KOVR Action News - 1975

Dave Walker anchors, with Steve Somers on sports, and Bette Vasquez with weather. This broadcast from 11/21/75 includes spots for Tower of Sports, American Sound, Chevy Vega, Remington, Stephen B., Ford Pinto, Birds Eye, Gillette, Montgomery Ward, Brasilia tote bag and John Geer Chevrolet. Also includes the open for ABC News with Harry Reasoner. From an original 2" master tape.

[@Winnywoo]

Love it! My dad (Bill Branch) did the story on the Vietnamese family in Loomis (he worked for KOVR 13 as a reporter from the late 1960's until the late 1980's). I was only 10 months old when this aired. I absolutely love all of these old Sacramento news and TV commercial spots from the 70's and early 80's. Please post more KOVR videos if you have any. I am guessing you must have worked in the industry to have access to all of these vintage films?

[@epaddon]

The "Schmoozer" Steve Somers of WFAN Radio way back when. Priceless!

[@newstarcadefan]

Wow, this is a real gem of a news cast!

[@jasonkuhn4709]

I want some Stephen B cologne.

[@systewart2938]

Gotta love those mid- 1970's leisure suit designs.

[@nunyabiz6925]

Ever guy had outfits like herb tarlek

[@elfinmajictime]

Now I remember why I was so in love with Steve Somers all those years ago. I always loved a smartass. I met him a few years later...what a gentleman!

[@jcice3]

Fantastic quality - thanks for sharing this gem!

[@efrem1]

A well-preserved tape. Thanks for the upload.

[@mefault]

I love this!!! Especially the old ads...thanks a million for posting....=)

[@diamonddave45]

2 inch quad tape and 16mm film.... the mainstay of any TV station back in 1975. Glad this tape wasn't erased and reused!

[@tkaye2]

I love how the courtroom sketch artist reduced Squeaky Fromme to a sniveling Disney character.

[@joeyoconnor3039]

If she even deserves that..

[@pazvato]

I had totally forgot about Steve Somers! What a tool! Ha! The commercials here are priceless! Incidentally, I grew up with Bette's oldest son, Jeff. Boy, this whole segment brings back memories of growing up in Sacramento.

[@ronmeister63]

we glad we got the Steve Somers here for sportsradio 66AM/101.9FM WFAN in New York from Saca-Tomato thanks for having him for more than 25 years

[@tubafoole]

I was 7 years old when the newscast aired. The John Geer Chevrolet ad with Junior Samples of Hee Haw fame brings everything back.WHAT CHILDHOOD MEMORIES!!!

[@ronflatter1235]

The vertical-interval glitching to roll the film reports from Stockton was pretty bad during the Steve Somers sports. But that was how we, ahem, rolled back then. Old-guy TV joke.

[@the60sKid]

I remember Junior Samples doing those commercials. What a time trip.

[@559043]

wow haven't thought about these people in years. i miss these days

[@LandondeeL]

As late as 1975, some stations, like KOVR, were still using film. In fact as late as 1980, WSMW-TV Worcester MA was still using film long after most other stations had switched to tape.

[@bobmilin]

I got my drivers license back in New Jersey on 11-18-1975 just 3 days earlier. Can't believe it's been over 40 years seems like it should be 20.

[@TempeSoldier123]

What was the best part about being young during the 70's? DId you know how iconic the times were as you were there?

[@pazvato]

That's a flashback! I grew up with Bette's son's back then. Her oldest son, Jeff was a drummer in one of my first bands! ha! Thanks for posting this.

[@sabrinaphillips916]

Great story! I grew up in Sacramento then too...always loved Bette...she seemed so cool and now seeing her 40 years later, she's seems even cooler. Hope she's doing well wherever she may be

[@pazvato]

Where did you go to high school?

[@sabrinaphillips916]

+pazvato Foothill in the 80s. You?

[@pazvato]

+Sabrina Phillips Sac High class of 1979. I did know people who went to Foothill... Vince & Gina Martini.

[@tmartin103]

Just happened on this, and wow - what a memory rush! Sac High, class of '80. I also remember Bette's sons (as I recall, from as far back as Kit Carson JHS).

[@NewsActive3]

So rare to see old local newscast airchecks in this good of condition. A real gem. Thanks for posting.

[@MikeChuk21]

A young Steve Somers and not terribly quirky, either ... hard to believe if you've lived in New York City since, oh, about 1988 ...

[@Ronbo710]

MikeChuk21 He became pretty "animated" before he left KOVR I remember my parents couldn't stand his sportscasts lol.

[@gladfan1989]

+Ronbo710 Somers was indeed a character.

[@georgecherucheril9947]

Steve Somers looks like the model for Will Farrell's anchorman!

[@luvitluvitbaby]

Wow I was 11 days old ha ha!

[@cigarsmoker999]

Love the story of the Vietnamese General running the gas station in Loomis.

[@Ronbo710]

Yeah after running something else in the triangle.

[@joebradio]

@bhayes06 and it was really cool to see the short clip at the end with Harry Reasoner and ABC News.. There's another clip of that set from one of the videoholic sites, but this one shows the first version with the name ABC NEWS in a sort of Courier (typewriter) font banner in the corner.

[@kurtb8474]

Watched them every night.

[@shawnmarengo494]

Holy cow. Dig that Public Opinion Poll graphic at 8:26.

[@joebradio]

Dave Walker, who later went CNN and whose brother Bill, was a long time anchor at WSOC-TV in Charfotte

[@gringo4x4do]

That's some Hair ya got there Betty ! I grew up in Sac with Harry Martinon TV ( Capt. Sacto ) and later Betty Vasquez

[@michaelchristensen526]

Ringo Clark

[@Winnywoo]

@elfinmajictime--Yes I am Bill Branch's daughter Wendy. After leaving KOVR in the late 1980's, my dad later worked at the PBS station channel 6 and then for PACSAT as a reporter in the 1990's. He then worked in state governement until retiring a couple of years ago. Your dad's name sounds familiar. I'll mention it to my dad the next time I see him. Small world. As for Don Strickland--yes I have heard many stories about throwing microphones, etc.

[@jasonbertalotto2355]

Wendy Branch You still in the TV business?

[@Winnywoo]

Hi--my dad is now 87 years old and retired. I did not go into the TV news business.

[@jasonbertalotto2355]

Wendy Branch Nor you ever acted on screen, right?

[@Winnywoo]

Well he did have my mom, myself, and my brother "star" in some short TV features he did in the 70's and 80's. Not sure I would call it acting.

[@jasonbertalotto2355]

Wendy Branch For the news or for a special?

[@elfinmajictime]

@Winnywoo Your dad was Bill Branch? I worked with him when I was an intern at KOVR from 1977-1980. My dad was CHP officer Frank Bassett (your dad will most likely remember him).

[@Ronbo710]

DIdn't Dave Walker and Lois Hart co- Anchor the original CNN when it started ?

[@btone310]

+Ronbo710 Yep!

[@rayjr62]

Yes. They were Pre-IPO stock holders at CNN and walked away with a bundle. That's why they were able to retire when they did.

[@gladfan1989]

@tvtimetravel I'm surprised he didn't try to do his "BR-549" gag in the commerical.

[@dickjohnson5979]

40 years later and Jerry Brown is governor here again.

[@kennyholeater2494]

God help us all on that stupid piece of shit

[@Ronbo710]

Amen. And Gavin will be even worse.

[@559043]

Stan Atkinson was on KCRA 3 i think

[@wmbrown6]

Is it my imagination, or does reporter Craig Prosser here look almost like "Starsky & Hutch"-era David Soul?

[@jmcorry]

@16:21 Ron Burgundy... it has to be.

[@greetingsrecall159]

Good old days

[@brentmann2988]

14:05 The great Steve Somers later became a WFAN legend. 8:26 PUBLIC OPINION POLL -- nice graphic. ;) 10:01 Now THIS is the dude you wanted to buy your stereo from. 18:23 This jingle is the best! 23:23 "It was a little dusty and a little dirty."

[@gli7utubeo]

That intro sounds just like one of Conan's local news opening bits.

[@elfinmajictime]

I am dying to find a video with the Joe Glover, Somers and Vasquez team... PS: Bill Branch's kid? I knew Bill a long time ago!

[@germyw]

Betty Vasquez!!! I forgot about her!

[@creates100]

the Anchorman (movie) era. except not San Diego.

[@jessecoffey4737]

As John O'Hurley says at the beginning of that picture, "this was an age when only men were allowed to read the news" . . . though KOVR did hire a woman to do a weather forecast.

[@bendeleted9155]

Wow, this brings back memories. What strikes me most though is the ABC evening news and the parallels between Reagan then and Trump now.

[@MrJacMac1968]

Thats Penny Robinson(aka Angela Cartwright) at 25 min 13 sec.

[@gladfan1989]

Not to make you feel old, but I was only 4 years old when this first aired. Where did you find this gem?

[@jrodlange8099]

Forgive the stereotype, but I can't resist. If there's ever a guy you picture with a waterbed combined with the ceiling mirror over said waterbed, the dude at the 10:00 mark is straight out of central casting.

[@diamonddave45]

Electronic News Gathering (ENG) cameras really weren't used until about 1976. RCA came out with them in that year, and changed TV news gathering forever.

[@j50wells]

So Ron Burgundy was a time traveler...I knew it.....

[@the60sKid]

Yup, look at all those wild bushy hairdos and leisure suits. Yes people ANCHORMAN was REAL!

[@RammatRamzi]

I remember Betty, not so much the others.

[@MrJacMac1968]

There was a long video dropout when they went from the anchor desk to tape/film.

[@marx686]

Betty Vasquez does hearing aid commercials now.

[@troysvisualarts]

Sports newsman Steve Somers looks a fair bit like Ron Burgundy with his moustache, hairdo n flashy suit n tie.

[@elfinmajictime]

@lockenjr Betty Vasquez moved to Channel 3 for years and retired.

[@bhayes06]

@joebradio I did not know that.

[@ApartmentKing66]

Man, that tall anchor desk makes the anchors (Walker and Strickland, anyway) look like bank tellers. Was the station on Arden Way at this time?

[@sabrinaphillips916]

Yes I think it was on Arden back then...across from the mall

[@ApartmentKing66]

+Sabrina Phillips Across from the mall? I thought it was at Arden and Blumenfeld (1216)...I think the building now houses a Maaco Auto Painting and Collision Repair. The STL tower is still there even.

[@timanny1]

+wannawatchu66 Yep it was the Maaco building. I assume they used the buildings behind it too because the Maaco building doesn't look big enough to hold a full station and newsroom, maybe I'm wrong. They called it the "bread factory" because there was a Wonder Bread and Hostess factory directly behind it. Apparently the place smelled like Twinkies.

[@sjchevalier07]

Yep. Channel 13's Sacramento studios were at 1216 Arden Way in those days. They also had their Stockton studios at 225 E. Miner Ave. In 1989 they moved to their current West Sacramento studios.

[@elfinmajictime]

Don Strickland - the studio had the "Don Strickland" memorial hole in a wall. Violent temper and quite the jerk when he wanted to be.

[@gladfan1989]

Was the hole fist or foot shaped?

[@tvtimetravel]

The synthesizer in the American Sound commercial has the same sound style as the Tic-Tac-Dough theme.

[@tvtimetravel]

That of course is Junior Samples from "Hee Haw" on the John Geer Chevrolet spot. I wonder they got him to come to Sacramento from either Nashville (where "Hee Haw" was taped) or Cumming, Georgia (his hometown).

[@user-ni1ng6pq5o]

With regret! I think it's going to end program Turning from the TV. Living father, young mother, small sister! It's sad ...

[@Ronbo710]

I hated to see Steve make fun of Bell Lange's 'The Outdoorsman'. I used to watch that with my Granddad.

[@SacNewsGuy]

John Geer Chevy with a 3 mile warranty LMFAO!

[@saxongreen78]

BRIAN FANTANA!

[@j50wells]

One of the Manson girls (Squeeky) and her attempted murder of Ford. Forgot about that one....

[@rocket7697]

Angela Cartwright / Penny Robinson selling cheap bags?

[@Ronbo710]

Holy shit that IS her. She got me through puberty in the nicest way %)

[@ilovethetampabaylightning92]

That's some hair,LOL.

[@brandonthompson8411]

Dave Walker has some very nice 70's hair and side burns. It almost seems like a SNL spoof of news. And, you can definitely see Ron Burgundy here, unreal how bad the hair and clothes are. I grew up in the 70's and I remember these days vividly.

[@TheLove4Christ]

I agree. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Great haircuts! A lot of white guys we're getting perms back then . White guys with afros. Platform shoes. Looking back hilarious.

[@kennyholeater2494]

F*** you in your SNL loving ass

[@WAQWBrentwood]

Oh My God!!! A store advertising GUNS in CALIFORNIA!?!!? Thank God The 1970s are past!!! 😜

[@Ronbo710]

Yes now lets turn on a Crime Drama and watch Hollywood glorify it. Hypocrisy at its best.

[@dariowiter3078]

Bette Vasquez is certainly a hottie in this video! She could have been very successful here in L.A. as a weather lady! 😁

[@rayjr62]

This was the same Bette Vasquez who was arrested for shoplifting down in Tucson where she lives and works.

[@facebook51ify]

Kovr is now affiliated with cbs.

[@Auburndad50]

Wow, a gun commercial on tv, back when California still had the 2nd Amendment.

[@Mark-yy2py]

Good sketch artist. Nowadays, they look like something a 6 year old would do.

[@johnellizz]

1:16 Her attorney is looking at her sweet ass!

[@WAQWBrentwood]

To describe "squeaky" Fromme's ass as "sweet" requires drugs I haven't done since 1975.

[@ilovethetampabaylightning92]

No wonder the Ozone layer is depleted;the Seventies news anchors had their hair sprayed so it wouldn't move in hurricane-strength winds!

[@andrewellis8268]

thats a good one, hurricane strength winds,, LOL

[@chrisneidenberg3509]

Zoos and circuses profiled on the same newscast. Seem so politically incorrect now.