Lived in OKC from 1950-55. My Dad was the regular Army officer assigned to the National Guard armory at Lincoln Park and now the 45th Infantry Museum. Lived in a duplex on NE 29th Street, went to Edison elementary school and got our first TV set in '54. Would sit and watch the WKY-TV test pattern for 15 minutes, waiting for the station to sign on the air. Religiously watched Danny Williams, as "3-D Danny," as a kid. My Dad took me out to the studios one Saturday afternoon, where the public could sit in a viewing room that overlooked the studio floor. This was just after WKY became the first local TV station to originate color programming. Was disappointed to see the RCA TK-40 cameras parked inanimately in the studio, seeing the 3-D Danny set with its colors and knowing we only had a Zenith B&W set. Was awed seeing "local TV Guy" [was it?] Tom Paxton, sitting in the lobby, reading a newspaper and dressed in a suit and wearing cowboy boots. Seeing the "real" TV cameras lit a lifelong interest in things technical and was lucky to later be a "cameraman" in Colorado Springs for KRDO-TV, just after graduating from HS in '65, where I pushed around the RCA TK-30A camera and ended up in CCTV during my 4 years in the Navy. Just retired as a 42-year stagehand with IATSE Local 354, in Tulsa. Harry Volkman also lit an interest in meteorology and I storm chased for 25 years including stints for KTUL and Jim Giles at KOTV here in Tulsa. Got to meet Harry Volkman in 1995, when he returned for KOTV's 50th and was able to discuss the 1955 Blackwell tornado. At the time, I was maintaining a web page on that storm and his narrative added immensely to the story. Sorry for the long dissertation but WKY (not KFOR; I'm still mad the FCC reassigned the 3-letter station ID's that easily identified the "true" broadcasting pioneers!) had a big impact on this now-76 year old.
Lived in OKC from 1950-55. My Dad was the regular Army officer assigned to the National Guard armory at Lincoln Park and now the 45th Infantry Museum. Lived in a duplex on NE 29th Street, went to Edison elementary school and got our first TV set in '54. Would sit and watch the WKY-TV test pattern for 15 minutes, waiting for the station to sign on the air. Religiously watched Danny Williams, as "3-D Danny," as a kid. My Dad took me out to the studios one Saturday afternoon, where the public could sit in a viewing room that overlooked the studio floor. This was just after WKY became the first local TV station to originate color programming. Was disappointed to see the RCA TK-40 cameras parked inanimately in the studio, seeing the 3-D Danny set with its colors and knowing we only had a Zenith B&W set. Was awed seeing "local TV Guy" [was it?] Tom Paxton, sitting in the lobby, reading a newspaper and dressed in a suit and wearing cowboy boots. Seeing the "real" TV cameras lit a lifelong interest in things technical and was lucky to later be a "cameraman" in Colorado Springs for KRDO-TV, just after graduating from HS in '65, where I pushed around the RCA TK-30A camera and ended up in CCTV during my 4 years in the Navy. Just retired as a 42-year stagehand with IATSE Local 354, in Tulsa. Harry Volkman also lit an interest in meteorology and I storm chased for 25 years including stints for KTUL and Jim Giles at KOTV here in Tulsa. Got to meet Harry Volkman in 1995, when he returned for KOTV's 50th and was able to discuss the 1955 Blackwell tornado. At the time, I was maintaining a web page on that storm and his narrative added immensely to the story. Sorry for the long dissertation but WKY (not KFOR; I'm still mad the FCC reassigned the 3-letter station ID's that easily identified the "true" broadcasting pioneers!) had a big impact on this now-76 year old.
Proud to have been one of the first reporters at the station.
@SloansTVAirchive
I would like to know if you take requests.
KFOR
@SloansTVAirchive
I would like to know if you take requests.