Friday, February 26, 2010

Encore:Dick Goddard:Cleveland TV's Weather Icon

Hello Folks:
I thought that in light of Dick Goddard's 79th Birthday (Feb. 24, 2010)..We'd present this encore post..A tribute to Dick we posted in November 2008..Finally had a chance to meet Dick at the 2009 Ghoulardifest...Very personable, nice man..

Happy Birthday Dick!!






TV Guide ad promoting the premiere of KYW-TV 3 Eyewitness News on May 1, 1961..
Pictured are Bud Dancy, who would leave KYW/WKYC for NBC New York in 1966
Jim Graner, Sportscaster at TV 3 from 1957-74 and radio voice of the Browns
Dick Goddard who would be at TV 3 till 1965..Then after a brief time in Philadelphia, come to WJW-TV 8 in 1966.. Where he still is 42 years later



First TV Guide listing for KYW-TV 3 Eyewitness News at Noon Monday, May 1, 1961. One of the first, if not the first, full 30 minute local TV Newscast in the USA. The name "Eyewitness News" had been used at KYW-TV since April, 1959..They were the first station in the Country to use that title for a Newscast..

Dick's Triumphant return to Cleveland-March 28, 1966 as the main weather forecaster at CBS affiliate WJW-TV 8 after several months at KYW-TV 3 in Philadelphia..

Cleveland Weather forecasting has had as interesting a history as the Cleveland Weather itself..As in most TV markets, Cleveland has had an assortment of personalities doing weather foreccasts dating from the early 1950's. Most early weather forecasters, were doing weather as a sideline to other duties on TV and radio. Joe Finan, "The Atlantic Weatherman" was doing his thing on WNBK while doing radio on WTAM in the early 1950's..as was Captain Glenn Rowell, also on WNBK even earlier than Finan..WEWS-TV had "Weathergirls" such as "Sunny" Day, Susan Sadler and Miss Barbara Plummer, who was also doing "Romper Room". TV 5 also had Ron Penfound "Captain Penny" as weekend and sometime weeknight weatherman in the 1960s. The main Weatherman at WJW through the 1950's was Announcer Howard Hoffman, although Jim Doney and Doug Adair had done weather forecasts as well..Hoffman remained at TV 8 from 1949 into the 1980's.

May 1, 1961 would bring a number of firsts to KYW-TV 3.Possibly the first half hour local newscast in the USA..As well as possibly the first AMS Seal (No. 45) weatherman in Cleveland TV History,,Dick Goddard..

Dick was born February 24, 1931 in Akron, Ohio. After serving in weather related duties in the US Air Force in the early 1950's, Goddard graduated in 1960 from Kent State, majoring in Drama and Broadcasting..

Dick is also an avid cartoonist. He turned down an invitation to interview at Disney Studios in California, opting to stay in Cleveland and try his hand at TV on KYW-TV 3 with Eyewitness News starting Monday, May 1, 1961. Station staffers told him later that they had a pool going to see how long he would last..

Dick tells the story of his first day on the air, when he decided to tell a weather interest story about a Croaking Frog..Only he was so nervous, it came out "Froaking Crog"

After Dick got settled in, he became the most popular weatherman in Cleveland up to that time. The Other TV 3 newscasts in May 1961 included Bill Jorgensen at 6:30 and 11PM, Big Wilson doing Weather at 6:40 and Jim Gerard on Weather at 11:10..Jim Graner with Sports at 11:15..

Becasue of the forced return of Westinghouse's KYW to Philadelphia and NBC's WRCV (WKYC) to Cleveland, Dick Goddard went with Westinghouse to Philadelphia in June, 1965. He and his wife never felt comfortable in Philly. Thoiugh he says they were treated well, it was never "home" to them.. His replacement in Cleveland, Wally Kinnan, had been very popular in Philadelphia..

In early 1966, Goddard entertained offers from all 3 Cleveland Stations, electing to go to WJW-TV 8 because he was a big fan of the Browns and TV 8 sportscaster Ken Coleman, only Coleman left Cleveland a month later..He returned to Cleveland at Channel 8 March 28, 1966 as part of the City Camera News Team at 6 and 11PM with Doug Adair, Joel Daly and Coleman, later replaced by Frank Gleiber . Previous evening forecaster Bob "Hoolihan the Weatherman" Wells was moved to Noon and Weekend Weather before gaining even greater fame on the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show, replacing Ghoulardi Friday nights in December 1966.

Goddard became the most popular weatherman in Cleveland TV History over more than 42 years at Channel 8..Emceeing live shows all over town, Hosting the Woolybear festival for 35 years..The largest one day festival in Ohio. He also has served as Cleveland Browns Statistician for many years, as well as doing numerous skits for Big Chuck and Lil John..

If any weather forecaster could be called "beloved" it would be Dick Goddard, at least in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio..


Tom Haley describing NBC's return to Cleveland in 1965..With a brief Dick Goddard interview about the circumstances behind his coming back to Cleveland. Courtesy NBC/Gannett





From Fox 8's Wilma Smith and Gary Stromberg (Feb. 2008) Newly discovered footage of Dick's very early days at Channel 8..Late 60's/very early 70's..The actual footage has no audio..It had disintegrated from age.. From08country and myfoxcleveland.com


WJKW-TV8 - Cleveland - Big Chuck Skit with Dick Goddard!!
Uploaded by videohollic. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.
Dick Goddard Skit at the end of Big Chuck and Lil John's "PJ Party"


Dick's first day at Channel 3-Monday, May 1, 1961
TV Guide listings for KYW-TV 3

5:50 News
5:55 Farm Fare-Channel 3 had this program I think into the 1980's
6AM Tomorrow's Learning
6:30 Continental Classroom-COLOR
7AM Dave Garroway (Today Show)
9AM Funsville-Josie Carey was hostess of this program..similar to her earlier "Childrens Hour" at WQED-13 Pittsburgh, which she hosted with a young Fred Rogers before his fame as "Misterogers"..Funsville probably originated at KDKA-TV 2 in Pittsburgh, like KYW. a Westinghouse Station..

9:30 Life Of Riley
10AM Give N Take-Tom Haley
10:30 Play Your Hunch-COLOR-Merv Griffin
11AM Price Is Right-COLOR-Bob Kennedy begins a 2-week stint as host while Bill Cullen is on Vacation (Live)

11:30 Concentration-Hugh Downs
Noon News, Weather, Sports-DEBUT Bud Dancy, Jim Graner, Dick Goddard
12:30 It Could Be You-COLOR-Bill Leyden
12:55 NBC News-Ray Scherer
1PM Movie-Big's Party Line-Walk Softly, Stranger 1949-Big Wilson
2:30 Loretta Young
3PM Young Doctor Malone
3:30 From These Roots
4PM Make Room For Daddy-Dean Martin Guests
4:30 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends
5:05 Early Show-Wee Willie Winkie-1937
6:30 News-Bill Jorgenson
6:40 Weather-Big Wilson
6:45 Huntley Brinkley Report
7PM Huckleberry Hound
7:30 The Americans-Civil War drama-Guest stars Dick York, John McGiver and Lurene Tuttle
8:30 Wells Fargo
9PM May Day In Moscow-SPECIAL-Frank McGee
9:30 Concentration-COLOR-Hugh Downs
10PM Barbara Stanwyck Show
10:30 Ten-4-Syndicated Police Drama
11PM News-Bill Jorgenson
11:10 Weather-Jim Gerard
11:15 Sports-Jim Graner
11:20 Movie-This Land Is Mine-1943
1AM Movie-The Escape-1939

Dick's first day at Channel 8
Monday, March 28, 1966

6:40 News
6:45 Sunrise Semester
7:15 Rex Humbard
7:30 CBS News-Mike Wallace
7:55 Local News
8AM Captain Kangaroo
9AM Franz The Toymaker-COLOR-Ray Stawiarski
10AM Love Of Life
10:25 News-Howard Hoffman
10:30 McCoys-Guest:Hans Conreid
11AM Andy Griffith
11:30 Dick Van Dyke
Noon City Camera News-Martin Ross, Harry Jones, Bob "Hoolihan" Wells
12:30 Search For Tomorrow
12:45 Guiding Light
1PM Bachelor Father
1:30 As The World Turns
2PM Password-Allen Ludden-Panel-Alan King, Phyllis Newman
2:30 House Party-COLOR-Art Linkletter
3PM To Tell The Truth-Bud Collyer
3:25 News
3:30 Edge Of Night
4PM Secret Storm
4:30 Highway Patrol
5PM Adventure Road-Jim Doney
6PM City Camera-Doug Adair, Joel Daly, Dick Goddard (debut) and Ken Coleman
6:30 CBS News-Walter Cronkite-COLOR
7PM Rifleman
7:30 To Tell The Truth-Collyer
8PM I've Got A Secret-Steve Allen-Panel:Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson,Bill Cullen, Betsy Palmer Guest:Wilt Chamberlain

8:30 Lucy Show-COLOR-Guest Wayne Newton
9PM Andy Griffith-COLOR
9:30 Hazel-COLOR
10PM Movie-COLOR-Black Widow-1954 (interrupted at 11PM for News)
11PM City Camera News-Adair, Daly
11:10 Sports-John Fitzgerald
11:15 Weather-COLOR-Dick Goddard
11:20 Movie-Black Widow-COLOR (1954) Continues
12:15 Movie-Rulers Of The Sea-1939-Time approximate

Some Information courtesy Wikipedia and WJW-TV 8..

Monday, February 15, 2010

July 1975-Highlights


The Prize Movie with John Lanigan-Lanigan is still on WMJI-105.7 mornings.


Local News-The one thing that WAKR-23 had to differ it much from fellow ABC affiliate WEWS-TV..I've been of the opinion that if a couple more network affiliates could have been started in the Akron-Canton-Massillon region in the mid 1950's, Akron-Canton would have been able to break out into its own TV market..Away from Cleveland's shadow..


"Gimme Da Shoe" Superhost (Marty Sullivan) at his peak on WUAB-TV


City Camera News Team in 1975-TV Guide


Unusual Don Webster Eyewitness News ad-TV Guide

Today, lets look at July 1975 in Cleveland TV..Several Highlights-

Channel 3 was still running "Popeye" at 7:30 AM Saturdays-This was an continuation of what used to be "Barn-Wood Playhouse" with Barnaby and Woodrow, which had aired for as long as two and a half hours Saturday Mornings in the 1960's..Barnaby was long gone from channel 3, now on WUAB-TV weekdays at 11:30 AM..

Reruns of Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea aired Saturday at 2PM on WJW-TV 8

WNEO-45 aired the silent film Mask Of Zorro (1930) Saturday at 9PM

10AM Sunday-WJAN-17 Canton Baptist Temple
WAKR-23 Akron Baptist Temple

Noon Sunday-WEWS-5 Gene Carroll Show-Hosted by Don Webster, as Gene Carroll passed away in 1972..Accoring to one source, the Carroll Show lasted till 1979.

12:30PM Sunday-WJW-8 Wagon Train

1PM Sunday WEWS-5 Polka Varieties-Paul Wilcox hosted into the 1980's..

2PM Sunday WKYC-3 Movie-McHales Navy 1964

6PM Sunday WKYC-3 Celebrity Bowling Roy Rogers/Don Adams vs. Bob Newhart/George Foreman

Mon-Fri
9AM 3 Mike Douglas-Cohost Roger Miller

11AM 5 4PM 23 You Dont Say! revival of the 1963-69 NBC series with Tom Kennedy-Abby Dalton, Linda Kay Henning, Pat Harrington and Alex Karras are the celebrity players.

2PM 17 Movie-Once upon a Horse (Monday) Rowan and Martin 1958

4PM 5 Dinah!-Dinah Shore

5PM 17 Our Day In Canton

7:30 5 17 Ohio Lottery (Thursday)

11PM 25 45 ABC News-Closed Captioned

11:40 8 (Friday) Hoolihan and Big Chuck Movie-The Uninvited-1943

TV Guide Listings
Tuesday, July 22, 1975

Cleveland
3 WKYC-NBC
5 WEWS-ABC
8 WJW-CBS
25 WVIZ-PBS
43 WUAB-IND

Canton
17 WJAN-IND

Akron
23 WAKR-ABC

Alliance
45 WNEO-PBS

5:45
3 News

5:50
3 Farm Fare

5:55
3 Knowledge

6:20
8 News

6:25
3 Not For Women Only
8 First Edition

6:30
8 Summer Semester

6:50
5 News

6:55
3 What's Doing?
5 Speak For Yourself

7AM
3 Today
8 CBS News This Morning-Hughes Rudd
23 AM America

7:25
5 Take Kerr-Graham Kerr

7:30
5 Cartoons

8AM
5 Morning Exchange-Fred Griffith, Liz Richards
8 Captain Kangaroo

9AM
3 Mike Douglas
8 Mayberry RFD
23 700 Club

9:30
8 Please Don't Eat The Daisies

9:50
43 News

10AM
5 Showoffs-Bobby Van-With Sally Struthers, Orson Bean, Stubby Kaye and Marcia Wallace
8 Spin-Off
43 Jack LaLanne

10:30
3 Wheel of Fortune-Chuck Woolery
5 I Dream Of Jeannie
8 Gambit
23 It's A New Day
43 Coffee Shoppe-Alice Weston and/or Linn Sheldon

11AM
3 High Rollers-Alex Trebek
5 You Don't Say!
8 Tattletales-Bert Convy
23 Manna-Hilton Sutton
43 Romper Room

11:30
3 Hollywood Squares-Peter Marshall
5-23 Brady Bunch
8 Love Of Life
43 Barnaby-Linn Sheldon

11:55
8 CBS News-Douglas Edwards

Noon
3 Magnificient Marble Machine-Art James-With Vicki Lawrence and Robert Reed
5 All My Children (tape delay)
8 News
23 Showoffs
43 Bugs Bunny and Friends

12:30
3 Jackpot!
5 News
8 Search For Tomorrow
23 All My Children

12:55
3 NBC News-Edwin Newman

1PM
3 Celebrity Sweepstakes-Jim McKrell-Gavin McLeod, Bo Donaldson, Dick Martin, Buddy Hackett, Carol Wayne and Mitzi McCall

5-23 Ryan's Hope
8 Young and the Restless
43 Movie-An Alligator Named Daisy-English 1955

1:30
3 Days Of Our Lives
5-23 Let's Make A Deal
8 As The World Turns

2PM
5-23 $10,000 Pyramid-Dick Clark-with Lainie Kazan and Soupy Sales
8 Guiding Light
17 Movie-Naked Alibi-1954

2:30
3 Doctors
5-23 Rhyme and Reason-Bob Eubanks
8 Edge Of Night

3PM
3 Another World
5-23 General Hospital
8 Price Is Right
43 Patty Duke

3:30
5-23 One Life To Live
8 Match Game '75
43 Flying Nun

3:45
17 Signs of the Times

4PM
3 Somerset
5 Dinah!
8 Musical Chairs-Adam Wade
17 Jeeper's Club House
23 You Don't Say!
25-45 Sesame Street
43 Superman-George Reeves

4:30
3 Diamond Head Game-Bob Eubanks
8 Merv Griffin
23 New Zoo Revue-guest JoAnne Worley
43 Frightenstein

5PM
3 Partridge Family
5 Bonanza
17 Dragnet (1960's)
23 Goober/Ghost Chasers
25-45 Misterogers
43 Addams Family

5:30
3 News
17 Our Day In Canton
23 Davey and Goliath
25-45 Villa Alegre
43 Mickey Mouse Club (original)

5:45
23 Hour Of Power Singers-Dave Lombardi

6PM
3-5-8-23 News
17 Celebrity Golf
25-45 Electric Company
43 Green Acres

6:30
5-23 ABC News-Harry Reasoner/Howard K. Smith
8 CBS News-Walter Cronkite
17 Celebrity Bowling
25 Theatre
43 McHale's Navy
45 Misterogers

7PM
3 NBC News-John Chancellor
5 To Tell The Truth-Garry Moore
8 Truth Or Consequences-Bob Barker
17 Galloping Gourmet
23 I Spy
25 Jean Shepherd's America
43 Hogan's Heroes
45 Earth Keeping

7:30
3 Price Is Right
5 Wild, Wild, Wild World of Animals-William Conrad
8 Celebrity Sweepstakes-Jim McKrell (Syndicated nighttime)
17 Not For Women Only
25-45 Martin Agronsky
43 Hogan's Heroes

8PM
3 Adam-12
5-23 Happy Days
8 Good Times
17 Lawrence Welk
25-45 The Way It Was 1954 Stanley Cup Detroit/Montreal
43 Movie-Guns Along The Mohawk-1939

8:30
3 NBC Movie-Last Survivors-1975 TV Movie
5-23 ABC Movie-Let's Switch-1975 TV Movie
8 MASH
25-45 Consumer Survival Kit

9PM
8 Hawaii Five-O
17 PTL Club
25-45 Nova

10PM
3 Police Story
5-23 Marcus Welby
8 Barnaby Jones
25 Interface
43 The Saint
45 Monty Python's Flying Circus

10:30
25-45 Woman

11PM
3-5-8 News
17 Paul Harvey
23 Porter Wagoner
25-45 ABC News Closed Captioned
43 I Love Lucy

11:05
17 Movie-Undercover-English 1942

11:30
3 Johnny Carson
5 Wide World Mystery
23 700 Club
43 Movie-Twist Of Fate-English 1954

11:40
8 Movie-Blood and Roses-French 1960

1AM
3 Tomorrow-Tom Snyder
5-23-43 News

1:15
8 Movie-The Prisoner Of Shark Island-1936

2AM
3 News

3:15
8 News

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Added:Weather Widget/Cleveland Magazine article

Just to let everyone know that I found a way to do weather updates on the blog..WidgetBox Weather..Suggested by a blog my neice does..Also, I briefly want to announce that I did an interview with Jim Vickers, Managing Editor of Cleveland Magazine yesterday about the blog..Scheduled to be published in the March 2010 issue..Will link to it once it is online..Hang in there and stay warm, folks..

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Vintage Photos:WXEL/WJW

Good morning:
As we did a few weeks ago with WEWS, I want to share some vintage WXEL-WJW-TV Photos, from the Cleveland Press collection at CSU's Cleveland Memory Project..With original photo captions, where available...


August 18, 1967:Martin Ross joins Doug Adair as new member of 6 and 11 PM 'City Camera' New(s) Team on WJW Television 8. Monday, August 21, Martin Ross joins veteran newscaster Doug Adair on the 6 and 11pm editions of CITY CAMERA News on WJW Television 8. For the past two years, Ross has been a familiar face to thousands of viewers on the daily CITY CAMERA: Noon Report, and as host of the popular, award-winning news-documentary program, 'It's Happening Here.'" --

NOTE: Martin Ross replaced Joel Daly, who had moved on to WLS-TV 7 Chicago.. Adair was at WJW from roughly 1958-1970, when he moved over to WKYC-TV 3..After several years at the NBC Owned and Operated station, he moved on to WCMH-4 Columbus, where he remained a popular newscaster until his retirement. Ross, Unfortunately,passed away in 1973..



October 7, 1955 "WXEL on Euclid Ave. and E. 17th, renovation"

NOTE:April 16, 1956 was the official date of the building dedication, as well as the call letter change from WXEL to WJW-TV


1955(?)News Parade with Jimmy Dudley and Bob Lang
News program on WJW-TV (Channel 8).

NOTE: Sponsored by Gray Drug..Dudley, of course, was Long time Cleveland Indians Radio (sometimes TV) Play By Play man from 1948-1967..Apart from this program, I dont know much about Bob Lang at all..




December 14, 1949-Shows exterior of WXEL Television Station and broadcasting tower. WXEL later became WJW-TV

NOTE:WXEL's first Studios in Parma-Just before first sign-on..


1958-"Bill Gordon, host on WJW-TV's "Tumblewood Theatre" western film series, starring John Wayne. Presented every Sunday from 10:00 to 11:00 am on Channel 8."

NOTE:Gordon, of course, became host of One O Clock Club with Dorothy Fuldheim not long after this, and was a DJ/Talk show host on Radio into the 1990's..He passed away in December 2008..Personally, I have a hard time believing "smoochie" as a Western Movie host, but you learn something new every day..



February 2, 1967-"Bob Wells (left) and Chuck 'Big Chuck' Schodowski as Snoopy and the Red Baron" on WJW-TV Channel 8 in Cleveland, Ohio.

NOTE:This was probably one of the first "outdoor" skits for the Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show, which had only started December 23, 1966..Bob Wells actually flew the plane for this..

Special thanks to Facebook friend Bill Barrow, who is curator of the collection at Cleveland State...Have a good weekend, everybody..