KING 5 and Gannett

[formeraa]

Oddly, I remember the "three-anchor" experiment, but I forgot it involved Jim Harriott. I absolutely remember Kim Mariner (he was a KIRO mainstay for a number of years, anchoring just about every newscast they had at one time or another).

And who can forget KIRO's trio of "weather girls" in the 70's: Sandy Hill, Ann Martin, and later Micki Flowers? Meanwhile, KING already had Jean Enersen and KOMO had Ruth Walsh co-anchoring the evening news.

 

[searadiofreak]

Great memory, fomeraa. I will make one slight correction. Sandy Hill started anchoring the noon news around 1970 or 1971, and was off to L.A, not more than a year or two later. Ann Martin mulled around Seattle a little longer, but she too became a star in L.A., first at KABC, then at KNBC. Both are now retired, and guess what, Jean has outlasted both of them by staying home. Oh, the irony.

 

[KMan]

Oddly, I remember the "three-anchor" experiment, but I forgot it involved Jim Harriott. I absolutely remember Kim Mariner (he was a KIRO mainstay for a number of years, anchoring just about every newscast they had at one time or another).

And who can forget KIRO's trio of "weather girls" in the 70's: Sandy Hill, Ann Martin, and later Micki Flowers? Meanwhile, KING already had Jean Enersen and KOMO had Ruth Walsh co-anchoring the evening news.

Kim Mariner is still anchoring the news at KNX Los Angeles. Sounds great. He's got one of those voices where he could read the phone book to me and I'd listen (just like Andy Walsh and CKWX in Vancouver). I posted a link to a KIRO TV story about the Mercer Mess from nearly 30 years ago about a month and where he was the anchor. No replies on this board.

 

[bobdavcav]

Jean is now 69.

Has anyone ever seen anyone looking better at that age?

She is amazing.

She is TRULY amazing, but I am sure that she has had some "work" done on her over the years.

She's gotta go for 50 years at KING 5 News!!!

Think of all the male anchors KING has gone through since Jean started: John Raye, Mike James, Aaron Brown, Don Porter (did he actually co-anchor with Jean?), Barry Judge, and current anchor Dennis Bounds. I've probably left out a couple.

Her first co-anchor was the late Jim Harriott on the 11:00 cast. Also, anyone remember Steve Edelman, a KING-TV morning talk show host who was briefly moved into the evening anchor chair in the mid-70's? He didn't last long, eventually moving to Minneapolis and ending up with a bit part in the movie "Fargo".

If I remember right, Porter filled in for Bounds sometime in the early or mid 2000s for a couple weeks, but his main job was specialty reports about the Iraq war.

 

[searadiofreak]

RE: Sandy Hill

I didn't mean to imply she "started" at KIRO doing the noon news, but where she eventually ended up. I think she actually started as hostess of the afternoon movie before moving to weather. Just to clarify...

 

[KMan]

[

If I remember right, Porter filled in for Bounds sometime in the early or mid 2000s for a couple weeks, but his main job was specialty reports about the Iraq war.
[/quote]

Please note that Don Porter had two stints at KING and anchored at KSTW for about ten years in between.

In the first stint, he was hired to anchor the 11PM news solo (replacing Aaron Brown). Jean did not anchor the 11PM news at that time. Her co-anchor on the early evening newscasts was Mike James. Did she ever actually anchor with Don Porter during that stint? Probably ... I'd imagine he was a regular fill in if Mike James was out.

Porter last until the early 90s when he was let go by ... Bob Jordan.

He returned after KSTW shuttered their news operation. He regularly filled in for Dennis Bounds on the weekday evening newscasts (again, anchoring with Jean) as he was the male weekend anchor. Remember, Allan Schauffler spent about five years on the morning news with both Francavilla and Joyce Taylor before KING brought in Brad Goode. Schaff went back to weekends, bumping Don Porter to a senior correspondent position until he retired a few years ago.

 

[bobdavcav]

Ok, a lot of that I would be too young to remember, as by the time I was born, Porter had probably already been let go by Jordan. Is Allan still on weekend mornings or is he out?

 

[formeraa]

Schauffler is on weekend evenings, as he has been for a number of years now. On Saturdays, he is paired with Rob Piercy at 5pm, solo at 6:30, 10, and 11pm. On Sunday, he is paired with Shaniqua Manning at 5pm, solo on the later newscasts.

As for Schauffler on mornings, apparently Schauffler had difficulties adjusting to Joyce Taylor's style so they brought in Brad Goode who, I believe, anchored with Taylor over at KIRO.

 

[formeraa]

RE: Sandy Hill

I didn't mean to imply she "started" at KIRO doing the noon news, but where she eventually ended up. I think she actually started as hostess of the afternoon movie before moving to weather. Just to clarify...

Plus, I didn't mean to imply that Sandy, Ann, and Micki were all at KIRO at the same time (although I thought that there was some overlay between Sandy and Ann as well as Ann and Micki but my memory is failing). I was a huge Sandy Hill fan and was very disappointed when she and the David Hartman didn't get along well (he was known for his "old school" attitudes about female news anchors). Also, I left out Ann Bush who was at KIRO for a number of years.

UPDATE: I googled this and here is someone's recollections of the dates that Sandy Hill and Ann Martin were at KIRO (again it is someone's recollection, not fact): "You know when I was an infant I used to watch alot of local and network news with my folks while having dinner. One of the newscasters we watched alot during the 1970's was none other then Sandy Hill who was the co-host on ABC's "Good Morning America" with David Hartman from 1978-80 (Sandy was replaced by Joan Lunden in 1980). Before she joined "Good Morning America" in 1978, Sandy Hill started her news career here in Seattle from 1969-74 on the CBS affiliate, KIRO TV 7, as the co-anchor and weather forcaster with the late Cliff Kirk onthe 6:30 PM news. Sandy also was known as the "movie gal" for hosting "The Big Money Movie" on KIRO TV that used to come on every afternoon at 3:30 PM in where you can win big money if you can answer the trivia question right from her. I liked Sandy alot when I was an infant because she was known for her wonderfulsmile everytime she's on TV. She was really wonderful and funny! Today Sandynow lives in Bellevue, Washington which a suburb of Seattle and is no longer inthe TV business.

Also another favorite of mines was Ann Martin who also was with KIRO TV from
1974-76. Ann was a close friend and classmate of Sandy Hill while they were
attending school at the University of Washington here in Seattle. Back in 1974
just a few months before Sandy was about ready to leave Seattle for the big
time (I think she was going to either KABC or KNXT (now KCBS) in Los Angeles
after she left KIRO), Sandy invited Ann to come and work at KIRO to do the news
and do the weather also and thats how Ann got her start in the broadcasting
business. Ann Martin left KIRO in 1976 and went on to KABC in Los Angeles and
is now on KCBS TV as the co-anchor on the 5PM news down there."

 

[searadiofreak]

Yeah, I read the same stuff, and for the most part it is accurate.

However, Sandy Hill was never in position to invite Ann Martin to the team. Perhaps, she recommended her, and management decided to hire her.

I don't believe Ann Martin is on any station in L.A. currently. However, she may still live there. Sandy Hill back in Bellevue would not suprise me, as the former Ms. Washington probably would retire here.

OK, for fun, if anyone has not heard this, is quite fun. It is KABC anchor Paul Moyer and Ann Martin having a spat before the 11:00 news, that somebody captured audio of. It is my understanding that even after all this, they remain friends. Don't know the year here, but would guess mid 90's. Disregard the video, the audio is what really happened. The video was manipulated. As you can see by the video bugs, both had moved on, Paul to KNBC, and Ann to KCBS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib5zvlVc16A

 

[KMan]

Schauffler is on weekend evenings, as he has been for a number of years now. On Saturdays, he is paired with Rob Piercy at 5pm, solo at 6:30, 10, and 11pm. On Sunday, he is paired with Shaniqua Manning at 5pm, solo on the later newscasts.

As for Schauffler on mornings, apparently Schauffler had difficulties adjusting to Joyce Taylor's style so they brought in Brad Goode who, I believe, anchored with Taylor over at KIRO.

Schauff could use a co-anchor on the weekends. Its funny, after 9/11 when KOMO cut back their anchor staff heavily (solo on weekday AM, solo on weekend evenings) KIRO and KING maintained a two anchor team. Shortly after KOMO finally went back to two anchors on the weekends, both KIRO and KING dropped to a single anchor. Are we a top 15 market or not?

That being said, Schauffler is an excellent anchor and has excelled in every position KING has placed him in, EXCEPT on the morning news. He just doesn't have the right personality for that type of newscast. The pairing with Joyce Taylor didn't help either. But he's done everything for KING, including launching the short-lived-7PM and 10PM newscasts on KONG with Matsukawa and hosting UpFront for a couple of years while Robert Mak worked for the mayor. He's got to have more time in as a weekend anchor at the same station than any other major market anchor.

 

[formeraa]

Are we a top 15 market or not?

Well, Phoenix is also a top 15 market and currently only one station out of five has co-anchors on "normal" weekends. Phoenix stations generally have their main anchors come in Sunday nights during the "sweeps" periods.

 

[crainbebo]

KONG had a newscast at 7PM? When did that happen?

-crainbebo

 

[KMan]

KONG had a newscast at 7PM? When did that happen?

-crainbebo

About the same time the 10PM launched. Probably about 1998. Anchored by Matsukawa and Shauffler. When the 7PM ended, Schauff moved to the morning news and Bounds joined Matuskawa at 10.

 

[formeraa]

KONG had a newscast at 7PM? When did that happen?

-crainbebo

At the time, it appeared that Matsukawa was being demoted. She had been the 11pm co-anchor on top-rated KING. Instead, she was moved to 7pm and 10pm on KONG (the first time that news was shown on KONG). Margaret Larson took over for Matsukawa at 11pm. Of course, now we know the rest of the story: the 7pm news failed, the 10pm is doing relatively well, and Matsukawa was moved back to 11pm once Larson left.

 

[crainbebo]

Hmm...I guess my 1998 TV Guide was "too early" - KONG was still in that "classic TV" phase with Baretta weeknights at 9pm, All in the Family at 7pm. OT - but how did KONG get ALL of those old classic TV reruns and even old movie serials?!

-crainbebo

 

[Bongwater]

Hmm...I guess my 1998 TV Guide was "too early" - KONG was still in that "classic TV" phase with Baretta weeknights at 9pm, All in the Family at 7pm. OT - but how did KONG get ALL of those old classic TV reruns and even old movie serials?!

-crainbebo

Syndicators. Those programs have been in syndication for decades. It's how the better financed independent stations stay relevant. Otherwise, it's wall to wall infomercials.

 

[crainbebo]

But the interesting thing is that few, if any, other stations aired All in the Family that late after it ended, from what I've seen.

-crainbebo

 

[Bongwater]

But the interesting thing is that few, if any, other stations aired All in the Family that late after it ended, from what I've seen.

-crainbebo

KVOS ran All In The Family as an independent in the '80s.

IIRC, after KVOS lost CBS to KIRO, they made it a point to pick only syndicated off-network reruns that previously aired on CBS for several years until Ackerley bought them.

 

[rmx77]

How did I forget the legendary Jim Harriott? I don't remember Steve Edelman.

I have an autographed photo of John Raye, whom I believe was Seattle's first African-American anchor.

Yeah, and I hardly remember John Raye.

Harriott had the distinction of working for all three of the big three network affiliates in Seattle, (KING, KIRO, and KOMO) in that order, and also worked for a public station in Tacoma. Wow. He also had a nice cameo in the blockbuster movie, "War Games", starring Matthew Broderick, playing, guess what, a newscaster.

For those geeks like me really into this, his stint at KIRO was odd, in that they were experimenting with tri-anchors. Yes, three anchors at the desk...in this case it was Jim, Kathy Smith (an import from Portland), and Kim Mariner, who was a mainstay at KIRO for many years, last heard was doing radio on KNX Los Angeles. He DID have a great voice. Not sure of an update on him. Gary Justice did sports, and of course the ever present, but now deceased Harry Woppler on weather.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...oPsUfC-DsjwiwLBnoCoBQ&ved=0CE4Q9QEwBQ&dur=158

there was wayne cody on kiro sports up till his 1996 retirement. sad we have lost some greats around the northwest