by Lost Fresno » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:36 pm
Interesting backstory on how Jimmy Weldon came to Fresno in 1956, then left in 1959 but returned to the San Joaquin Valley in 1961. Reprinted form Wikipedia:
In 1948, Jimmy (and Webster Webfoot) moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, where they performed on another 250-watt AM station, KRHD, for two more years. The big 50,000-watt radio station WFAA in Dallas, Texas, recruited Webster and Jimmy as entertainers, and Webster became a real person on television on April 4, 1950, on The Webster Webfoot Show, produced locally by station WFAA-TV.
They moved to California on September 5, 1952, to KCOP-TV, Channel 13, in Hollywood and continued their television careers. During an appearance at a middle school in Brentwood, Jeff Chandler and Randolph Scott collected the tickets from the children and parents who came to see the show. These two movie stars made Jimmy feel very lucky indeed when they commented, "Our children think more of little Webster than they do OUR movie careers." Also, Ralph Edwards was there and in 1955 he gave Webster and Jimmy the positions as co-hosts of a new children's television program titled FUNNYBONERS, a junior version of his famous "Truth or Consequences" radio and television shows.
In 1956 Jimmy and Webster moved to Fresno, California, which began a career in the San Joaquin Valley at KFRE-TV, Channel 12. This was interrupted, however, when NBC executives called them to New York to replace Shari Lewis on the "HI, MOM" Show on the NBC Flagship Station, WRCA-TV, Channel 4. In 1959 Channel 13 in Hollywood once again became their television home.
In 1961 Jimmy and Webster were called back to the San Joaquin Valley. They continued performing their show on KJEO-TV, Channel 47, in Fresno, California, throughout the 1960s. During this time, Jimmy and Webster also did TV shows in Salinas and Bakersfield, California, flying their airplane from city to city for those shows.
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Interesting backstory on how Jimmy Weldon came to Fresno in 1956, then left in 1959 but returned to the San Joaquin Valley in 1961. Reprinted form Wikipedia:
In 1948, Jimmy (and Webster Webfoot) moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, where they performed on another 250-watt AM station, KRHD, for two more years. The big 50,000-watt radio station WFAA in Dallas, Texas, recruited Webster and Jimmy as entertainers, and Webster became a real person on television on April 4, 1950, on The Webster Webfoot Show, produced locally by station WFAA-TV.
They moved to California on September 5, 1952, to KCOP-TV, Channel 13, in Hollywood and continued their television careers. During an appearance at a middle school in Brentwood, Jeff Chandler and Randolph Scott collected the tickets from the children and parents who came to see the show. These two movie stars made Jimmy feel very lucky indeed when they commented, "Our children think more of little Webster than they do OUR movie careers." Also, Ralph Edwards was there and in 1955 he gave Webster and Jimmy the positions as co-hosts of a new children's television program titled FUNNYBONERS, a junior version of his famous "Truth or Consequences" radio and television shows.
In 1956 Jimmy and Webster moved to [b]Fresno, California[/b], which began a career in the San Joaquin Valley at KFRE-TV, Channel 12. This was interrupted, however, when NBC executives called them to New York to replace Shari Lewis on the "HI, MOM" Show on the NBC Flagship Station, WRCA-TV, Channel 4. In 1959 Channel 13 in Hollywood once again became their television home.
In 1961 Jimmy and Webster were called back to the San Joaquin Valley. They continued performing their show on KJEO-TV, Channel 47, in Fresno, California, throughout the 1960s. During this time, Jimmy and Webster also did TV shows in Salinas and Bakersfield, California, flying their airplane from city to city for those shows.