Thanks for posting this - wonderful! My Grandparents lived in Port Charlotte for many years and I would visit from NJ every year and I fondly remember this! I used to draw the 'pack-man' faces and the 44 all the time - and this was way before pack man!
Back in the day, WTOG aired game shows such as "The Joker's Wild", "Tic Tac Dough", "The All New Let's Make a Deal", "Anything for Money", "The $100,000 Pyramid", "The New Newlywed Game", "$100,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime" and "High Rollers".
I'm not from Tampa/St. Pete,I'm from Chicago and we had a "44" also (WSNS). Those independent stations aired some of the best comedy shows,cartoons,and WRESTLING (R.I.P. The Dean Gordon Solie!). WTOG's "As Far As The Eye Can See" slogan was like another Chicago station's WFLD 32's "The Choice Is Yours" ad campaign during the late 1970's early 80's. Thanks for sharing these clips. No matter where we're from,we all have these little pieces of nostalgia reminding us of the good ol days!!
1:28...I realize my mom has a picture of my (at the time) step brother and posing under these tusks. Would have had to have been '76, as she wan't married to my step dad for very long. I believe there is also a picture of us taking the elephant ride. I don't think they brought in the camel, yet.
This takes me back to my childhood. My friend & I were just talking about ch44 2 days ago and all the great shows & movies on it (Creature Feature being a favorite). Feeling like we had a brush w/celebrity when seeing Dr. Paul Bearer in public. Also how there was always adjusting to be done to the antennae to get it in clearly (before cable). I still to this day tell my son to see whats on 44 and of course he literally goes to ch44 rather than 4. Thanks for posting and the memories.
@wlpupo My little friends and I used to do the "4 & 4" thing to each other while singing the jingle. We'd put that little "whine" at the end, over-exaggerating it until it irritated our parents.
These jingles almost make me teary eyed as it flashes memories back to me of my dad as he was one of the construction crew carpenters that helped build "Morocco Village" in Busch Gardens. He really enjoyed working there and always spoke highly of his coworkers. I miss him and that wonderful time period.
I pull these up about every 3 months or so for that little trip down memory lane. I makes me feel old & young, all at the same time. I was just a little gal when these came out, so it seems like so long ago. But it reminds me of how much more simple things were, and I feel a little like everything since then is a fraud and someone's gonna figure out someday I'm really still only 4 years old!
My wife and I lived in Lakeland from Aug. 1982 to October 1983, and remember when 44's jingle was "We're 44. We show you the good life." Any chance that can be put on You Tube? I also remember Dr. Paul Bearer. Thanks for sharing these 1970's 44 jingles.
Was hoping to see one from the early 80s, the jingle "Look whos doing more, 44, WTOG..." We always went to Clearwater in grade school forEaster and ALWAYS remembered that. Great memories....!
As someone who worked on these I.D.'s it is great to see them again. WTOG in the late 70's - it was a great place to work and a super staff...We were the first station in the country to air over 80 baseball games -without a baseball team in the state....we were a cutting edge station with the Rowdies, the Bucs and plenty of fun local programs. I will also never forget DR. Paul - he was one of a kind!
Blank77 - We made a deal with MLB to air teams that trained in our area. We had the Reds, Cards, Phils Pirates, White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers and Mets. We did our own pregame shows and baseball specials. It was quite a time in those days...
Being a White Sox fan,I got to say,...cool!Plus,you guys have other teams' games too!It was a great time in those days,and you Tampa/St. Pete folks are lucky to experence that!
We were in Orlando, and if we turned our aerial a certain direction, and if the weather was good, we got WTOG. I loved Dr. Paul Bearer too. I remember my mom explaining his name to me, and why it was a joke.
@Examinerscribe Agreed!! Loved the station and aired movies and ballgames, especially Astros games. Had to watch with old fashioned rabbit ears antenna...before cable!! If anyone has promos and the beginning of Astros games from '79 and '80, love to see it. When Cincy played Houston, would drop everything and watch games!!
If that's supposed to be downtown Tampa at the 3:23 mark, this has to be from the early 70s because the Parks Tower (aka the Lykes Building) is still under construction.
I was surprised to find out this station was owned by Hubbard Broadcasting at the time of these ID's. They're based in my home state of Minnesota (the "frozen north"), and own KSTP-AM/FM/TV. I didn't know they owned stations down in Florida.
Thanks for posting this, man! I REALLY appreciate it! I'm not from Tampa (OBVIOUSLY LOL), but I am an aficionado of vintage TV promos and IDs, and I must say that I LOVE the two "Pac-Men" changing into the "44" and the jingle! It's so SOOTHING! EXACTLY when this promo first come out and EXACTLY how long did it last?
I grew up in the crappy little town of Wauchula in central Florida back in the 70's and 80's. I really miss watching the old channel 44, especially "Creature Feature" with "Doctor Paul Bearer" on a TV with actual nobs on it to turn the channel. Great memories!
We still talk about Dr. Paul Bearer! I grew up in Port Charlotte (another crappy little Florida town) and spent a lot of time in front of the TV watching this stuff.
Wow, this is amazing!! We went to St. Petersburg every March for family vacation, through the 1970s, with the last year being about 1983 (I remember only one side of the Sunshine Skyway remained because a boat broke it, close to the last year we were there), but to this day I have never forgotten the "As far as the eye can see" song. And 44 was the only channel we watched... it was like they had the best of the best TV shows. Wow this brings back great memories of fun times in Florida...
Wow..Brings back memories. I was born and still live in the Tampa Bay area (Lutz). It's so cool to see Busch Gardens in these snipets back in the days. Keep em' coming!!
Thanks for posting this - wonderful! My Grandparents lived in Port Charlotte for many years and I would visit from NJ every year and I fondly remember this! I used to draw the 'pack-man' faces and the 44 all the time - and this was way before pack man!
Bill463 3 months ago
Back in the day, WTOG aired game shows such as "The Joker's Wild", "Tic Tac Dough", "The All New Let's Make a Deal", "Anything for Money", "The $100,000 Pyramid", "The New Newlywed Game", "$100,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime" and "High Rollers".
TimFrith24 3 months ago
I'm not from Tampa/St. Pete,I'm from Chicago and we had a "44" also (WSNS). Those independent stations aired some of the best comedy shows,cartoons,and WRESTLING (R.I.P. The Dean Gordon Solie!). WTOG's "As Far As The Eye Can See" slogan was like another Chicago station's WFLD 32's "The Choice Is Yours" ad campaign during the late 1970's early 80's. Thanks for sharing these clips. No matter where we're from,we all have these little pieces of nostalgia reminding us of the good ol days!!
soln4suhreborn 9 months ago
I'm also trying to find similar stations for the Brevard County area around this time 70s and 80s
randyreese59 9 months ago
1:28...I realize my mom has a picture of my (at the time) step brother and posing under these tusks. Would have had to have been '76, as she wan't married to my step dad for very long. I believe there is also a picture of us taking the elephant ride. I don't think they brought in the camel, yet.
HGbunny 9 months ago
This takes me back to my childhood. My friend & I were just talking about ch44 2 days ago and all the great shows & movies on it (Creature Feature being a favorite). Feeling like we had a brush w/celebrity when seeing Dr. Paul Bearer in public. Also how there was always adjusting to be done to the antennae to get it in clearly (before cable). I still to this day tell my son to see whats on 44 and of course he literally goes to ch44 rather than 4. Thanks for posting and the memories.
Peppershibainu 11 months ago
I remember the ones with people everywhere holding up 8 fingers (4 and 4)... Had a lot of friends in those!
wlpupo 1 year ago
@wlpupo My little friends and I used to do the "4 & 4" thing to each other while singing the jingle. We'd put that little "whine" at the end, over-exaggerating it until it irritated our parents.
HGbunny 9 months ago
These jingles almost make me teary eyed as it flashes memories back to me of my dad as he was one of the construction crew carpenters that helped build "Morocco Village" in Busch Gardens. He really enjoyed working there and always spoke highly of his coworkers. I miss him and that wonderful time period.
ACLTony 1 year ago
I pull these up about every 3 months or so for that little trip down memory lane. I makes me feel old & young, all at the same time. I was just a little gal when these came out, so it seems like so long ago. But it reminds me of how much more simple things were, and I feel a little like everything since then is a fraud and someone's gonna figure out someday I'm really still only 4 years old!
HGbunny 1 year ago
@HGbunny I get what you're saying. I think we're all a little 4 years old and that's OK. In fact- It's awesome!
mikeg1060 9 months ago
Comment removed
graffspee 1 year ago
TITUSVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mmbmrock 1 year ago
My wife and I lived in Lakeland from Aug. 1982 to October 1983, and remember when 44's jingle was "We're 44. We show you the good life." Any chance that can be put on You Tube? I also remember Dr. Paul Bearer. Thanks for sharing these 1970's 44 jingles.
trafficligh 2 years ago
Was hoping to see one from the early 80s, the jingle "Look whos doing more, 44, WTOG..." We always went to Clearwater in grade school forEaster and ALWAYS remembered that. Great memories....!
pythonsfor6 2 years ago
As someone who worked on these I.D.'s it is great to see them again. WTOG in the late 70's - it was a great place to work and a super staff...We were the first station in the country to air over 80 baseball games -without a baseball team in the state....we were a cutting edge station with the Rowdies, the Bucs and plenty of fun local programs. I will also never forget DR. Paul - he was one of a kind!
Examinerscribe 2 years ago 8
Comment removed
iwekks 2 years ago
You worked on these IDs? What did you do on them? Funky color schemes.
iwekks 2 years ago
I got to ask,80 baseball games,and the Rays didn't excist until 1998.Was it MLB or minor league games that WTOG aired?
BTW:Love the ID's from the 70's!And i'm from Chicago!
blank77 2 years ago
Blank77 - We made a deal with MLB to air teams that trained in our area. We had the Reds, Cards, Phils Pirates, White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers and Mets. We did our own pregame shows and baseball specials. It was quite a time in those days...
Examinerscribe 2 years ago 2
Being a White Sox fan,I got to say,...cool!Plus,you guys have other teams' games too!It was a great time in those days,and you Tampa/St. Pete folks are lucky to experence that!
blank77 2 years ago
We were in Orlando, and if we turned our aerial a certain direction, and if the weather was good, we got WTOG. I loved Dr. Paul Bearer too. I remember my mom explaining his name to me, and why it was a joke.
mcduffiesteven 2 years ago
@Examinerscribe Agreed!! Loved the station and aired movies and ballgames, especially Astros games. Had to watch with old fashioned rabbit ears antenna...before cable!! If anyone has promos and the beginning of Astros games from '79 and '80, love to see it. When Cincy played Houston, would drop everything and watch games!!
masterthespian1 1 year ago
Thanks sooooo much for this.I grew up in Tampa in the 70's and this is my all time favorite station.All the best shows were on.
groovy2gogo 2 years ago
If that's supposed to be downtown Tampa at the 3:23 mark, this has to be from the early 70s because the Parks Tower (aka the Lykes Building) is still under construction.
untexan 3 years ago
OHMYGOD!!!! I totally remember these. I grew up in Port Charlotte, FL. I think that we got 4 channels and this was the only one on UHF.
oc1285 3 years ago
good graphics for the 70's
tornadoman566 3 years ago
I was surprised to find out this station was owned by Hubbard Broadcasting at the time of these ID's. They're based in my home state of Minnesota (the "frozen north"), and own KSTP-AM/FM/TV. I didn't know they owned stations down in Florida.
chabba77 3 years ago
Thanks for posting this, man! I REALLY appreciate it! I'm not from Tampa (OBVIOUSLY LOL), but I am an aficionado of vintage TV promos and IDs, and I must say that I LOVE the two "Pac-Men" changing into the "44" and the jingle! It's so SOOTHING! EXACTLY when this promo first come out and EXACTLY how long did it last?
JeffATL 3 years ago
4:23 AM EST on Saturday, April 19th, 1975, for 6 years, 8 months, 3 days, 21 hours, 42 minutes, and 7 seconds. EXACTLY enough for ya?
mitts61 2 years ago
Yes, PRECISE to the MAX! THANK you, my friend! :D I REALLY APPRECIATE it! :D
JeffATL 2 years ago
I grew up in the crappy little town of Wauchula in central Florida back in the 70's and 80's. I really miss watching the old channel 44, especially "Creature Feature" with "Doctor Paul Bearer" on a TV with actual nobs on it to turn the channel. Great memories!
nightsongs1970 3 years ago
We still talk about Dr. Paul Bearer! I grew up in Port Charlotte (another crappy little Florida town) and spent a lot of time in front of the TV watching this stuff.
oc1285 3 years ago
Hey, I don't remember the Pac Men turning into 4s! Oh wait, Pac Man wasn't invented yet. UGH I'm sooo old!
JeffKellySophie 4 years ago
Wow, this is amazing!! We went to St. Petersburg every March for family vacation, through the 1970s, with the last year being about 1983 (I remember only one side of the Sunshine Skyway remained because a boat broke it, close to the last year we were there), but to this day I have never forgotten the "As far as the eye can see" song. And 44 was the only channel we watched... it was like they had the best of the best TV shows. Wow this brings back great memories of fun times in Florida...
LakeNipissing 4 years ago
Legend, you just made my day. I grew up in Central Florida and we got WTOG. Those ID's bring back SO MANY great memories. I get chills. Thanks.
misterlb16 4 years ago
Pac-Man!
K0CBS 4 years ago
Wow..Brings back memories. I was born and still live in the Tampa Bay area (Lutz). It's so cool to see Busch Gardens in these snipets back in the days. Keep em' coming!!
coxley24 4 years ago
What was with those floating heads that morphed into the "44"? Looks kind of odd.
chabba77 4 years ago
Thanks for posting. 44 used to be such a great station. It sucks really bad now. Do you have any Creature feature stuff or The best of the class?
Laifu886 4 years ago
God I wish that I did. WTOG needs to bring back Creature Feature from the dead so to speak.
Legend813a 4 years ago
They tried a few years ago with Dick Bennick's (Dr. Paul Bearer's) son, but it didn't last long.
BTW, WTOG celebrated their 40th anniversary recently and re-broadcast some of these spots.
FarginBastiges 3 years ago
@Legend813a You are awesome to have these videos!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! Yes those days was REAL quality!
WinterHaven 8 months ago
It has been a long time and I was a kid then but If I remember correctly these ran from about 1975 thru 78. Am I in the ballpark?
ACLTony 4 years ago
YES.
senrabnivek 4 years ago
Did this campaign precede "Look Who's Doing More"?
therock723 4 years ago