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- Thread starter 34james
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I remember him on KVOF Channel 38 in San Francisco.
Me too. I'd just gotten to San Jose from Seattle, and in familiarizing myself with the SFBA TV dial I stumbled across the Rev. I'd studied a fair amount of the Old Testament, but could never figure out WTF he was pretending to teach. It was like evesdropping on a never-ending, drug-addled, hallucinogenic trip through the Torah and adjacent books.
Gene Scott always had a chalkboard that was covered with bits of information, all somehow connected with arrows, which never made any sense. I never understood what he was about, but what bothered me was that he always had some models wearing mini-skirts and boots in the audience. When he took a break and played music, then the camera always went into the audience and took video shots of the models in their mini-skirts. That seemed very anti-religious to me. I felt uncomfortable, because I couldn't see what it had to do with his preaching.
I do remember that he sold a mail order package of his materials for a Bible study course, and even in those days, he charged $500 for it. But he sure had a lot of adherents. - Daryl
He apparently wanted some "eye candy" relief ! But I don't remember a $500 Bible study course..whoa!
Yes.
This makes me laugh now. I think the "eye candy" was supposed to function as cheerleaders for him, because they always clapped along with the music. and tapped their boots on the floor. He used to take breaks and sit down while the music played.When I lived in L.A., I was an L.A. Dodgers baseball fan, like so many others. One of Rev. Scott's followers was a former Dodgers first baseman and later on a Game of the Week broadcaster, Wes Parker. Parker was an excellent athlete and normally a very bright person, but he got pulled into Gene Scott's shenanigans and used to promote him. Parker claimed that he underwent a religious conversion by watching Gene Scott, who explained religion so clearly that it all made sense; and everyone should purchase Scott's $500 Bible study course.
I remember this, because I couldn't believe that an educated, rational person like Wes Parker, who graduated from USC and was a part of Coach Rod Dadeux's baseball program, could fall for Gene Scott.
Anyway, tv preachers have done very well on the public airwaves. -- D.
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Was that back in the day when those on athletic scholarships actually had to attend and pass actual classes?
I always thought it was amazing that this unhinged, self-indulgent preacher had two 24/7 UHF TV stations in Markets #2 and #4, as well as a full-power FM station in Market #2, replaying his shows around the clock. I guess he acquired them JUST before UHF and FM stations became almost as expensive as VHF and AM outlets.
It was all about him. He got angry when viewers didn't give him enough money. He had a band to play the Southern Gospel songs that HE liked. He was totally convinced he had found secrets in the pages of the Bible everybody else had missed or misinterpreted. He showed us videos of HIS horse farm. He patted himself on the back for rescuing a downtown LA theater that HE used for a church.
And when he had passed away, Melissa Scott (I assume Wife #2), three decades his junior, continued his TV ministry for a few more years. She kept some of the elements of his show but not the eccentricities. Unlike him, who was always disheveled, she wore a black, tidy, minister's outfit and collar. Her sermons were similar in that she was trying to interpret the Bible. But I think she was more sincere.
It was all about him. He got angry when viewers didn't give him enough money. He had a band to play the Southern Gospel songs that HE liked. He was totally convinced he had found secrets in the pages of the Bible everybody else had missed or misinterpreted. He showed us videos of HIS horse farm. He patted himself on the back for rescuing a downtown LA theater that HE used for a church.
And when he had passed away, Melissa Scott (I assume Wife #2), three decades his junior, continued his TV ministry for a few more years. She kept some of the elements of his show but not the eccentricities. Unlike him, who was always disheveled, she wore a black, tidy, minister's outfit and collar. Her sermons were similar in that she was trying to interpret the Bible. But I think she was more sincere.
Maybe he took one too many fastballs to the head.
I hear what you're saying about students on athletic scholarships who are excused somehow from attending and passing classes.
But Wes Parker transferred in to USC from my alma mater, the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, Calif. He came from an affluent family in Pacific Palisades and attended Harvard-Westlake Preparatory High School. He was a bright guy, and a champion bridge player ( the card game). I don't think he was ever on scholarship at USC. He didn't need to be.
But this is an example of the power of broadcast media and air talent who are so powerful that they can run a complete con man game, not only to coerce gullible people out of money, but normally rational thinkers. -- D.
He wasn't a slugger, but a Gold Glove fielder. Pitchers never threw brush-backs at him.Gene Scott was a powerful and talented in a malicious way. Sold a lot of snake oil.
Decades ago, I was always fascinated by broadcasting. I used to flip through all the tv channels and radio channels to see what was going on. I used to do this late into the night, where I found Gene Scott. Haven't thought about him for 40 years, but he was a character.
I used to look ( or listen) to all different shows and ask myself, "How did this person get on the air? How did he audition? What is his appeal? How did he find a producer? How did he find a director? What makes his show successful? If I owned a media outlet, would I hire him? "
(Yes, I was a radio/tv nerd. I always wanted to watch everyone, wanted to study the production standards and how the show was put together, and why it appealed to viewers or listeners). - D.
I used to look ( or listen) to all different shows and ask myself, "How did this person get on the air? How did he audition? What is his appeal? How did he find a producer? How did he find a director? What makes his show successful? If I owned a media outlet, would I hire him? "
(Yes, I was a radio/tv nerd. I always wanted to watch everyone, wanted to study the production standards and how the show was put together, and why it appealed to viewers or listeners). - D.
I remember that for a few years after Scott passed away, a couple of Short Wave stations were actually broadcasting re-runs of his TV show! There must have been significant interest somewhere...
Really hard to believe...it seems insane...oh well...Yes.
When I lived in L.A., I was an L.A. Dodgers baseball fan, like so many others. One of Rev. Scott's followers was a former Dodgers first baseman and later on a Game of the Week broadcaster, Wes Parker. Parker was an excellent athlete and normally a very bright person, but he got pulled into Gene Scott's shenanigans and used to promote him. Parker claimed that he underwent a religious conversion by watching Gene Scott, who explained religion so clearly that it all made sense; and everyone should purchase Scott's $500 Bible study course.
I remember this, because I couldn't believe that an educated, rational person like Wes Parker, who graduated from USC and was a part of Coach Rod Dadeux's baseball program, could fall for Gene Scott.
Anyway, tv preachers have done very well on the public airwaves. -- D.
Likely they had money left, and spent it until donations fell off.
WWCR shortwave still runs Scott’s University Network twelve hours a day on one transmitter and four hours on another, with a few additional hours on weekends. Majority of the sermons are from Melissa Scott, but many of Gene Scott’s old recordings are still aired, 18 years after his death. At one time WWCR had him going 24/7 on one of its transmitters.
Scott used to have his own stations in Costa Rica as well as on Anguilla in the Caribbean, but couldn’t properly maintain them. When the transmitters died one by one, they were not repaired or replaced.
Wow. And I thought the crazies (okay, discounting Camping) were all in the south!
I remember back in the day as a kid bored...scanning through the UHF dial and picking up his show on KDOC. He completely went off on his guest, who was the program director of now defunct 105.5 KNAC. He was yelling and screaming about how KNAC played the devils music, and how he and his listeners will being going straight to hell for listening. He went as far to explain how KNAC should lose it's FCC licence, because the corruption of our youth from this station is a national security issue where it could lead to the complete downfall of our country.
He was definitely quite the interesting fellow....
He was definitely quite the interesting fellow....
I think you're thinking of Wally George, who looked similar to Gene Scott :
Imagine if Dr. Gene Scott had gone on Wally's show....that would have been epic!
I remember one of Wally's shows where he said "Gene Scott is a friend of mine" and another one where he said something else complimentary towards Gene....
As far as I know, they never shared a screen at the same time (though Gene did broadcast over Channel 56--Wally's station--after he lost Channel 30)
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