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Correcting Joplin


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A long time ago, in a very different era of the NMSA, a contributor sent in what appeared to be complete station histories for the three main Joplin stations: KOAM, KODE, and KSNF.

 

These were strange, listing news themes going back to the 1950s that were used for 10 to 12 years at a time. There was even a Gari package without a sample (Your TV Friend, for KODE).

 

There's a lot wrong, and here I'm going to dissect each of the stations' NMSA histories. Underlined themes are confirmed; themes that are struck through were probably never used or are based on unreliable information.

 

KOAM

1953 Theme (53-65)

1965 Theme (65-75)

Big News Theme (75-83)

WBBM Dick Marx (83-90)

TuesdayE (added December 29, 2016) 1982

Production Music: Eyewitness News (Network Music) 1983

Get to Know Us (added June 4, 2013) 1984-86

News '88 1986

Good News

News Leader

Production Music: Victory Run 1993

Working for You 1994 (Added July 3, 2016)

USA News (Non-Stop Music, added June 30, 2013) 1993-95???

News One

KMOV Custom Package 1995-2002? (now known in NMSA as "Impact")

Strong

Enforcer 2004-present

 

The first three confirmed themes were found all as a result of KOAM's 50th anniversary video. Video exists of #4 and #5, and ASCAP's repertory says that KOAM used the elusive USA Package from Non-Stop (a package for which we may have between 0 and 2 samples). News One I believe to be a confused listing for the KMOV package.

 

For what it's worth, almost all of the confirmed themes (except Strong and Enforcer) were discovered by yours truly.

 

I always thought it was strange that the station was using the WBBM Dick Marx theme in the 1980s. That probably didn't happen. KOAM was an NBC affiliate until 1983, so the dates make some sense (and based on some of the graphics, use of the NBC TV-Radio Newspulse theme wouldn't surprise me...more on that a little later). There's a third theme in the mid-80s too, but we don't have any more-than-2-second sample of it. It accompanied the branding "Action 7 News". (That's Get to Know Us, same cut as WPDE. The NMSA will not recognize it because the sample is so short, but I am confident of it.)

 

Also worth noting. KOAM does not have any footage of itself from the film era; it was big news when they got 21 minutes of it earlier this year (2016). We can only theoretically confirm KOAM themes back to the late 70s, when the station converted from film to tape.

 

KODE

 

1958 Theme (58-68)

1968 Theme (68-72)

Cool Hand Luke (72-80)

Randall NewsCenter (80-82)

MCTYW (82-90)

The Spirit of Joplin and 12 Together, Peters (late 1980s - Newsight)

Your TV Friend (90-94)

(added July 7)

(added July 30)

Interaction (TM Century) 1990s (possible production track?)

Wall to Wall News Late 1990s/Early 2000s

Joplin's News12 (?-2003)

Signature (2003-04)

Overture (2004)

Signature 2004

Extreme 2004-06

News Matrix 2006-10

iNews 2010-present

 

This is actually pretty bad. While part of it is owed to the small market, there's a lot missing. Plus, we have another theme that's being used a little late, MCTYW. There is a lot of haze before 2004 and next to nothing to break it up.

 

TM Century wrote a KODE package known as Interaction—and I've just told you everything we know about that package besides being post-1990 because of its composer. It could be the 1993 theme.

 

I do not believe there to be a "Your TV Friend" package for KODE, if only because that was a slogan used by KSNF when they had Turn To (the resings for Joplin used the tagline Your TV Friend, KSN).

 

EDIT July 30: I've struck out Wall to Wall News because it sounds a good bit like the 1993 theme. EDIT June 24, 2014: I saw something that confirmed KODE used Wall to Wall News, more around 2000 or so.

 

KSNF

 

KTVJ 1967 Theme (67-75)

NBC TV-Radio Newspulse (75-83)

Hello News (83-90)

Hello News (late 80s, image song and bumps)

All The News 1980s, to 1994 (bumps and close)

News Series 2000 (90-94)

KSNF 1993 (93-94?) (Added July 3, 2016)

PM: Heartland (94-97 morning)

Chroma Cues (94-97 6pm)

KYW News Theme (95-98 10pm)

Stravinsky (97-05)

Third Coast (05-10)

PM: Even Bigger News (07-10)

The Rock (10+)

 

KUHI-TV signed on on January 4, 1968 and became KTVJ in 1975, then KSNF in 1983 (at which time the new owners, KSN, switched their Joplin station to NBC to match the rest of their network; the outlet had been CBS).

 

That means that the 1967 Theme can't be from 1967 if it's real, and that there's no way KSNF ever used NBC TV-Radio Newspulse. Ever. That is a major error, and while it's certainly not true for 16, it very well could be for Joplin's actual NBC affiliate in the 1970s, KOAM.

 

As mentioned below, by 1994 KSNF had accumulated a veritable hodgepodge of news music. Turn To and All the News were in use for bumps. A new open set had been commissioned either in late 1992 or early in 1993. Their late news teases used an instrumental country-sounding cut of The Place to Be, long after the package was abandoned. They had a set from the late 80s with a yellow-orange-blue stripe scheme that was phased out everywhere else in the mid-80s.

 

I also *really* want to hear a KSNF 6pm and 10pm newscast from the mid-90s. The Chroma Cues and KYW theme entries are the most unusual thing about this entry. KSNF would have been the second station (after WJZ and KYW, respectively) to use either of them. KSNF was sold in 1995, so it's possible that the changes occurred either right before to prime the station for sale or were improvements made by US Broadcast Group.

 

It's so bad that I'm considering contacting the stations about this. The two people that put together the 50th anniversary show for KOAM are still there, weeknight anchor Dowe Quick (he's been there since 1980) and creative services director Dave Switzer. KODE/KSNF might be harder to do.

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Good luck on getting the stations in on this. Hate to break it to you, but station employees are likely busy with other things that take priority over something that is purely trivial.

 

But I do agree, it is a mess. I don't think there should be an NMSA entry for a theme with no sample unless there is hard evidence (for example, the WRIC 1990 theme before we found a sample for it). Hopefully Mr. SouthernMedia can offer some explanation for the entries.

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KOAM's 60th is this year, so we might have a chance at it...

 

It's the biggest mess the NMSA has (it's actually uncharacteristic for the NMSA too). And I agree on those sorts of news themes. Another one is WILX 1992 (except I have two samples for that one, one for the morning and another for their 11pm "Final Edition"...they're just waiting to be added.).

 

Other Unknown packages without any audio:

 

CBS 1983 Affiliate Package (the entry is for WTHI)

Celebrate 68 (WSYT Syracuse)

Pictures in the Skies (WJZ, 1970s)

Broad Street March (the first news theme for WBAP Dallas)

WITI 1994

 

In other words, the six completely-audio-free Joplin themes are more than half of the ones that don't have any audio, either in the NMSA already or waiting to be submitted.

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Another NMSA error...

 

I don't think WTVR ever used WWL News. I've never seen any record of it. Maybe someone had it confused with the WSLS 1988 theme (which was formerly called the WTVR 1989 theme... WTVR used it as early as ~1985/86 with the theme from the WBMG sample). WTVR actually used that theme until 1992, not 1989 like listed (proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNGuAfD8kIE)

 

Not sure if they used the WSLS 1992 theme first then First News, or both at the same time because they ran the same open but with different music:

 

Both of these are from 1993...

http://www.vartv.com/media/wtvr03.mov

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What I noticed from one of the Various TV newscasts opens, promos, station id's etc. part 95 was that WIBW-TV (Topeka Kansas) was using an unidentified news theme and it lasted from 14:45-15:05. I thought it was an softly played news music for the late 80's. here is the video I was viewing** (play through 14:45 and stop at 15:05)

 

I wish I could find out what kind of theme it is and who composed it.

 

I could swore that WIBW would use production music for the late 1980's early 1990's or not.

 

All I know is from the NMSA is for WIBW-TV is:

Spirit of Texas by TM Productions

Impact 615 Music used from 1996 to 1997

More People Watch by Mark Haffner Music 1997 to about 2000???

Signature by Stephen Arnold used from ???? to about 2004

Overture by Stephen Arnold used from 2004-2005

News Matrix by Stephen Arnold used from 2005-2006

In-Sink (V1, V2, V3,V4) from 615 Music currently in use.

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...Wow. I first saw that open five years ago and never noticed its absence. I believe it's from 1989.

 

I think that's right. I have a couple of tapes from 1990-91 recorded from WIBW, and it definitely shows up in the promos & newsbreaks from then as well.

 

In terms of Kansas, there are still a few things missing from the Wichita market. I'm still trying to find information on KWCH's seemingly self-fulfilling image campaign "The Look of a Leader" that was introduced in the early 80s when KTVH became KWCH, and it ran until about 1989. The slogan survived beyond that point though. All I've come across are a couple of promos & IDs. The 1985-era news brief I have has another piece of music, but I'm not sure it's related.

 

Since others are weighing in on issues, I have one that I've actually noted to the webmaster. This one involves the piece currently called "KWES 2002 Closing Theme". That's one I submitted years ago, before there was any further information. I'm thinking it may have been a part of one of Tuesday's late 80's packages for KAKE-TV. Why? The same cut was used as a close for KAKE's news circa 1989, based on a newscast I have from that year. It also has a lot in common with other cuts that were used throughout. Both stations also used the Tuesday package at one point as well. That suggestion, however, was dismissed as just a potential coincidence though.

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Since others are weighing in on issues, I have one that I've actually noted to the webmaster. This one involves the piece currently called "KWES 2002 Closing Theme". I'm thinking it may have been a part of one of Tuesday's late 80's packages for KAKE-TV. Why? The same cut was used as a close for KAKE's news circa 1989, based on a newscast I have from that year. It also has a lot in common with other cuts that were used throughout. That suggestion, however, was dismissed as just a potential coincidence though.

Seems likely. KWES did use the KAKE 1988 theme.

 

Another one... anyone else think the WROC 1992 theme is a part of Michael Karp's "Real News" package? They have a similar sound. Listen to the 0:36 mark in the Real News sample.

 

WXII used both Real News and the WROC theme in 1992...

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGprqp4_Z4Y

And in 1994...

and

And the WROC theme was used in 1996...

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KOAM's 60th is this year, so we might have a chance at it...

 

It's the biggest mess the NMSA has (it's actually uncharacteristic for the NMSA too). And I agree on those sorts of news themes. Another one is WILX 1992 (except I have two samples for that one, one for the morning and another for their 11pm "Final Edition"...they're just waiting to be added.).

 

Other Unknown packages without any audio:

 

CBS 1983 Affiliate Package (the entry is for WTHI)

Celebrate 68 (WSYT Syracuse)

Pictures in the Skies (WJZ, 1970s)

Broad Street March (the first news theme for WBAP Dallas)

WITI 1994

 

In other words, the six completely-audio-free Joplin themes are more than half of the ones that don't have any audio, either in the NMSA already or waiting to be submitted.

 

"WITI 1994" is wrong anyways. At one point, there existed on Youtube a clip from a WITI newscast taken from shortly before the 1995 Wisconsin State Fair that still used the "A Friend You Can Count On" open with the FAT Package. It's more than likely they switched following the rebranding to FOX is SIX / SIX is NEWS, probably weeks later.

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There are a couple themes where I could see no sample. For instance, there should be a WLAJ 1990 News Theme and WSYM 1997 News Theme in the NMSA—we know these exist and we know the composers (a Lansing-based concern called Harvest Productions/Harvest Creative Services), but there's no audio.

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I think that's right. I have a couple of tapes from 1990-91 recorded from WIBW, and it definitely shows up in the promos & newsbreaks from then as well.

 

In terms of Kansas, there are still a few things missing from the Wichita market. I'm still trying to find information on KWCH's seemingly self-fulfilling image campaign "The Look of a Leader" that was introduced in the early 80s when KTVH became KWCH, and it ran until about 1989. The slogan survived beyond that point though. All I've come across are a couple of promos & IDs. The 1985-era news brief I have has another piece of music, but I'm not sure it's related.

 

Since others are weighing in on issues, I have one that I've actually noted to the webmaster. This one involves the piece currently called "KWES 2002 Closing Theme". That's one I submitted years ago, before there was any further information. I'm thinking it may have been a part of one of Tuesday's late 80's packages for KAKE-TV. Why? The same cut was used as a close for KAKE's news circa 1989, based on a newscast I have from that year. It also has a lot in common with other cuts that were used throughout. Both stations also used the Tuesday package at one point as well. That suggestion, however, was dismissed as just a potential coincidence though.

 

I have two tapes from 1988-1989 recorded from WIBW, and that theme shows up as well during the newsbriefs and station Id's that have "13 The Original"

note the 1 and the 3 are merged to make a 13 however, it turns out to be a B.

I might have those tapes converted to DVD and keep the original VHS tapes.

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I just remembered that I think the KPHO 1995 News Theme is a hard-to-identify cut of Rick Krizman's 24 Hour News (which KPHO picked up when they became a CBS affiliate in the fall of 1994).

 

Oh, I just figured this out... KOAM used Get to Know Us in 1984, probably until 1986. I knew I had heard a recognizable theme for the Action 7 News era open. It matches with WPDE's original open from 1980.

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The WIBW (and the rest of the Kansas/KC and Quad Cities) and probably more came from me - I was traveling through Emporia, KS heading toward my Grandparents in Michigan. I liked the cable there: Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka on cable at the time. NBC ran late due to football, and I was playing "ßetamax roulette" typing to catch as many opens as I could. The only one I couldn't catch live was KTKA, but they had a late-night rebroadcast... Of course, now I wish I had full newscasts from back then, but I was a poor college student at the time and tapes weren't cheap!

 

J

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  • 1 month later...

 

The WIBW (and the rest of the Kansas/KC and Quad Cities) and probably more came from me - I was traveling through Emporia, KS heading toward my Grandparents in Michigan. I liked the cable there: Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka on cable at the time. NBC ran late due to football, and I was playing "ßetamax roulette" typing to catch as many opens as I could. The only one I couldn't catch live was KTKA, but they had a late-night rebroadcast... Of course, now I wish I had full newscasts from back then, but I was a poor college student at the time and tapes weren't cheap!

 

J

 

Apparently, I came across the VHS tapes at an garage sale leftovers of some sort. All I know is that KSNT had the pre-1990's graphics when they were KSNT27 News or KSN Newscenter, either of the two Anyways, I found an station Id from WIBW-TV that had the 13 look like an B when combined in the station identification and KSNT has this is Channel 27 KSNT, Topeka as one of the station identifications and I have the actual weekend and weeknight late newscasts on tape.
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  • 2 years later...

I've edited the first page with correct information.

 

Jeremy Jernagin's two uploads add more to the KOAM and KSNF pictures and are the first significant finds in the Joplin equation in more than three years.

 

We now know that KOAM used Working for You. What a match made in heaven: a station with an obscure and complicated news music history using a package that was just as equally obscure until KIMA showed up with it.

 

As for KSNF, it looks like they changed out their opens in 1993 or so. KSNF remained hopelessly dated for the longest time. They were using Turn To and All the News for bumps (they were the last station ever to use All the News). They used anything and everything - though I doubt Chroma Cues and the KYW theme ever were used.

 

A recent find also brought to my mind something I had found years ago: the KRIS early 90s theme was used for news updates on KODE.

 

As for my mention of the Non-Stop USA Package, it is not KTRE 1993. We know this because it showed up in a WAFF tease and stock bump from January 1988 (during their "48 The News" days).

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  • 5 months later...

Well, we got this:

 

 

He says it's 1983/84, but it cannot be later than August 1982 when news anchor Larry Wheeler departed KOAM for WLOS.

 

With its "Newseven" moniker, it also fits better into the very early 80s than the "News 7" opens that I'd date now to about 1983.

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  • 1 year later...

Ka-bump.

 

The Peters dump included a piece of an image song for KODE, "The Spirit of Joplin and 12 Together". Like a few other Peters clients, KODE was known as Newsight for a time.

 

It just dawned on me that the musical signature in these stings is the same as "12 Together" in the promo:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=4VFin77l4sA;t=719

 

There's also a super generic production bump for KODE from 1995. I've added those to the main post.

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