WCVB-TV news opens 1978

[robkb1fjr]

I think WCVB was one of the first to use one and the last. A man with the last name Keohane did the sign language for the eye opener up until 1993 or when CC decoders started to become more common on TVs. Also back then it seems the newspapers were still a viable form of media that could actually compete some what with tv. They had evening newspapers back then too

[VaultMasterDBT]

Yes, his name was Derm (probably short for Dermott) Keohane, and he did sign language on Eye in the early '90s, if not earlier. While WCVB's noon and evening newscasts were closed captioning compliant by the mid-'80s (with Bull being their closed captioning benefactor from 1987 until about 1995), the EyeOpener was excluded, mainly since stations didn't want to spend money, or have their sponsors spend money, on getting broadcasts equipped at a time of day when the audiences were smaller.

[jaybee1973jaybee]

It's good to see the sign language interpreter Ann McIntyre receive billing in the newscast introduction at 0:30. Onscreen sign language interpreters were occasionally seen in the corners of the screen of some local newscasts across the country in the 1970s and 1980s, before "closed captioning" was prevalent.

[johnnyclink]

Bob Clinkscale is my dad, and I totally remember the day that they filmed the clip with the coffee cup. I was I think in Junior high... yikes.! I had Bob Copeland come talk to my science meteorology class. I think I got an A that year! Natalie was a very nice lady too!

[wtglb]

@johnnyclink Wow, seeing this clip brings back memories of my late teens- early 20's, I used to get up that early to get ready for work and I always put on the Eyeopener News. Your Dad did a great job, I wish we had his type doing the news today!

[seventhexile]

Bob Clinkscale is my grandpa .... he some how looks the same now as he did in the video! 

[loonmaniac]

Bob Copeland had the best 70s hair. 

[thewaitingape]

Why did they think that deaf people were only watching the news at the crack of dawn??

[lajmh]

It's good to post these. A hundred years from now, our descendants will remember the storm, but who will forget the anchors and the people they interviewed?

[Bobbymobil]

I'm from Boston, i just know Natalie Jacobson, Dick Albert, Chet Curtis. They were very young back of those days. WOW

[DennyAlbert]

Viewing WCVB today here in RI isn't possible but back in the late 70's I used to enjoy watching it every day!

[TVNewsRI]

Yeah it is, I get it along with the other Boston stations from near Providence.

[josephamaker94]

First one is like the animation of WFTV in Orlando, Florida in the 80's

[newscaster13]

AND YOU from Telesound - One of my favorite news themes of all time.

How about a FOX News remake of the theme, with the six note signature?

This is the six-note signature past the 0:05 mark

watch?v=1nAxKAlq0nI

[charlie8575]

I didn't even know the music actually had a name, although when traveling, I do remember that alot of the news casts had music that was eerily similar. Is there a full-length version of this anywhere, or is this it?

I remember in the late 80s or early 1990s, they were using "Winelight" for closing the 11 PM. I then heard it on Oasis 99.5 (replaced WSSH) and said "hey, that's 5's news music." I didn't realize there were so many longer versions of the TV themes and music, or that they borrowed.

[mediamadman747]

Ann MacIntyre ever make it to the networks?

[747400fan]

I wonder how the opening animation was done for these newscasts? Doesn't look like Scanimation. Anyone know?

[mmimth]

What a truly awesome station on the cutting edge back in the Glory Days! I had the honor of being part of the behind the scenes team back then. For all WCVB Alumns, join our group on LinkedIn.

[Pdasilva0324]

RIP Don Gillis 2008.

[bigwin06486]

this tune is easy to play on keyboard lol

[WhatsAYak]

Didn't know WCVB also used "And You" as a theme song...I know it was used in the mid-80s on both WOR here in NY/NJ and KYW in Philly...also, the graphics made it look like a clone of WNBC's "NewsCenter 4" from the same era.

[newscenter5]

Derm Keohane

[Rescue911Trooper]

Derm Keohane was one of co-founder of deaf school that I attended.

[LostInWoodbridge]

How did it work with Ann McIntyre? Did she sit next to Bob at the desk and sign, or did they have her in a little circle in one corner of the screen?

[waltlantz]

Yea, I was wondering the same thing. This must have been before closed captioning. Still a really nice gesture.

[armymjm]

I don't know how it worked Ann but in the late '80s and early '90s when they had Derm (I can't think of his last name) doing the sign language on the EyeOpener, he would sit next to Jim Boyd or Susan Burke and he'd interpret the news for about 2-3 minutes per newscast.

[charlie8575]

I remember that; I always thought it was a great idea to have sign language for people, and it's something I think they should continue to do.

[amnewsboy]

A minor quibble: it's spelled McIntyre in that first open and MacIntyre in the second.

[devswartz]

Damn..."And You" is a catchy little tune, and the outline animations seemed pretty impressive for the '70s. That's what quality looks like.

To the comment that Ernie Anderson sounded condescending when he mentioned deaf viewers, I think he sounded like that because he thought it was stupid to use spoken word to promote a service for the deaf. Unlike some of the TV personalities they're hired to promote, voiceover announcers are very reasonable people. Most of them also work(ed) in radio.

[jwells]

Does anyone know who composed the "And You" theme music for Telesound?

[bjdon99]

I remember when I was a little kid in Kindergarten, and there were only the 3 network stations, PBS-2, and a couple of UHF stations, all stations signed off for the night. And the first one to come on in the morning was Channel 5. As an 'early riser' at that age, I used to get up at 5:30, turn on the TV and watch Bob Clinkscale, Bob Copeland and Ann McIntyre in the Eyeopener News broadcast for 1/2hr to 1 hr till the first cartoons came on. Things sure have changed since then.

[YogaGuru93]

This is fun to read....I am sitting in Kansas City doing a radio show, and I googled my Dad's name and got to see the old promos. I was on that set dozens of times and it brings back great memories....By the way Bob is well and teaches broadcasting at Emerson College

[charlie8575]

Bjdon: You're a couple of years older than I am. I only remember Bob Copeland and vaguely Ann McIntyre. I am, of course familiar with Dick Albert, Don Gillis, Tom Ellis and Mary Richardson.

[bjdon99]

This was back in the day when the weather maps were hand drawn with dry markers and they'd put little suns and rain cloud magnets on the board to indicate where the weather was that day instead of standing in front of a green screen and watching a computer graphic from a side computer monitor.

[MisterSenseless]

I always thought the ASL interpretation was awesome

[TexasTV]

RIP Don Gillis.

[thisisairick]

My how times have changed... "...and Ann McIntyre interpreting the news for our 'deaf' viewers." That would never be said anymore...hearing impaired!

[jd8]

True, times have changed, but the fact that they even had an interpreter in 1978 says a lot about the quality of the operation back then.

[TheDoodyJustin]

Bob Copeland looks like Norm McDonald, Awesome.

[mrmatchgame]

Looks like the film was recording at 30 fps.

I'm in college going for Broadcasting and that opening gave me an idea to use for our own college newscast opening. Thanks for the post.

[Punkghost21]

tom ellis was with channel 7 too

[tvlondon]

They referred to "deaf viewers" - nowadays you'd hear "the hearing impaired". Or they would use closed captioning.

[bosma64]

Natalie looks like Mary Tyler Moore at her typewriter!~

[audiboiz]

Dick Albert... HA HA HA... I should've listened to 'Dickie'. I would never trust a grown man who allows himself to be called 'Dickie'.

[VaultMasterDBT]

Usually not, but if you're from Boston you would know that Dick Albert is one of the best.

[audiboiz]

No, he's not. Bruce Schwoegler and Don Kent #1, Bill Hovey (whom I met several times, and is one of the nicest peersons I have ever met), Bob Copeland #3.

[VaultMasterDBT]

Yes, he is. Who says they're only can be two people tied in the top three? I'd tie Albert with any of those guys.

[audiboiz]

If it makes you happy. Here's wishing you SNSH and RASH.

[hkfreak]

Tom at :43. You can't just say "Why?" and move your mic to and fro!

[NWvideocollector]

Nice catch.

[VaultMasterDBT]

Nice catch? Tom had the mic pointed at that person, moved it back to ask "Why?", and brought it forward again to let the other person speak. There was no repetivitive to-and-fro action after the "why?" lol.

[sky1beam]

Did Telesound design the Graphics I noticed KPIX, WDVM, WOR, used the same theme and graphics

[sky1beam]

at 40 seconds how did these people make the open from cartoon to film of the talent

[tvnutboy]

Perhaps it was a primative form of Rotoscoping? (see: "A Scaner Darkly")

[sky1beam]

Telesound is based in San Francisco

[VintageTelevision]

Telesound *was* located in San Francisco. The company is now defunct.

[Dook6]

I remember this theme and graphics on KPIX.

[sky1beam]

This is like the KPIX graphics open in the 80's

[terjer01]

When I was growing up in the Boston area, when you heard this pulsating, powerful theme and Ernie Anderson announcing, you knew it was News Time in Boston!!! Arguably, the most awe-inspiring Boston news theme of all-time. Thanks for this post!

[newscenter5]

these are FANTASTIC. i grew up in boston with all of this!! do you have the tom, chet, natalie, dick, don open... you have the 11pm sequence here... would love to see the 6pm... been trying to find it everywhere.

keep up the great posts!!

[starxgemini]

Bob Clinkscale is one of my professors at Emerson College. He's teaching Broadcast Journalism (how appropriate). This was really cool to see, thanks for posting

[terjer01]

I had the privilege of meeting Bob Clinkscale when I was at Emerson in the mid-90's. He's a heckuva nice guy! I told him that he had the coolest name in broadcast journalism. It was awesome!

[JimmySand9]

Some of the best opens of the era.

[TServo2049]

More great announcer work from Ernie Anderson. (Then again, he was always great...)

[tkaye2]

I wish they wouldn't have stuck him with the line "interpreting the news for our deaf viewers"... he reads it with a little extra emphasis on DEAF that comes off a little condescending.

[TServo2049]

Heh, oh yes...it does seem that way. It's just Ernie Anderson's speech patterns. :)

[tvnutboy]

That, and it was probably made before things were a little more PC in society. If it were made today,I'm sure "Hard Of Hearing" would go in place of "Deaf" and no one would complain.

[sky1beam]

When did Closed Captioning come out for the Hearing disadvantaged

[tkaye2]

The first national broadcast of a closed captioned program was in 1980. For several years before that, many PBS stations rebroadcast the nightly ABC newscast with "open" captions that didn't require a decoder.

I remember KING-TV in Seattle had a sign interpreter on the morning news until about 1990.