WXYZ: TV talent. Co-host with Marilyn Turner of Kelly and Company and Good Afternoon Detroit. Avid horseman.

John Kelly died, September 18, 2016.  He was 88 years old.  WXYZ.com

Funeral Arrangements PDF (The Detroit News)

References:

• Pintrest
• The Detroit News, September 23, 2016 (PDF) – Funeral Arrangements
• The Detroit News, September 19, 2016 (PDF) – Family: Former TV anchor Kelly’s life a ‘celebration’
• Detroit Free Press, September 18, 2016 – John Kelly, former Detroit TV anchor, talk host , dead at 88
• WXYZ.com – Report of Death
• WXYZ.com The Best of Kelly * Company
• Detroit Historical Society

• WXYZ’s Wanda Doerner with John and Marily

  

• WXYZ Reunion 2013 at the News Set

  

• Looking Behind TV Cameras

  Amazing Time in Television, February 6, 1976

  

  “Did you ever stop and think who is responsible for putting the picture on your television set? At WXYZ TV-7, for example, they’re members of Local 58 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The entire engineering department there, including technical directors and supervisors, are 58 members. In above photo, Lloyd Simmons, a television engineer, operates a video master control panel. Below, popular newscaster John Kelly is in front of the camera as Sioux Dekker [Sioux DeOrlow Goodman] operates behind the scenes.” [The Building Tradesman, February 6, 1976, Page 58] Contributed by Sue Simmons

  

• Kelly & Company Weddings

  

• Production Crew at Kelly & Company

  

• A Great News Team – Circa 1980s at WXYZ

  

• Great Memory from WXYZ Holiday Past

  During Channel Seven’s Prime Years

  Bell Ringers in order:
  Marilyn Turner, John Kelly, Doris Biscoe, Bill Bonds. Guy Gordon, Diana Lewis, Erik Smith, Rob Kress, Robbie Timmons, Bill Bonds, Mike Holfeld, Dave Lewallen, Frank Turner, Bill Bonds

• Kelly and Company – Anniversary Show

  The last show, 1994, which was hosted by John Kelly and Marilyn Turner. The show continued for another year hosted by Marilyn and Nikki Grandberry. The final show was in June 1995.

  

  Back Row: Tom MacKinnon, Dennis Fairchild, Sally Victor, Cheryl Hall, Jeffrey Bruce, Don Ritter, Jim Ochs, Ralph Cash, Dan Weaver, Danny Jacobson
  Second from Back: Maria Ang, Shirley Eder, Lynda Hirsch, Connie Farell, Gene Taylor, Harriet Rotter, Tara Wall, Phyllis Seel, Brad Hurtado, Randy Barone, Chuck Derry
  Second from Front: ????? (cowboy hat), ?????, Robert L. Woodruff, Sylvia Hacker, Mary Pelloni, Lori Weiss, Ellen Kennedy
  Front Row: ?????, Florine Mark, Mel Shaw, Bunny Miller-Shaw, John Kelly, Marilyn Turner, Gail Parker, Linda Solomon, Dell Warner

  Please help us identify some of these folks.  We welcome your comments at the bottom of this page.

• Kelly & Company – WXYZ’s Premier Morning Show

  WXYZ: Morning Show hosted by John Kelly and Marilyn Turner.

  Hollywood gossip, fashion shows, beauty secrets, cooking segments.  Ran from 1978 through 1995 in the 9 am time slot, Monday through Friday.

  Originally aired on Tuesday morning, October 21, 2008. WXYZ is an ABC affiliate in Detroit Michigan.

  As part of the 60th anniversary of WXYZ in 2008, the station aired a special celebrating the local talk show “Kelly & Company.” It was the last of its kind in local Detroit television and it was aired during its traditional 10 AM time slot. Hosted by John Kelly and Marilyn Turner.[1]

  Just some of the “behind the scenes” folks that made this show so successful

  Karl Garmager, Technical Director; Mason Weaver, Director; Pat Underwood, Assistant Director; Larry Goldsby, Video Tape; Clyde Adler, Chyron; Steve Thomas, Features Editor; Brad Hurtado, Producer; Keith Booth, Videographer

  

  
  If you have information regarding this photo such as location and photographer, please drop us note below or use our Contact Page.

  

  

  References:

  1. YouTube.com
• Kelly & Company – Just For Fun!

  John Kelly and Marilyn Turner having fun with some “new” technology. Brad Hurtado is handling the script cards. Just some fun times on the set of this great Detroit morning show.

Recommended Reading

TV Land–Detroit

An in-depth and personal look at the most popular and best-remembered local shows from the golden years of Detroit TV

Long before cable, prepackaged syndication, infomercials, do-it-yourselfers, and reality shows cluttered the television dial, there was a brand of entertainment that has today nearly vanished from the airwaves: local TV. And with its colorful and quirky cast of characters, Detroit TV arguably offered some of the best of the best of local programming anywhere in the nation-a smorgasbord of exuberant, one-of-a-kind television shows.

Based on actual interviews with the people who made Detroit TV, Gordon Castelnero’s TV Land-Detroit awakens the emotional attachment and nostalgia our community has for these shows, bringing the beloved characters and memorable programs back to life.

From the glamorous Rita Bell to the insanity of the Ghoul, the zany Jingles in Boofland to the opinionated and often confrontational Lou Gordon and the gruff-voiced and somnolent George Pierrot, Castelnero reacquaints us with the talent and behind-the-scenes people, of the creative spirit in Detroit, and the intimacy they shared with the community both on and off the air.

Gordon Castelnero was a producer at WNIC radio for four years. He produced the acclaimed documentaries for WDIV and WTVS, Michigan, It Started Here! Michigan and the American Dream, and Titanic: The Final Chapter. He currently lives in Livonia, Michigan, and works at Technicolor in DVD and game media distribution. 

The post Kelly, John (nee Kelin) first appeared on .

WBRZ Personnel

• 
  Woolfolk, Mike
  WEYI / WSMH / WBSF: Anchor, Reporter Mike Woolfolk WXYZ: Journalist. WACH: Anchor, Managing Editor WAPT: Anchor, Reporter, Producer KVBC: Sports …

Recommended Reading

Watching TV: Eight Decades of American Television, Third Edition (Television and Popular Culture)

Castleman and Podrazik present a sweeping season-by-season story, capturing the essence of television from its inception to the contemporary era of anytime access and online streaming, including every prime time fall schedule since 1944. The authors have dug through the mounds of obscure facts, offbeat anecdotes, and corporate strategies that have made television a multibillion-dollar industry. Watching TV provides a fascinating history of how the personalities, popular shows, and coverage of key events have evolved across eight decades.

Full of facts, firsts, insights, and exploits, as well as rare and memorable photographs, Watching TV is the standard history of American television. This third edition includes coverage up through the mid-2010s and looks ahead to the next waves of change.

The post WBRZ – Baton Rouge, LA first appeared on .

Personnel

• 
  Hinkle, Josh
  KXAN: Director of Investigations & Innovation / Political Host
• 
  McMahon, Wendy
  President/CEO of CBS News and Television Stations and CBS Media Ventures

Recommended Reading

Watching TV: Eight Decades of American Television, Third Edition (Television and Popular Culture)

Castleman and Podrazik present a sweeping season-by-season story, capturing the essence of television from its inception to the contemporary era of anytime access and online streaming, including every prime time fall schedule since 1944. The authors have dug through the mounds of obscure facts, offbeat anecdotes, and corporate strategies that have made television a multibillion-dollar industry. Watching TV provides a fascinating history of how the personalities, popular shows, and coverage of key events have evolved across eight decades.

Full of facts, firsts, insights, and exploits, as well as rare and memorable photographs, Watching TV is the standard history of American television. This third edition includes coverage up through the mid-2010s and looks ahead to the next waves of change.

The post KXAN – Austin, TX first appeared on .

Personnel

• 
  Berman, Mike
  WXON: TV Station Manager WCXI: Radio General Sales Manager WKBD: TV Sales Manager WWJ: TV Sales Manager WXYZ: Radio, TV Sales Manager.
• Skinner, Helen
  WXON: Traffic. Operations Manager.

Recommended Reading

Watching TV: Eight Decades of American Television, Third Edition (Television and Popular Culture)

Castleman and Podrazik present a sweeping season-by-season story, capturing the essence of television from its inception to the contemporary era of anytime access and online streaming, including every prime time fall schedule since 1944. The authors have dug through the mounds of obscure facts, offbeat anecdotes, and corporate strategies that have made television a multibillion-dollar industry. Watching TV provides a fascinating history of how the personalities, popular shows, and coverage of key events have evolved across eight decades.

Full of facts, firsts, insights, and exploits, as well as rare and memorable photographs, Watching TV is the standard history of American television. This third edition includes coverage up through the mid-2010s and looks ahead to the next waves of change.

The post WXON – Walled Lake, MI; Southfield, MI first appeared on .

WXYZ: Editor/producer for “From the Heart”, 1997-2002. Former press secretary for Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young.

Recent Sightings:

• University of Michigan
• Palindrome Productions, Inc.

References:

• LinkedIn
• PR Newswire – March 26, 2002
• PR Newswire – October 26, 2001

• Bill Bonds Death – Bob Berg Reaction

  {"id":1,"name":"Single Video - Bob Berg","videos":[{"title":"Bill Bonds Death - Coleman Young and Bob Berg Reaction","mp4":"http:\/\/connertmedia.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/MayorColemanYoungPressSecretary_BobBergReactsDeathBillBonds.mp4","videoAdShow":"videoAdShow","videoAdGotoLink":"videoAdGotoLink","mp4AD":"mp4AD","description":"description","info":"info","thumbImg":"thumbImg","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdShow":"popupAdShow","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink","textAdShow":"textAdShow","textAd":"textAd","textAdStartTime":"textAdStartTime","textAdEndTime":"textAdEndTime","textAdGoToLink":"textAdGoToLink"}],"videoPlayerWidth":500,"videoPlayerHeight":420,"responsive":true,"allowSkip":false,"videoPlayerShadow":"Effect1","playlist":"Off","skinPlaylist":"Default","skinPlayer":"Default","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","vimeoColor":"00adef","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","onFinish":"Stop video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":false,"playVideosRandomly":false,"posterImg":"","rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":4,"fullscreen":"Fullscreen native","nowPlayingText":"No","shareShow":"Yes","facebookLink":"","twitterLink":"http:\/\/twitter.com\/connertmedia","googleplusLink":"","logoShow":"Yes","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"Yes","logoGoToLink":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":500,"embedCodeH":420,"videoType":"HTML5","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"https:\/\/broadcastingvault.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/ultimate-video-player\/"}

  Bob Berg, Coleman Young’s Press Secretary, reacts to the death of Bill Bonds and talks about the mutual respect Bill Bonds and Coleman Young had with each other.

Recommended Reading

WYXIE Wonderland: An Unauthorized 50-Year Diary of WXYZ Detroit by Dick Osgood and Martin Grams Jr.

WYXIE WONDERLAND by Dick Osgood is possibly the first comprehensive exploration into the inner workings of a broadcasting enterprise. Fifty years of national radio and television history, from 1925 to 1975, are reflected in the fundamental and accidental specifics of a single station — WXYZ, Detroit — AM, FM and TV.

WXYZ was more than just the birthplace of The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sgt. Preston of the Yukon. It was the starting point of investigative journalist Mike Wallace, comedian Soupy Sales, actors John Hodiak and Danny Thomas. This extraordinary book traces the beginnings of five networks; the rise and decline of radio network programming. It sees the radio actor replaced by the disc jockey. WYXIE Wonderland explains how the scandal of radio payola grew out of the discovery of rigged TV quiz programs. It tells of a sound created in Texas that revolutionized radio, and how the Top 40 format emerged from a bar in Omaha.

WXYZ influenced American culture — and sometimes it was American culture.

“Whether you are a fan of The Lone Ranger or old-time radio in general, this is one of the dozen essentials for your bookshelf.” — Martin Grams, Jr., Pop culture historian, from the introduction.

The post Berg, Bob first appeared on .

Herman and Gary always worked well with the guest wherever they work on projects with WXYZ.

The post WXYZ Team with Jesse Jackson first appeared on .

The post WXYZ Assignment Desk first appeared on .

Turner Broadcasting: Broadcast/IT Systems Engineering Supervisor. Retired from Turner Broadcasting Entertainment Networks Dec. 2017.

WXYZ: Engineering, videographer.

Recent Sightings:

• Turner Broadcasting

References:

• LinkedIn

• Reconnecting with Ol’ Pals from WXYZ

  

• WXYZ Team with Jesse Jackson

  Herman and Gary always worked well with the guest wherever they work on projects with WXYZ.

  

• Olympic Crew in Los Angeles 1984

  

• 1984 Olympics – On Assignment

  

• 1984 Olympics – The Party Is Over, Heading Back Home

  Waiting at the airport in Los Angeles heading back to work at WXYZ-TV, Detroit.

  

• Gary Westbook and Geoff Pekarek – WXYZ Crew on Assignment in Los Angeles

  WXYZ-TV crews were on assignment throughout the entire world.  Here’s one crew shooting features stories during 1984 while on assignment for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

  

• Videographers Gary Westbook and Bob Johnston

  Two of the many great videographers from WXYZ-TV, Detroit.

  

• Rosa Ybarra and Gary Westbrook – One of many after hours gatherings

  The camaraderie of co-workers was always evident at work and after-hour gatherings.

  

• Just a Few of the Legendary Videographers from WXYZ

  The strength of a television news department always relies on the field crews and their videographers.  Here are just a few of the legends of WXYZ-TV, Detroit, Michigan.

  

Recommended Reading

From Soupy to Nuts! A History of Detroit Television

Back in the 1940s–before coaxial cable from the East Coast reached Detroit–television was as local as Vernors, Sanders Hot Fudge and Hudson’s. There was room for clowns, bowlers, philosophers, journalists, adventurers, movie mavens, wrestlers and magicians.

The people who put these shows on were drunks, geniuses, thugs, heroes, artists, craftsmen, hustlers, and poets. Some were all of these things at times. A few were all these things before lunch.

As the medium grew, thousands of Detroiters visited Channel 4 to see Milky the Clown, danced on Channel 62’s The Scene or tuned in to watch bombastic anchorman Bill Bonds. With the evaporation of distinct local television, a piece of Detroit’s character disappeared.

From Soupy to Nuts! is a snapshot of Detroit TV history–from Sonny Eliot, Bozo the Clown, Bill Kennedy, Lou Gordon and Gil Maddox to Al Ackerman, Sir Graves Ghastly, Dick the Bruiser and Mr. Belvedere.

The post Westbrook, Gary first appeared on .

WXYZ: TV Engineering, Technical Director. Retire after 36 years on January 19, 2019. Pete started out at WRIF with Mark Zahnow and Eddie Durrschmidt. [Thanks to Cathy Alfafara for the updated information. 01/16/2020]

WRIF: Engineering.

• Reconnecting with Ol’ Pals from WXYZ

  

• More Videographers at Reunion by Chris Ruzzin

  Photo from the 2013 WXYZ Reunion.

  

• Bill with the BOG Team

  

Recommended Reading

TV Land–Detroit

An in-depth and personal look at the most popular and best-remembered local shows from the golden years of Detroit TV

Long before cable, prepackaged syndication, infomercials, do-it-yourselfers, and reality shows cluttered the television dial, there was a brand of entertainment that has today nearly vanished from the airwaves: local TV. And with its colorful and quirky cast of characters, Detroit TV arguably offered some of the best of the best of local programming anywhere in the nation-a smorgasbord of exuberant, one-of-a-kind television shows.

Based on actual interviews with the people who made Detroit TV, Gordon Castelnero’s TV Land-Detroit awakens the emotional attachment and nostalgia our community has for these shows, bringing the beloved characters and memorable programs back to life.

From the glamorous Rita Bell to the insanity of the Ghoul, the zany Jingles in Boofland to the opinionated and often confrontational Lou Gordon and the gruff-voiced and somnolent George Pierrot, Castelnero reacquaints us with the talent and behind-the-scenes people, of the creative spirit in Detroit, and the intimacy they shared with the community both on and off the air.

Gordon Castelnero was a producer at WNIC radio for four years. He produced the acclaimed documentaries for WDIV and WTVS, Michigan, It Started Here! Michigan and the American Dream, and Titanic: The Final Chapter. He currently lives in Livonia, Michigan, and works at Technicolor in DVD and game media distribution. 

The post Anderson, Pete first appeared on .

WXYZ: Deceased.  TV news reporter.

• Always the Hardworking Crew at WXYZ

  And, yes, having fun at the same time.

  

• Passing Time While on Remote

  

• WXYZ “Makes” News

  TV Crew Gets News First Hand

  Todd Seibt writes,

  A Detroit-area television crew made news in Flint Thursday night when their equipment truck was stolen 10 minutes before they went live for an 11 p.m. newscast.

  Reporter Dave Gilbert and cameraman-engineer Kevin Hawley were discussing final shots for a satellite broadcast to their station.  Channel 7 in Southfield, when a drunken man jumped into the station’s Chevrolet Suburban and drove away, they said.

  The broadcasters were in Flint to cover General Motors announcements of layoffs and plant closings.

  The fleeing Suburban, painted with the Channel 7 logo, dragged camera and sound cables nearly a block before snapping them off, Hawley said.

  

  Hawley had earlier seen the man come “staggering down the street” and leaned up against a park sign to watch the pre-broadcast procedures along Saginaw Street near Riverbank Park.  The man was apparently drunk, Hawley said.

  “We’re used to people being awed by our toys,” Hawley said, “nothing a gawker or two is not unusual when the satellite is being set up.  The trucks and equipment are valued at nearly $750,000, he said.

  Moments before air time, the man jumped in the Suburban and drop off, Hawley said.

  The next thing I know, there go the cables – DAM! – up the street.”

  Hawley said he jumped in a friend’s nearby car and pursued the stolen Suburban on a looping chase around the downtown area, along I-475, down several side streets, and back to I-475.

  Hawley said he attempted to stop the driver once at a stoplight by jerking open the Suburban’s door and trying to pull the keys from the ignition, but the man floored the accelerator and took off.

  I was to the point of being dragged,” Hawley said, before he let go and returned to his friend’s car.

  Finally, near Saginaw and Second Street, the man jumped out of the truck and ran, leaving the Suburban’s engine idling.

  Hawley, close behind in the car, said he pursued the man on foot, but then saw the Suburban had only stopped because it had hit the back of another car.  When that car pulled away, the Suburban, still in gear, started rolling.

  Hawley managed to get in the truck and hit the brakes.  Several people on the street, alerted by Hawley about the theft, held the suspect until police arrive.

  Flint police arrested and jailed the 32-year-old man, who lives at a downtown motel, on suspicion of auto theft.

  With only a minute or two to spare, Hawley returned the truck to its original location, and as Flint police stood by, Gilbert made his 11 p.m. deadline. [1]

  References:

  1. The Flint Journal

Recommended Reading

Soupy Sales and the Detroit Experience: Manufacturing a Television Personality

When Soupy Sales left Detroit in 1960 after seven years on WXYZ TV, he was the highest-paid local television personality and one of the most well-known and loved celebrities in town. His daytime television programs in the early morning and noontime had an enormous and devoted following. The latter, Lunch with Soupy Sales, was nationally syndicated on ABC on Saturday, starting in the fall of 1959. His late evening program, Soupy’s On, featured everything from renowned jazz artists to pop singers to satirical skits. While he would achieve more celebrity status in Los Angeles and New York during the 1960s, the template for the puppet characters, comedy routines, and zany sketches had been set in Detroit.

This study of the content and context of Soupy’s time on WXYZ TV provides important insights into key threads of popular culture in the 1950s, including the role of television and its impact on the family and children, the influence of Cold War and consumerist ideology, Jewish-inflected humor, and jazz, especially as a component of the Detroit socio-cultural history in this period. All of these seemingly disparate topics, however, lead back to identifying the manufacturing of a television personality at a particular moment in time and in a specific location.

Beyond the network of Soupy fans, anyone interested in how a television personality achieves local and national prominence should consider reading this book. Also, those who want to understand the role of the media and popular culture in the 1950s will be enlightened, and even entertained, by this exploration of Soupy Sales’ Detroit experience.

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