WICC/Channel 43 - Memories, Airchecks, and Footage

[CMFORD714]

I am currently co-researching a new biography about Bob Crane (best known for his role as Colonel Hogan on "Hogan's Heroes") with an author who resides in Australia. This project has been in the works for nearly 5 years, and a summer 2009 publication date is anticipated. It will not dwell on Crane's murder or the scandal that followed, but instead, will provide a full account of his life.

As you may know, Bob Crane was a successful radio personality over WICC during the 1950s, and he also performed in a variety show on WICC's Channel 43. The author and I are looking to hear from anyone who remembers listening to Crane's WICC radio program or watching him on Channel 43. We are also very interested in locating WICC airchecks of Crane's radio program and Channel 43 film footage (if any still exists).

Please email us directly at [email protected], and visit WICC's Web site for a brief overview of this biography and Crane's time at WICC (http://www.wicc600.com/bobcrane.htm).

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

 

[MarcB]

There was a special on Connecitcut Public Television Thursday night that originally aired in 1997 that featured the history of TV in Connecticut. It contained a few clips from WICC-TV 43. The special said that the station went dark in 1957 and most of the station's archives went up in smoke during a huge fire in 1962. Today's WSAH/43 is a decendent of WICC. The station is currently owned by Multi-Cultural Broadcasting and shows infomercials and GEMS-TV. If I recall correctly WSAH is now digital only (as of July) because their transmitter was fried and deemed to costly to repair.

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

I am currently co-researching a new biography about Bob Crane (best known for his role as Colonel Hogan on "Hogan's Heroes") with an author who resides in Australia. This project has been in the works for nearly 5 years, and a summer 2009 publication date is anticipated. It will not dwell on Crane's murder or the scandal that followed, but instead, will provide a full account of his life.

As you may know, Bob Crane was a successful radio personality over WICC during the 1950s, and he also performed in a variety show on WICC's Channel 43. The author and I are looking to hear from anyone who remembers listening to Crane's WICC radio program or watching him on Channel 43. We are also very interested in locating WICC airchecks of Crane's radio program and Channel 43 film footage (if any still exists).

Please email us directly at [email protected], and visit WICC's Web site for a brief overview of this biography and Crane's time at WICC (http://www.wicc600.com/bobcrane.htm).

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!

Do you have any info on a long time ICC announcer named Ed Zelle?

 

[DToTheJ]

As you may know, Bob Crane was a successful radio personality over WICC during the 1950s, and he also performed in a variety show on WICC's Channel 43.

I understand he also performed some naughty variety shows of his own with his own camera!

 

[RadioMan203]

Do you have any info on a long time ICC announcer named Ed Zelle?

Last I hear of him was years ago back when he was on WEZN.

 

[SallysPizza]

I found out after he died that we were distant cousins. When I was in school, one of my friendly acquaintances was going to the funeral and she was the one who told me. She even knew who I should ask (in my family) to see if it was true. She also told me she and I were cousins...she was a closer cousin to him than I was. Kind of sad about his life and his death. Sad that he lived that way and sad that it led to his death. It's funny because I never even thought about it and since I found out, I look at pictures of him and see the family resemblance from my dad's side.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

Do you have any info on a long time ICC announcer named Ed Zelle?

Last I hear of him was years ago back when he was on WEZN.

Ed left the market in the late 80s or early 90s, and passed away several years ago.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

I found out after he died that we were distant cousins.

One of Bob Crane's cousins, Jim Senich, worked at various radio stations and newspapers in Bridgeport and Waterbury during his lengthy career. Jim was a sportscaster, talk show host and sports writer.

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

I found out after he died that we were distant cousins. When I was in school, one of my friendly acquaintances was going to the funeral and she was the one who told me. She even knew who I should ask (in my family) to see if it was true. She also told me she and I were cousins...she was a closer cousin to him than I was. Kind of sad about his life and his death. Sad that he lived that way and sad that it led to his death. It's funny because I never even thought about it and since I found out, I look at pictures of him and see the family resemblance from my dad's side.

Bob Crane in the later years of his life, long after ICC and Hogan's Heroes he got into kinky adult films. He double crossed a supposed friend of his John Carpenter who bashed his brains in with a candle stick and then strangled him with a phone cord.
The last years of Crane's life were a bit bizarre to say the least.

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

Do you have any info on a long time ICC announcer named Ed Zelle?

Last I hear of him was years ago back when he was on WEZN.

Ed left the market in the late 80s or early 90s, and passed away several years ago.

I remember a person who said they worked for Ed Zelle Operations Mgr at WEZN when they had just shifted over to soft rock. The guy was a part-timer who was filling in for the 7 - midnight regular on a week night. He said Zelle stayed there the entire shift monitoring his show and critiquing his every mic break. Said he didn't pause enough during segues, talked too fast, and didn't back sell the way it should be done at WEZN.
Zelle walked into the studio at 10:15 and fired him and finished the remainder of the shift.
I heard he was a tough SOB to work for?

 

[CMFORD714]

Thanks for all your responses! While it is true that Bob Crane was no "saint," he was not all bad, either. His death and scandal have just been the main focus of media attention, which has overshadowed much of the good he did. Throughout his entire life, Bob surrounded himself with some extremely kind and caring people, and their memories of him are a real testament to who he really was.

 

[bub]

CMFORD714: No documentary on Bob Crane would be complete without mentioning that the native of Waterbury started his radio career at WBIS Radio in Bristol, Connecticut. WBIS was the station that gave Bob Crane his professional start in radio after "failing an audition" at WATR in Waterbury, and being told by Sam Ellman, the General Manager of WATR at the time, to look for another line of work. After 'BIS, he advanced to WICC in Bridgeport, then Los Angeles, then finally heeded the WATR GM's advice to seek out another line of work...as an actor in Hollywood. The rest is history.

I still watch the Hogan's Heroes reruns on TV Land. They never get old.

CMFORD714: All the best to you on this documentary. Please make it a good one.

 

[scottg]

How about the story of Bob on WICC one day wondering if anyone was actually watching him so he made an offer to give $100 of his own money to the first person that called in... and NO ONE called in to claim the $100.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

WBIS was the station that gave Bob Crane his professional start in radio after "failing an audition" at WATR in Waterbury, and being told by Sam Elman, the General Manager of WATR at the time, to look for another line of work.

I remember reading that in a Waterbury Republican-American article about Bob Crane when Hogan's Heroes was on. However the newspaper said he was rejected by "a Waterbury radio station", and I always wondered which one. You've solved a puzzle.

There are many stories about announcers being rejected in one place and having successful careers later on.

 

[bub]

I remember reading that in a Waterbury Republican-American article about Bob Crane when Hogan's Heroes was on. However the newspaper said he was rejected by "a Waterbury radio station", and I always wondered which one. You've solved a puzzle.

Hogan's Heroes ran on CBS from 1965-1971. When did you read that article? I'd like to find that in the microfilm files at Silas Bronson.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

Hogan's Heroes ran on CBS from 1965-1971. When did you read that article? I'd like to find that in the microfilm files at Silas Bronson.

1966 or early 1967. The newspaper ran a couple of articles about Bob Crane, and I seem to remember one article with a picture of Bob and his family. I've looked at Republican-American microfilm at the Silas Bronson Library. Unfortunately it takes time and patience if you don't know exactly when an article was printed.

 

[bub]

1966 or early 1967. The newspaper ran a couple of articles about Bob Crane, and I seem to remember one article with a picture of Bob and his family. I've looked at Republican-American microfilm at the Silas Bronson Library. Unfortunately it takes time and patience if you don't know exactly when an article was printed.

You're right about exercising patience with the microfilm. BTW: The info about his "failed audition" came from the WATR 50th Anniversary video of 1984. I just recently had my copy of the tape converted to DVD. Maybe if I know how, I can get that uploaded onto You Tube.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

BTW: The info about his "failed audition" came from the WATR 50th Anniversary video of 1984. I just recently had my copy of the tape converted to DVD. Maybe if I know how, I can get that uploaded onto You Tube.

I have that video. My parents bought it for $13.20 and the proceeds went to charity. I have to go look for that part.

 

[bub]

BTW: The info about his "failed audition" came from the WATR 50th Anniversary video of 1984. I just recently had my copy of the tape converted to DVD. Maybe if I know how, I can get that uploaded onto You Tube.

I have that video. My parents bought it for $13.20 and the proceeds went to charity. I have to go look for that part.

Timeout, Bill1820. That $13.20 you're referring to may be the 60th Anniversary show over at Seven Angels in 1994 (I have that video also and I recall that the proceeds went to the WATR Sunshine Fund).

I'm referring to the 50th in 1984 that was shot in the studio building on Broadcast Lane when WWYZ was still there in the old studio where the current AM studio now resides - and still 'YZ 92 point 5. This was way back when Gary Peters was PD. Al Vestro is in the video along with Lou Morton, Tracy Garneau, Daryl Houghton, Bob Quigley and Gene Valentino. It was Lou Morton who mentioned the "failed audition."

 

[Bill-in-CT]

That $13.20 you're referring to may be the 60th Anniversary show over at Seven Angels in 1994 (I have that video also and I recall that the proceeds went to the WATR Sunshine Fund). I'm referring to the 50th in 1984...It was Lou Morton who mentioned the "failed audition."

You are correct. I have the 60th anniversary tape.