Thursday, July 22, 2010

WXEL Newsletter/Schedule-February 1951

Here is the last page of our WXEL Vintage Photo Blog, at least for now..I don't anticipate adding any more to it, though with the nature of blogging, that could change..

Below is what appears to be a weekly Newsletter/Schedule for the week of February 18-24, 1951..Very rare item..Included in the 6-page booklet is the complete program schedule, including the network origination point of all the non-local shows..WXEL had I think a surprising number of CBS shows that WEWS-TV 5, as the primary CBS affiliate declined to carry..Local hosts included Alice Weston, Grant Wilson, Alan Freed, Sid Andorn, Clay Dopp, Jimmy Dudley, Bob Rowley and Rena and Bob Ledyard. After the schedule, there is an interesting short history of WXEL to that time..

You should be able to open each page as a separate link to read it a little better..



























J January 21, 1977 City Camera News-The Great Blizzard of 1977..

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Page Four..

The final 5 pictures of the set..Also a cover of a rare book premium..

Some thoughts:
It could be said that Mr. Mayer and Family might have been featured way too much, but Broadcasting was much different in the 1940's than it is today..Empire Coil was a family company, and this was evident in the many pictures of wife and family.. Both WNBK and WEWS were put on the air by much larger companies.It was interesting to see WXEL begin to build relationships with networks and sponsors, as well as breaking in a new staff..I really have enjoyed these..Thanks again to Richard Warner for sharing..





Cover of"The Story of Little Ajax" a rare children's book written by WXEL owner Herbert Mayer..This may have been given out as a premium during early personal appearances by WXEL Staff and Management..This ties in with the Elephant mascot described in earlier pictures..




Introduction Page of the "Story Of Little Ajax" a Children's Book Written by Herbert Mayer




Left:Walter Staudt Empire Coil, W.M. Tomlin RCA, Sandra Mayer, Dorothy Jean Barrett, Bert Dunlop, Mrs. Lee Gardner, Lee Gardner of RCA

Right:Donald Campbell Empire Coil, Martin Kramer, Attorney for Empire Coil and Theodore Burgess, WXEL Sales




A programming "huddle" with Network representatives of DuMont, ABC, Paramount Television and WPIX (WXEL probably got some programming from WPIX) with Morey Amsterdam in the middle..




Original WXEL Test Pattern


WXEL Staff Dinner:Cosulting Engineer Ben Adler, Herb Mayer's son Tommy, Chief Engineer Thomas Friedman Station Manager Franklin Snyder, Program Director Russell Spires and Owner Herbert Mayer

Mortimer Loewi, a Director of DuMont Televison Network



From Big Chuck and Lil John 1994:Daytime WJW-TV Promo from 1971

Page Three,,

Nine more Pictures..I have 5 more to finish out on the next post, plus hopefully a cover of a "Little Ajax" Childrens book brought out at the time and a 1951 Newsletter that I've mentioned earlier..Its a pdf file so it may take some effort to get done but i'll do what I can..



Herbert Mayer, DuMont Executive Henry Tobin, Morey Amsterdam, DuMont Executive Mortimer Loewi and Gray Drug President Adolph Weinberger

Herb Mayer, with daughters Margot and Carlie unveil the Dedication Plaque


Herb, Margo and Carlie Mayer, just before the plaque unveiling

Herbert, Sandra Mayer and Family


Dedication Dinner


Herbert Mayer and Family once again at the Dedication Dinner (November 15, 1949)


Indians Pitching Coach Mel Harder being interviewed by WXEL sportscaster Gail Egan..Harder would be Indians Pitching Coach from 1948-63 after a playing career from 1928-47...35 years total with the Indians. Also looking on are Howard Hoffman and Russell Spires, Program Director of WXEL


Morey Amsterdam with Dedication Dinner Remarks

Robert Harris, Empire Coil Company, Morey Amsterdam and Howard Hoffman




/ Brief piece of a Howard Hoffman Weather Report on City Camera News in 1976..

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Page Two..

Next 10 pictures..I want to say I do appreciate whoever owned these pictures originally putting captions under many of them, otherwise it would be very hard to dig out names..Was a great help..



Left:Jay Sebesky, Cleveland Container Company Richard Freeman, Empire Coil Co. Barbara Snyder, WXEL, George Condon, Plain Dealer TV writer John Safer, also of WXEL and Martin Codel, TV Digest Publisher
Right:E.E. Grieger, Timmerman Products, Mrs. E.E. Grieger and Russell Spires, WXEL Program Director



Station Mascot. a papier mache elephant known as "Little Ajax"


"Little Ajax"



Arrival of "Little Ajax"




John T. Fryman Jr., VP of Standard Brewing, Franklin Snyder, WXEL Station Manager, Wallen Sylvester (sp) Arthur Gerst and Edward Walsh of Gerst Advertising Agency..Signing a contract for WXEL to televise Cleveland Indians Games in 1950..







Herbert Mayer, Owner of Empire Coil WXEL Owner


Lee Gardner, Herbert Mayer, WXEL GM Franklin Snyder and Tommy Mayer


Herbert Mayer, Mrs. Lee Gardner, Howard Hoffman



Herbert Mayer, Tommy Mayer Bert Dunlop and Margo Mayer
(I assume Daughter)



WXEL General Manager Franklin Snyder at the Dedication Dinner

Part One of WJW 30th anniversary in 1979

Monday, July 19, 2010

Page One..

Hello folks:
Richard Warner, who was responsible for the former Fox 8 Cleveland History site in 1999,recently acquired 30 pictures of the 1949 WXEL dedication and was kind enough to let me have copies of them..While Cleveland Classic Media has a selection of some of these, I wanted to find a way to share all of them..along with a couple other WXEL items..Thats where this "Limited Edition" blog comes in..I've decided to make a 3-4 part blog to Put these pictures up-about 10 at a time.

Also, while many of these photos have original captions, they may be slightly hard to read..I'll put a new caption underneath each of them..

Link to the original WJW-TV 50th anniversary History..Produced by Richard Warner

http://web.archive.org/web/20070310232959/http://164.109.57.227/dynamic/images/stories/history/history1.html



Close in shot of WXEL Exterior sign


WXEL Dedication Plaque


Eunice and Eudice Margolis, entertainment for the dedication dinner

Plane with Empire Coil and DuMont dignitaries arrives


Newspaper TV/Radio Editors-Elmore Bacon (News) George Condon (Plain Dealer) and Stanley Anderson (Press)


Exterior of WXEL Studio Building at Pleasant Valley/State Roads in Parma


Three of the WXEL Ladies:Pat Ryan, Lucille Schroeder, and Barbara Snyder "kibitz" with Guest Morey Amsterdam, who hosted The Morey Amsterdam Show on The DuMont TV Network..Have no idea about the Teddy Bear

Morey Amsterdam and WXEL owner Herbert Mayer




Morey with DuMont Executive Mortimer Loewi. He was partner with Allen B. DuMont from 1935-53




The Newspaper TV/Radio writers and WXEL General Manager Franklin Snyder enjoy a Morey Amsterdam joke..

Classic WJW-TV Graphics from 1976-(Added 2-28-2013)