Full Broadcast of the Documentary of Channel 5 and you of the 5Oth Anniversary of KSDK, with Karen Foss, 1997
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NewsTranscript
00:00From the KSV-TV newsroom, the house is starting to go.
00:03♪♪
00:11Meet your friends and hear the latest news, music, surprises.
00:15We leave it to you in living color on NBC.
00:18♪♪
00:22Tonight, we celebrate a milestone.
00:24Fifty years of broadcast history here at Channel 5.
00:27Good evening, I'm Karen Foss.
00:29This is a shared anniversary between Channel 5 and you, the viewers.
00:33When the station signed on the air February 8, 1947,
00:37KSD's early leaders and most St. Louisans could not have imagined the impact television would have.
00:44Images captured the city's triumphs and tragedies.
00:48And the men and women who brought the stories into our homes became like family.
00:54During the next hour, experience the events which shaped St. Louis and Channel 5
00:59as we celebrate 50 years, Channel 5 and you.
01:04The company that took a chance on the uncharted future of television
01:08was the Pulitzer Publishing Company.
01:10Pulitzer already owned the Post Dispatch newspaper and KSD radio,
01:15so the addition of TV seemed logical.
01:18And as Deanne Lane shows us, though ownership has changed through the years,
01:22Channel 5's commitment to news has remained the top priority.
01:27Stored in these cans is the footage of 50 years of events that have shaped St. Louis history.
01:33This is the archive room in the basement of Channel 5.
01:36When you wipe the dust off these old canisters, you'll find that much of the past was the good old days.
01:41But some of those events could be today's top stories.
01:45But I object to these television cameras, and I'm not going to testify as long as they're not erased.
01:50Some courtroom participants didn't want Channel 5 to bring live coverage of the Kefauver hearings to viewers.
01:56The Tennessee Senators Committee held hearings in St. Louis and around the country
02:00to investigate crime and interstate commerce.
02:03This is John Rodell. We switch you now to David Brinkley in the NBC Newsroom in Washington.
02:09St. Louis captured national attention again in the 50s
02:12when the kidnappers of little Bobby Greenlease of Kansas City were found here.
02:17At first, when we heard that segregation was going to end, we anticipated a lot of trouble.
02:22And I mean, there was a lot of talk in the school about trouble that might happen.
02:27But really, it's worked out fine, and I'm really glad that the schools have been integrated now.
02:32Like the rest of the country, St. Louisans adjusted to integration in 1954.
02:38They coped with work stoppages that left store shelves empty and trash piled high.
02:43But St. Louis also hoped for a brighter future with the marriage of Jane Hadley to then-Vice President Alvin Barkley.
02:50And when President Harry Truman came to town to dedicate the grounds for the arch,
02:54it was a clear sign some good years lie ahead.
02:58Now, therefore, I do hereby proclaim the years of 1964 through 1966 to be the bicentennial of St. Louis.
03:07St. Louisans were filled with pride as the city marked its bicentennial in 1964.
03:13And we had another reason to celebrate when the final piece was put in place on the Gateway Arch in October of 1965.
03:20But those unifying events could not stop the division sparked by the battle for civil rights.
03:25This pattern of life in St. Louis must not continue.
03:30The city also struggled with the loss of two great leaders.
03:33St. Louisans were captivated by coverage of John F. Kennedy's assassination
03:37and later the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
03:40Oh, I'm just shocked over it. I just can't believe it, sir.
03:43I don't know what to say. His speeches are so horrible.
03:53The 1970s also saw battle lines drawn along racial lines.
03:58The demolition of the Pruitt-Igoe housing project sparked protest.
04:02The closing of Homer G. Phillips Hospital triggered violence.
04:06A series of car bombings captured headlines in the 1970s as St. Louis' crime figures fought for turf.
04:13And fire destroyed the U.S. Army Records Center and Cahokia Downs.
04:17Sixty-eight horses were killed.
04:20St. Louisans saw their hope of another native in a high national office dim
04:24as Thomas Eagleton withdrew as a vice presidential candidate in 1972
04:29after announcing he had been treated for depression.
04:32And an era ended when the last train pulled out of Union Station in 1978.
04:39St. Louis Union Station is officially reopened to the people of the world!
04:49But just six years later, Union Station was reopened.
04:53Passengers were replaced by shoppers, and it was a sign of downtown revitalization.
04:58Two years earlier, the Fox Theater reopened, with all its splendor restored.
05:03Another reason to celebrate in the early 80s, the return of Rocky Sickman.
05:08Rocky, welcome back. What do you think of this reception?
05:10It's beautiful! I love you all!
05:12As one of the Americans held hostage in Iran, he was held captive for 444 days.
05:18No one wants to remain in Times Beach at this point.
05:21Hundreds of Times Beach residents lost their homes in 1983
05:25when the Environmental Protection Agency ruled the town was not safe
05:29because of dioxin-contaminated soil.
05:32And a hometown newspaper died when the St. Louis Globe Democrat shut down.
05:37The decision to desegregate city and county schools triggered heated debate.
05:41We can't route youngsters onto buses until we know where they live and who they are.
05:47But in 1983, plans were drawn up to bus students across district lines.
05:57Most St. Louisans defined the 90s by the Great Flood.
06:01Weeks of rain and melted snow from the north blurred the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
06:06Hundreds of residents had to evacuate, and whole towns were moved
06:10in hopes of preventing another disaster.
06:13Despite the ruins, St. Louisans are proud of the way they joined together to help one another.
06:18Communities joined together again to search for two young girls.
06:22I hope I bring my baby back home.
06:25The disappearance of Angie Hausman and Cassidy Senter sparked fear and anger.
06:29Senter's murderer was caught. Hausman's death remains unsolved.
06:36The St. Louis community also joined together in support of the American troops
06:39during Operation Desert Storm.
06:42And when the Gulf War ended, returning soldiers were given a hero's welcome.
06:47St. Louis also welcomed two new venues to the area.
06:50The St. Louis Science Center is now the playground for your head.
06:53And the Riverport Amphitheater brings some of the biggest names in entertainment to town.
06:58These images captured just a few of the stories that made headlines.
07:02Nature provided many of the top stories,
07:05and performances by St. Louis' most popular athletes also made news.
07:10Coming up, we'll show you some of the important weather and sports stories of the past 50 years
07:15and bring you the people who reported on them.
07:19Dateline NBC salutes Channel 5 on its 50th anniversary with this Dateline Timeline.
07:25All the following events happened in what year?
07:28Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial hit his 3,000th hit.
07:32NASA was created to oversee the U.S. space program.
07:36John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best formed the Beatles.
07:41And Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo was a hit at the box office.
07:45All right, St. Louis, what year was it?
07:471957, 1958, or 1959?
07:51The answer when we come back.
07:57This evening's presentation of Celebrating 50 Years, Channel 5 and you,
08:03is sponsored in part by your St. Louis quality Ford dealers on both sides of the river.
08:09By Dearburg's Family Markets, rated No. 1 in the USA for customer satisfaction.
08:16By Software Plus, your hometown software superstore.
08:21And by your neighborhood Jeep and Eagle dealer.
08:27Like most people, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about your electricity.
08:32And the fact that Union Electric recycles over a million and a half tires a year to generate that electricity may not be the most exciting news.
08:41Though it does mean millions of tires won't end up in landfills.
08:45What probably is important to you is that every time you flick a switch, push a button, or turn on a light, it works.
08:53Union Electric. We're always there.
08:56Now, I'm not the kind of guy to say, I told you so.
08:59But I've been knocking myself out here, telling you how Hyundai is a whole new car company.
09:03And now, it's right here in writing. Check it out.
09:05Consumer's Digest has named the 97 Elantra a Best Buy.
09:09And now it's even better, with $1,000 cash back.
09:12So, this is your wake-up call.
09:14You can listen to me, you can listen to this, or you can just figure it out for yourself.
09:18It's called a test drive.
09:20Get in the car. Now.
09:22The car Consumer's Digest named a Best Buy is at your Hyundai dealer now.
09:27Hi. We're Deerburg's Butchers, and we try really hard to give you the best meat.
09:32Take our ground beef. Deerburg's grinds it fresh at least three times a day.
09:36Three times!
09:38We start with fresh cuts of beef.
09:40Most other stores use pre-ground.
09:43We think it's important to control what goes into our ground beef.
09:47And that gives it the freshness and quality we stake our reputation on.
09:52We're Deerburg's. If we're not your store, we want to be.
09:56Your Buick dealer has an offer that rates your attention.
09:59Super low financing on every new Buick in stock.
10:02Have you heard the news? Buick's turning heads!
10:05Save a fortune with these incredibly low rates.
10:08$2.9 financing on Regal. $5.9 financing on every other Buick.
10:12Even the best-selling LeSabre and the all-new Park Avenue.
10:16Save thousands in interest with these special low finance rates.
10:20Buick's turning heads!
10:23Hurry, this exclusive offer ends February 10th.
10:26So, what year was it?
10:28Stan the Man hit his 3,000th hit.
10:30NASA was created.
10:32The Beatles were born.
10:34And Vertigo was a box office smash.
10:36It all happened in 1958.
10:40Through the years, Channel 5's watchful eye has witnessed many events.
10:45But none so dramatically affected our community as the weather.
10:48We've enjoyed beautiful spring days, rushed in from the cold of winter's icy blast.
10:54And together, we've battled everything from blizzards to the Great Flood of 93.
10:59In St. Louis, the weather truly affects everyone.
11:03News Channel 5 meteorologists John Fuller and Paul Goodloe show us how.
11:08Over the past five decades, Channel 5 cameras have been there to capture images of Mother Nature, both powerful and picturesque.
11:16And now, let's take a sometimes fun, sometimes serious look back at a celebration of 50 years of St. Louis weather.
11:23The decade was coming to an end with a bang.
11:26In the early morning of February 10th, 1959, a deadly tornado hit St. Louis.
11:31The twister roared through the midsection of St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis.
11:36It left 21 dead, nearly 300 injured, and caused some $12 million in damage.
11:43In the 60s, high temperatures were making things miserable for St. Louis.
11:48By July 5th of 1966, the metro area had experienced 14 days of 90-plus degree temperatures, and public pools were a popular place.
11:58Then the heat wave moved into its 100-degree-plus stage.
12:01Utilities couldn't keep up with the demand for electricity, so sections of the city were blacked out for two-hour periods.
12:09The biggest weather story of the 70s was the firestorm of 1976.
12:13The wind played a large role in the huge blaze that swept through downtown in April of that year.
12:18This is a firestorm. Its magnitude is 100 times greater than a five-alarm fire would be.
12:25The problem is, of course, the wind.
12:27Right, the wind is picking up something awful now out of the east.
12:30Eventually, the flames were controlled, but not until several city blocks in downtown St. Louis were destroyed.
12:37It started to snow on the night of Sunday, January 30th, and it didn't stop all night, turning the pristine snowfall into the blizzard of 1982.
12:46Winds whipped the heavy snows into blinding storms, with snow piled as high as eight feet.
12:51Thriving was nearly impossible for motorists.
12:54Even street crews were forced to abandon their vehicles.
12:57Officially, 13 inches fell at Lambert, the third-heaviest snow in St. Louis history.
13:02The next big weather event happened in the 90s,
13:05and the biggest news story of the decade became possibly the biggest weather story of the century, the Great Flood of 1993.
13:13It started quietly as rains continued to pour that year, and a wet spring turned into a disastrous summer, two months that forever changed our area.
13:22Tensions were high in many towns and villages lining the river.
13:26Many levees didn't last.
13:29That house is starting to go.
13:31Oh, Jeff, it's unbelievable. There it goes.
13:34Just now, lifted off the foundation, and it's just crumbling.
13:40But weather over the past five decades wasn't all bad.
13:44We laughed and even had fun with faces from the past.
13:47And sometimes, those weather personalities became as important to the people of St. Louis as the forecast itself.
13:54They became part of the family.
13:56One of the early favorites was a young Howard DeMere.
13:59That's all from here. Howard DeMere. Good night.
14:02Other familiar faces, such as Cliff St. James and Diane White, did the weather here.
14:07Even Dave Murray worked at Channel 5.
14:10As did meteorologist Bob Richards, who began his KSDK career in the 80s.
14:15His quirky antics with sports director Mike Bush made him an instant favorite.
14:19But when the weather turned serious, so did Bob, and everyone knew they could count on his forecasts.
14:25For ten years, Bob was an integral part of the Channel 5 team.
14:48There's something for everyone at your Quality Ford dealer.
14:51From the hottest-selling cars on the road to the best-built, best-selling trucks anywhere.
14:55Including five of the top ten bestsellers in America.
14:58Your Quality Ford dealer can definitely fit your driving needs.
15:00If you're looking for a roomy, well-equipped sedan, Ford Taurus is the perfect choice.
15:04Design leader, more room than ever, more safety features and now even more affordable.
15:08For a limited time, get $1,000 cash back when you buy or lease the 97 Taurus.
15:13Whatever you want.
15:14They've got it.
15:15There really is more to afford.
15:16And your Quality Ford dealer.
15:18How to create the perfect software store.
15:21Selection. You need over 5,000 titles.
15:23All the major manufacturers, like IBM, Microsoft, business, education, home software, and even games.
15:31Run it.
15:32Hmm. Okay.
15:34Service. Friendly, knowledgeable, extremely helpful.
15:37Again, interesting.
15:39Okay, now prices.
15:40Every day, low prices. Lots of sales and special offers.
15:43Hmm. The same every time.
15:45The perfect software store is Software Plus.
15:48It's gotta be more for my money.
15:50This week at Schnucks, take half off the price of Holland ice cream, now just $1.49.
15:5616-ounce boxes of crispy crackers are half price at $1.09 each.
16:00Original or country-style, Florida's Natural Grower's Pride orange juice is half price at $1.34.
16:06And certified Angus beef boneless round steak is less than half price at only $1.29 a pound.
16:13For you, it's gotta be a fraction of the cost.
16:15It's gotta be Schnucks.
16:16Schnucks. The friendliest stores in town.
16:18Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard.
16:21Aren't you Norman Desmond?
16:23You used to be in pictures.
16:25You used to be big.
16:27Open the gate!
16:28You heard Miss Desmond. Open the gate.
16:32The Wall Street Journal calls it Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece.
16:36The best musical since Gypsy.
16:38Norman Desmond.
16:39Hey, Miss Desmond! Let's get a look at ya!
16:42Broadway's best musical arrives February 14.
16:45Call today for Sunset Boulevard.
16:49Through the five decades Channel 5 has been on the air,
16:52nothing has changed the face of television as much as the evolution of broadcast technology.
16:58It's improved the way we create visual images, gather the news, and transmit our signal to your home.
17:05But technology has also changed the way you at home watch and enjoy television.
17:10For that, we go to News Channel 5's Rick Edlund.
17:14Many of the changes in TV went on behind the scenes.
17:18But for most viewers, the biggest changes occurred right in their living room.
17:22Bulky consoles were replaced with smaller portables.
17:25Color replaced black and white.
17:27And TV became part of American living rooms.
17:30Today's sets have become home theaters where panoramic sound and crystal clear images
17:35transport us to all parts of the globe.
17:38But even so, the advance with the most impact for home viewers was this.
17:43The remote control.
17:45And since the mid-70s, we've been able to use it to navigate our magic carpet ride
17:49through the adventure called television.
17:58You don't know what we can find.
18:02Why don't you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet ride.
18:07When the ride began in the late 1920s and early 30s,
18:10there were a mere 2,000 television sets around the world.
18:13Twenty years later, a pioneering group of St. Louisans
18:16hoped to make use of this new medium by getting more sets into local homes.
18:20They worked hard to build their TV station here in St. Louis.
18:24But when the station signed on the air,
18:26there were only four privately owned sets in the city.
18:29Television was still in its infancy,
18:31and KSD was one of only seven television stations in the country.
18:35KSD-TV appeared on the horizon with the building of its 540-foot broadcast tower,
18:40at the time a citywide event.
18:42The station got St. Louisans in the mood for television
18:45by constructing a grandstand so passersby could stop
18:48to get a glimpse of the massive tower under construction.
18:52In the beginning, network programming from NBC was sent to Channel 5 over a fixed wire,
18:57and most local news of the day was shot and archived on 16-millimeter film.
19:02The first big changes came with the switch to color,
19:05a big deal for broadcasters and viewers alike.
19:08The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC.
19:17In 1953, St. Louis television marched forward
19:20when KSD became the first local station to install color broadcasting equipment,
19:25though at the time St. Louisans couldn't even buy color sets.
19:29In 1958, the station put up a new transmitting tower, twice as tall as the first.
19:34Next to change was the use of satellite technology.
19:37The satellite allowed network news crews to follow a story
19:40virtually anywhere in the world and beyond.
19:44That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
19:53In the 70s, television news changed at Channel 5
19:55with the advent of the portable videotape recorder.
19:58During the mid-70s and beginning of the 80s,
20:00it wasn't just the number of sets that was multiplying,
20:03it was also the number of programs and sources.
20:06The growth of cable took off as viewers rushed to swallow up more programming,
20:10and more programming created the need for the remote control.
20:14In 1982, the station moved again,
20:16this time into its proud new headquarters at 1000 Market.
20:20In the mid-80s, Channel 5 also joined other NBC stations in stereo broadcasting,
20:25and it was during this time that satellite technology came into wide use,
20:29extending the reach of local news gathering.
20:32As the ability of television to cover our world increased,
20:35so did the appetite for what TV had to offer.
20:39By the 1990s, a TV guide poll found that one in four Americans
20:42wouldn't give up television, even for a million dollars.
20:46Technology over the next 50 years promises to continue changing the face of television,
20:51and as long as innovations like DBS satellites
20:53and the blurring between TV and the Internet keep coming,
20:56the carpet ride is sure not to end.
21:04This is John Rodell. We switch you now to David Brinkley.
21:07Ever wonder what happened to Texas Bruce or John Rodell?
21:11Or how all those early television programs were made?
21:15And what events during the past 50 years stand out most in your mind?
21:20Channel 5 marks its 50th anniversary,
21:23with a look back at the people you grew up with and the stories you remember.
21:28Tonight at 10, join us for a celebration of 50 years together.
21:34I don't know most of the people driving Saturdays,
21:36but I sure know about half of them anyway.
21:38There's our daughter-in-law, Sally. She went to go to potluck supper.
21:41Hi, Sal. I wonder what she made this time.
21:44There comes George and Kate.
21:46Oh, yeah, that's Sally's sister. Now she's the sixth one that bought the Saturn.
21:50Hi. There's Barbara and Mike.
21:54My daughter and son-in-law.
21:55They were the first ones to buy the Saturn.
21:57Now they've got a second one.
21:58Hi.
21:59There's Susie. Her daughter's gonna buy a Saturn.
22:01Watch the road, too.
22:02Yes, ma'am.
22:04Hi. We're Deerburg's Butchers,
22:06and we try really hard to give you the best meat.
22:10Take our ground meat.
22:11Deerburg's grinds it fresh at least three times a day.
22:13Three times.
22:15We start with fresh cuts of beef.
22:17Most other stores use pre-ground.
22:21We think it's important to control what goes into our ground beef.
22:25And that gives it the freshness and quality we stake our reputation on.
22:30We're Deerburg's. If we're not your store, we want to be.
22:34♪♪
22:36-♪♪
22:38-♪♪
22:40-♪♪
22:42-♪♪
22:44Introducing the new Jeep Cherokee.
22:47With over 40 advancements, it was voted four-wheeler of the year.
22:51-♪♪
22:53-♪♪
22:55By virtually everyone.
22:57Now lease the award-winning Jeep Cherokee for $2.39 a month.
23:00See Sunset Boulevard at the Fox now through March 22nd.
23:03♪♪
23:06St. Louis has a reputation around the country as a sports town.
23:10A place where athletes are many times treated as civic treasures.
23:14And that bond between fan and player is especially solid when you talk about the baseball Cardinals.
23:20For that story, here's KSDK Sports Director Mike Bush.
23:25Karen, thank you.
23:26When Brian Jordan hit his dramatic extra inning home run against San Diego last October
23:31that put the Redbirds in the league championship series,
23:34St. Louisans watched it on Channel 5.
23:37It's just one of many Channel 5 Cardinal moments from the past 50 years.
23:42When Anheuser-Busch bought the Cardinals from Fred Sy in 1953,
23:46St. Louisans watched as Frank Eshin reported the deal.
23:49Stan Musial reached the coveted 3,000-hit plateau in 1958.
23:54And year after year, Channel 5 was there.
23:57In the 60s, Stan Musial retired.
24:00The Cardinals won World Series titles against the Yankees and the Red Sox.
24:04Sportsmen's Park closed and the new Busch Stadium opened.
24:07And Stan the man was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
24:11In the 70s, Bob Gibson retired.
24:14And Lou Brock stole our hearts by breaking Maury Will's single season stolen base record
24:19and Ty Cobb's career stolen base record.
24:22The 80s brought a World Series championship against the Brewers,
24:26Hall of Fame inductions for Lou Brock and Red Shadings,
24:29and marked Channel 5's 25th consecutive season telecasting Cardinals games.
24:34So far in the 90s, the Cardinals were sold to current owners
24:38Fred Honzer, William DeWitt Jr., and Andrew Bauer.
24:41And future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith brought down the curtain
24:44on his great Cardinal career.
24:47Within a week of going on the air,
24:49Channel 5 broadcasts the first play-by-play sports event in the Midwest,
24:53a basketball game between St. Louis U and Oklahoma.
24:56Of course, St. Louis sports and the way they're covered
24:59has seen a lot of change over the last half century.
25:02In 1955, St. Louisans discovered the NBA when the Hawks moved here from Milwaukee.
25:08Only a couple of years later, a St. Louis hero was made
25:11when Bob Pettit leads the Hawks to the 1958 NBA title over the Boston Celtics.
25:18In 1960, it was the NFL's turn to try St. Louis,
25:22as the Chicago Cardinals became the Big Red.
25:26And in 1967, the St. Louis Arena became home to hockey.
25:30St. Louis Blues were born.
25:33In 1979, St. Louisans fell in love with a totally new sport,
25:37indoor soccer, and they packed the Checker Dome
25:40to support the homegrown Steamers.
25:43In 1988, the football Cardinals ended a 28-year stay in St. Louis,
25:47moving to Phoenix.
25:49St. Louis soccer fans were finally rewarded with a championship
25:52as the Ambush won the 1995 NPSL title.
25:56Also in 1995, the NFL returned to St. Louis
25:59as the Rams relocated from Los Angeles
26:02and opened the state-of-the-art Transworld Dome in October.
26:06Blues fans were in hockey heaven in 1996 when the Great One,
26:10Wayne Gretzky, was traded to St. Louis to team with Brett Hull.
26:14Also in 1996, Jackie Joyner-Kersee overcame injury
26:17to medal in her 4th straight Olympic Games.
26:21When I came to Channel 5 more than a decade ago,
26:24I knew I was stepping into some mighty big shoes.
26:27The Channel 5 Sports Department has featured some very prominent names
26:30over the past 50 years.
26:33Harry Carey, Gabby Street, and Dizzy Dean were among the first
26:36to broadcast local sports events.
26:39Bob Ingham was Channel 5's first regular sportscaster.
26:42And in 1967, Channel 5 Sports Director Sonny Randall
26:45had the unique assignment of reporting his own trade
26:48from the football Cardinals.
26:50In the 70s, Jay Randolph became a St. Louis TV favorite,
26:53serving as Channel 5 Sports Director and play-by-play voice
26:56for Cardinals games on KSD-TV.
26:59Sharing duties at Channel 5 with Jay Randolph
27:02was veteran sportscaster Ron Jacober.
27:05Our Malcolm Briggs caught up with Ron for a stroll down memory lane.
27:10That is Ron Jacober trying to paint the perfect picture
27:13for a large blues radio audience.
27:16Radio is a theater of the mind. You've heard that expression,
27:19and it literally is. If you can't create the picture,
27:22you're not very successful.
27:24Ron is at home at a radio workstation,
27:27but this is his second stint in the little black box.
27:30Ron Jacober is a broadcast fixture in St. Louis.
27:33Daily, he can be heard on the Mighty Mox, KMOX.
27:36At 15, of our 50 years, he was part of the Channel 5 family.
27:39I'll tell you one thing. They asked me how much money
27:42I was getting for coming on this show, and they said,
27:45you have no budget, so I wrote a poem for your show,
27:48and it goes like this. I like your show, and I like your style,
27:51but your pay is so cheap, I won't be back for a while.
27:54Ron did it all for Channel 5. He anchored sportscasts,
27:57put together features, and hosted specials.
28:00Lots of specials. And the 1982 World Series event
28:03earned him a special keepsake.
28:06About three or four days before Christmas that year,
28:09I get this form letter from the Cardinals saying,
28:12send us your ring size, and I went ballistic.
28:15I said, what a Christmas present this was.
28:18The last thing I expected was to get a World Series ring,
28:21and then they gave it to me at the start of the season.
28:24I didn't wear it for a while, Malcolm. I was embarrassed to wear it.
28:27I didn't do anything during this, but I wear it all the time.
28:30I don't know if I'm married to baseball.
28:33Dateline NBC salutes Channel 5 on its 50th anniversary
28:36with this Dateline timeline.
28:39All the following events happened in what year?
28:42Channel 5's call letters were changed from KSD to KSDK.
28:45Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman prime minister,
28:48and Kramer vs. Kramer was a hit at the box office.
28:51All right, what year was it? 1978, 1979, or 1980?
28:54The answer when we come back.
29:00Nothing happens in February. Nothing.
29:03Nothing except Famous Bar's 15-hour sale this Friday and Saturday.
29:06Don't miss our early bird special, Saturday morning, 8-11.
29:09Check out the new spring reductions with 25% savings on the latest styles.
29:12Plus, save big with 50-66% off winter clearance for the entire family.
29:160% finance charge. Buy now, no payment till June.
29:19Shop when you want, Friday and Saturday. Stores open late both days till 11.
29:22And shop early Saturday morning at 8.
29:25It's all waiting for you at the 15-hour sale, Friday and Saturday, only at Famous Bar.
29:31Your Buick dealer has an offer that rates your attention.
29:34Super low financing on every new Buick in stock.
29:37Have you heard the news? Buick's turning heads.
29:40Save a fortune with these incredibly low rates.
29:43$2.9 financing on Regal. $5.9 financing on every other Buick.
29:46Even the best-selling LeSabre and the all-new Park Avenue.
29:50Save thousands in interest with these special low finance rates.
29:54Buick's turning heads.
29:57Hurry, this exclusive offer ends February 10th.
30:00At the new National Food Expo.
30:03These quarter deals make sense.
30:06In Gibson's Farmer's Market.
30:08Florida Tomatoes, 25 cents each.
30:10Granny Smith Apples, 2 for 25 cents.
30:12Russet Potatoes, 2 for 25 cents.
30:15And Florida Temple Oranges, 2 for 25 cents.
30:18Extra Large Gulp Shrimp, $6.99 a pound. That's a quarter apiece.
30:22And Rib Hat Pork Loin, $1.49 a pound.
30:25In Gibson's Farmer's Market at National.
30:27Where the Great Grocery Giveaway goes on.
30:30Like most people, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about your electricity.
30:36And the fact that Union Electric recycles over a million and a half tires a year to generate that electricity may not be the most exciting news.
30:45Though it does mean millions of tires won't end up in landfills.
30:50What probably is important to you is that every time you flick a switch, push a button, or turn on a light, it works.
30:57Union Electric.
30:59We're always there.
31:01So, St. Louis, what year was it?
31:03Margaret Thatcher was in, KSD became KSDK, and Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep starred in Kramer vs. Kramer.
31:09It all happened in 1979.
31:13Channel 5's partnership with NBC dates back to April of 1948.
31:19In the early days, radio stars made the jump to TV.
31:23But through the years, television developed its own entertainers.
31:27In fact, one of NBC's shining stars of the 90s made his TV debut 20 years ago.
31:34You ever see David Jansen's commercial for Excedrin?
31:37Man looks like a headache.
31:41The tradition of NBC on Channel 5 is rich with great shows and television moments.
31:46But while sitcoms and dramas come and go, there has been a constant since 1954.
31:51That, of course, would be The Tonight Show.
31:53And I've been here since 1954, too.
31:55Steve Allen, Ben Jackpar, and, of course, the man, Johnny Carson.
31:59And now I'm in the monologue hot seat.
32:01You win some, you lose some.
32:03Now, even though there have been some changes on the show, the premise remains the same.
32:08Leave them laughing. Take a look.
32:10The National Broadcasting Company presents Tonight, starring Steve Allen.
32:15This is a New York theater called the Hudson, and we especially selected this for this very late show
32:20because this theater's, oh, I think it sleeps about 800 people.
32:26Jack got up and said, but I'm Senator Kennedy, I belong in the parade.
32:29And he said, I don't care if you're Jack Parr, you're not going to get in there.
32:33Sis Boomba. Sis Boomba.
32:38Describe the sound made when a sheep explodes.
32:43So, in this tonight's paper, a drug dealer serving a life sentence,
32:46sentence of life without parole, was arrested for running a cocaine ring out of his cell.
32:51Now, what can they do to the guy now?
32:53I mean, he's in jail for life. Does he have to sit in a corner now for the rest of his life?
32:58Okay, okay, now that I've told you about the most important show on NBC, Channel 5's Dan Gray,
33:02but out here we just call him Dan Gray.
33:04We're going to bring you in on the other NBC shows that you've enjoyed over the years.
33:07NBC has had a lot of successful shows over the years.
33:10Comedies that capture the spirit of the time,
33:12dramas so compelling they create characters viewers can't get enough of.
33:16That combination of laughter and tears has enabled NBC to create one night of television a week,
33:22truly a must-see event in our lives, Thursday nights.
33:26It all began in 1981 with the premiere of Hill Street Blues.
33:39A year later came the bar where everyone knew your name, Cheers.
33:43Take heed here, this takes a steady hand to man the throttle.
33:47Yeah, but it only takes one finger to throw a switch.
33:51Now stop, everybody off.
33:53The TV sitcom of the 80s debuted in 1984, Cosby.
33:58All right, let's say that one of you became pregnant.
34:03Hey, I know it's not me.
34:10In 1986, Hill Street was replaced with a different drama about justice, L.A. Law.
34:16I'm waiting on your billables for the month of March, people.
34:18In short, we are back to business per usual.
34:21Now, if there's nothing else, we're adjourned.
34:25Seinfeld made its debut in 1989.
34:29Did you follow the recipe?
34:31The recipe was for four to six people.
34:33I had to multiply it for 183 people.
34:36I guess I got confused.
34:39We all made new friends in 1994.
34:43We all made new friends in 1994.
34:46Honey, you okay?
34:49My wife's a lesbian.
34:52Cool.
34:57America's favorite TV drama also came to Thursday nights in 1994, E.R.
35:04CBC, Kemp 7 blog, All Talks Street, ABG and Duh, Sailing Wide Open.
35:16As a St. Louis native, I grew up watching Channel 5.
35:18Howdy Doody was always a favorite after school.
35:21And whatever your favorite might be, as we look over the past 50 years,
35:24surely there are faces you'll remember.
35:27Not bad for NBC.
35:30Guantanamo's a Navy term, meaning I hear you knocking, but you can't come in.
35:40Now, I'm not the kind of guy to say, I told you so.
35:43But I've been knocking myself out here, telling you how Hyundai is a whole new car company.
35:47And now it's right here in writing. Check it out.
35:49Consumer's Digest has named the 97 Elantra a Best Buy.
35:53And now it's even better, with $1,000 cash back.
35:56So this is your wake-up call.
35:58You can listen to me, you can listen to this, or you can just figure it out for yourself.
36:01It's called a test drive.
36:03Get in the car. Now.
36:05The car Consumer's Digest named a Best Buy is at your Hyundai dealer now.
36:10An incredible carpet savings event has arrived in your town.
36:13New York Carpet World's multi-million dollar savings extravaganza.
36:17Hurry, get your share of millions of dollars in price cuts.
36:20Hurry, get your share of millions of dollars in free financing.
36:24Yes, huge savings and no payments for a whole year.
36:27That's no interest and no payments till February 1998.
36:30Dramatic, drastic price reductions on America's best carpets.
36:34With no payments for a whole year.
36:36Only now, only at the best. New York Carpet World.
36:41♪ What would you say if I'm the big one? ♪
36:45♪ I'll stop the world, I'm out with you. ♪
36:50♪ I wanna come over. ♪
36:55♪ So I'm a-movin', she was right there with me. ♪
36:59Did you hear?
37:00Stanley's on sale at Carroll House!
37:02Stanley? On sale?
37:03That's right, Stanley. America's best-valued furniture is on sale at Carroll House.
37:08We've marked every beautiful Stanley piece with incredible discounts.
37:12Now you can get St. Louis' guaranteed lowest price on the biggest selection of Stanley bedrooms, dining rooms, children's furniture, and more.
37:19The word is out at Carroll House.
37:21Because we like nice things.
37:23The guaranteed lowest furniture prices in town are at our Super Stanley Sale. Hurry!
37:31As important as NBC programming has been to the success of Channel 5,
37:35the station has always been most proud of the programs we've produced here at home.
37:40John Pertzborn reminds us of the hours of entertainment created in St. Louis for St. Louisans.
37:49The few viewers who watched KSD-TV on that first day in 1947 couldn't watch very long.
37:55We were on the air just about 90 minutes.
37:57Frank Eschen did the news.
38:00There was a little dancing and some sports figures made appearances, including a young Cardinal catcher, Joe Garagiola.
38:07I remember the reaction whenever I did a show on Channel 5, walking out of there and people saying, hey, I just saw you on television.
38:14The first telecast included Eschen in another role.
38:17He, along with a young singer named Dottie Bennett, rolled a camera outside the studio on Olive Street and did man-on-the-street interviews.
38:25And as people would come by, we would sort of ask them, well, what do you think of television?
38:32And they'd say, what? What's that? Because no one had receivers.
38:37And no one had just one role either.
38:39Dottie also teamed up with Harry Gibbs for Telequiz, a call-in program designed to help Union Electric sell appliances.
38:48But most viewers knew Harry Gibbs by another name, Texas Bruce, host of The Wranglers Club.
38:54The daily program started out showing 15-minute segments of Western movies.
38:59Watch all week and you'd see the whole movie.
39:02But its young audience quickly demanded more.
39:05As the Western film ran out and we increased in time, we had to start using just about everything under the shining sun.
39:15I mean, cartoons, Little Rascals, the whole magilla.
39:20The show was so popular in 1963 when Gibbs said,
39:24Hasta la vista, vaqueros, and I'll be seeing you, Wrangler.
39:27For the last time, there was a waiting list three years into the future of young viewers patiently waiting to be studio guests.
39:34I was sorry, too, in a way.
39:36And the last day I was on, as I said, it got too wet to plow around there.
39:42I mean, it was pretty heavy.
39:45But I quit.
39:47I stopped.
39:49♪♪
39:53The next generation of children grew up with another KSD-TV favorite, Corky the Clown.
39:59Cliff St. James created this corny character that clowned around for the next 23 years.
40:04He also made advancing technology seem like, well, like magic.
40:09If you want to dissolve from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top.
40:13So they, in essence, were helping me with the program.
40:18At the same time, they were developing their own skills with this new technology.
40:23And it's on!
40:26There were also programs beamed directly to the ladies of St. Louis.
40:30Charlotte Peters hosted The Afternoon Program, Monday through Friday.
40:35This music variety and audience participation program aired on KSD for eight years.
40:41Much of its success due to Charlotte's dynamic personality.
40:45Real wonderful that you could come down.
40:47I'm so pleased to be here, I assure you.
40:49Homemaking with KSD-TV was much more low-key.
40:53Home economist Wilma Sim interviewed other experts like Irma Rombauer,
40:58the St. Louis woman who wrote The Joy of Cooking.
41:01She would also cook an entire meal.
41:03Although the idea of using a block of ice for a punch bowl was not a good one.
41:08All of a sudden, it sounded like Niagara Falls broke.
41:11And the punch was rolling around on the floor.
41:14And the stagehands were under the cameras and bumping up the punch.
41:18And we had to go on like nothing had happened.
41:20Much of the early programming focused on special events like the Vail Profit Ball.
41:25The social affair had once been exclusive.
41:28In 1947, anyone with access to a television receiver could see this gala.
41:33Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
41:35Viewers also had access to classical music
41:38as Laclede's Little Symphony became the first of many musical entertainment shows.
41:43The first program aired in 1950 with host Frank Eschen.
41:46He was so popular, as was the show,
41:49that it inspired another similar program, Sunday with Sorkin,
41:53featuring the best in jazz and popular musicians.
41:56Russ David also hosted a number of musical programs,
41:59including RCA All the Way with Dottie Bennett, Funfair, and the Tune Shop.
42:05Our claim to fame was we followed Howdy Doody.
42:08He got the audience, and we get to keep what we keep.
42:16Viewers also enjoyed some of the biggest names in entertainment
42:19when Midday AM began.
42:22After Cliff St. James and his quirky character went off the air in 1977,
42:26the program director approached Cliff with another idea.
42:29We need to fill a half an hour weekdays,
42:33and are you interested in putting together a program?
42:36I said, sure, when do you want to do it?
42:38Monday.
42:42And it was also offbeat programming that kept viewers tuning into Newsbeat.
42:46Dick Ford and John Auble hosted the daily broadcast for seven years.
42:51Best known for handing out the Dumb Award
42:54to St. Louisans caught in the act of doing something really stupid.
42:59Sally Jessie Raphael's program is still running in syndication on Channel 5,
43:03but the show debuted in KSDK Studios in October of 1983.
43:08Sally moved her show to New York in 1987,
43:11but she still has good memories of her days at KSDK.
43:15It's one of the most underrated cities, I think.
43:19It's got that solidarity that you only get in the Midwest,
43:23those strong, strong roots.
43:25It's a very attractive city.
43:27Now, when Sally left St. Louis,
43:29Channel 5 had no other locally produced entertainment shows on the air.
43:32For ten years, what we call Studio B, right here, remained empty.
43:37But in September of 1995, KSDK launched What Is My Favorite Program?
43:42But then again, I'm a little biased.
43:45Show me.
43:46Live from Television Plaza, it's Show Me St. Louis.
43:50Each weekday afternoon at 3 o'clock,
43:52Debbie Turner and I, along with dapper Dan Buck and whimsical Wendy Bell,
43:57highlight the best St. Louis has to offer.
43:59People, places and events that continue to make this area as special as it was
44:0450 years ago, when Channel 5 signed on the air.
44:08Hey, that's moving.
44:14It's official.
44:15Your quality Ford dealer has five of the ten best sellers in America, again.
44:20Ford F-150.
44:21Ford Taurus.
44:22Ford Escort.
44:23Ford Ranger.
44:24Ford Explorer.
44:26And your quality Ford dealer is out to stay number one with the best deals yet
44:30on America's best sellers.
44:31Like up to $1,000 cash back for as low as 1.9% financing.
44:36For five of the ten best sellers in America, again.
44:39See your quality Ford dealer on both sides of the river today.
44:45Warning, power grid failure.
44:47Oh, no.
45:14Oh, no.
45:44Announcing...
45:45If you love your home, you'll love Advance.
45:49Advance Carpet Semi-Annual Half-Price Sale.
45:51Get half-price savings on hundreds of carpets store-wide.
45:55Featuring half-off Wear Dated Carpet.
45:57Wear Dated Carpet with unsurpassed quality and durability.
46:00Plus, get free pads, free financing, free decorating advice.
46:03It's our biggest half-price sale ever.
46:05If you love your home, you'll love Advance.
46:09But hurry, our semi-annual half-price sale ends Sunday.
46:12Don't miss it.
46:15Tonight's presentation of Celebrating 50 Years, Channel 5 and You
46:20was sponsored in part by Union Electric,
46:23who congratulates KSDK on their continued success.
46:27By your local Hyundai dealer and their full line of quality Hyundai cars.
46:32By Budweiser, each wood aged for a crisp, clean, classic taste.
46:38And by your Missouri, Illinois Buick dealers,
46:41a new symbol for quality in America.
46:44♪♪
46:47Whether you watch Channel 5 for its news or its programming,
46:50the people who came into your living rooms became a part of the family.
46:54Art Holliday and Jennifer Blom catch up with the familiar faces
46:58and discover where they are now.
47:00♪♪
47:04It doesn't matter where you are.
47:08Though she was the first woman to appear on St. Louis television,
47:11Dottie Bennett's first love has always been music.
47:14When she left television, Bennett went into nursing for 25 years.
47:17But she always missed performing.
47:19Then she got the phone call that gave her the chance to do it again.
47:22About 12 years ago, Russ, I hadn't heard from him in about 25, 30 years,
47:28called me and he said,
47:30Hello, Dottie Bennett? This is Russ David.
47:33He said, I need a singer. Would you like to sing with me?
47:36The two have been performing at weddings and other gatherings ever since.
47:39But now they are more than just a musical team.
47:42We've known one another for 55 years, but two years ago we got married anyhow.
47:47All right, here we go.
47:49When Texas Bruce went off the air, Harry Gibbs also left his first love behind.
47:53He went to work at an advertising agency.
47:55But when he retired in 1982, Gibbs returned to acting.
47:59I've done a few regular films.
48:02I did a thing which was pretty bad called Back to Hannibal for Disney.
48:07And it was dreadful.
48:10And I did a thing with Meryl Winningham which was an NBC movie that we small role.
48:15And fans still recognize their favorite cowboy.
48:18As the face does whatever faces do,
48:22the voice is what they usually...
48:25Again, if I say anything, then they do.
48:30Cliff St. James' face is still recognized with or without the corky makeup.
48:35Fans are amazed that St. James could play two such strong roles at Channel 5,
48:39both as corky and as a weathercaster.
48:42But he says it was just a matter of economics.
48:44It behooved anybody in the business to have several balls in the air at the same time
48:49because when one of them dropped out, you weren't left with nothing.
48:54After a stint with Southwestern Bell, St. James now stays active doing voiceovers and industrial films.
49:00Your host can do the carving and the serving.
49:03Wilma Sim lives in Oregon and is retired, but she's still busy.
49:07Women for Agriculture are an educational organization,
49:11so we do a lot of work with schools and with colleges.
49:15Charlotte Peters passed away in December of 1988.
49:18The man who gave Peters her start, Russ Severin, is retired and living in Belleville.
49:23He needs to take it easy.
49:24At one time, he was responsible for at least 14 hours of live programming a week.
49:29As popular as the stars of local programming are,
49:32the people who sit behind the news desk get just as many questions from fans.
49:36Many of them have moved on to other cities.
49:38Others have just moved out of the spotlight.
49:40And each of them made a connection with St. Louis viewers.
49:43St. Louis' first television anchorman, Frank Eschen, passed away in 1960,
49:48but many of his colleagues are still doing well.
49:50John Rodell spent nearly 30 years at Channel 5 covering some of the city's biggest news stories.
49:55He says the way stories get on the air have changed a lot since the early days.
49:59You had a cameraman, you had a sound man, you had a light man, and you had the news man.
50:07Now that's four of you getting in this car.
50:10And I guess it became a little heavy financially,
50:16so one by one they took off like the light man,
50:21and then eventually they got to the sound man,
50:24and then the cameraman and the announcer, the news man, did the whole thing, the two of them.
50:32Rodell is retired now, but he still keeps busy.
50:35I get involved. I volunteer at the Shriners Hospital.
50:39I'm on the extra board.
50:42Longtime weatherman Howard DeMere also lives in St. Louis, but keeps a low profile these days, maybe too low.
50:48I went in the cleaners one day, and a fellow looked at me and said,
50:51Are you related to the late Howard DeMere?
50:53I said, Late? I'm still here.
50:56He created weather in motion, but DeMere's most lasting trademark was his sign-off,
51:01and that, he says, was an accident.
51:04I was fumbling for a way to get off the air.
51:06It came to the end of the time, you know, get off, time to go,
51:08and I said, Well, now that's all from here. Howard DeMere, good night.
51:13Before saying good night for good, DeMere trained another weathercaster, Diane White.
51:18Russ David had recommended her to station management after hearing her sing,
51:22but DeMere helped her on the air.
51:24Howard did a Saturday night, famous Saturday night, he did the national map,
51:28and then when we walked over to the two-state map, he introduced me,
51:32and I knew he was there physically as my crutch.
51:35White was the first African-American woman on St. Louis television,
51:39but she says she didn't realize what a stir that could cause.
51:42If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing,
51:44you're so busy concentrating on a day-to-day basis of being a human being
51:50and doing your job the best possible manner you can do it.
51:53So at the time, I was in that heat.
51:56I wasn't cognizant of how much racism really was a problem.
52:03White is still active in broadcasting with a cable show that airs twice weekly.
52:07The same time White went on the air, Channel 5 hired another female weathercaster.
52:11Mary Fran was with the station just nine months before moving to Chicago to do a talk show.
52:16She went on to fame on The New Heart Show
52:18and is now working on another sitcom she hopes will be chosen by one of the networks.
52:23About the same time, Channel 5 hired reporter Chris Condon.
52:26He had been in television in Kansas City before moving here.
52:30Condon interviewed some of the biggest names and everyday people on the street.
52:34For him, television was his only career.
52:37If it didn't exist, I'd have had to invent it
52:40because I can't imagine doing anything but TV news.
52:44In retirement, Condon is still the curious reporter.
52:47I live in Charleston, South Carolina, and do some sailing,
52:53take some courses at the College of Charleston.
52:57Things that I missed the first time around like Shakespeare and James Joyce
53:05and Greek tragedies, things like that.
53:09Bob Chase also became a familiar face to Channel 5 viewers.
53:12He was part of one of the first 5 o'clock newscasts in the country.
53:16We were running reruns of Maverick in that time slot
53:21against Leave it to Beaver on Channel 11, and that was killing us.
53:26And so the station figured they didn't have a lot to lose,
53:30so they hired me to put a half hour of news or something to fill a half hour.
53:38And within about a few months, we had quadrupled the ratings.
53:43Over the years, dozens of reporters and anchors have been a part of that team.
53:48♪
54:19Those staffers who are still in St. Louis get together every couple of months,
54:23sharing the camaraderie.
54:25We became a real unit with a sense of purpose and direction.
54:30We were proud of what we did, we were proud of what we were doing,
54:34and we had fun doing it.
54:36It's been fun sharing the past 50 years tonight.
54:39The old footage and familiar faces brought back memories of many others
54:43we regret we didn't have time to include.
54:46But in acknowledging the staff that's been a part of Channel 5's history,
54:50we also want to thank you, the viewers, for watching
54:53and hope you'll join us for the next 50 years.
54:57♪
55:28♪
55:42You are watching News Channel 5, where the news comes first.
55:46I keep coming a little closer, I think, my God, it's in my building,
55:50and then I come a little closer, I think, my God, it's in my office.
55:53♪