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George Putnam Dies

L

LKellerIII

LARadio.com has reported that Los Angeles TV and radio veteran George Putnam has passed away. He was in his early 90s. Though he has been a talk radio host for many years, he was famous (and some would say infamous) as one of the original Los Angeles TV news anchormen.

Though he claimed to be a "lifelong Democrat" he was extremely conservative, and often blurred the line between news and editorial comment. His stentorian (some would say pompous and overbearing) delivery was the subject of many satires and caricatures, and he was the primary inspiration for the Ted Baxter character on the Mary Tyler Moore show in the 70s.

At his prime in the late 1960s, he was so popular that KTLA and KTTV would regularly outbid each other for Putnam's services. He was reportedly the highest paid anchorman in the nation, making more than even Walter Chronkite.
 
...AFAIK Putnam was the last surviving broadcaster that was heard on the "Complete Broadcast Day" aircheck set recorded by CBS-owned WJSV Washington from September 21, 1939...
 
...whoa, is this trippy -- I just put in one of my DVDs of early '50s Red Skelton Shows, and guess who appeared in one of the sketches as an American newscaster opposite Red's comic take on a BBC anchorman -- yep, George Putnam...
 
radiorob2.0 said:
It's been suggested The Simpsons' Kent Brockman was a hybrid of George Putnam and Hal Fishman.
Click to expand...

Nah - Kent Brockman is Jerry Dunphy.

When the Mary Tyler Moore show premiered, it was said that Ted Baxter was a combination of LA anchors including Dunphy, Putnam, and Baxter Ward. But Ted's delivery was a straight-up satire of Putnam. Neither Dunphy or Ward were pompous or pontificated in that unique Putnam way.
 
I didn't know George Putnam. Never met the man. More often than not, his political commentaries, and let's face it, that's what they were, would anger me. If he was a Democrat, he sure had a funny way of showing it.

With the above paragraph said, I want to say that George Putnam had far more pluses than minuses. His longevity in broadcasting alone is incredible. How many others blessed with 90+ years of life would have been retired, and been perfectly justified in doing so? One time, at some banquet, Putnam was quoted as saying that he had given over 30 years to television, and he was ready to give another 30 years to it.

One time, I was listening to his old KIEV show. It was the late 70s, and Anita Bryant was annoying people with her anti-gay rhetoric. This one woman caller was ranting non-stop about Anita Bryant, about how hateful she is, etc., and Putnam was trying to get a word in edgewise, and trying to calm the woman down, to virtually no avail. I was thinking to myself that this woman is really going to get it when Putnam does get a word in. Finally, the woman calms down, and George gets to speak, his first words to her were: "Madam, I couldn't agree with you more!" I nearly drove off the freeway in shock! He went on to say that he has had gay friends throughout his career, had worked with many gay people, and that they were some of the finest people he knew. He also said that Bryant didn't know what she was talking about, that she had it all wrong, and that she was causing needless trouble. Bryant, btw, later changed her stance.

The man had a somewhat large ranch in the Chino Hills area, much of which he lost to eminent domain when the local school district wanted to build a new grade school. Putnam took in every stray animal that came his way, dogs, cats, birds, even a lizard or two, and always tried to find good homes for them. He hated that animal shelters eventually gas their strays.

George Putnam may have had rough edges publicly, but apparently he was all pussycat inside.
 
RicoGregg said:
I didn't know George Putnam. Never met the man. More often than not, his political commentaries, and let's face it, that's what they were, would anger me. If he was a Democrat, he sure had a funny way of showing it.

With the above paragraph said, I want to say that George Putnam had far more pluses than minuses. His longevity in broadcasting alone is incredible. How many others blessed with 90+ years of life would have been retired, and been perfectly justified in doing so? One time, at some banquet, Putnam was quoted as saying that he had given over 30 years to television, and he was ready to give another 30 years to it.

One time, I was listening to his old KIEV show. It was the late 70s, and Anita Bryant was annoying people with her anti-gay rhetoric. This one woman caller was ranting non-stop about Anita Bryant, about how hateful she is, etc., and Putnam was trying to get a word in edgewise, and trying to calm the woman down, to virtually no avail. I was thinking to myself that this woman is really going to get it when Putnam does get a word in. Finally, the woman calms down, and George gets to speak, his first words to her were: "Madam, I couldn't agree with you more!" I nearly drove off the freeway in shock! He went on to say that he has had gay friends throughout his career, had worked with many gay people, and that they were some of the finest people he knew. He also said that Bryant didn't know what she was talking about, that she had it all wrong, and that she was causing needless trouble. Bryant, btw, later changed her stance.

The man had a somewhat large ranch in the Chino Hills area, much of which he lost to eminent domain when the local school district wanted to build a new grade school. Putnam took in every stray animal that came his way, dogs, cats, birds, even a lizard or two, and always tried to find good homes for them. He hated that animal shelters eventually gas their strays.

George Putnam may have had rough edges publicly, but apparently he was all pussycat inside.
Click to expand...

Well said. Putnam was a complex man. And I always noticed that he was a very emotional man. My liberal friends and I used to ridicule him...we watched him on TV so we could see what new ridiculous right wing rant he would come up with...kind of like hippies watching Dragnet to make fun of Jack Webb's anti-drug lectures.

But the same emotionality that made George tear up, and his voice break with emotion when he editorialized about patriotism and the American flag - was the same emotionality that made him care about animals and the less fortunate.

He was also unusually forthcoming about his personal life for a newsman in those days. I remember reading an article in which he talked about his love for his children, and how devastated he was by his divorce from his wife in the 1940s. He also wasn't shy about expressing his anger at other people - including Hal Fishman, who he felt had stolen his job as KTLA anchor. From what I remember, it wasn't so much Fishman's fault, as George's falling out with Gene Autry (owner of KTLA).

George had a great run. RIP
 
RicoGregg said:
Bryant, btw, later changed her stance.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? If Anita Bryant had indeed changed her stance it must have been very recently because back in 2005 I remember reading some interview with her ( I wish I remember where I read this ) where she stated she had no regrets and would do it again.

Of course I am sure even Anita Bryant would admit her actions did cause quite a bit of permanent damage to her career.
 
mleach said:
RicoGregg said:
Bryant, btw, later changed her stance.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? If Anita Bryant had indeed changed her stance it must have been very recently because back in 2005 I remember reading some interview with her ( I wish I remember where I read this ) where she stated she had no regrets and would do it again.

Of course I am sure even Anita Bryant would admit her actions did cause quite a bit of permanent damage to her career.
Click to expand...

We're both right. She changed, then changed back. On the following link, scroll down to "Career decline and bankruptcy".

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant


You gotta admit, you haven't heard much about Anita Bryant lately.
 
I was surprised KTLA didn't do more coverage. Of course their plate was full with a train crash and a hurricane. There is a mention on the website but it's brief.
 
...well, since he left KTLA on less than amicable terms, that's almost understandable. KCAL had a fairly good package on him, and KTTV had the best I've seen yet. Nothing on KNBC or KABC as far as I can tell, and what I saw on the KTTV/KCOP website was only KTTV material (did the same package air on both 11 and 13?)...
 
I always found it kind of odd that Putnam never worked at any of the L.A. network O&Os. Coincidence? ???
 
RicoGregg said:
I always found it kind of odd that Putnam never worked at any of the L.A. network O&Os. Coincidence? ???
Click to expand...

No - I don't think so. Putnam carried a lot of baggage - he was hardly an objective reporter, and his on-air style was too extreme for the major stations. There has been coverage stating that Putnam "dominated" LA television news. That's not really true. As I remember, KNXT's "Big News" with Jerry Dunphy was the highest rated for most of the 1960s, then the KNBC News Service was on top in the late 60s and into the 70s, when they had Tom Brokaw and Tom Snyder.

George was never top rated, just the highest paid - because whatever indy station had him anchoring at 10:00 would dominate in that time slot.

I don't think the O&Os ever bid for Putnam, or wanted him as an anchor.
 
radiorob2.0 said:
A Montage of KTLA News Opens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEPdDwozZOQ

His open is third on the file.
Click to expand...

I noticed that KTLA made a big deal at the fact they had their own chopper for news which is understandable of course. Years ago I remember reading in a very old issue of TV Guide ( one from the late 60s ) that brought up KNBC's chopper. The part of that article I remember the most was that it said that KNBC had to actually pay KTLA to build them one because KTLA owns the patent for the news chopper. Is this still the case today? If so does it only apply to the LA stations or every TV station across the country and other countries too like Canada and Australia both of which have local TV stations that uses them.

RicoGregg said:
mleach said:
RicoGregg said:
Bryant, btw, later changed her stance.
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? If Anita Bryant had indeed changed her stance it must have been very recently because back in 2005 I remember reading some interview with her ( I wish I remember where I read this ) where she stated she had no regrets and would do it again.

Of course I am sure even Anita Bryant would admit her actions did cause quite a bit of permanent damage to her career.
Click to expand...

We're both right. She changed, then changed back. On the following link, scroll down to "Career decline and bankruptcy".

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant


You gotta admit, you haven't heard much about Anita Bryant lately.
Click to expand...

[EDIT]


[EDIT-off topic]
 
mleach said:
radiorob2.0 said:
A Montage of KTLA News Opens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEPdDwozZOQ
His open is third on the file.
Click to expand...

I noticed that KTLA made a big deal at the fact they had their own chopper for news which is understandable of course. Years ago I remember reading in a very old issue of TV Guide ( one from the late 60s ) that brought up KNBC's chopper. The part of that article I remember the most was that it said that KNBC had to actually pay KTLA to build them one because KTLA owns the patent for the news chopper. Is this still the case today? If so does it only apply to the LA stations or every TV station across the country and other countries too like Canada and Australia both of which have local TV stations that uses them.

[EDIT]


[EDIT-off topic]
Click to expand...


RE: KTLA - Channel 5 was a pioneer in live broadcasting. They had the "Telecopter" and "Telemobiles" out covering live news events in Southern California about a decade before the other stations. In the 50s and up until the mid or late 60s, if there was a big news event or disaster, you tuned in KTLA. I remember watching the Baldwin Halls dam break disaster live on KTLA about 1962. It was at least an hour later when KNXT and KNBC got to the scene, but without copters.

When Gene Autry (Golden West) bought KTLA (from Paramount, if I remember correctly), to his credit - he continued to spend the money necessary to maintain KTLA's status in live news. Unlike many modern broadcast corporations, Autry was willing to spend what it took to make his broadcast properties first rate.

I'm guessing, but I don't think KTLA had proprietary rights to any helicopter technology. But I think they copyrighted the name "Telecopter," and that's what KNBC paid them for. When I got to the SF Bay Area in 73, the NBC affiliate here had the "Telecopter" - other stations had "News Copters" and so forth.

[EDIT]


[EDIT-off topic]
 
Somewhere, maybe during the KTLA 60th anniversary, was a discussion of the Telecopter. It was a Klaus Landsberg creation with the help of a radar endorsed engineer.
 
Lkeller said:
RE: KTLA - Channel 5 was a pioneer in live broadcasting. They had the "Telecopter" and "Telemobiles" out covering live news events in Southern California about a decade before the other stations. In the 50s and up until the mid or late 60s, if there was a big news event or disaster, you tuned in KTLA. I remember watching the Baldwin Halls dam break disaster live on KTLA about 1962. It was at least an hour later when KNXT and KNBC got to the scene, but without copters.

When Gene Autry (Golden West) bought KTLA (from Paramount, if I remember correctly), to his credit - he continued to spend the money necessary to maintain KTLA's status in live news. Unlike many modern broadcast corporations, Autry was willing to spend what it took to make his broadcast properties first rate.

I'm guessing, but I don't think KTLA had proprietary rights to any helicopter technology. But I think they copyrighted the name "Telecopter," and that's what KNBC paid them for. When I got to the SF Bay Area in 73, the NBC affiliate here had the "Telecopter" - other stations had "News Copters" and so forth.
Click to expand...

It really is amazing how early LA got into those news copters even before NYC.

Since KTLA was the first station in the west to use such things ( and the first one period ), I wonder when did the east coast markets start using them?

The earliest I can remember an east coast TV station using a chopper was in 1981 and oddly it WXEX-TV 8 in Petersburg/Richmond, Virginia. I am sure there were other stations along the east coast who had one before then but the earliest I can remember was WXEX. Not sure how often WXEX used their "TV 8 Eye in the Sky" since I just remember those old WXEX Eyewitness News ads in TV Guide but I do remember in the summer of 1984 when a young man was killed on a roller coaster at Kings Dominion Amusement Park. Kings Dominion wouldn't allow any of the local Richmond TV stations inside the park to show the roller coaster much less interview the staff about the accident but WXEX thanks to their chopper not only showed the roller coaster ( it was the Galaxy...where the Shockwave stand-up coaster is at now ) but even showed the body being taken out of the park. This may have been one of the few times WXEX actually beat WTVR and WWBT in "breaking news".
 
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