Kentucky’s public TV stations — but not Cincinnati or Dayton stations for now — will broadcast a four-part series this month about Cincinnati’s live television shows starring Bob Braun, Nick Clooney, and Ruth Lyons.
The Golden Age of Local Television, produced and directed by C.M. Brown through the Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky in Covington, premieres 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, on over-the-air WCVN-TV (Channel 54.3), and on Spectrum cable systems in Greater Cincinnati (Channel 981) and Northern Kentucky (193). Altafiber does not carry KETKY Channel 54.3.
It also airs throughout Kentucky on the KETKY channel which broadcasts the Kentucky legislature and programs about Kentucky people, places, history, and issues.
The first episode features Dick Murgatroyd, who came to WLWT-TV in 1966 to produce and direct Lyons’ live noon 50-50 Club and its successor The Bob Braun Show. In the late 1960s, WLWT had three live weekday shows — Paul Dixon, Braun, and an afternoon show hosted by Vivienne Della Chiesa, each with an orchestra and studio audiences every day — and on weekends Channel 5 aired the Midwestern Hayride country music showcase.
“He started telling me about his television career, and talking about Bob Hope (a frequent Channel 5 TV guest) and Phil Donahue,” says Brown, a native New Yorker who moved here after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Murgatroyd started his career in 1964 at sister station WLWC-TV (now WCMH-TV) in his hometown of Columbus. He also talks about Phil Donahue’s nationally syndicated talk show, which started at Dayton’s WLWD-TV (now WDTN-TV), another sister station to Channel 5 at the time. Brown worked on Donahue when it was based in New York.
For years “Murgy” was the keeper of the flame for the Braun/Lyons legacy, organizing many reunion appearances with Nancy James, Rob Reider, Colleen Sharp and the late Bonnie Lou (Okum), Marian Spelman, Elsa Shue, and bandleader Cliff Lash.
Murgratroyd is the inspiration for the series. Brown says he was fascinated hearing Murgatroyd’s stories about Braun, Lyons, Dixon, Donahue and Cincinnati’s live television legacy when the two met at the Telecommunications Board studio. After leaving TV, Murgatroyd was active in Republican politics as Kenton County Judge Executive (1999-2004) and deputy chief of staff to Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (2004-05). He frequently appeared on TBNK shows about local elections.
“To me, The Golden Age is his (Murgatroyd’s) show. That’s why I put his name on it as executive producer.”
What was originally a TBNK cable documentary about Murgatroyd grew into a series about Cincinnati’s Golden Age of TV. “We tried to get as many people while we could,” Brown says.
Brown’s original plan was to produce and direct 8-10 episodes. He finished seven before retiring from TBNK in June 2024.
KET only wanted four shows. They will be broadcast at 2 p.m. Sundays in September, and repeat four times that week.
Unfortunately, no video clips are included in the shows. Hearst television, which owns WLWT-TV, “wouldn’t release any video to us,” Brown says. The shows include photographs provided by the subjects, he says.
The schedule:
- SEPT. 7: Murgatroyd talks about the many live shows he directed at WLWT. Premieres 2 p.m. Repeats 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday Sept. 11, and midnight and 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept., 13.
- SEPT. 14: Rob Braun shares memories of his father’s Bob Braun Show, which aired at noon weekdays until 1984. Rob was one year old when his father joined WLWT-TV in 1957, and 11 when he took over the 50-50 Club after Lyons’ retirement. The episode also includes an interview with former WLWT-TV chief engineer Alan Sakalas. Premieres 2 p.m. Repeats 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday Sept. 18, and midnight and 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept., 20.
- SEPT. 21: Rob Reider tells stories about his years as a Braun Show singer and sidekick. Premieres 2 p.m. Repeats 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, and midnight and 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept., 27.
- SEPT. 28: -Nick Clooney is interviewed in his Augusta, Ky., home about working with Lyons and Braun on WLWT-TV, and hosting his own Nick Clooney Show variety hour on WCPO-TV and WKRC-TV in the early 1970s. Premieres 2 p.m. Repeats 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, and midnight and 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.
WCET-TV and Dayton’s WPTD-TV originally turned down The Golden Age of Local Television. But the Southwestern Ohio public TV stations plan to reach out to Brown about airing the programs, says Joan Butcher, program director for the stations.
“I viewed several of the episodes and enjoyed watching them. We recognize how meaningful and nostalgic the content is to viewers in Cincinnati and across the region,” Butcher says.
“At the time, it wasn’t possible for us to bring the series to air. However, we shared with Mr. Brown that we would be open to considering the series in the future. We’ll be reconnecting with Mr. Brown (and KET) about the possibility of bringing the programs” to Channels 48 and 16.”
Interviewed for other Golden Age of Local Television episodes were singer Colleen Sharp from the Lyons, Dixon, and Braun shows; former Paul Dixon director Steve Womack in his Nashville home; the son of WLWT-TV meteorologist Tony Sands; the daughter of WLWT-TV anchorman Steve Douglas; and me. Northern Kentucky author Rick Robinson did some of the interviews. Sharp was inducted into the WLWT-TV Hall of Fame in July; Murgatroyd was inducted last year.
ON THE AIR
The Golden Age of Local Television airs 2 p.m. Sundays in September:
- Over the air on Covington’s WCVN-TV Channel 54.3.
- On Spectrum cable in Cincinnati on Channel 981, and on Spectrum cable in Northern Kentucky on Channel 193.
- Throughout Kentucky on the KETKY multiplex channel.
- All four shows repeat at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. the following Thursdays, and at midnight and 5 p.m. on the following Saturday.
- Altafiber does not carry Channel 54.3 or KETKY.
