YouTube - WOWK transmitter fire

[Jeff Miller]

I uploaded an excerpt from a WOWK TV newscast reporting on a fire at its own transmitter site. Does anybody know what year this was?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB4HPdzAcRY

[Hoosier Daddy]

Wow. Leo MacCourtney. Jacqui Mullen with that big 80s hair.
The WOWK smiling pumpkin 13 logo initiated after Gateway bought 13 from Reeves Telecom.
The immortal Action News theme and logo with JB Miller doing the voiceover.
Bob Smith, a 13 legend, sitting in the anchor chair.

I'd date this very early 80s, give or take a few years.

[genlock]

Jacqui was tall, beautiful and a total bitch.
She left 13 to get married and her reception was marred by food poisoning of all the guests.
Bad shrimp.

[Waveguide]

The way-back machine seems to have landed this event on the winter of 1984.
Around the end of January / first of Feburary.........

I know I went to the site.
The smoke could be seen from West Huntington on I-64 ......

[genlock]

I went to the site also.

[oldtvman2]

I remember the Fire I was there and the first one into the building. it was amess , BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THE RENT A GARDS HAD WACHED THE BUILDING INSTEAD OF THE ROAD. when the fair restarted they didn't see it till it was to late. I have a lot of pictures from the fire. they forgot to mention that Hatfield Electric was a great big help. Richard Hatfield was there a lot. RCA and Gates were contacted and told whoever could get us a transmitter we would take two. RCA had a transmitter set up in their lab already on 13. the transmitter arrived on a Saturday and we had it up and running on Monday at 4;00PM. the chemical that ther were refering to was Dowtherm and.both the cans were empty but the fire departments had to show off their training. I told them the can were empty but they said they had to treet them as if they were full. this chemical was used as coolent for the dummyload if i am not wrong this happened in January of 1984 i would have to look it up but it was on a Thursday 12th and friday would be the 13th we went off the air at 3:50PM . if anybody is intrested i can email the pictures. lost a lot of sleep that weekend. I received a letter from the owner about the fact that I went into the building while it was still on fire to protect the equipment from water damage. when we first left I could have had it back on the air on Friday but the guards let it flair up and destory everthing.

[Heaven Bound]

Wow, that brings back memories. I hadn't been there that long and did not remember about the fire until seeing the video. Which reminds me about one time we taped an editorial after Leo had a few too many earlier in the evening...it did not air. Whatever happened to Leo?

[JustWinBaby]

Funny...now everything associated with West Virginia Media is a dumpster fire.

[Mr. Jones]

Jeff, any chance you have more old local TV video to share? Love seeing the old days on the YouTube...

[Jeff Miller]

Unfortunately I don't have anything else, except one not very interesting thing, which are some local cutaways in a 1985 Arthritis Foundation done by radio people Bob Nelson of 103CIR and Alan Woody of WQBE. I'll upload them soon and post a message her when they are available. Jay Quesenberry gave them to me when they were broadcast. I did record some local TV in the late 1970s but my first VCR back then was a Sony Betamax and when it died and I switched to VHS, I tossed out my Beta tapes, figuring I wouldn't have a way to play them.

[genlock]

"Leo had a few too many earlier in the evening?"

That would have been about 1pm, just after lunch.

[genlock]

Dowtherm SR2 is bio-degradable and safe.
It is a food product.
Colored pink and stains everything.

[Hoosier Daddy]

"Leo had a few too many earlier in the evening?"
That would have been about 1pm, just after lunch.

If I had the responsibility of keeping 13's financial nose above the low water mark, I'd drink a lot too ...

[Heaven Bound]

So, whatever happened to Leo? Or Paul Dicker the PM during the same time?

[Jeff Miller]

I uploaded an excerpt from a 1985 Arthritis Foundation telethon, a local cutaway with radio personalities Bob Nelson of WCIR and Al Woody of WQBE. There is also a third person, a woman, whose identity I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKFIrxz7BcY

[Mr. Jones]

I uploaded an excerpt from a 1985 Arthritis Foundation telethon, a local cutaway with radio personalities Bob Nelson of WCIR and Al Woody of WQBE. There is also a third person, a woman, whose identity I don't know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKFIrxz7BcY

Nice all around. You don't get a lot of WVAH video from the TV23 days.

[Clinton Burley]

I am not 100% certain, but I believe that the woman in the '85 telethon video is Nancy (?). She got her start cutting Clendenin Lumber spots for WCHS TV. The spots always ended with her sitting on the roof of the lumber yard. Last I saw or heard of her she was working in the PR department of the WV Lottery. She did some interviews during the Jack Whitaker fiasco, so that has been a while.

Anyone remember her last name or know where she is these days?

[genlock]

Nancy Bulla, think.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Speaking of "old" WCHS voiceover people, whatever happened to the guy who did the FAD Department Store stuff?
"When FAD has a sale, FAD has a SALE!"
Deep voice, thick West Virginia accent.
Not sure on the name, but it may have been Joe Purvis (or something like that)

[oldtvman2]

Paul Dicker left shortly after George Koehler said in a national trade magazine that program directors were no longer needed. then he broke up with his wife. the last I heard he was out west selling something.
Now about Ms. Mullins it was said ,when the sick staff returned to work, that her husband will have trouble hearing as she sang very loud in to his ear at the wedding.
as to Leo, when the KKK cut the lines at the studio i was called and told that there was microwave trouble at the transmitter. when i got there everything was ok just no signal from the srudio. Charlie Good said oh no the roof. we were going to air a story on the 11 news. everything went down at 10 till 11 all at once. net sat and microwave. they cut all the transmission lines. when we got back on the air Leo had to be propped up in the chair as someone kept moving the floor on him. later when the story aired it was not bad about the KKK but was very tame. by the way the fire was on January 12, 1984 went off the air at either 2:50 or 3:50 PM