[KWTV-DT CHANNEL 9 OKLAHOMA CITY 1954 TV STATION PROMO FOOTAGE (SILENT)]

Year Published: 1954

Creator: KWTV

Description: This silent film was made to promote KWTV-DT (Channel 9), a television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which officially signed on the air on December 20, 1953, and was anchored by Mark Weaver. John Toole "J.T." Griffen launched the station through a grant. It remains owned by Griffen Media and associated with CBS. The film probably dates to 1954 and shows some of the station's news gathering and commercial efforts. It also shows the station's coverage area (16:07) which ranged from Oklahoma City to Ardmore, Enid, Ponca City and Elk City. This long reach was due to the extremely large transmission tower. In fact, the ownership group chose the name KWTV (standing for "World's Tallest Video") as the station's call letters, in reference to the tower, which became the tallest man-made structure and the tallest free-standing broadcast tower in the world when completed. KWTV is one of the few stations to have maintained the same call sign, ownership, primary network affiliation and over the air channel allocation throughout its operational history. The film is a time warp, featuring vintage equipment such as vinyl cutting machines, UPI teletypes and Kodak movie projectors. It showcases the complex connectivity of station operations involving motion picture film splicing and editing, set fabrication, the process for news gathering, commercial efforts, etc. 0:00 Film opens with montage footage of the romance between news camera operator and subject (:07) including stage performers and equestrian competitors (:39). Aerial shots of Oklahoma (:43). A portion highlights the state’s oil industry featuring numerous natural gas processing plants (:44). Elk City was the oil capital of western Oklahoma (:50). The 1950’s saw the oil industry in a boom phase. Highway signs advertise the historic Casa Grande Hotel opened in 1928. The transmission tower follows; a repeater type antenna array (1:33). The Pioneer Woman statue in Ponca City (4:13) precedes local businesses and organizations such as the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (1:56), Lake Murray Lodge (2:18) and Ardmore Air Force Base (2:22). Footage in Enid shows the former Phillip’s University (2:51), a 1950’s Mercury Montclair (2:25) and pedestrians wandering sidewalk shops (2:59). A woman holds memorabilia from the 1950’s Western TV series starring Duncan Renaldo known as “Cisco Kid” (3:15). A billboard advertises KWTV (3:24). Footage runs around the station capturing a carpet with the CBS logo (3:26), employees walking the halls (3:30), the cafeteria (3:32), operators in the Production Control Room; also known as the gallery (4:12), film splicing (4:22), the adjustment of the radio tower (5:09), sets (5:28), set decor (5:36), advertisement fabrication (5:41) as well as male and female models on stage (5:45). A 1955 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery Vehicle fitted for the station (6:31) delivers supplies (7:04). A woman hosts a cooking segment (7:37). A film editor (7:59), Kodak Movie Projector (8:11), the 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible (7:51), operators in the TV control room (8:26), a United Press teletype machine (9:04), vintage camera equipment (9:09) camera operators filming nature scenes (9:31) and a press release at the state capitol (9:39) follow. Clyde Davis hosts a broadcast on Friday May 10th (10:17). A section highlights the process for relaying the weather forecast including the use of chalkboard diagrams (10:21) and a vane anemometer device (10:31). Farm reporters cover a local livestock ranch (10:47-11:06) and the company known as Evergreen Mills (11:26). Elk City High school (12:48) and vantage views of Oklahoma (15:00) precede a map noting the station’s coverage area (15:38). High angle views watch the station and the antennae (16:31). The film concludes with various camera angles of the antenna (16:56), reporters and camera operators loading into station vehicles (18:20) and TV camera operators filming performers on stage (20:57). Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIwqJncJdqg

Metadata Source:YouTube