WTVN-TV Sign-Off 1987 (now WSYX Channel 6 Columbus)

[jwsu2003]

I grew up in Columbus. This song reminds me of simpler times in elementary school. I would love to hear a clip of the entire "Spirit of Ohio" song. I still remember the "the Spirit of Ohio, on six!!!" part.

[dewlove]

I wish I could find the sign-off's for WOSU and WCMH. I miss them both alot since those were the two stations I most had the chance to see sign off. If anyone has those, please post! :)

[clinton984]

Too bad they didn't keep these heritage calls.

[Gvieto]

Very unique way to sign off.

[ThomasHankyPank]

does anyone hear a choir during SSB

[PeerGynt1111]

Oh yes, the audience was singing.

[oldbiddie]

Scary stories around the campfire with a flashlight under the chin:

Yes Children, back in the olden days, televison went OFF at night!AAGGGGH

[photobyalan]

That's hilarious. I was the person who edited that sign-off. I worked at WTVN/WSYX from 1984 to 1988, and producing the sign on/off was part of my job.

[LogoAttitude]

when Taft became Great American, WTVN and WKRC lost their grandfathered protection from then-FCC regulations prohibiting one company from owning two stations with overlapping coverage areas.

WTVN was sold to Anchor Media, and became WSYX. Now it is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group (no relation to Sinclair Oil).

[cas2540]

Who is the CSO conductor in this spot? Is it Christian Badea or was is maybe a guest conductor?

[columbusmediatalk]

Yes, that was Badea.

[mtenor]

absolutely awful conductor and a joke of one

[cjmascja]

does anyone remember a show that was on WTVN in the 60's? Lucy's Toy shop? I think? Thanks

[columbusmediatalk]

It's too bad local TV has gone by the wayside for syndicated crap and umpteen hours of "news." Lucy's Toyshop was on Channel 10. Channel 6 was famous for Bowling for Dollars and Romper Room.

[Kitmoore]

Wow! I do!! I was on it when I was about 4 yrs old. Way back in the 60's

[callmap]

Anyone living in Columbus as a kid in the 60's remembers Lucy's Toy Shop...Loved Mr. Tree (Wake up Mr. Tree,It's daytime can't you see?), Lucy doing her exercises with those "bloomers" - remember "the bicycle" exercise? Santa reading the names of all of the kids that have been good...great show and great memories!

[rylandheights]

Lucy brought her show to our Mt. Vernon, OH middle school. I was thrilled to go. After the show, my mother allowed me to go back stage because I wanted to meet Lucy so badly. I walked up the stairs to the stage and around curtain and there she was, sitting at a make-up table... smoking a cigarette. She looked REALLY old up close. I just stood and stared. She looked down on me and said: What do you want Kid? Of course, as a kid I expected this stuff to be real. I never watched that show again

[Karlketola]

Yes, I remember the show. I was born in Columbus and lived there until 1968, and it was still on when we moved. It was on WBNS-TV, the CBS affiliate, at 9 a.m., right after Captain Kangaroo, so it was the standard fare for our family until I started school, and even after on holidays. I can still remember parts of the theme song. She made an appearance at Swimland, the swimming pool in Whitehall where we lived, I think in 1966.

[cas2540]

I never really cared much for Lucy's Toyshop; maybe I was a bit too "sophisticated" for it. My favorite at Channel 10 was Aunt Fran and the guy who followed her. I think he was called The Ol' Wrangler, or something similar.

[dtr0005]

@cjmascja Remember it? I still have two of the puppets that Lazarus sold - the best show for kids ever!

[tvdirectortom]

This old Columbus TV stuff is pretty interesting. I knew Tom Burris, the announcer on the sign off from Ohio University. While I was a student there, I was a summer replacement and weekend booth announcer (AFTRA) and summer replacement technician (IBEW) at WLWC. I later directed The DeMoss Report for four years (1970-1974).

I now direct for a sports network in Denver after nearly 40 years of Direction and Production Management including directing NBC NFL Football.

[Jerseysson27]

I am planning to be in denver next year for the Democratic National Convention.

[tvdirectortom]

Hope you enjoy the Mile High City. I lived in Detroit when the Republicans had the convention there.

If I'm lucky, I can be out of town for this one.

It's fun for everyone but the locals.

[moogyboy6]

Hey, cool! I remember this one. There's Michelle Galiun and Tom Ryan...I haven't seen either of them in years! It's also neat that the skyline here is considerably emptier than it is today--several current buildings hadn't been built yet. I would really love to see the WCMH signoff from the mid-80s--it had this kinda funky jazz-fusion music that sounded something like a Chuck Mangione piece. WOSU's was also a classic IMO, it ran for decades.

[johnnysama]

This is actually from 1986 or 1987, as WTVN-TV became WSYX-TV on August 31, 1987.

[ASKconard]

A friend of mine has a WSYX sign-on from 1992. I think stations stopped doing the sign-on/sign-off in the mid 90's. I've seen WTTE sign off at night on Sundays, but its just a color bar. No dramatic orchestra.

[columbusmediatalk]

Maybe Sinclair just doesn't want to give "a tip of the hat" to their union! Mark Hyman would strongly object! lol

[columbusmediatalk]

In my younger days, I only taped things I considered intersting. I don't really remember them of having anything worhty of me taping, so I guess the answer is no!

[NEPatriot]

Do you have other stations like WCMH, WBNS, WTTE or WOSU-TV? And I have checked the listings of Columbus TV stations--it's likely they're all 24/7 ops.

[columbusmediatalk]

WTVN-TV has had the Columbus Symphony Orchestra playing the National Anthem sign-off since I can remember, even back in the days when Evan Whallen was conductor. Their sign-offs always tipped their hat and gave a mention to the IBEW local at the station, which appears at the end of the first sequence superimposed over the Channel 6 logo. This is the last sign-off I really remember watching, so I'm not really sure if they even have a sign-off these days.

[ddavenport]

Nice to see them giving a shoutout to the IBEW folks.

[RolloSmokes]

I remember this too, but from 1989. I could be wrong, but channel 6 kept this sign-off, or parts of it, when the station became WSYX. I remember hearing a music bed different from this one, and no "Spirit of Ohio" slogan.

[btimez1983]

I vaguely remember this from being a small child ahd hearing the sign off in my room when my grandfather would fall asleep with the tv. on