|
KPTV Scrapbook - 1950s
Memorable scenes from the past half-century.
| August
25, 1952
The groundbreaking ceremony for KPTV was front-page news in The Oregon
Journal, where this photo was prominently displayed. The caption: Dirt
flew this morning at Council Crest park transmitter site of KPTV, city's
first authorized television station. Hard ground drew heavy shovel work by
Sandra Mayer (left), daughter of station owner [Herbert Mayer], and Mayor
Dorothy McCullough Lee. Amused spectators are (from left) City
Commissioners Nate Boody and Fred L. Peterson. Edgar Smith, president of
Portland Chamber of Commerce and R.G. Freeman, vice president of Empire
Coil company, holder of TV license. |
| 1952
KPTV's first station manager, Russell K. Olsen (left), sits with NBC
founder General David Sarnoff. Sarnoff, credited with introducing
broadcast television to America at the 1939 World's Fair, was instrumental
in helping the Empire Coil company secure the UHF transmitter which put
KPTV on
the
air. |
| 1952
The original
KPTV building was actually three buildings side-by-side. One section had
been the home to a carriage repair business at the beginning of the 20th
century. In order to create a television station, a new studio had to be
built. This picture shows the early construction of what would become
studio "A". The old brickwork is still visible on the back wall,
where a window has been replaced with cinder block. |
| 1952
Constructing
the transmitter tower was no job for a person with a fear of heights. This
is a shot from the original tower, in the Portland hills. The transmitter
building is down below, out of view. |
| 1952
The original reception area for KPTV, located at the top of the stairs on
the second floor. The door in the background led to a conference room. |
|
1955
The KPTV offices
and studio at 735 SW 20th Place in Portland, Oregon. After broadcasting
programs from several networks, KPTV finally signed an affiliation
agreement with NBC. Note the
"World on View" logos in the upper left and right of the
building. |
|
1955
The KPTV
newsroom. From here, all the stories for
"Newspaper of the Air," "Northwest Digest" and many
other local news programs were
gathered and written for television. |
|
1955
The KPTV
Control
room,
the
last
step
before
programs
were
broadcast
over
the
air.
From
here,
film
and
network
programs,
music
(via
phonographic
records),
and
the
voices
of
announcers
and
performers
would
be
mixed
and
sent
to
the
transmitter. |
|
1955
"A"
Control,
which
looked
out
into
Studio
"A,"
where
many
of
the
live
programs
were
staged.
Inside
the
control
room,
the
director
would
oversee
the
action
with
the
help
of
several
television
monitors. |
| 1956
Frank J. Riordon (left), KPTV General Manager from 1954-1959, gives former
Oregon Governor James McKay a tour of the studio. |
|
1956 KPTV had the
ability to broadcast from remote locations with this mobile remote truck. |
| 1957
Studio
"B", the smaller of KPTV's two broadcast areas. Since many local shows
aired during a given week, several sets had to be up and ready to use at
the same time. The kitchen used by Barbara Angell for her "What's Cooking?" show
lives in the back corner, while Rusty the Clown's backdrop and John
Salisbury's Carter Reporter set sits closer to the studio entrance. |
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August 23, 2025
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