Saturday, January 05, 2008

Old Orange County Television Station

OCThen reader, "Duckling" writes asking if anyone remembers an old television network that originated from Orange County around 1967, and thinks it aired on channel 56 or 57. Anyways, this network had a catchy jingle and wondered if anyone knows the jingle...

Hi Steve!

I just came back from Southern Califonia where I visited my mom in Sun City, just a hop, skip and a jump from where you live now! I grew up in Ontario. My associations with Orange county are that of the theme parks: Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Movieland Wax Museum.

I do have a question for some of your Orange County residents though. I was looking for a television network that I believe originated out of Orange County around 1967 or so. It ran old movies (I remember a lot of Deanna Durbin musicals) and it ran the cartoons "Kimba the White Lion" and "Speed Racer." I believe it was channel 56 or 57, but I am really awful at remembering numbers, so it could have been something else. I distinctly remember a catchy network jingle that was all instrumental and I wanted to find out what the the tune was. Hoping that some of your Orange County residents have a better memory than I and can assist in my search. Thanks for creating this site. It was fun to read!:-)
It's obviously not KDOC, since KDOC didn't go on the air until 1982.

40 comments:

  1. It was channel 52 and I believe it broadcast from Corona. I know the tune you are thinking of but I don't know its name. They broadcast the Three Stooges and Little Rascals as well as Kimba the White Lion and Speed Racer. My brother and I used to wait all day to see it as they started their broadcasts about 4pm PST. Thanks for the memory I often wondered if anyone else ever watched it!

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  2. I believe it was channel 52 and it also broadcast, Ultraman, Gigantor, Giant Robot, Johnny Sokko (I think) and other Japanese originated programming.

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  3. I agree it was channel 52, and yeah I can remember that tune. I don't know the name of it. They had to play it a lot because they had a lot of system breakdowns. As I recall now, so did channel 11 (when it was metromedia and even before) - they would have interruptions of 30 seconds or a minute or more while running re-runs; they would post historic pictures of LA and play a really syrupy instrumental version of The Look of Love

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  4. Here's some information on that station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVEA

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  5. I beleive that the TV station you are looking for was KBSC-TV channel 52 form Corrona. I remember hearing the announcement at the top of the hour and it went something like "This is Keiser Broadcasting, KBSC-TV channel 52, Corona, Los Angeles". I remember watching Speed Racer which came on right after Kimba the White Lion. I thought that the network was Keiser broadcasting (the same Keiser as Kieser Steel and Kieser Health Care?), the Keiser logo looked the same. In the 70's the network name was OAK Brodcasting. I have old video tape of that but no gingle. I remember by 1976 they would scramble the signal at 7:PM for ONTV (an early subscription tv network) and today they are KVEA a spanish channel. Now I beleve the network is Telemondo (owned by NBC Universal?) and I would be interested in any info about KBSC-TV or ONTV. The only other OC TV stations besaides KDOC, CH. 56 are KOCE-TV (PBS, and hopefuloly never Daystar except HD channel 50.3) CH 50 Huntington Beach and KTBN (TBN) CH. 40 Coasta Mesa, just accross the 405 freeway from the Mall at South Coast Plaza. Around 1987 I remember watching KNOC Fullerton/Buena Park which had all OC local programing on Group W cable, but I don't think it was on the air. I also remember Watching OCN (Orange County News channel) like CNN for Orange county, and again on cable only. I think it was run by the OC Register. Today I can watch OC orentied programing on digital channel 50.2 when I can get the signal. I live in the Placentia area now and the new HD signals are hard to get.

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  6. To this day I still havent seen "Kimba the White Lion" without a bunch of static and lines through it. At our house we could never really get channel 52. That little round circular UHF antenna on the back of the TV was impossible to dial in correctly. Didn't they also use that old Indian test pattern?

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  7. Does anyone know the name of the theme song that played on Channel 52 back in the 60's? I loved the music, been trying to get the name.

    Thank you,
    producerw@charter.net

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  8. producerw,
    I believe you're thinking of "That Happy Feeling", by Bert Kaempfert.

    Hard to find, but you'll be glad you did!!!

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  9. I so remember channel 52, That is where I first fell in Love with speed racer, We would watch it on the weekend along with Kimba and Felix the cat and the little rascal's. I also remember roller derby being on there as well. I found the song "That Happy Feeling" on You Tube. Oh those were the days.

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  10. I remember watching The Three Stooges on Channel 52.They had a nighttime talkshow called HEADSHOP that featured interviews with famous people(like a very old Moe Howard). Was also my first glimpse of The Little Rascals, which was Hosted by an eccentric old man in 'tails. Does any of this ring any bells?

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  11. The song is by Bert Kaempfert. It's called "That Happy Feeling"

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  12. I remember watching Felix the Cat, Speed Racer, the Little Rascals and The Three Stooges. Our mom banned us from the 3 Stooges because we used to mimmick them. Thanks for the tip on "That Happy Feeling" I have also been searching for this (didn't know the name). They also showed movies, one I remember is about a reform school. If anyone knows the name, please post it here. Thanks for the memories............I also remember "ON TV", was popular before cable..........and the highly recognizable antenna.......we knew what neighbors had the subscription.

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  13. I too remember KBSC Channel 52 as a kid in the late 70's and early 80's. In addition to "The Three Stooges", "The Little Rascals" and Speed Racer", they had "The Addams Family" and old 1950's sitcoms such as "The Life of Riley" (originally a radio show) and "My Little Margie". My grandparents used to have ON-TV and we would always watch it when we'd visit. We'd wait for the announcement that KBSC was about to scramble its signal, then watch the first movie that ran, or a Dodger game if it was on that night.

    Today, Channel 52 is indeed KVEA, the flagship of the Telemundo network and owned by NBC Universal. I believe this channel carried the original Spanish version of ABC's hit "Ugly Betty" ("Betty La Fea" in Spanish) back in the early 2000's. Although its studios are now in Burbank, and soon to move to Universal Studios Hollywood, it retains its TV license in Corona.

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  14. KBSC TV 52 Corona Los Angeles a Service of Kaiser Broadcasting. What a great memory. You had to have fingers of a safecracker to tune it in, but it had some great shows and I suspect a lot more people watched it than the ratings showed. One show they had that was not mentioned was Jay Ward's Uncle Waldo which was a hybrid of his show - Bullwinkles corner, Hoppity hooper and Total TV the producers of Underdog with Commander Mc Brag, and Peabody and his boy Sherman. There original broadcast day started at 3 PM and went to Midnight with cartoons and comedies until 8 PM and travel shows until sign off. They were never profitable because of the they were the fifth Independent in the LA TV market. When Kaiser divested its broadcasting arm in the late seventies all the stations wer sold to Field Communications with the exception of KBSC which was sold to Oak Broadcasting for National Subscription TV. When the greater LA area got cable in the early eighties they went bankrupt and sold the station to the spanish language broadcaster.

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  15. So glad I found this blog. I grew up watching channel 52. Love the comment about having to have the fingers of a safecracker to find the station -- so true! It was always Kimba, then Speed Racer. Fond, fond memories of these great shows.

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  16. From a YouTube video which claims to have an audio recording of "That Happy Feeling", it's the same music that KABC-TV (Channel 7) used to sign on with in the 1980's. I and my siblings would get out of bed to watch Channel 7 sign on Saturday mornings before 7:00am with this tune, then it would go to the national anthem and finally to what we REALLY got up that early for... The Superfriends! :)

    I have also heard it called "Fiesta" on the old "Fabulous 570" KLAC (now all-sports) because of its slight Mexican flavor. Very catchy tune, even after all these years.

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  17. The reform school movie was probably Crime School with the Dead End Kids.

    They showed lots of Warner Bros. Movies at 8 p.m. and I think the voice over was something to the effect of "now that you have put the kids to bed, sit back and enjoy the Million Dollar Movie."

    Man if I could just go back and relive these times of wonder for just one day.

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  18. Wasn't there an adventure series that had a lot of home movies. I remember one with a couple guys trying to go island hopping in an amphibious jeep?

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  19. i love the internet thanks for the memories!!!!

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  20. UHF - Channel 52 out of Corona came in pretty well in Lomita, California. I remember watching all the great Japanese Cartoons, as well as the old American Comedies, like the 3 stooges, the Little Rascals, etc. I loved Ultraman and Giant Robot, too.
    The above mentioned song, ""That Happy Feeling" by Bert Kaempfert, can be found on itunes for .99¢ It's worth the money. What I want to see is actual proof of the station ID letters via a picture or old TV Guide. Til then, I don't buy the KSCE or whatever it is above.

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  21. Ok, it's been confirmed that the UHF Channel 52 out of Corona that I would watch till forever and them some was in fact KBSC. Long live Ultraman!

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  22. This is a fun website! Found this thread doing a search on this subject. I heard the song on Sirius radio yesterday and was freaking out!! Was so happy to be able to see the name and artist, and today i downloaded from iTunes. Yes that song will live in my mind forever, as I sat every day waiting for the Little Rascals and Kimba to come on.
    -C.

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  23. OMG...the search is over!!! Bert Kaempfert " That Happy Feeling " 40 years It took my friends..40 years. KBSC TV 52 Corona I and my friends ran home to religiously each day after school. Felix The Cat, Kimba, Speed Racer, Little Rascals, Three Stooges, Addams Family ect. It was wonderment almost a half century ago in L.A with that little upstart new UHF station way up on the dial, hank youand it all brought together by the theme song I finally found.. thank you

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  24. OMG...the search is over!!! Bert Kaempfert " That Happy Feeling " 40 years It took my friends..40 years. KBSC TV 52 Corona I and my friends ran home to religiously each day after school. Felix The Cat, Kimba, Speed Racer, Little Rascals, Three Stooges, Addams Family ect. It was wonderment almost a half century ago in L.A with that little upstart new UHF station way up on the dial,and it all brought together by the theme song I finally found.. thank you

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  25. your all correct the theme song for channel 52 was that happy feeling and heres the link for all of you to hear it on you tube enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo3Q6x-_51M

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  26. I also grew up watching channel 52 and was fortunate to pick up the signal really well in the downtown LA area! My favs, like many have commented, were: The Little Rasacals, Kimba, Speed Racer, The Three Stooges and all of you must recall the final scene of Giant Robot flying away...."Giant Robot, please don't go!!!" haha! Great childhood memories have flooded my mind. Thanks everybody!

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  27. I used to watch The Ghoul and the later spin-off from the show "The Ghoul Gang" on 52.
    Loved Speed Racer, Kimba and all the old anime stuff too.
    Elliot Mint'z Headshop.. You name it.
    Weren't they the last station in the LA market to broadcast in color? (or was it that the movies were always old and in black & white?)

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  28. Great memories indeed! ON TV was introduced on KBSC, one of the first pay per view like broadcasters. I remember how they used to hide the naughty parts of actors in adult films. They would actually re-shoot the films in a studio and made sure that all offending content was out of frame!

    Then came "SELECT TV" another pay per view on KHWY channel 22. I enjoyed hacking both systems and hosted many a "fight night" party!

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  29. I used to watch this station when I lived in Riverside in the early '70s -- they also ran a bunch of vignettes called "Kid Stuff" that I haven't been able to find since.

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  30. My Dad wrote the station when I was a kid asking the same question, who is that song by. I remember him reading the letter to us the day he got it back, "That Happy Feeling" by Bert Kaempert. I'm 50 now and listen to my parent's collection of Kaempert music on an old turn table now and then. Good times in old Tustin, Del Rey & Tiffany Place.

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  31. Do any of you remember a Hispanic Dance Show called Huggy Boy which aired on Channel 52? It came on in the afternoons after the cartoons and before The Three Stooges and Headshop.

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  32. There were a few years when my life revolved around channel 52. I'd come home from school, listen to the "meditation" before the station signed on, then it was Felix the Cat, the Three Stooges, Speed Racer (later Kimba), then -- the jewel in the crown -- The Little Rascals! I watched Hollywood Movie Classics EVERY night, and there I discovered James Cagney, the Dead End Kids, Pat O'Brien, "42nd Street," "The Jazz Singer" ... I thank God for that station and its wonderful influence on me, and all the pleasure it gave my family. The station manager was Bruce Johanson, and he answered all my letters. I too loved that music they would play when they identified the station. Thanks!

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  33. The "meditations" segment hosted an image of a round stain-glassed window and played Bach's
    Toccota or Fuge in D minor in the background. . . (I was only a kid, but it's blazed into my memory). I swear, these images
    have tied themselves to the rest of all the others, like 'Kimba' and 'Felix," in a mystical way that now represents, to me, the essence of a majical childhood of wonder. Do you remember a show on the paranormal hosted by a guy with a scar and a gho-tee? And what about
    Eliot Mintz . . .Was his show "Headshop?" I had no idea all of this was a part of so many other lives!

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    1. The meditation was often given by a rabbi, and as a kid it seemed to me he gave darned good advice!I don't remember the guy in the gho-tee, but "Headshop" certainly! It didn't seem to go with that '30s Rascals/Stooges atmosphere. Your post was very eloquent. It is indeed a mystical evocation of a happy childhood.

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  34. i remember channel 52 when i was a kid my is ryan fedorsic and back in the 70s channel 52 brought back so many memories for me espiecaly the little rascals and the three stooges i had a lot of fun watching them that was when i lived in ontarieo california i wish that they could put out dvds and bluray disks of channel 52 people would be happy it would bring back so many memories ryan fedorsic a big fan of channel 52 it reminds me of my child hood peace out.

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  35. KBSC-TV also had live horse racing weeknights at around 11pm, and a public affairs program, "Take 30", hosted by Jodi Pennock, weekdays at around 2pm (when the channel signed-on for the day). They were the only Kaiser-owned independent station that didn't air "Star Trek" (I believe they were out-bid in L.A. by channel 13). They also carried a 90-minute talk show on weekend evenings ("Lou Gordon") that dealt with controversial subject matter. R.I.P., channel 52!

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  36. Yes! Felix, Kimba, Speed Racer, Three Stooges, Little Rascals, maybe some foreign language programming, and that was about it.

    And it started each weekday afternoon at 2 or 3 p.m. (52 was not normally on-air in the morning). The first thing they'd run was "Meditations", a program with pictures of churches, organ music, and Bible verses. No, it wasn't a "Send in your love gift today" kind of thing, just something inspirational to relax to. . .before powerloading on cartoons.
    [...]
    http://www.charlesphobbs.com/bc/ch52.html

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  37. i love u mom(who's watching me 4rm above)4 sitting & watching ch. 52 shows with me when i was just a youngin'...as i grew up & had kids of my own tv was now cable tv...that's ok b'cuz when the "New" Speedracer Movie came out starring "Christina Ricci", i immediately went out & bought the "First Original Speed Racer Cartoon Anime Series" & watched them with "my daughter Jazzy Ann" in 2009 & i let her know what watching our "Dial Tv" was "like" compared 2 their "Remote Control" tv watching is..."i <3 u mija"...ch.52 is a very "special" nostalgic & vintage time 4 me...4ever

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  38. I also grew up watching cannel 52. I remember the HEAD SHOP T.V. series. Mickey Dolenz performed the theme music for it as I recall. I remember watching the I GOT A LINE ON YOU video by SPIRIT on this show.

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  39. I was on HEAD SHOP about 1971 as a member of the band SHOTGUN LTD. We did 2 songs, Bad Road and River Of Hope. I sure would like to see them again.Anybody with knowledge on how to obtain the footage of these, would you kindly post info on here on how to acquire them? Thanks.

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