About
"Have we made television what it is, or has it made us what we are? It’s both. It’s a mirror of ourselves as a human race and as a species. We're not a perfect race, and television was already reflecting that. And ever since, it has, and should."
In his nearly three-hour interview, Sterling “Red” Quinlan (1916-2007) discusses how he began his career in 1947 at WBKB in Chicago -- where he eventually worked his way up to station manager. He describes the rise of the Chicago School of Television, known for programs like Kukla, Fran & Ollie, Studs' Place, and Garroway at Large. He recounts working with many of Chicago television's talents, including Burr Tillstrom, Studs Terkel, and Dave Garroway. Quinlan recalls his status as the most important independent station manager in the country in the 1940s and '50s, and speaks of working with Leonard Goldenson, Elton Rule, Edward Noble, and many other television executives. He talks of leaving WBKB in 1965, of consulting for WTTW (Chicago’s public television station), and of working with DG Systems in Chicago. He also discusses the many books he's written, including The Merger, Jugger, The Hundred Million Dollar Lunch, and Inside ABC. Roy Leonard conducted the interview on July 20, 1999 in Chicago, IL.
Highlights
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the Chicago School of Television
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his encounters with mob boss Tony Accardo
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the formation of ABC and on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Starling "Red" Quinlan on a broadcasting code of ethics
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early radio jobs and dealing with the Depression; on early radio programs he listened to; on doing radio in Cleveland
On his experience with World War II; on working in local radio in Cicero, Illinois; on his earliest experiences with television
On his duties in local television; on Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Chapter 2
On the local television scene and WBKB Chicago in the late '40s; on the establishment of the ABC network; on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station; on the programming he wanted to do; on clashing with Leonard H. Goldenson and ABC in New York over various issues
On the creativity of local Chicago television in the '50s; on the local series Home Again; on what made Chicago local programming different in the '50s and the Chicago School of Television
Chapter 3
On dealing with the mob in Chicago; on working with William Bell and Lee Phillip Bell; on Studs Terkel's show Studs' Place; on Dave Garroway
On the ABC facilities in Chicago in the '50s; on the local news at WBKB in Chicago; on the tensions between WBKB in Chicago and ABC in New York; on leaving ABC
On writing the books Inside ABC and The Merger; on Leonard H. Goldenson and Elton H. Rule
Chapter 4
On Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"; on building the local Chicago station WFLD; on becoming involved with public television
On comparing working in public television to working in commercial television; on woking with the unions; on running up against the Catholic church and on dealing with Chicago politicians; on the then-current state of television news
On the relationships between networks and affiliates; on what made him want to get into television; on his books
Chapter 5
On career highlights and regrets; on the then-future of public television and on the future of network television; on his mentors
On the best advice he was ever given; on how he'd like to be remembered; on various people he worked with during his career
Chapter 6
On Jules Herbuveaux; on consulting on starting a television station in Pakistan; on various people he worked with in his career including Studs Terkel, Burr Tillstrom, and Frank Reynolds
On working with Lee Phillip Bell, William Friedkin, Bob Newhart, and Alex Dreier; on a broadcasting code of ethics
On B-roll pictures from his career: of his book, The Merger; of his novel, Jugger; of his book The Hundred Million Dollar Lunch; of his book Inside ABC; of him as a young man; of Oliver Treyz, Jules Barnathan, and Thomas W. Moore; of Elton H. Rule and Leonard H. Goldenson; of his book jacket picture of The Hundred Million Dollar Lunch
Shows
Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Studs' Place
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Studs Terkel's show Studs' Place
Topics
'The Idiot Box'
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"
Advice
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his mentors
Criticism of TV
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"
Historic Events and Social Change
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his experience with World War II
Pivotal Career Moments
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his mentors
Television Industry
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the creativity of local Chicago television in the '50s and on the local series Home Again
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the Chicago School of Television
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the ABC facilities in Chicago in the '50s
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the local news at WBKB in Chicago
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the tensions between WBKB in Chicago and ABC in New York and on leaving ABC
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on writing the books Inside ABC and The Merger
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on building the local Chicago station WFLD
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on becoming involved with public television
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on comparing working in public television to working in commercial television; on woking with the unions
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on running up against the Catholic church and on dealing with Chicago politicians
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the then-current state of television news
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the relationships between networks and affiliates
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on what made him want to get into television and on his books
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the then-future of public television and on the future of network television
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Starling "Red" Quinlan on consulting on starting a television station in Pakistan
Starling "Red" Quinlan on a broadcasting code of ethics
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the Chicago School of Television
War
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his experience with World War II
World War II
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his experience with World War II
Professions
Executives
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the formation of ABC and on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on why he was named general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on building the local Chicago station WFLD
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Station Manager
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the formation of ABC and on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on why he was named general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on building the local Chicago station WFLD
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Television Executive
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the best advice he was ever given
Genres
Children's Programming
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Kukla, Fran & Ollie
Comedy Series
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Studs Terkel's show Studs' Place
News and Documentary
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the local news at WBKB in Chicago
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the then-current state of television news
People
Tony Accardo
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his encounters with mob boss Tony Accardo
Steve Allen
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Steve Allen's role in the local Chicago series Home Again
Fran Allison
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Kukla, Fran & Ollie star Fran Allison
Roone Arledge
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Roone Arledge
Julie Barnathan
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Jules Barnathan
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on a photo with Ollie Treyz, Julie Barnathan, and Thomas Moore
Lee Phillip Bell
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Lee Phillip Bell and on her start as an announcer in Chicago
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Lee Phillip Bell
Alex Dreier
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Alex Dreier
Jim Duffy
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Jim Duffy
Tom Duggan
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Tom Duggan's contributions to the Chicago School of Television's early talk shows
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Tom Duggan's associations with the mob
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Tom Duggan
William Friedkin
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on what he wanted to do in early '50s Chicago television -- a project with director William Friedkin
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with William Friedkin
Dave Garroway
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Dave Garroway
Leonard H. Goldenson
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his relationship with Leonard H. Goldenson and on clashing with him and ABC in New York over various issues
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the formation of ABC and on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Leonard H. Goldenson and Elton H. Rule
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Leonard H. Goldenson
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on a photo with Elton Rule and Leonard Goldenson
Jules Herbuveaux
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Jules Herbuveaux
Frances Horwich
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Frances Horwich of Ding Dong School
Estes Kefauver
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on clashing with Leonard H. Goldenson and ABC in New York over airing the Kefauver hearings
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on running up against the Catholic church on a story about Martin Luther King, Jr. and on dealing with Chicago politicians
Bill McCarter
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on becoming involved with public television and working with Bill McCarter
Newton N. Minow
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"
Thomas W. Moore
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Thomas W. Moore
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on a photo with Ollie Treyz, Julie Barnathan, and Thomas Moore
Bob Newhart
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Bob Newhart
Edward J. Noble
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on the formation of ABC and on becoming general manager of ABC's Chicago station
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Edward J. Noble
Richard O'Leary
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Dick O'Leary
James C. Petrillo
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his battle with Jimmy Petrillo and the musician's union
Frank Reynolds
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Frank Reynolds
Elton H. Rule
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Leonard H. Goldenson and Elton H. Rule
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Elton H. Rule
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on a photo with Elton Rule and Leonard Goldenson
Theodore Shaker
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Ted Shaker
Simon Siegel
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Simon Siegel
Fred Silverman
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Fred Silverman
Studs Terkel
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Studs Terkel's show Studs' Place
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Studs Terkel
Burr Tillstrom
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Burr Tillstrom
Oliver E. Treyz
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on working with Oliver E. Treyz
Sterling "Red" Quinlan on a photo with Ollie Treyz, Julie Barnathan, and Thomas Moore