WOUB Signoff tape 1977

[xcusemeprincess]

Remember when Americans weren't fat? I do.

[jcburns]

It's mentioned in the comments here, at least once! Maybe twice! It's from Tim Weisberg's 'Listen to the City' album from the mid-70s...which I don't think ever made it to CD, let alone MP3. The Mid-70s WOUB 'Newswatch' theme was also from that album.

[pynchonfan]

What is the title of the instrumental piece? (Someone suggested it was "Terminally Chill," by Neon Indian, but this is a 1977 clip, and Neon Indian is a band that debuted in 2008.

[rrz518]

What was it with the ratty beards, "fros", bad moustaches, and overall awful appearance of the era? It was 10 years or so after the hippie era, was this just that still in play? I was in high school during this era, (albeit private), don't recall professionals in any field looking so shabby.

[santiagoeag]

this sounds sooooooo frank zappa (hot rats)

[joeyheadset]

This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

[PJosephDoody]

I think they should get as many of these people back together to shoot an update.

[PJosephDoody]

After having worked at a local Miami station in 1998, I can tell you that the faces of the people who hold each of these individual jobs is universal.

[BaileyJapes]

Check out 0:30, Greg Panos is dreamy!

[grantboyko]

Can you imagine the drugs that would have gone on at their company Christmas party??!!!

[pynchonfan]

What's the name of the instrumental piece playing in the background?

[neeeeil]

@pynchonfan Neon Indian: Terminally Chill

[SchwaffelKoning]

@neeeeil

Er...... no its not! But I also would like to know who REALLY wrote the piece too!!!

[jcburns]

@SchwaffelKoning It's from Tim Weisberg's 'Listen to the City' album from the mid-70s...which I don't think ever made it to CD, let alone MP3. The Mid-70s WOUB 'Newswatch' theme was also from that album.

[RetroToledo]

@jcburns Shame, I feel like sticking that in my PSP right now!

[RetroToledo]

@jcburns Just found it out there in GoogleLand! There's always someone ripping their LP's that helps us out!

[daveylad13]

This is just awesome

[festyosemtex]

ah...when Americans were normal

[jcburns]

@festyosemtex In what sense? I think we were all pretty wacky.

[festyosemtex]

@jcburns I mean in appearances. I am not American, I have never been to America, so my version of American people is the one broadcast on the tv. Compared to the shiny happy people on the box today these people seem gloriously normal.

[RetroToledo]

@festyosemtex It was the 70's.

[samwab]

When I grow up I want to be just like Art DeGroot and be a "Videotape".

[RetroToledo]

@samwab Keep at it and you will!

[staylor3440]

Thanks for sharing. PC-72's could make pretty pictures with a good engineer. Registering & tweaking them just right.

[wmbrown6]

I have another query: What film chains were used by WOUB/WOUC in those days? RCA TK-27 or 28? Or General Electric PE-240/245?  Or some other brand (such as, say, Norelco - PCF-701 or LDH series from them)?

[jcburns]

@wmbrown6 Okay, there were two film chains. The newer, color one had an Eastman CT-500 projector, an RCA TP-66, and a Spindler and Saupe Spectrum 23 slide projector...and I believe the camera was a Cohu systems camera of some sort. The older one, a black and white only island, had a Bell and Howell and an RCA TP-7B slide projector, and the camera was some sort of awful vidicon thing, I believe.

[RetroToledo]

@jcburns Cool to get the details here!

[wmbrown6]

Looks like WOUB in those days used the Norelco PC-72 cameras. (The layout on the middle "belt" differed from the earlier PC-70.)

As for test patterns: I noticed three different variations, two in the same design (each with different fonts), one of which is on:

watch?v=p2OsC5AlbrA

Would you by chance have any clips with the other variants?

[jcburns]

@wmbrown6 Yes, in fact I mention they're PC-72s right up there in the description of the video. No mention of test patterns, though.

[walterbsfo1]

Oh the hair! The hair !

[jcburns]

My takeaway after watching this stuff a few times is: if you're at WOUB and not running camera or a tape machine, you're really interested in what's on a clipboard or a piece of paper.

[docbernieH]

Brings back fond memories! - "Doc" Don Henley

[rustysmith4]

JC! Great stuff.

[Oodb2]

All the people I knew and love! Thanks JC, you rock!