Early Rose Festival Parade Coverage

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Author: Craig_adams
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 6:42 am
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The first broadcast of the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade was on Monday, June 10, 1929. KGW was the first station to begin this tradition, when it began coverage at 2:00PM to 4:00PM from Multnomah Stadium (PGE Park). Sid Goodwin was the announcer. He was KGW's Sports Announcer and had been previously at Meier & Frank's KFEC as Program Director and earlier, KTBR's Chief Announcer.

In the second year of broadcast coverage on Friday, June 13, 1930 KGW reduced the program by an hour, 2:15PM to 3:15PM. Sid Goodwin was back as the announcer from Multnomah Stadium.

On Friday June 12, 1931 KOIN became the second station to broadcast the Rose Festival Parade: "Art Kirkham chief announcer for KOIN will review the parade from a vantage point in The Journal building giving intimate details of each float as it turns from Yamhill Street to Broadway. Special lines installed in The Journal building for this purpose, will be used. Kirkham will have several assistants covering sidelight of the parade and a special microphone will pick up crowd noises and band music." (The Journal 6-11-31) The parade was on KOIN 3:30PM to 5:00PM.

"KXL also announces a broadcast of the parade from a downtown location. Rollie Truitt will be at the microphone." (The Journal 6-11-31) At the time Rollie Truitt was KXL Program Director, Chief Announcer & Sports Announcer. KXL broadcast the parade 3:00PM to 5:00PM.

In 1932 the June 17th (Friday) The Rose Festival Parade was only covered by KOIN for 45 minutes 2:15PM to 3:00PM with Captain Dobbsie & Art Kirkham.

1933 saw The Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade first broadcast on a radio network. The Don Lee Broadcasting System carried the parade to its western stations via KOIN on Friday June 9th 3:00PM to 5:00PM. "Art Kirkham & Gene Baker alternating at the microphone. For two hours the description will be released to stations of the DLBS chain." (The Journal 6-8-33)

On Thursday June 14, 1934 KOIN was once again the only station to carry a parade broadcast 3:30PM to 4:30PM with Art Kirkham as announcer.

In 1935 the Parade was back on a Friday which was June 7th and KOIN had competition. KEX, which was KGW's sister, broadcast the "Rose Festival Floral Parade" 3:30PM to 4:30PM. No announcer given. KOIN's broadcast 3:00PM to 4:00PM was sponsored by The Texaco Oil Company. No announcer names given.

1936 saw KEX expand its coverage with a preview of the parade activities at 9:30AM to 10:30AM on Friday June 12th. KEX's Texaco sponsored Floral Parade broadcast began at 10:30AM and ended at Noon. No announcer names given. KOIN's broadcast with Art Kirkham was on 10:30AM to Noon.

KEX continued to expand its parade coverage in 1937 broadcasting on June 11th 9:30AM to 10:30AM, ceremonies at Multnomah Stadium "Formation of the Grand Floral Parade: Bill Ross, Don Austin, Homer Welch at the mikes." Then 10:30AM to Noon "The Grand Floral Parade: Picked up from the stadium, where there will be three announcers. Pickup point also at Broadway and Alder, where announcers Rollie Truitt, Phil Irwin, Chet Huntley and ??? Little are at the mikes, making a total of seven announcers, not including special commentators and contact men." (The Oregonian 6-11-37) Side note on the announcers: Bill Ross is Bill Minckler's father. Rollie Truitt had since moved to KEX as The Voice of The Portland Beavers. Chet Huntley, later half of NBC-TV's Huntley-Brinkley Report.

With so many announcers on KEX, KOIN shouted in its Journal ad after mentioning Art Kirkham. "THE MOST COMPLETE FESTIVAL COVERAGE EVER PRESENTED. SEE ALL THE EVENTS YOU CAN... HEAR THE REST ON... KOIN, Presented by Texaco." (The Journal 6-10-37)

In 1938 Art Kirkham shared the mike with Stan Church on KOIN June 10th. "Church will review events from the broadcasting booth in the Civic Stadium as the parade begins. From a vantage point at Southwest Broadway and Salmon Street, Kirkham will describe each float as it passes." (The Journal 6-9-38)

"The Oregonian" stations KGW & KEX split up the coverage in 1938. KGW started with a preview of the Grand Floral Parade 8:00AM to 8:15AM. KEX covered the parade 9:30AM to Noon. "KEX has a regular network of remote pickup wires and a bunch of announcers to man them. It's by far the most complete coverage of The Rose Parade to be aired." (The Oregonian 6-10-38) No announcer names given.

1939 saw the second time The Grand Floral Parade was carried on a network Friday June 9th when the Mutual Broadcasting System picked up the program via KALE 11:00AM to 11:30AM. KALE's sister KOIN had carried the Rose Festival Parade assembling from 9:30AM to 10:00AM. No announcer names given.

KEX had its announcers fanned out all over the parade route. "At the stadium: Don Kneass, Bill Mock and Phil Irwin. 6th and Alder: Bob Tomlinson who will be on the street with Bill Ross who will be stationed in a window of The Oregonian building." (The Oregonian 6-9-39)

On Friday June 7, 1940 Parade coverage was on KEX 9:00AM to 10:00AM. KALE 10:00AM to 10:45AM. No announcer names given.

1941 and The Journal stations, KOIN & KALE were teaming up with coverage. KALE carried The Grand Floral Parade from the Stadium 9:00AM to 9:30AM. KOIN broadcast the Parade at 10:00AM to 10:15AM, then from 11:30 to 11:45AM. "Johnny Carpenter and Art Kirkham act as your binoculars trained on the Big Parade. Johnny Carpenter will broadcast from viewpoints along the parade route." (The Journal 6-12-41)

The June 13th Parade was also carried by KWJJ at 11:00AM. KEX had the earliest coverage with its "Pre-Parade Description" 8:30AM to 10:00AM. (The Oregonian 6-13-41) No announcer names given.

WORLD WAR II stopped The Rose Festival celebration in 1942, 1943, 1944 & 1945.

On Friday June 7, 1946 The Grand Floral Parade was back and so was the radio coverage by KEX 10:30AM to Noon. KOIN & KALE were now competitors, both covering the parade 11:00AM to 11:30AM. No announcer names given.

1947 saw KGW back on June 13th with parade coverage 9:30AM to 10:30AM with announcers Bob Tomlinson, Phil Irwin & Wayne Roberts. KEX now a KGW competitor broadcast the parade 10:00AM to 11:00AM. KALE coverage was 11:00AM to 11:30AM. No announcer names given.

ROSE FESTIVAL TRIVIA: The 1947 song "For You A Rose In Portland Grows" was written by Art Kirkham (lyrics) and music by Alfie Rutherford (of Rutherford's Root Beer fame). The song was featured in the 1948 Festival.

The First Television broadcast of The Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade was on Friday June 12, 1953 when KPTV channel 27 began coverage 9:30AM to 12:30PM. It was sponsored by 1st National Bank and no announcer names were mentioned. Radio continued to cover the parade as well: KGW 9:15AM to 10:30AM. KEX 10:00AM to 11:30AM. KPOJ 10:15AM to Noon.

Author: Kq4
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 8:52 am
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Fascinating! More awesome work, Craig! Thanks!

Author: Jr_tech
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 10:36 am
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Great work...Thanks again, Craig! Anybody have a year for the first color coverage of the parade?

Author: Craig_adams
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 6:37 pm
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Thanks! I've always wondered when Radio & TV coverage began. I knew if I could find a listing of Parade dates on the web, I could go in and cherry pick the data.

One of the things that takes so long in researching radio station histories is the trolling through newspaper microfilm to find what you're looking for. I found the Parade dates on a listing of past Parade weather conditions. It was easy then to get the information. I only spent a day on this project.

Author: Eastwood
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 6:53 pm
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I am in awe of your research, Craig. What are you doing with it, besides posting it here?

Author: Craig_adams
Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 7:42 pm
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I've also sent the history to Mark Moore over at pdxhistory.com. I don't know if Dan would keep something like this in the history section but I knew this is right up Mark Moore's alley. He has a web page devoted to The Rose Festival history.

http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/rose_festival.html

Mark has written me back and says he'd like to add the history to his site. I realize this is not a regular project and has some real meaning to people with roots in Portland.

Author: Craig_adams
Friday, June 06, 2008 - 1:51 am
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Update: Mark Moore has just E-Mailed me, the page is now up. Mark has added a Rose Festival 1938 color ad from KGW-KEX with a picture of two announcers at the KEX microphone and there's a radio engineer in the background.

I believe the announcer on the right to be "Bill Ross" who is Bill Minckler's father. I'm not sure because I only have a side view picture of Ross from 1937.

http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/rose_festival_broadcasts.html

Author: Jimbo
Friday, June 06, 2008 - 5:39 pm
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I don't remember the year but I imagine it to be in the '50's when I was a wee one, the parade went down 10th Ave. KPOJ covered the parade and I remember seeing the mike cables hung out the window of the Odd Fellows building (where KPOJ was) down to their platform on the street.

Author: Craig_adams
Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 2:50 am
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Well here it is parade day morning and I can confirm, thanks to Bill Minckler, the announcer on the right is indeed Bill Ross, in the picture link above.

Author: Randy_in_eugene
Saturday, June 07, 2008 - 10:44 am
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First HDTV broadcast on June 7, 2008 via KGW.

(Seen around the region in SD via NorthWest Cable News.)


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