1p-Meet me on the Plaza with Arnold Dean-A mix of Big Band Music and
interviews with people and personalities live from Constitution
Plaza(weather permiting).
1p-3p-Mike Line-Rotating hosts form the WTIC announcing staff. A telephone
call in with a mix of "how too" for the "Housewife" ie: How to remove a
grape fruit stain from a cotton sweater, anyone have a recipe for honeynut
eggnog......
3-6p. The Afternoon Eddition with ?
6-7p-News, Weather, Sports......
7-7:30p-Americana with Dick Bertel.
7:30-11-The Evening Edition?, Red Sox Baseball, UCONN Basketball?
11-11:25-News, Weather, Sports......
11:25p-5am-The Otherside of the day with Art Johnson. Music and Art
Johnson's comments on the state of the world. At 3am a full four movement
symphony.
The AM/FM simulcast 11p-11a. The FM was it's own form of classical/show
tunes and "good music" 11a-11p. Saturday afternoons the FM ran the Texaco
Metropolitan Opera brodcasts.
The AM was an original affiliate of NBC when the network formed in 1926.
This realtionship lasted until the late 80's or early 90's. WTIC AM went
on the air sometime between 1922-1925.
Does anyone remember any of the other announcers. Ed Hennesey. Steel
predecessor in AM drive Ben Hawthorne. He did the commercails for the
Electric Companies of Northeast Utilities (the selling of nuclear power)
during the weekly WTIC TV3 Quiz Show "What in The World." Brad Davis was
a staff announcer I remember from Mike Line, filling in on the Steel
Show/Afternoon Edition/The Otherside of the Day and doing live radio
commercials. Davis also did a Saturday afternoon teen dance how on WTIC
TV3 called the The Brad Davis Show" brought to you by Connecticut Milk for
Health. No real Rock and Roll, no black music. Lots of Bobbie Vinton and
the Rockvillle Rocker Gene Pitney. I do not remember Davis with a regular
time on radio. Remember the announcing staff also worked on the FM and
TV3. At one time Bob Steel did "Bob Steel Spotlight on Sports" on TV3 as
part of the 6p news blocks. The announcers read the news on TV. They also
covered the TV announce booth live. I'll never forget Ed Anderson who
ancored the 6:05pm Saturday news on WTIC TV3 in the 60's. He read into the
mike at the news desk. He never looked at the camera. A "to the bone"
radio guy. Remember the Travelers Weather Service, besides Barbara Allen,
who were the metrologists? Anyone who grew up in the signal of TV3 in the
60's remembers Ranger Andy at 4p and was probably on the show with their
brownie or cub troop. Did you have your birthday appear in the cake on the
"Hap Richards Show" at 9am. Remember WTIC TV3's daily am "Homemakers
Movie" and monday nights "Afterdinner Movie" from 7-9p. WTIC TV was
propably the only CBS TV affiliate not to run "Gunsmoke" and delay "Lucy"
to 6:30p on Saturday. The WTIC AM/FM/TV of the Travelers era was very
conservitive but there was a commitment and responsability to the
community which resonates when you mention the calls today. The Travelers
probably never made much money with the TIC's. They were too busy
operating three public trusts in the public interest.
Bill Vassar
WW...@AOL.com
CookeH
Side Of The Day," is a kind of sublime radio you can't seem to find
anywhere anymore, but would probably be a big hit if some station gave it
a try...
Holland Cooke
Holland Cooke Media
Washington DC
Mike Dowling
I worked with many of the WTIC people in the early 80s at WRCQ-AM in
Hartford. The station was originally WRCH-AM and is now a CNN affilliate.
Our Sunday lineup for about a year included Floyd ("Hap") Richard, Bob
Ellsworth, Mike Ogden and Bill Hennessy.
Floyd hosted the morning kids programas Hap Richard. Mike Ogden
replaced Ranger Andy in the afternoon Ranger Station. Bill Hennessy still
does a lot of agency commercials in the area and works for the Connecticut
State Lottery. Bob Ellsworth, last I knew, left the area for Washington to
work for Voice of America. I still hear his voice occasionally on radio and
television spots.
Bruce Dern was the anchor of the Channel 3 news. It opened with a
shot of the weather instruments. Travelers ran an upscale geography quiz show
called "What in the World. The host was John Dando and one of the regulars
was Connecticut Republican party chairman Meade Alcorn.
Any more memories?
Mike
A.J. Janschewitz
On 4 Dec 1995 13:28:37 GMT, WWGV (ww...@aol.com) wrote:
> Prior to the sale of WTIC AM/FM/TV3 by the Travelers Insurance Company,
> aprox 1976, my memory of the AM schedule is as follows:
> 5-6am-A farm program the name of which escapes me. I remember a host of
> this program who retired in the 60's identifing himself as "Your neighbor
> down the road." A 1/2 hour TV version ran on the weekends with the title
> of RFD #3.
It was done by Frank Atwood for years, then Bill Clede.
> 6-10a-"The Bob Steel Show" Children's Story @ 7:45a, a polka, a march, no
> school announcements.
Among many other things ... you could set your watch precisely to the
elements of Bob Steele's show. Weather at :25, and so forth. As I recall,
the march was on Saturdays ... even though he had the highest-rated
morning show in the country for years, Bob always worked a six-day week.
AFAIK, he's still on the air once a month on Saturday mornings. I had Bob
do a spot for me early this year; his delivery is still superb ... nailed
:60 on the first read.
> 10-11a-"Your Theater of Melody" with Robert E. Smith. Show Tunes.
Trivia: Robert E. had the worst breath in radio.
> 11a-12n-Jean Colbert with announcer Ed Anderson. Live guest interviews in
> the studio. From local school kids promoting the school play to Winston
> Churchill.
Ed Anderson, last I knew, still did the intro and outro for a weekly
broadcast from his church that is carried on a local religious station.
He was known for his collection of model trains, which was his prize.
> 12n-12:35-News, Weather, Sports, the occasional editorial with the
> President of the WTIC Corporation, Leonard J. Petrolseli.
Mr. Patrocelli started in the mailroom at WTIC, and worked up to owning
it along with a local financeer when the Travelers sold it in 1974. One
of his most famous editorials (often written by Dick Bertel, now with the
VOA) advocated the return of pillories.
> 12:35-1p-Meet me on the Plaza with Arnold Dean-A mix of Big Band Music and
> interviews with people and personalities live from Constitution
> Plaza(weather permiting).
> 1p-3p-Mike Line-Rotating hosts form the WTIC announcing staff. A telephone
> call in with a mix of "how too" for the "Housewife" ie: How to remove a
> grape fruit stain from a cotton sweater, anyone have a recipe for honeynut
> eggnog......
Mikeline was the bane of all the staff announcers' days. Hosts included
Floyd Richards, Brad Davis, Ed Anderson, Bill Henry and others.
> 3-6p. The Afternoon Eddition with ?
Lou Palmer, who left WTIC for ESPN at its startup.
> 6-7p-News, Weather, Sports......
> 7-7:30p-Americana with Dick Bertel.
Last seen as a Big Shot at the VOA, heard from time to time on weekends
on NBC (radio) news as of a few years ago.
> 7:30-11-The Evening Edition?, Red Sox Baseball, UCONN Basketball?
'TIC After Dark, I think ... that was a staff announcer show hosted by
whomever pulled the shift.
> 11-11:25-News, Weather, Sports......
> 11:25p-5am-The Otherside of the day with Art Johnson. Music and Art
> Johnson's comments on the state of the world. At 3am a full four movement
> symphony.
Art always pulled longer symphonies than those that were programmed; he
liked his 3:00 a.m. break. He always fancied himself as Hartford's
William B. Williams, and had the shortest temper of anyone I've ever
worked with in radio. He would run downstairs to TV and scream at the
engineers for turning up the control room monitors too loud, after which
they'd turn them up louder.
Art was gifted/cursed with sensitive hearing ... he could hear if the
Plaza management had inadvertently left the background music on the plaza
on overnight (even from an announce booth in the middle of the station).
It was always necessary to stand stock-still when Art was on the air; he
was easily distracted and would explode at anyone who "bugged" him. He
passed away about a year ago.
> Davis also did a Saturday afternoon teen dance how on WTIC
> TV3 called the The Brad Davis Show" brought to you by Connecticut Milk for
> Health.
Brad does a right-wing talk show now on WDRC-AM in Hartford.
> Remember the Travelers Weather Service, besides Barbara Allen,
> who were the metrologists?
Jerry Wilson, Ken Garee (now back with the New England Weather Service
based at Channel 3), Milt Barlow, and a few others I'll remember as soon
as I send this.
BTW, good to read from you, Bill ...
==a.j.==
--
A.J. Janschewitz <<>> a...@aj.com <<-=->> http://www.aj.com/ajj
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
discoveries, is not `Eureka!' but `That's funny...'" -Isaac Asimov
Peter Chase
Frank Atwood was the host of the morning farm report.
Hennesey had a weekend show of big band music "Hennesey That's Me." His
theme song was "I Heard That Song Before." I heard he began his own
broadcasting school?? Also did news on a UHF TV station.
Anybody remember Patty Labar(sp) doing the spots for Capitol Motors? I
heard she had no formal training but had a great voice anyway.
DLeeGordon
<<WTIC overnight host for many years: Art Johnson, whose show "The Other
Side Of The Day," is a kind of sublime radio you can't seem to find
anywhere anymore, but would probably be a big hit if some station gave it
a try.>>
You are aware, of course, that Art Johnson passed away earlier this year.
Wasn't he also on the Big D at one time?
Lee-G
Lee Gordon, Production Director WPOP/WMRQ Hartford
CookeH
"Big 3 Theatre" movies?
rich...@commspec.com
WW>6-10a-"The Bob Steel Show" Children's Story @ 7:45a, a polka, a march, no
WW>school announcements.
Bill,
You're brining back memories. Bob Steele was my hero as a kid. He
was the guy who told me I didn't have to go to school. I didn't care
much for the polkas, but you'll endure anything for a day without
school. WTIC did a better job reporting school closings in my hometown
(Westfield, MA) than the locals did.
WW>to 6:30p on Saturday. The WTIC AM/FM/TV of the Travelers era was very
WW>conservitive but there was a commitment and responsability to the
WW>community which resonates when you mention the calls today. The Travelers
WW>probably never made much money with the TIC's. They were too busy
WW>operating three public trusts in the public interest.
WTIC under Travelers was one of the most community-oriented
stations I've ever seen. I remember visiting the station shortly after
the Constitution Plaza facility was built. All I have to hear,
anywhere, is the morse code di di di dah ("V" for Victory) and I think
of WTIC. It's been their time tone since WWII. It was a great station.
Rich
tucker...@gmail.com
> Does anybody know the name of the music that WTIC TV3 used as theme for "Big 3 Theatre" movies?
texya...@gmail.com
esk...@gmail.com
Harvey Fenwick Lung
>I can hear the "Big 3 Theater" theme in my mind's ear. It was a mashup of "oranges and lemons" and "early one morning" in a big orchestral arrangement. Sure would love to have that recording, although I heard it so many times, it's clear in my memory.
heard of "oranges and lemons" before. Now if we could get the original
WTIC recording, but it is probably filed away in a warehouse or
discarded.
margie...@gmail.com
esk...@gmail.com
eck for the exact time. It would have to end before “Art Linklette
r’s House Party” at 3:30 or start at 4:30 after “Ra
nger Andy.”
stu...@att.net
> When did Big 3 Theater air? Was it weekdays after school or on Saturdays? My husband and I are in disagreement!
