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MORE FIRSTS

NJ Network's fourth channel WNJS - 23, whose tower loomed as the highest structure in South Jersey, was set to go in October 1975;   it was the last of the NJPTV network to go live.  Once again, Iwas assigned to produce the "first program" to be  aired.

I checked the dates in October and to my surprise found October 23rd was our first broadcast date.  Coincidence or fate?  I started to produce a program with a mandate “make it historic"!  I had a real challenge on a very limited budget.  I  knew I needed help as the project took shape and I asked staff producer Gary Moscowitz to co-produce the program.  We started with a  brain-storm seesion and ultimately settled on a show that could attract its own audience - because it would feature well known local acts from the region and be hosted by our on air talent who were becoming “semi-stars” in the rest of the state.  Our premise,  produce a two hour special that was sure to  be watched by a bunch of family and friends - thus free promotion by word-of-mouth of family and friends.  (Remember the was public TV where promotional expense was a rarity)

Gary and I always thought "big" when we teamed up on other projects during our first year and he especially had a knack of conjuring  unique  directorial ideas that made a programs fun and colorful in our fairly grey world of public TV.   (Later in his life he left television an became for of the biggest rug oriental rug dealers in the nation  with his own evening on the OVC video shopping network - still a TV guy but on the other end of the camera and one of the shopping networks most successful entrepreneurs.)

Next after the initial idea was accepted we had another coincidence - or happy accident.  Over my career, that spanned 20+ years, many things seem to happen, appear and somehow fall into place for my in my life on tape.  I was either very blessed or just lucky.  Magic began to happened with this show.  We had decided to do the show outdoors - never even considering that it might rain on a fall day  in October.  Why outdoors? - we intended to draw as big an audience as possible and it surely would be a different approach to what could be a fairly dull show in a local auditorium. I chose Millville, my childhood  hometown, because I knew I would get "local boy in showbiz" support and features in the papers and hopefully in Philly too.  And I did days after our first press relase!  A full color cover  magazine section of the Atlantic City press with a circulation rate of 100,000+.  

But where could I produce this show that could accommodate a large audience?  I thought of a stadium - easy to stage.  But also very predictable.  I drove from Trenton down to Millville thinking of a location.  Drove around the city but nothing appealed to until I visited the Millville Airport - home of the Thunderbolts in World War II and one of the biggest airports in the Northeast.  There 194o’s Army Aircorp buildings were in great shape beging now used by many small industries.  I drove near one of the runways that Airforce One could land on and then I saw a large number stenciled in 3 foot white letters on one of the macadam.  23!   I immediately found the airport manager’s office  and learned that runway #23 was only used for large transport jet landings which rarely happened on weekends and that we could use a parking area next to it that was  not in the way of landings.  Once again the  pieces started to come together as if I had actually planned them!  The airport was delighted to host the program.  That same day with a visit to City Hall the City of Millville Public Works department offered to provide portal bleachers that would be moved from several parks and the high school.  Channel 23 Day - a South Jersey Talent show would be shot on the 22nd,  edited overnight and aired on channel 23 from runway #23 on October 23, 1971.  

Now the producing work began in earnest.  We had to fill  two hours of the show.  Gary and I made dozens of  trips soth  to audition groups and talked with their local leaders.  I had an advantage because growing up I knew a lot of the performing groups who I saw in holiday parades and concerts.  We found and booked groups that could perform out of doors without a stage or amplification: 

The Bonsul Blues - an award winning American Legion Marching Band

The Pitman Hobo Band - a ragtag comedy hit in many South Jersey parades

The Millville High and nearby Vineland High School Bands, insuring family viewers

 A Japanese Folk Dancers (who would perform in full traditional costume)

 An award wining VFW Bagpipe ensemble

 An African-American Bugle Corp and Drill Team that had appeared on network TV  

But Gary wasn't happy.  "We need star value", he insisted. "A big name for this show!"  But what famous person in any field would come to Millville NJ on a Saturday (without a big payday)?  We were stymied - South Jersey wasn't noted for many famous TV entertainers - and those few with a public TV association that we could think of were in  NYC (Atlantic City Casinos with dozens of star entertainers wasn’t even an idea yet)  Gary and I also thought that not just "any" star would do either.  Not only did we need someone associated with Public TV but a act that lent itself to our outdoors venue.  This made our search seem impossible. Jokingly I tossed out and idea, "Like Big Bird"  And Gary - yelled "That's it!"  I was kidding but he wasn’t.   We agreed we should try - what’s the worst that could happen? The Henson folks would say NO!  I called the Children's Television Workshop housed at WNET New York.  And asked to meet with Jim Hensen and Carol Spinney (Big Bird) They invited me to lunch (Sesame Street was very new and they were very interested in building viewership - and NJPTV delivered a lot of potential viewers.  I met with  several of the Muppet puppeteers for lunch and to my amazement Mr. Spinnery agreed to perform for a short segment  - free of charge no less.  All they asked for was a limo from NYC and a good lunch.  And we made South Jersey history,  as they say - we had our star.  And it didn't rain.  We worked from dawn to sunset.  Raced back to Trenton.  Gary and I worked 36 hours straight editing the show and it aired that night.  (We finished cutting the show just minutes before the scheduled broadcast.)  

The 23 DAY aired on our new channel and garnered some great  reviews and a promise that this was just a sample of what was to come. 




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