Register Free As A Non-Food Vendor
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Sunday, October 1, 2017
TIME MACHINE: 1939, 2007, 1899, 1955.
Our Little Corner In Space And Time
(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)
July, 1939
From the perspective of the "modern" Pocomoke City of 1939, our town's newspaper recounted the past.
Worcester Democrat 60th Anniversary Edition
March, 2007
The Daily Times (Salisbury)
January, 1899
Baltimore Sun
ACROSS THE USA
February, 1955
The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Texas.)
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .
When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye. We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
TIME MACHINE PREVIEW
From the perspective of the "modern" Pocomoke City of 1939 a look at how our town used to be prior to that time is recalled.
It's this Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.
It's this Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Sunday, September 24, 2017
TIME MACHINE: The Early Days Of Television On The Eastern Shore.
Our Little Corner In Space And Time
(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)
September, 2009
The Seaford Star
(By tk for the Pocomoke Public Eye)
Prior to local television arriving on the Eastern Shore, TV viewing was quite a novelty for those who owned a television set and the friends, neighbors, or relatives whom they invited for a visit to watch TV.
It didn't matter so much what the program was but whether reception was available. Those were the days prior to a local TV station or cable/satellite service and a VHF antenna on your rooftop was your TV's connection..maybe.. to a signal from Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Norfolk, or sometimes Richmond.
Occasionally there would be a clear picture coming in on one or more of the available channels. In these rather rare instances a telephone call might go out to those without a TV (and these folks were in the majority) to come over and watch. There was no certainty, however, that the picture would still be there when the visitors arrived.
Sometimes reception was simply not viewable at all; at other times there was a viewable, although "snowy" picture but you couldn't count on it to last. Reception might fade during the last five or ten minutes of a program, leaving the viewer without a clue as to the program's ending.
Depending on the location of the originating signal the rooftop antenna would have to be adjusted to point toward the geographical location of the signal source. My dad would go outside our home in Pocomoke and turn a hand crank, similar to an awning crank, to point the direction of the antenna while he was watching from outside through the living room window to monitor the reception. We would assist by communicating to him from inside.
We eventually graduated to the luxury of a motorized antenna. You simply turned a knob on a little box that sat on top of your TV to the direction you desired your antenna to point.
Television was gaining popularity around the country and here on the lower Eastern Shore hopes for the availability of a clear, dependable picture were raised with word in 1953 that Salisbury's WBOC (radio) was making plans to put a UHF television station on the air, and that came to fruition on July 15, 1954.
Standard TV sets were equipped to receive VHF channels 2 through 13. The new UHF (Ultra High Frequency) technology was broadcast on channels 14 through 83.The Salisbury station was operating on channel 16. So if you wanted to tune in you needed a UHF converter box (first ad below) as well as an antenna that could receive a UHF signal. New TV's (second ad below) began to include the UHF channels in their sets.
Those who were around to view WBOC-TV in the 1950's and 60's might recall...
**The trio of Ralph Pennewell with weather, John B. Greenberger with news, and Ron Weber with sports ("Good evening sport.. you, too, mam") holding rein for many years. Weather, sponsored by Atlantic gasoline, lead off at 11PM with their musical jingle, "For business, for pleasure, in any kind of weather, Atlantic Keeps Your Car On The Go." Ralph wore an Atlantic service station uniform for the weather presentation, and during the 5-minute program he drew the weather fronts on a paper outline map of the U.S.
**During the early years Claire Beach, Nancy Allen, Carol Lee Anderson, Nancy Pigman ("Weather Fashions" sponsored by Benjamin's ladies apparel store), and Ann Gladding from Pocomoke were among those who presented the weather during the 7PM evening news. In later years Kelly Rouse was a weather host for her sponsor- Wharton & Barnard auto supplies. Later, Kelly went on to a long career in local television news at WMDT and then at WBOC.
**Club 16," a live production from the studio each weekday evening, was hosted by staff announcer John Rahe.
**Poultry auctioneer Carol Long, leading off his program with an auction chant, had a daily evening report on the day's activity at the Selbyville poultry auction exchange.
**George Hack initiated and hosted a weekly Saturday afternoon teen dance program live from the studio.
**At Christmas time the Jolly Jack show, sponsored by the White & Leonard store's "Jolly Jack's Toyland," was popular with the youngsters.
**For many years The "Miss 16" contest selected a 16-year-old young lady to represent the station for a year, along with winning a host of prizes.
** Phil Adams, Tom Maguire, and Jack Downing were familiar local TV faces to viewers.
Phil Adams
Tom Maguire (later era photo)
Jack Downing
Morning and noon news updates of several minutes were not on-camera from the studio but read from an audio booth while the viewer would see a WBOC news logo on screen.
The station's art director, Ed Parsons, hand-painted material used for commercial ads; it was long before the age of computer graphics. He designed the in-studio sets for local programs. At election time he'd prepare the visual materials needed for the presentation of election results.
The Polaroid camera was a staple of the news department for covering spot news happenings. Some news events were filmed on 16mm black and white film and developed in the station's dark room. The newsroom staff of one full time member grew to three full timers by the mid-1960's (today's news staff numbers in the dozens).
Sometimes commercials were broadcast live from the studio. A classic recollection that was passed along by veteran employees from that early era of local TV recalled the demonstration of features of a new refrigerator. Everything went well at rehearsal. But when the announcer opened the refrigerator door during the live on-air broadcast during the 11PM news, inside the refrigerator to his surprise and for the viewers to see..... was a boot! The fellow co-workers of the prankster who pulled this off remained tight lipped and his identity was never known to management which would have had a strong reprimand, or maybe worse, in store for him.
And so goes a glimpse of the early days of TV on the Eastern Shore.
(Visual material sources:The Salisbury Times and WBOC)
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .
When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye. We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.
Friday, September 22, 2017
TIME MACHINE PREVIEW
Recollections of the early days of television on the Eastern Shore...
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
TIME MACHINE: 1960's, 1927, 1982, 1906.
Our Little Corner In Space And Time
(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)
1965-1969
Pocomoke's Choppy Layton, with friend Wayne Powell, put on "Chop Hop" dances for area teens. Choppy's dad made the trailer used to transport equipment. It's a 1965 Corvette.
March, 1927
The Evening Times (Salisbury)
January, 1982
The Crisfield Times
ACROSS THE USA
January, 1906
Washington Post
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .
When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye. We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Pocomoke City Liquor License Issue
(OC Today)
Privatization of retail store hits snag as neighboring business disputes approval.
(See article)
https://www.oceancitytoday.net/p/license-appeal-delayed-until-nov/1685821
Privatization of retail store hits snag as neighboring business disputes approval.
(See article)
https://www.oceancitytoday.net/p/license-appeal-delayed-until-nov/1685821
Sunday, September 10, 2017
TIME MACHINE: 1939, 1967, Circa 1924, 1998.
Our Little Corner In Space And Time
(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)
August, 1939
Baltimore Sun
December, 1967
Salisbury Times
Circa 1924
Democratic Messenger 1969 Centennial Edition
The Somerset Herald (Princess Anne)
Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .
When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye. We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)