From The Archives: Answering Your Questions About WDEF History

Sadly, the answer is No.  The dance program you are talking about was called the Top Ten Dance Party.  Kids from local high schools came into the studio to dance to the hits of the day. 

Unfortunately, that was long before video tape.  So we had no way to record those live programs.  That's why even the commercials were live back then.

Tape didn't come into play until the late 60s.  By then, most local, live shows had been replaced by national, taped ones.  And the local/live shows that were left were not recorded for posterity.  Who knew we'd want to see them again all these years later!

So we've lost or just have snippets of classic Chattanooga television moments like Live Wrestling, Mort Lloyd newscasts, Shock Theater, Bob Brandy & Funtime. 

But here is what we do have.  For our 50th anniversary a few years ago, we re-created as best we could some of those early shows that aired here on WDEF.  And one of them was Top Ten Dance Party.  We have photos from the show, plus a home movie of some dancing, along with memories from people who were on the show.

Here is that story.

And now, for the first time anywhere, I give you the entire film from 1957 of the Top Ten Dance Party.

There isn't any sound (other than the film projector).  But, to my knowledge, this is the oldest moving video of a Chattanooga TV program.  It's from 1957.

We only got this because folks over in Sylvania took home movies when they were on the show & let us know all these years later.  So if you've got any old recordings of local shows (even through the 80s), call the station it aired on.  They probably don't have it.  And if they aren't interested, I am (wparker@wdef.com).

I also highly recommend that you check out our Station History page.  You can see our other stories reminiscing about the early days of TV.. when Luther had hair and Wrestlers did battle right next to the news studio!  (don't miss the wrestling story at the bottom of the page)

I have a brass ashtray with a steam locomotive on it with the call letters WDEF - WDEF TV. Could you give me any information as to when it was used and how long and who made it.

I wish there were a great story behind these, but there isn't.  However, there aren't many of them around, so we still get questions. 

They date back to around 1955.  TV was very new in those days, so WDEF had them made for our sales force to give to advertisers to help promote the city's first station.

There were less than a hundred made.  We're told Porter Warner Industries made them (but there is no record of it).  And the train design came from our own resident art director, Emory Williamson.

While I was digging around looking for the Dance Party video, I came across some old promos that seemed timely.  So I'm going to share those with you.

28 years ago, we were all sweating out the biggest TV cliffhanger of all time.  Who Shot J.R.?

It was the summer of 1980.  And the show Dallas was about the hottest thing on TV (It would go on to be the most successful drama of all-time).  The show brought Soap Operas back to Prime Time.  It revelled in the misdeeds of the filthy rich.  And it's signature was the end of season cliffhanger.  So in the Spring of 1980, the writers shot the most despised man on TV, J.R. Ewing (played by Larry Hagman).

Here's the ending.

The show kicked off a pop culture frenzy that circled around the world.  Everyone had to wait all summer to learn just who shot J.R.

Here at WDEF, we stoked the fire with a contest.  Guess who pulled the trigger and you win a trip to Dallas.  And to promote it, we brought actor Ken Kercheval (Cliff Barnes) to town.

Here is the raw video of him cutting contest promos for us from his hotel (The Read House?) and promoting the fall lineup.  That year, the CBS theme was "We're Looking Good" with the stars showing us the okay sign.

We also taped an interview with him that aired on The Morning Show.  Judy Corn grills Kercheval on his devious character.

Notice that Kercheval smokes during the interview.  You'd never see that now.

In later years, he would come down with Lung Cancer.  But unlike most, he survived it.  He's still working today at the age of 73.  He does theater and TV, most recently in a recurring role on Crossing Jordan.  And he's got a part in the upcoming Mafia movie, Corrado.

I don't know who won the contest that August, but I do know who shot J.R.

Take a look.