Channel 13 in Rockford Illinois (WREX-TV) hired me because of my news experience...despite having none in TV news. But...at that stage in 1967-68 TV news was still just radio with film and pictures.
I had no problem writing and delivering the news...except an old habit from radio...licking my lips to moisten them. After the first cast...they pointed that out and it stopped.
I was anchoring the late news...10pm Central time and on weekends it included the weather....standing at the board and pointing things out I didn’t understand. It’s too bad I don’t have a copy of that...Stan Major and the weather were not made for each other.
While I worked I was also pursuing the elective office route and had a decision to make as there was a primary coming up to determine who (if anyone) would be running against long term Congressman John Anderson....Republican of Rockford.
Before all that however there was an interesting development involving the celebrated Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Irv Kupcinet.
Kup had mentioned my name in his important column several times over the years..and he would take my call almost anytime.
I was a bit shocked...but pleasantly when Kup called me at the tv station one day to ask a favor.
There is a lot to this so forgive me if I try to be brief.
Kup lost his daughter...Karyn who was murdered(?) in 1963 in Los Angeles where she had been working in the movies and television.
Kup informed me that the next day he and a bus load of well known personalities would be going from Chicago over to Mt. Carroll in Western Illinois for the dedication of the Karyn Kupcinet Playhouse at Shimer College.
He asked if I could bring a crew and do some interviews and I agreed.
I interviewed several notables...the most well known being actor Hugh O’Brien.
Kup was grateful for that. He would give me a couple of plugs in the forthcoming congressional race...and Paul Harvey picked one up!
stanmajor@aol.com
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