WSAZ Where Are They Now??

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Tue May 15, 2007 10:03 pm

Taking a page from genlock's book here...

WSAZ is doing these features on former WSAZ personalities.

Who cares about where Adam Joseph is?

I want to know where DJ is. Anyone remember DJ?? She was so sweet at forecasting she would make a tornado warning sound like she was baking you an apple pie.

That's how REAL weather forecasting should be done!

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Tue May 15, 2007 10:05 pm

I think D J is still alive.

Waveguide · Post by **Waveguide** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:54 pm

Brilliant!!!!

99% of the worth while ones are in the dead column of the
Dead - Not Dead list of WSAZ's past..........

lastone · Post by **lastone** » Sat May 19, 2007 7:38 pm

How about where's the prick engineer named Thompson (who wouldn't hire me in the summer 1971 for he "had to hire the son of the boss"). Or where's the bright guy that (origionally) put the receptionist desk next to the tower leg so she could 'light up' with each lightning strike?

Just about as interesting.

Waveguide · Post by **Waveguide** » Sat May 19, 2007 10:36 pm

WHO???........ Thompson ???
First name???.....or last???

Maybe he's in the dead column too.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Sat May 19, 2007 11:23 pm

Why don't they answer the question everyone really wants to know...

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO BEEPER and more importantly what did he know and who wanted to keep him from talking?

Waveguide · Post by **Waveguide** » Sun May 20, 2007 11:11 pm

I REALLY DO MISS BEEPER!!!!!! ....... (sniff, sniff.....)

Bob Campbell · Post by **Bob Campbell** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:54 am

As Jule would always say when asked where Beeper was,
"Hangin' on a hook".

An ignominious end for sure.

EZ103.3FM · Post by **EZ103.3FM** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:46 am

Bob Campbell wrote:As Jule would always say when asked where Beeper was,
"Hangin' on a hook".

An ignominious end for sure.

OH MY GOD !!! THEY SKINNED BEEPER !!!

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:15 am

The original beeper is alive a retired, living in Alaska.
But where is Marty Backus, Jerry Sander, Karl Haeberle, Dave Collins,
Bob Brunner, Pam Huff, Hreman Jividen, Shawkey Saba, And Jon Light?

CoolBreeze · Post by **CoolBreeze** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:17 am

Beeper was designed by the same artist who designed costumes for horror movies. Had to be. He scared the shit out of little kids in the studio. He was without a doubt the most grotesque figure in children's television. What in the hell WAS Beeper anyway? A quick search turned up the following:

"Huffman's Mr. Cartoon was accompanied by an animal sidekick, known as Beeper. Beeper joined the show in 1974. Before that, Mr. Cartoon was generally accompanied by one of Hanna-Barbera Productions' "Banana Splits"."

So.. was Beeper a grotesque ripoff of a Hanna-Barbera figure.. or was he the bad dream of some inebriated Marshall University art student?

( God I wish I had a close-up picture to post of him )

Hoosier Daddy · Post by **Hoosier Daddy** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:20 am

Bob Brunner is News Director at WOAY-TV in Beckley.

Link.

nuggie99 · Post by **nuggie99** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:54 am

CoolBreeze wrote: ( God I wish I had a close-up picture to post of him )

Here's all I could find on the intertubes.

and

Waveguide · Post by **Waveguide** » Mon May 21, 2007 12:58 pm

Genlock said:

The original beeper is alive a retired, living in Alaska.
But where is Marty Backus, Jerry Sander, Karl Haeberle, Dave Collins,
Bob Brunner, Pam Huff, Hreman Jividen, Shawkey Saba, And Jon Light?

I see you left your own credits off this list.......

Hoosier Daddy · Post by **Hoosier Daddy** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:07 pm

The Beeper story ...

Beeper was actually a conglomeration of all the Banana Splits costumes. Over time, the original four Banana Splits costumes became threadbare or were damaged in some way (crushed, broken, stained), and critical pieces were lost.

Rather than replace the costumes, WSAZ pieced together the "best of" and birthed a new mascot for the Mr. Cartoon show. It worked well, since there was only one Banana Split out there with Jule Huffman anyway, and you WERE dealing with elementary school kids in the studio audience, so it's not like they'd really know or care too much.

The name "Beeper" came from a squeeze-bulb bicycle horn the mascot carried with him (her?) on the show.

EZ103.3FM · Post by **EZ103.3FM** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:05 pm

Hoosier Daddy wrote:Bob Brunner is News Director at WOAY-TV in Beckley.

Link.

Just saw Bob Brunner at the Help for Animals benefit dinner at Rocco's in Ceredo last month. He conducted the silent auction and is a big supporter of animal charities.

Also, my '...they skinned Beeper' quote above was from a memorable 'Get Up and Go Show' with Steve Hayes & Clint McElroy on WKEE years ago. Clint's Ducky Crabtree character was making his way through a deserted WSAZ studio and locker room cleaning up the day after the Jerry Lewis Telethon. He came upon the Beeper costume and screamed in horror that Beeper had been skinned. Hilarious....

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Mon May 21, 2007 6:29 pm

Hoosier Daddy wrote:The Beeper story ...

Beeper was actually a conglomeration of all the Banana Splits costumes. Over time, the original four Banana Splits costumes became threadbare or were damaged in some way (crushed, broken, stained), and critical pieces were lost.

Rather than replace the costumes, WSAZ pieced together the "best of" and birthed a new mascot for the Mr. Cartoon show. It worked well, since there was only one Banana Split out there with Jule Huffman anyway, and you WERE dealing with elementary school kids in the studio audience, so it's not like they'd really know or care too much.

The name "Beeper" came from a squeeze-bulb bicycle horn the mascot carried with him (her?) on the show.

So...in other words, Beeper was like Voltron.

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Mon May 21, 2007 6:40 pm

Don't forger "Salty Bob" Hogsett from the Popeye and His Pals show.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:31 pm

As a kid I remember they had a contest to name the sidekick to Mr. Cartoon, with the winner receiving a new TV.

Clay JD Walker · Post by **Clay JD Walker** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:43 pm

As referenced in the "WSAZ out of the Clay Center" topic, you may now 'dance with beeper' at the WSAZ exhibit at the Clay Center. Even though you're really dancing with the creepy photog extrordanaire Adam Cunningham AKA TV Boy...at least Beeper is on the screen, not in real life.