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KREX mobile radio and television van.
In January of 2008, a Grand Junction landmark and the home of many Happy Valley memories was lost in a tragic fire. This time of year many of you remember seeing Santa for the first time at the old KREX Television studios. KREX is once again asking for “Letters to Santa” and has loaned me some of their photos for this column.
For 25 years, KREX-TV reigned supreme as the only television station in Grand Junction. Broadcasting pioneer Rex Howell was persuaded by the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce in 1930 to move from Denver to Grand Junction and bring his four-year-old radio station, KFXJ with him. Originally broadcasting his radio signal from the St. Regis Hotel at Fifth and Colorado, Howell built his stylish art-deco radio studio in 1931 on Hillcrest Manor, one of the highest elevations in the Grand Valley. In May 1954, the television station went on the air. Shortly afterwards, Rex Howell changed the call letters of both the TV and radio stations to KREX.
The new studios were state of the art with the original radio broadcasts coming from a cozy “living room” setting on the first floor. The basement was added later to accommodate the Western Slope Broadcasting Company, which signed on in 1954.
Although nearly 70 years of archival film, video and audio records were destroyed, many memories survived. My first memories include watching my favorite programs, TV Tray and all. Those shows became very much a part of the person I grew up to be, which I'm sure has been true of every generation. “Captain Kangaroo” taught me to cut and glue and tape and make many a pre-Martha creative masterpiece. I owe a lot to the Captain and Mr. Green Jeans. “Rawhide” and “Bonanza” showed me how to rope and ride and act like a cowboy (girl). Ed Sullivan gave me the Beatles. God bless you, Mr. Sullivan.
But my experiences would go beyond sitting in front of what my mother called the “Boob Tube,” and actually being in the KREX-TV studios. Here I go again, telling stories that include my best childhood friend, Melanie Johnson. In the early ‘60s, we would be lucky enough to be able to go to the KREX-TV studios with her stepdad, Gay, to shoot his television commercials for the Gay Johnson's Restaurants and Service Stations. These advertisements were shot live, during the commercial breaks of the television programs. I can't remember which shows were airing but it didn't matter, what we were experiencing was much more entertaining!
Ol' “Howdy Folks” Gay would load us up in his big yellow Lincoln Continental. First we'd head down to the Tire Center at 410 North Ave. He'd pull up in that classy car and put two tires in the trunk. We'd then hurry down to the restaurant at First and Grand Avenue. Plates of food would be rushed out and placed in the wheel wells of the tires in the trunk and then we'd head for Hillcrest Manor. We'd go straight for the big garage doors on the bottom level; he'd back in and the chicken dinners would be handed over and the two-ply radials would be rolled out.
Melanie and I would watch and giggle in the background as the camera's rolled and the familiar “Howdy Folks, Gay Johnson here…” would resound throughout the studio.
My brother-in-law, Mike Shafer, was working there as an engineer at the time. He remembers how much they looked forward to the pleasure of being allowed to eat those plates of fine food, once the sponsored show had ended, the tires rolled back into the Lincoln, and we were off.
Some three or four years later, my sister married that engineer. I would go with her occasionally to visit him while at work. Becky and I were even asked to paint the set of the local “Hootenanny Show,” a fine backdrop complete with a barn and piles of hay. Captain Kangaroo would have been proud.
But many a Grand Valley youngster enjoyed their time in the local TV limelight. My friend and artist Jim Hutton remembers celebrating his birthday with Bob Collins and the Birthday Club. He told me, “I think US Bank sponsored it because there was a jingle that went .....save your nickels, save your dimes and watch your dollars grow. The US Bank is the place where everyone should go!” I wonder why I never got to go see Uncle Bob.
A lot of serious TV went on at KREX too. JFK stopped by on his campaign tour. The KREX TV mobile broadcast van was in the movie “Vanishing Point.” Mike Shafer and the crew had to get up at 5 each morning for a week and drive to Cisco, Utah. It was the big time for that KREX van and the engineers who had to stand on top of it for the scene.
It's a fun time to remember together. I hope you send me an e-mail or give me a call with your memories. Again, there are lots of stories out there and having never been on the set of the Santa Show or The Birthday Club, I don't know what it was like. If any of you out there have memories and photos, KREX-TV would like to have copies of them since so much of the history was lost in the fire. Reach me at pmangnall@gjfreepress.com or at 683-5642.
For 25 years, KREX-TV reigned supreme as the only television station in Grand Junction. Broadcasting pioneer Rex Howell was persuaded by the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce in 1930 to move from Denver to Grand Junction and bring his four-year-old radio station, KFXJ with him. Originally broadcasting his radio signal from the St. Regis Hotel at Fifth and Colorado, Howell built his stylish art-deco radio studio in 1931 on Hillcrest Manor, one of the highest elevations in the Grand Valley. In May 1954, the television station went on the air. Shortly afterwards, Rex Howell changed the call letters of both the TV and radio stations to KREX.
The new studios were state of the art with the original radio broadcasts coming from a cozy “living room” setting on the first floor. The basement was added later to accommodate the Western Slope Broadcasting Company, which signed on in 1954.
Although nearly 70 years of archival film, video and audio records were destroyed, many memories survived. My first memories include watching my favorite programs, TV Tray and all. Those shows became very much a part of the person I grew up to be, which I'm sure has been true of every generation. “Captain Kangaroo” taught me to cut and glue and tape and make many a pre-Martha creative masterpiece. I owe a lot to the Captain and Mr. Green Jeans. “Rawhide” and “Bonanza” showed me how to rope and ride and act like a cowboy (girl). Ed Sullivan gave me the Beatles. God bless you, Mr. Sullivan.
But my experiences would go beyond sitting in front of what my mother called the “Boob Tube,” and actually being in the KREX-TV studios. Here I go again, telling stories that include my best childhood friend, Melanie Johnson. In the early ‘60s, we would be lucky enough to be able to go to the KREX-TV studios with her stepdad, Gay, to shoot his television commercials for the Gay Johnson's Restaurants and Service Stations. These advertisements were shot live, during the commercial breaks of the television programs. I can't remember which shows were airing but it didn't matter, what we were experiencing was much more entertaining!
Ol' “Howdy Folks” Gay would load us up in his big yellow Lincoln Continental. First we'd head down to the Tire Center at 410 North Ave. He'd pull up in that classy car and put two tires in the trunk. We'd then hurry down to the restaurant at First and Grand Avenue. Plates of food would be rushed out and placed in the wheel wells of the tires in the trunk and then we'd head for Hillcrest Manor. We'd go straight for the big garage doors on the bottom level; he'd back in and the chicken dinners would be handed over and the two-ply radials would be rolled out.
Melanie and I would watch and giggle in the background as the camera's rolled and the familiar “Howdy Folks, Gay Johnson here…” would resound throughout the studio.
My brother-in-law, Mike Shafer, was working there as an engineer at the time. He remembers how much they looked forward to the pleasure of being allowed to eat those plates of fine food, once the sponsored show had ended, the tires rolled back into the Lincoln, and we were off.
Some three or four years later, my sister married that engineer. I would go with her occasionally to visit him while at work. Becky and I were even asked to paint the set of the local “Hootenanny Show,” a fine backdrop complete with a barn and piles of hay. Captain Kangaroo would have been proud.
But many a Grand Valley youngster enjoyed their time in the local TV limelight. My friend and artist Jim Hutton remembers celebrating his birthday with Bob Collins and the Birthday Club. He told me, “I think US Bank sponsored it because there was a jingle that went .....save your nickels, save your dimes and watch your dollars grow. The US Bank is the place where everyone should go!” I wonder why I never got to go see Uncle Bob.
A lot of serious TV went on at KREX too. JFK stopped by on his campaign tour. The KREX TV mobile broadcast van was in the movie “Vanishing Point.” Mike Shafer and the crew had to get up at 5 each morning for a week and drive to Cisco, Utah. It was the big time for that KREX van and the engineers who had to stand on top of it for the scene.
It's a fun time to remember together. I hope you send me an e-mail or give me a call with your memories. Again, there are lots of stories out there and having never been on the set of the Santa Show or The Birthday Club, I don't know what it was like. If any of you out there have memories and photos, KREX-TV would like to have copies of them since so much of the history was lost in the fire. Reach me at pmangnall@gjfreepress.com or at 683-5642.
