A slice of '75: Ted, Ted and the Tribe

CLEVELAND - In past offerings of “Remembering”, I’ve offered individuals stories. This installment changes things up a bit by showing pieces from a time period. The time period in this case is May/June of 1975.

The stories have no real historical significance, but offer fun and some very 70’s things to watch for in the 8 minutes and 45 seconds of video – yes, video.

Live shots and videotape for news coverage were quite a novelty then. WEWS was the first station in Cleveland with a live truck and electronic news gathering. The cameras were multi-piece and very heavy. The cameraman wore the camera control backpack and shouldered the camera. Batteries and the tape deck were separate units as well.

ACTION CAM

The first clip shows the boat Bluenose II docking in Cleveland with a shot of the TV 5 ‘Action Cam' van. Today, live trucks have pneumatic masts that raise a microwave antenna 40 feet in the air. The 1975 truck had only a microwave dish mounted atop the truck. Look closely to see the Justice Center still being constructed.

INDIANS HIGHLIGHTS

It’s hard to believe in today’s world of cable TV, but not all baseball games were broadcast. Each TV station shot baseball games to show highlights on their newscasts. 

The first game is the Indians playing the California Angels. Angels’ pitcher Andy Hassler gives up a double to Indians’ manager/player Frank Robinson and the Tribe goes on to tie the score at 3 in the second with a Buddy Bell base hit. The scoreboard is the old, pre-Stadium Corporation renovations model.

Fireworks shoot from the bleachers in our second game as catcher Alan Ashby homers to right against the Kansas City Royals.

PARTY TIME

‘Party In The Parks’ were the happening scene in Cleveland in the 70’s. Two parties shown here are at Mall B with its non-working fountains and at Chester Commons. Chester Commons is today known as Perk Park honoring the Cleveland mayor of that era, Ralph Perk.

NEWS EVENTS

Yes, our Ted Henry was just a regular street reporter before he became a legendary anchorman. Ted anchored for 30+ years, but here he is doing a live shot at a fire in University Heights.

Reporter Lee Bailey covers flooding in Cleveland and deals with a man who is none too happy with the live truck blocking the street.

Jay Bacchus interviews a Cleveland police officer about his impending layoff. The officer offers some candid insight to Bacchus. Pre-Justice Center, Jay signs off from central police headquarters. One shot of officers at work follows Jay's live shot. How about those green police cars?

MEMORIAL DAY

Certain stories seem to pop up at holiday times and here are a few of those from Memorial Day 1975.

TV 5 Medical Editor Ted Castele, M.D., gives his advice on not overdoing things during the holiday weekend. Doctor Ted was the nation's first TV news doctor and was on the staff at WEWS for nearly a quarter century.

Next, we have a clip showing holiday travel and traffic along the East Shoreway. The Muny Light plant can be seen in the background cranking out power. Muny Light, Cleveland Municipal Light, was the predecessor to Cleveland Public Power.

Public Square is our next stop for a Memorial Day ceremony. Notice the orange CTS Loop bus on Superior Avenue. CTS, Cleveland Transit System, would later in 1975 become part of RTA. Also, a Marshall’s drugstore can be seen on the northwest edge of Public Square, that area is now a parking lot between John Q’s and the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel.

No Memorial Day would be complete without a trip to the beach. In this case, it’s Edgewater Beach at the City of Cleveland’s Edgewater Park. The city ran the park until 1977. Lake Erie looks a bit brown. There is a man wearing red pants in the water and he’s next to some debris that has washed ashore.

Octron or Boron? Holiday travel means talk of gas and gas prices. The Sohio station at East 9th and Carnegie Avenue is where an attendant pumps gas for our camera. Again our reporter is Jay Bacchus who is getting the story of a reduction in profit margin for gas station dealers.

Mayor Ralph Perk is on hand for the blessing of the Cleveland Police Department boat Bluecoat. The ceremony takes place at Burke Lakefront Airport.

LICENSE BUREAU LINES

We close our look at spring of 1975 with a clip I added just to look at cars of the era. Reporter Bob Howick is doing in interview with a gentleman as our camera pans the line of people waiting to get into the license bureau on Superior Avenue between West 6th and West 9th streets.

There's your slice of '75. If you feel like putting on your plaid bell-bottoms and heading off to the disco, go for it!

Enjoy.