On Nov. 25, KING-TV aired a one-hour “70 Years” special about its pioneering history in the television industry, not only in Seattle but in the nation as well, that began on Thanksgiving Day in 1948.
It was a trip down memory lane for the long-time Seattleite and a great history lesson for the relative newcomers. However, I did miss seeing mention of multi-talented Almost Live! star Pat Cashman and ace investigative reporters Julie Blacklow (both MARKETING IMMORTALS, by the way) and Don McGaffin.
Especially memorable was the April Fools’ Day prank. “The Space Needle collapsed”—those were the words from the KING 5 newsroom that aired live on April 1,1989, launching perhaps the most infamous April Fools’ Day prank in Seattle history and sending many in Washington State into a panic. It actually was the brainchild for the Almost Live! staff. One of those close to the caper said it actually helped the struggling show gain in attention and popularity on a 15-year run that continued through 1999.
Jim Rose, KING 5 president and general manager, said, “We’re proud of our history covering our unique, trailblazing community. Our continuing success in achieving audience growth is due to the incredible storytelling of our journalists, our constant desire to innovate and our deep involvement in the community.”
Here’s to another 70-plus.
—LC