When someone mentions WTCN Channel 11, what do you think of first? Casey Jones and Roundhouse Rodney? Reruns? Twin Cities Newspapers? Chris-Craft? Mel Jass’ midday movie matinee? Calhoun Beach Hotel studios on Dean Boulevard? Many of us immediately recall the funky “Metro-Media Television 11-11-11” jingle, accompanied by the dancing MM11 logo. By sheer coincidence, that jingle opens and closes our WTCN-TV composite.
In addition to the MetroMedia jingle, you will hear WTCN’s booth announcers who promoted current and upcoming programs. “The Childrens’ Weather Forecast” was specifically targeted to kids like myself who were getting ready for school at this time and needed to know what the weather would be like on that day. Who could forget that “good grief, it’s time to brush your teeth!” commercial for The Snoopy Toothbrush? A live read for Bill Boyer Ford is also included here.
Since I was only 9 years old when I recorded this, the basic “microphone in front of the speaker” technique is employed here. Fortunately, most clips were taped off of our 23″ Packard Bell color set instead of the 9″ Wards Airline black & white portable that I had in my room. For some reason, I didn’t get that annoying video signal “buzz” on the Packard Bell. The original tape was made using a Spartan-Atlantic “shoebox” recorder and an Audio Magnetics 60 minute “bag” cassette.