Stan Chambers

KTLA News Correspondent

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

Part of the local Los Angeles news scene for over 60 years, Stan Chambers (1923-2015) was instrumental in the national evolution of local television news coverage. Chambers worked at KTLA almost since its inception. In his four-hour Archive interview, Chambers discusses the many local events, breaking news stories and tragedies he has covered. He speaks on the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy involving the rescue attempt of a little girl who was trapped in a well and also discusses hosting Frosty Frolics. Additionally, he talks about covering an above ground Nevada A-bomb test with television cameras for the first time; the first Telecopter, the Watts Riots, breaking the Rodney King beating story and many others. Karen Herman conducted the interview on July 28, 1998 in Los Angeles, CA.

"I like the idea of the live deadline of standing there with your mic in-hand and 20 seconds to go waiting for the cue. It's a sensation that I do enjoy. I frankly just think that I'm there in the dark talking to the cameraman."

Highlights

Stan Chambers on KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958

05:51

Stan Chambers covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968

04:28

Stan Chambers on KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers

11:04

Stan Chambers on how he'd like to be remembered

01:30

Stan Chambers on a photo of a 1952 live remote of an atomic bomb test in Nevada

00:38

Stan Chambers on the history and facilities of KTLA and some of the key people who were there at the beginning

14:14

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his early years growing up in Los Angeles, his education and military service, and his first work in radio

29:37

Chapter 2

On his student work at radio station KUSC and his interest in the new medium of television

09:37

On joining KTLA and his initial jobs behind-the-scenes at the local Los Angeles station

05:07

On the history and facilities of KTLA and some of the key people who were there at the beginning

14:14

Chapter 3

On his early years at KTLA and some of the unique programming that was on the station, the influence of Klaus Landsberg

28:39

Chapter 4

On selling ads on KTLA; on hosting shows including Frosty Frolics and a cooking show; the death of Klaus Landsberg and how it affected KTLA

17:50

On reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide

11:01

Chapter 5

On the conclusion of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy and some of the details of the coverage as well as the influence it had for how television covered live news events

08:18

On KTLA's remote coverage of the local Southern California troops leaving for Korea and returning from duty

01:48

On KTLA's remote coverage of atom bomb tests in Nevada in 1952

07:19

On KTLA's coverage of hearings and Los Angeles stories with a national focus

Chapter 6

On anchoring KTLA's evening news in 1958 (and using an improvised prompting system)

02:04

On KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958

05:51

On Los Angeles' KTLA's news coverage and competition in the late-50s and early 60s, including the assassination of President Kennnedy, the Baldwin Hills Dam collapse (1963); becoming news director for KTLA and his role in managing the team

16:23

On Gene Autry's purchase of Los Angeles' KTLA station; changes in the newsroom

04:05

Chapter 7

On covering the Watts Riots in 1965 and the Los Angeles riots in 1993

10:38

On covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968

04:28

On stepping down as KTLA's new director in 1970 and focusing on reporting; on the changes in local news coverage; on covering Pope John Paul II's visit to Los Angeles in 1997

12:14

Chapter 8

On KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers

11:04

On the process of covering local news

17:27

Chapter 9

On news coverage's evolution throughout his career

16:49

On how he'd like to be remembered

01:30

On some of the people he's worked with during his long career

10:05

Chapter 10

On some more of the people he's worked with in his career at KTLA; his first wife Beverly; current wife Gigi

10:43

On photos of some of the highlights in his career

04:33

Shows

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Stan Chambers on the first Emmy winners Mike Stokey and Shirley Dinsdale

01:37

Frosty Frolics

Stan Chambers on hosting Frosty Frolics on Los Angeles' KTLA

05:51

Stan Chambers on a cast photo from Frosty Frolics

00:27

Judy Splinters

News correspondent Stan Chambers (then stagehand) on popular KTLA series Judy Splinters (with Emmy-winning ventriloquist/host Shirley Dinsdale) and its move to the NBC network

00:44

News correspondent Stan Chambers (then stagehand) on Judy Splinters ventriloquist/host Shirley Dinsdale

00:35

Lawrence Welk Show, The

Stan Chambers on getting Lawrence Welk on the air on KTLA

01:37

Mike Stokey's Pantomime Quiz aka Stump the Stars

News correspondent Stan Chambers (then stagehand) on how the popularity of KTLA's Pantomime Quiz led it to the CBS network

00:41

Time for Beany

Stan Chambers on the introduction of Beany and Cecil on Los Angeles' station KTLA

01:08

Stan Chambers on Time for Beany's Stan Freberg and Daws Butler

01:56

Topics

Civil Rights Movement

Stan Chambers on covering the Watts Riots in Los Angeles in 1965

04:36

JFK Assassination and Funeral

Stan Chambers on announcing the death of President Kennedy on Los Angeles' KTLA station

01:37

Korean War

Stan Chambers on KTLA's remote coverage of the local Southern California troops leaving for Korea and returning from duty

01:48

Network Creation

Stan Chambers on the history and facilities of KTLA and some of the key people who were there at the beginning

14:14

Studio and Network Management

Stan Chambers on the history and facilities of KTLA and some of the key people who were there at the beginning

14:14

Stan Chambers on Gene Autry's purchase of KTLA Los Angeles

02:26

Technological Innovation

Stan Chambers on how the definition on the early television cameras almost prevented him from being on-camera

01:53

Stan Chambers on anchoring KTLA's evening news in 1958 (and using an improvised prompting system)

02:04

Stan Chambers on KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958

05:51

Stan Chambers on KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers

11:04

Stan Chambers on a photo of a 1952 live remote of an atomic bomb test in Nevada

00:38

Stan Chambers on a photo of the maiden voyage of KTLA's telecopter

00:33

We Cried

Stan Chambers on reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide

11:01

Stan Chambers the conclusion of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy and some of the details of the coverage as well as the influence it had for how television covered live news events

08:38

Stan Chambers on covering the Los Angeles riots in 1993

06:02

Stan Chambers on covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968

04:28

Stan Chambers on KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers

11:04

Stan Chambers on a photo of his coverage of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy

00:27

Stan Chambers on a screen photo of his breaking the Rodney King beating story on KTLA

00:26

Professions

Journalists & News Producers

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Stan Chambers on the process of covering local news

17:27

Genres

Commercials

Stan Chambers on selling and hosting ads for KTLA in the early 1950s

06:12

News and Documentary

Stan Chambers on reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide

11:01

Stan Chambers the conclusion of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy and some of the details of the coverage as well as the influence it had for how television covered live news events

08:38

Stan Chambers on KTLA's remote coverage of the local Southern California troops leaving for Korea and returning from duty

01:48

Stan Chambers on anchoring KTLA's evening news in 1958 (and using an improvised prompting system)

02:04

Stan Chambers on KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958

05:51

Stan Chambers on covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968

04:28

Stan Chambers on KTLA's breaking the news story of the Rodney King beating by Los Angeles police officers

11:04

Stan Chambers on the process of covering local news

17:27

Stan Chambers on news coverage's evolution throughout his career

16:49

Stan Chambers on a photo of the maiden voyage of KTLA's telecopter

00:33

People

Gene Autry

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Stan Chambers on Gene Autry's purchase of KTLA Los Angeles

02:26

Stan Chambers on Gene Autry

00:49

Daws Butler

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Stan Chambers on Time for Beany's Stan Freberg and Daws Butler

01:56

Spade Cooley

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Stan Chambers on Spade Cooley

00:53

Shirley Dinsdale

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Stan Chambers on Shirley Dinsdale's start at KTLA

00:50

Stan Chambers on Shirley Dinsdale

00:34

News correspondent Stan Chambers (then stagehand) on Judy Splinters ventriloquist/host Shirley Dinsdale

00:35

Kathy Fiscus

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Stan Chambers on reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide

11:01

Hal Fishman

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Stan Chambers on Hal Fishman

01:21

Stan Freberg

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Stan Chambers on Time for Beany's Stan Freberg and Daws Butler

01:56

Dorothy Gardner

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Stan Chambers on Dorothy Gardner

01:09

Art Gilmore

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Stan Chambers on his student work at radio station KUSC and his interest in the new medium of television

09:37

Ken Graue

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Stan Chambers on Ken Graue

00:46

Corris Guy

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Stan Chambers on Corris Guy (host of KTLA's early cooking show Tricks and Treats )

01:03

Pope John Paul II

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Stan Chambers on covering Pope John Paul II's visit to Los Angeles for KTLA in 1997

03:03

Robert F. Kennedy

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Stan Chambers on covering the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968

04:28

John Milton Kennedy

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Stan Chambers on John Milton Kennedy

00:28

Dick Lane

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Stan Chambers on Dick Lane

01:24

Roberta Linn

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Stan Chambers on Roberta Linn

01:00

Gil Martin

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Stan Chambers on Gil Martin

00:26

Korla Pandit

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Stan Chambers on KTLA's mesmerizing organist Korla Pandit

01:19

Stan Chambers on Korla Pandit

00:44

Clete Roberts

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Stan Chambers on Clete Roberts

01:21

John Silva

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Stan Chambers on KTLA's invention and use of the first news helicopter, the "telecopter" in 1958

05:51

Bud Stefan

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Stan Chambers on KTLA director Bud Stefan

02:07

Stan Chambers on Bud Stefan

01:35

Mike Stokey

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Stan Chambers on Mike Stokey's start at KTLA

00:47

Lawrence Welk

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Stan Chambers on getting Lawrence Welk on the air on KTLA

01:37

Stan Chambers on Lawrence Welk

00:44

Bill Welsh

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Stan Chambers on reporting at the scene of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy -- a story that was followed nationwide

11:01

Stan Chambers the conclusion of the 1949 Kathy Fiscus tragedy and some of the details of the coverage as well as the influence it had for how television covered live news events

08:38

Stan Chambers on Bill Welsh

00:49

Gordon Wright

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Stan Chambers on Gordon Wright

00:37