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 KPTV's -- and Oregon's -- first local program was a fifteen-minute newscast featuring Norman Wallace, on Friday, April 24, 1953. The following Monday, Barbara Angell debuted Portland's first daily show, "What's Cooking?" For the next five decades, KPTV created and broadcast some of the most innovative and entertaining shows in the country. From teens dancing to parlor games to sport and news, KPTV proved herself "up to the task" of providing viewers with an abundance of on-air choices. Today, all but a handful of these programs are lost to the ages. The earliest shows aired live -- there was no such thing as a rerun. A few programs were kinescoped, but poor quality and expense prevented them from being used as a regular source of programming. Later, shows were videotaped, aired, then reused the next day; a necessity in an era of large and heavy (two-inches wide!) tape reels. Besides that, the concept of storing thousands of hours of programs -- the majority of which would never air again -- seemed an unreasonable and impossible task. The more's the pity. KPTV's early years were an irreplaceable chronicle of local events and talent, the likes of which will never be seen again. So, for most of the programs below, this archive, the recollections of casts and crews, and the fond memories of viewers, are all that exist of KPTV's golden age.
This page last updated on September 07, 2025 |
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