{"id":16008,"date":"2024-09-20T13:36:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T17:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/?p=16008"},"modified":"2024-09-20T15:54:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-20T19:54:07","slug":"wfsu-television-celebrates-the-day-it-went-on-the-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfsu.org\/local-routes\/2024-09-20\/wfsu-television-celebrates-the-day-it-went-on-the-air\/","title":{"rendered":"WFSU Television Celebrates the Day it Went on the Air"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"TV
Original Transmitter for WFSU-TV in 1960.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

2024 marks the 64rd<\/sup> year of WFSU Television<\/a> being on the air and in our community. A lot has happened over six-plus decades.  Here\u2019s a look at how it all began and some of the ways it has changed over the years\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WFSU Television hits the airwaves<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the mid-1950s, the Florida Legislature worked on a plan to coordinate and create educational television stations throughout the state, including one on the campus of Florida State University. The FSU location made sense.  The university already had an FM radio station <\/a>broadcasting from the top of the Longmire building<\/a> since January 21, 1949. In fact, it was already using the call letters \u201cWFSU\u201d.  On September 20, 1960, the television version of WFSU began operations in the original west wing of Dodd Hall <\/a>in the area that now houses the Werkmeister Reading Room<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"black
View from the WFSU -TV control room in overlooking the the studio in Dodd Hall on FSU’s campus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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WFSU staff at WFSU-TV in the early years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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\"A
Ed Herp, WFSU General Manager 1961-1988 (WFSU)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The black-and-white television signal initially broadcast lectures created by FSU professors. WFSU-TV programming quickly expanded to include music performances, talk shows, and other programs. The hours of location production and number of employees grew too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WFSU Television and the Fred Rogers connection<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"A
Nancy Tribble Benda hosted the WFSU children’s program “Miss Nancy’s Store” in the 1960s. (State Archives of Florida)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In 1966, the station began the children\u2019s educational show called \u201cMiss Nancy\u2019s Store\u201d<\/a> which was aired by educational television stations across the state. \u00a0This program and WFSU-TV had special ties to another well-known children\u2019s program creator: Fred Rogers.<\/a>\u00a0 The General Manager of the Television station, Ed Herp, as well as Program Director Duane Alten Franceschi and Producer\/Director Keith Carlson all came from WQED <\/a>in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Fred Rogers was already creating children\u2019s television.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1955 to 1961, Rogers\u2019 wrote the program \u201cThe Children\u2019s Corner\u201d<\/a>. He also composed it\u2019s music and performed the voices for many of the puppet characters that were later included on his internationally known \u201cMister Rogers\u2019 Neighborhood\u201d<\/a> program which was also produced at WQED.\u00a0 Herp’s connection to Fred Rogers and his early high-quality educational children\u2019s programming not only influenced \u201cMiss Nancy\u2019s Store\u201d<\/a> but also helped bring Rogers to visit WFSU and Tallahassee several times over the decades. Another reason Fred Rogers came to Tallahassee was the fact that his wife of 50 years, Joanne, received her Master’s degree in Music from Florida State University<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Fred
Fred Rogers visits with children at the Tallahassee Museum (formerly called the Tallahassee Junior Museum back then) in the 1970s. FSU Professor and Pianist Leonidas Lipovetsky is on the stage behind him.
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\"Fred
Fred Rogers talks to children at a WFSU event in Tallahassee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Fred
Fred Rogers and his wife Joanne getting ready on a WFSU TV set for an interview. Mrs. Rogers received her Masters degree from the FSU College of Music.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

WFSU’s Mike Plummer explores the story of “Miss Nancy’s Store” and the woman behind it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n