That was a sweet 75th birthday party WBAL-TV gave itself the other day. From out of the ether came a half-hour of familiar old faces, faded street images of the hometown past and names stamped indelibly for generations of Baltimoreans.
Ghostly old newspeople like Rolf Hertsgaard, Vince Bagli and Ted Venetoulis stepped out of the mist, and so did small-town celebs like Miss Nancy on “Romper Room,” Royal Parker as “P.W. Doodle,” “Pinbusters” duckpin bowling champs, “Quiz Club” celebrants, pro wrestlers pretending to pulverize each other at the Monroe Street dump we used to call the Baltimore Coliseum, and post-war kids jitterbugging on Saturday mornings on “Teen Canteen.”
Appropriately linking the generations are the show’s hosts, Deb Weiner and Jason Newton, a couple of former kids who grew up here and became news anchors at their hometown station.
You know they’re authentic Baltimore voices when Weiner ad-libs, “’Romper Room,’ my favorite,” from another world ago. (She was obviously one of Miss Nancy’s “Do-Bee” goody two-shoes.)
How long ago did WBAL hit the airwaves?
So long ago that there were only 18 other local TV outlets in the whole country back in March of 1948.
So long ago that the station was billed as “a service of the Baltimore News-Post,” its Hearst Corporation newspaper partner now long since deceased.
So long ago that then-Mayor Tommy “The Elder” D’Alesandro’s little daughter, Nancy, hadn’t even dreamed yet of becoming the most powerful woman in American political history.
The anniversary show — which is available online — is a reminder of the good stuff television provides when its station managers put their minds (and their wallets) to it.
“You’ve done more than report the news, you’ve connected our communities,” Gov. Wes Moore says in one of a series of tributes from Maryland political figures and NBC personalities.
The new governor’s a student of news coverage. Like most TV news operations, WBAL has a spotty record, with a relative handful of reporters attempting to cover an entire metro area while sloganeering, “’Action News’ is everywhere.”
On the other hand, the station also gave us Jayne Miller, whose investigative reporting over the years gave the station’s news operation a gravitas no other Baltimore station could claim. Miller’s seriousness also served as a newsroom role model for a few generations of WBAL reporters who tried to emulate her.
The station was generally on the side of the angels, as well, on race. Back in 1964, a nervous era, they made Bob Matthews one of the country’s first African-American news directors. Later came serious weekly current events programs hosted by the Rev. Vernon Dobson and future Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th).
We’re in a shaky time now in American mass media. Newspapers by the score have trembled and died, as everyone knows. But TV news has had its own struggles in the wave of new technologies.
Local TV news operations have only a fraction of audience numbers they once commanded. But in Baltimore, WBAL’s ratings are the largest of the big-three network affiliates. Seventy-five years into the game, that’s worth a happy anniversary.
Michael Olesker’s latest book, “Boogie: Life on A Merry-Go-Round,” was recently published by Apprentice House. It’s the life story of Baltimore legend Leonard “Boogie” Weinglass, an original “Diner” guy who grew up to create the Merry-Go-Round clothing chain and contribute millions to charity.
At a time when many Jews fear appearing Jewish in public, seeing Judaism depicted correctly onscreen is reassuring, writes Jewish content creator Rabbi Yael Buechler.
Israeli-Americans Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin talked about the pain of losing their 23-year-old son, who was kidnapped and later murdered in the Oct. 7th tragedy.
Cruel, inappropriate, egomanical, outrageous and bullying are all attributes that pass for presidential these days, writes Michael Olesker.
Now celebrating its 25th season, the farmers market will be located on the grounds of the historic Pikesville Armory, at 640 Reisterstown Road.