KTLA News Opens from the Last 60 Years

[TaylorMMontgomery]

&& I think Emmett is really good on prime news, he has that evening feel.

[onetruepatriot]

I don't know about you guys but I liked the old opening better (2005-2009) and its music and graphics package. I'm not all that crazy about the new one.

[schs1977]

This is the same music used by WOWK TV13 in Charleston, WV.

[wmbrown6]

In addition, it would appear that the news open with Kevin Sanders was from 1970 or so, while the Putnam news open was 1973.

[wmbrown6]

I can only presume, during Kevin Sanders' days as anchor, KTLA still used RCA TK-41's?

[wmbrown6]

During George Putnam's run as anchor, the news theme was Tom Sellers' "Action News Theme," which was the first theme for WFIL-TV's (now WPVI) "Action News" starting in 1970 until 1972. WBNG's first use dated to its run as Triangle-owned WNBF, and I presume another Triangle station, WNHC (now WTNH) also used this "Action News Theme" from 1970 until "Move Closer to Your World" took over as the theme a la WPVI post-'72.

[theshadow1932]

"Massive" 1.1 billion dollar tax bill. Ah, THOSE were the days!

[lorosbuenos]

Their new theme is horrible!!!!!

[AveIvy]

Putnum was the best!!! RIP

[imasadmofo]

they all look like a bunch of pretty boys

[alexcheetah79]

those openings from the 60's and 70's remind me of Ron Burgundy lol.

[2nd2nun1]

LOL. I used to always watch Keith Olbermann for sports on Channel 5. It's even funnier when they show the "News At Ten" team, he's sitting waaaaaay in the back behind Larry McCormick, and Hal and Debby ahead of him.

[AngeLBarraganJR]

The logo from the 60s and 70s kinda looked funky.

[OTownNews]

The '90s News At Ten open is easily comparable to ITV's late '80s News at Ten open. But THIS is indeed the more beautiful.

[AngeLBarraganJR]

I was watching KTLA news @ 6 after the Kings game on Wednesday and I see that KTLA brought back the 80s logo. This is the best KTLA logo and its reminded me of Popeye, 3 stooges, Kings Hockey, and Angels Baseball.

[recto89]

Thank God the Old 1980's and 1990's KTLA logo is back

[AngeLBarraganJR]

I was watching KTLA news @ 6 after the Kings game and I noticed that KTLA got a new look and they brought back the 80s logo you guy should check it out.

BTW-

I love KTLA logo from the 80s it reminds me of Popeye, 3 stooges, Kings Hockey, and Angels Baseball.

[rksncu]

And now, the number one prime time news hour in Los Angeles. Award-winning Hal Fishman, Jann Carl, Larry McCormick, and Stu Nahan with sports. Channel 5 News At ten.

[schs1977]

Barney Morris was my Mom's cousin

[TaylorMMontgomery]

GOD. KTLA's prime news open is BEAUTIFUL, it has got to be the BEST local open in the country.

[AngeLBarraganJR]

I think KTLA just got more beautiful today Taylor.

[YoGilligan]

this stuff is really way cool.

some of these i rmember seeing as a kid. Does youtube have any video's of the POLKA program that started with a dummie and they sang 'fresh from farmer john' ? I remember that program and the open with the farmer always gave me a smile when I was a kid.

[gretscher]

Where can I get a list of the reporters from KTLA from the late '70s thru the '80s? I searched the net and can't find it even on IMDB. Thanks.

[rksncu]

Live, in color, and from Los Angeles, channel 5 presents The George Putnam News. With Hal Fishman, Tom Harmon, and Larry McCormick. And exclusive reports from world's only telecopter and telemobile. Plus comprehensive news coverage from air and sea patrol, in the fastest moving newscast on television. And now here's George Putnam.

[rksncu]

George Putnam (introduction): Stay tuned for news. It's next on channel 5.

Thank you, Steve Dunn. The state legislature has given final approval to a massive $1.1 billion tax bill.

[mbclev]

I don't know if you mean the late actor Steve Dunne (with an "e" at the end). He was the announcer on Wink Martindale's first game show, "What's This Song?", so he might have begun an announcing career that might have led him here.

[CBXweb]

Jeez, the opening headlines for the 1st intros were terrible. A girl shot to death in Malibu. :(

[hachibeach151]

Love the music from The George Putnam news.

hb151

[rksncu]

I agree. It was very authoritative music.

[nhwxtracker]

The theme was used in Binghamton, NY for WBNG-TV 12 from the late 60's until 1994.

[thegrovetube]

KTLA pioneered gyroscopically stabilized camera and microwave transmitter technology; Google Klaus Landsberg. He perfected live on the spot television.

[shaunfossett]

Correct. Channel 5 DOMINATED live TV and set the standard. Too bad their tabloid style of garbage TV had tarnished their legacy...

[recto89]

I noticed that KTLA in the Hal Fishman and Larry McCormick era seems to resemble KTVU in the Dennis Richmond era and Now the Frank Sommerville era. BTW Ron Boltz is the best annoucer on KTLA and on KTVU.

[djwash5]

@shaunfossett

The Action News Theme.

[racer500gp]

George was head and shoulders above all other news men. Simply "the best." He will be missed. RIP

[garycalgary]

used to watch this.

KTLA was part of a cable package offered in Grande Prairie Alberta Canada. I think it still is offered....

[javandi]

I think it's a "superstation" in some parts, like WOR (?), New York, WTBS, Atlanta, and WGN, Chicago. I'm not sure, as I am local.

[rexxdexx]

Dish Network offers it

as part of its superstations package

as well as KWGN - Denver, WWOR and WPIX

New York, and WSBK - Boston in canada both Bell and Shaw Direct and most

cable systems offer it

[CrummyCurtis]

George Putnam 1914-2008.

An American original.

[mylittledecoy77]

Thank you so much for this. What memories! I miss those days. And George Putnam is STILL feisty at 90+ years of age. RIP Hal Fishman, Larry McCormick, Tom Harmon & Stu Nahan.

[LosAngeleno1959]

Unfortunately,George Putnam passed away in Sept,2008 at the age of 94 at his ranch in Chino ,CA.

[albear972]

LOL! I had no idea that KTLA had a news boat! Sweet! and the news is in color too! man, high tech stuff there.

The spheres on the Bell helicopter are huge.

[onetruepatriot]

Yeah, it is amazing that a TV station had a news boat but I doubt they still have that. In fact, is there any TV station now that still has one? I don't know but it would be interesting to find out.

[johnnyafairbanks]

KTLA never had a news boat, but Seven National News (Australia) did; an open of the Brisbane version from 1983 is on Youtube.

[taffy3924]

southern television did in the 60s and 70s in England

[SilentDrifter03]

What is a news boat needed for? Not critizing, I'm questioning.

[tachikaze222]

@albear972 prolly had midgets in the camera bubbles to point them

[Jaydublus]

Great to see the one and only GEORGE PUTNAM!

[Kuahmel]

If only there was a late 70s NewsWatch open to add to it (complete with "5 in the box" logo).

[devswartz]

The animated early 90s open is among the best news opens I have ever seen. The music is beautiful, and it could still work today. I am also a big fan of the George Putnam open with the stunning visuals of their innovative newsgathering methods. All the air shots are steady, which is stunning for that time period considering the shots were done entirely by hand--no gyro cams back then. Wow...KTLA was the bomb back in the day. Now the station's not even in the shadow of its former self.

[tkaye2]

The Color Telecopter (seen in the George Putnam opening) actually had a gyroscopically stabilized camera and microwave transmitter. That's what those two white spheres on each side of the aircraft were -- the camera unit was the larger of the two and has a clearly visable opening for the lens.

I find the Telemobiles just as amazing, especially considering that those were full-sized studio cameras they had to hoist up onto the roof.

KTLA Engineer John Silva designed both innovations.

[dinfg6]

Wow Who knew gyroscopically stabilized camera and microwave transmitter have been around since the 1970's I thought gyroscopically stabilized cameras was a 1990's thing.

[Dook6]

I like the 1980's and 1990's KTLA opens. It featured KTVU's Ron Boltz.

[wmbrown6]

Kevin Sanders, in the second clip, was originally from Australia, and in the early/mid-'70's was a theatre and film critic for WABC-TV (Ch. 7)'s "Eyewitness News" in New YOrk.

[Futura428]

onetruepatriot

The open you're talking about. I think I have that but it's from the morning news.

[onetruepatriot]

Thanks but I was hoping for the Flashpoint open for News at Ten. But thanks for offering though.

[Futura428]

No Problem

[freewaydan]

I like the open with the late Stu Nahan.

[ReturnofRetroBoy]

The mid-80s synth/action one is my fave, grew up on it.

[anchorman87]

as in ET's Jan Carle?

[onetruepatriot]

I believe so.

[dinfg6]

I miss the Ron Boltz opens of the 1980's and 1990's he also did KTVU open with the Bay Area's oldest anchor Dennis Richmond.

[m1049]

Keith Olberman worked in LA? That must have been lousy for someone who can't drive.

[Kellyannk308]

He was okay as sportcaster I am serious but as political commenator forgetaboutit

[dinfg6]

When did Kevin Sanders did KTLA News was this before Hal Came in

[ASKconard]

Nice. I like the open with the "air and sea patrols". How did the TeleCopter fly with all that stuff hanging off of it?

They forgot to include the late '70s open that was fairly spartan with a yellow line going across the screen set to the music WTVT used.

[NewsOnDemand]

Well done. Obviously not all the KTLA opens are on here, but certainly some I've never seen before. The entirely-animated one from the late 80's/early 90's was arguably the best in the station's history.

[dinfg6]

It includes Ron Boltz of KTVU in it.

[Dook6]

I like the 1980 and 1990's opens it featured KTVU's Boltz in the Voice over work

[truedanielg]

Great to see. I like the open right around 1:00

[francis1971]

Interesting to see a young Jann Carl in this video.