I remember him as Beachcomber Bill in L.A. before he took the show to New York. He also hosted Felix the Cat cartoons (2 hrs. a day I believe) as Bill Biery. A lot of airtime on KCOP channel 13.
Dear Mr.Brown, The B&W video clip of"The Beachcomber Bill Show"is not from the WPIX TV Ch.11 NYC Years.It's actually from The KCOP TV Ch.13,L.A.,Cal. era. There was no"Wally Gator"puppet on The WPIX TV NYC version of the show.
Does anyone remember the bumper music they played on the WPIX Weekend Action News circa mid-late 70's...sort of an electronic thing. This was before the announcers (Ralph Lowenstein and Bill Biery, among others) appeared on camera and there were static shots between stories. Anyone have that music?
Mr. Lowenstein also did on-camera anchoring work for Saturday editions of "Action News" during this period, including an edition once put up by 'tvnewsman'. Don't know if Roy Whitfield appeared on-camera, though, for such newscasts; probably he did.
Hopefully, some lucky soul who's a YT member preserved one of your editions, so we could see the faces behind all the voices of WPIX of the 1970's and '80's.
It also looks like one of the only surviving examples of Mr. Biery on camera - I don't think any of his 1964-66 "Beachcomber Bill" children's shows have survived.
Correction: A small snippet of a B&W videotape of "Beachcomber Bill" was aired on that 60th anniversary special. Probably one of the very few of that show, if not the only one, to survive.
I met Bill Biery once at the WPIX studios, as I was attending a taping of "Best Talk in Town" in 1986. He looked pretty much like he did in this clip, except his suit was navy bluish. I'd have to rate him as possibly my favorite among the WPIX announcers (that is, from my growing up, which was later than those growing up when "Officer" Joe Bolton and "Captain" Jack McCarthy were taking turns at the announcing booth).
I probably liked Ralph Lowenstein a little bit better because I remember his voice more during the kid shows (TVPixx! :-), but Biery was great in his own right. Very authoritative.
Do you know how old he was when he died, wmbrown6? Though I know his career dated back at least 20 years before this video, he doesn't look that old.
I reckon at the time of that newscast, Mr. Biery must've been around his mid-forties. His career dated to at least 1957 in New Orleans, with a stop-off in L.A. before coming to 'PIX.
He also had a bit to do with "TV PIXxxx" . . . he did the "Here is today's TV Pixxxx pal" V/O.
I remember him as Beachcomber Bill in L.A. before he took the show to New York. He also hosted Felix the Cat cartoons (2 hrs. a day I believe) as Bill Biery. A lot of airtime on KCOP channel 13.
hec251918 2 months ago
WOW!
The "dark-voiced announcer" of 11 Alive ON-SCREEN!!!
This is history in the making!
> Professor DLC
DLCOrganization 11 months ago
Damn he was HOT in his "Beachcomber Bill" attire. I was a kid, but he "sent me" nevertheless...
nycruise 1 year ago
Dear Mr.Brown, The B&W video clip of"The Beachcomber Bill Show"is not from the WPIX TV Ch.11 NYC Years.It's actually from The KCOP TV Ch.13,L.A.,Cal. era. There was no"Wally Gator"puppet on The WPIX TV NYC version of the show.
143AC 1 year ago
Does anyone remember the bumper music they played on the WPIX Weekend Action News circa mid-late 70's...sort of an electronic thing. This was before the announcers (Ralph Lowenstein and Bill Biery, among others) appeared on camera and there were static shots between stories. Anyone have that music?
Marcs37 2 years ago
Interesting.. that jingle music later appears on WTNH-TV's news program in the early 1980s.
basspig 3 years ago
Thanks for the info, wmbrown6.
I believe Ralph Lowenstein actually appeared on camera a few times for TVPixx. I don't believe Biery did, though I may be wrong.
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
Mr. Lowenstein also did on-camera anchoring work for Saturday editions of "Action News" during this period, including an edition once put up by 'tvnewsman'. Don't know if Roy Whitfield appeared on-camera, though, for such newscasts; probably he did.
wmbrown6 3 years ago 2
Very interesting, wmbrown6. I was not aware of that.
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
The Oct. 20, 1979 Saturday edition which Mr. Lowenstein had anchored is somewhere on YouTube as of this typing.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
I have seen that already, wmbrown6, but thanks for the headsup!
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
Hi William!
Whicheever staff announcer was on duty on Saturday got to do the pre-taped/live Action News. I did a number of those, as well.
Roy Whitfield
Buckyears 3 years ago
Hopefully, some lucky soul who's a YT member preserved one of your editions, so we could see the faces behind all the voices of WPIX of the 1970's and '80's.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
That would be a treat indeed.
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
The music for this Saturday Action News was "Move Closer to Your World", and it is still being used on WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
HomeoftheGoodGuys 3 years ago
It also looks like one of the only surviving examples of Mr. Biery on camera - I don't think any of his 1964-66 "Beachcomber Bill" children's shows have survived.
wmbrown6 3 years ago 3
Correction: A small snippet of a B&W videotape of "Beachcomber Bill" was aired on that 60th anniversary special. Probably one of the very few of that show, if not the only one, to survive.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
I have a clip! Its very short, but I have it in digital form if anyone is interested.
VanessaBieryLazz 2 years ago
@VanessaBieryLazz - Well, certainly we in TV Land (and I don't mean the cable channel) are very interested indeed.
wmbrown6 2 years ago
@VanessaBieryLazz Yes, I'm interested! I had my picture taken with him in 1964 when I was in the 2nd grade. And he was cute!
sentjourwla 1 year ago
always great to put the face to the voice--thanks
tapthat2012 3 years ago 2
I met Bill Biery once at the WPIX studios, as I was attending a taping of "Best Talk in Town" in 1986. He looked pretty much like he did in this clip, except his suit was navy bluish. I'd have to rate him as possibly my favorite among the WPIX announcers (that is, from my growing up, which was later than those growing up when "Officer" Joe Bolton and "Captain" Jack McCarthy were taking turns at the announcing booth).
wmbrown6 3 years ago
I probably liked Ralph Lowenstein a little bit better because I remember his voice more during the kid shows (TVPixx! :-), but Biery was great in his own right. Very authoritative.
Do you know how old he was when he died, wmbrown6? Though I know his career dated back at least 20 years before this video, he doesn't look that old.
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
I reckon at the time of that newscast, Mr. Biery must've been around his mid-forties. His career dated to at least 1957 in New Orleans, with a stop-off in L.A. before coming to 'PIX.
He also had a bit to do with "TV PIXxxx" . . . he did the "Here is today's TV Pixxxx pal" V/O.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
Bill was probably around 58 when he passed away.
Roy W
Buckyears 3 years ago
I didn't realize he was that old. He seemed younger when he appeared on camera.
BTW, I just happened to hear one of your old newscasts from the '80s today on YouTube. Thanks for the memories, Roy!
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
Based on Roy's calculations, this would've meant Mr. Biery was 50 or so at the time of this edition.
wmbrown6 3 years ago
It might be this video clip, but to my eyes, he looks closer to 40 than 50 here.
Of course, my 14 year old eyes probably thought he was in his sixties then. :-)
EarlSnohomish 3 years ago
Bill was 46 years old in 1979. But where did he get those glasses.
JNMclou 2 years ago
Those glasses were pretty hip at the time.
EarlSnohomish 2 years ago