When I was growing up in the Detroit area in the 1960s and 1970s, broadcasting already fascinated me. Right down the road from my grandparent's house was WKBD Channel 50.
That's where all the TV shows we watched as kids came from, everything from I Love Lucy to Speed Racer. This wonderful world of television was where I wanted to work. What a great goal!
I did a previous blog about my fascination with "I Love Lucy" which Channel 50 broadcast ad nauseum back then. When "Lucy" star Desi Arnaz came to town I recorded the audio of his appearance on the famous "Lou Gordon Show" which is on Youtube here. Gordon was a controversial talk show host on Channel 50 and even for today's standards would be considered rude. He even got poor Desi upset by the end of his visit! The video tapes of Gordon's show were apparently not saved so my audio might be the only copy of Desi's visit to Detroit.
I was pleased to discover that author Christopher Lock has just published a brand new book on Channel 50. It's not a boring look at the station today, which is now nothing like it was in the 1960s and 1970s...this book takes us back to the "golden years" of WKBD, with pictures and details of most of the programs that were on back then.
If you'd like to be transported back to the baby boomer 60s and 70s of Detroit TV, you will love this time capsule. The book is available on Amazon and click on the link to watch Mr. Lock's Howell Library Talk about Channel 50.
I think he included most of what I remember except for Snipets!
