A Close Look At
Local Programming
By Abigail L. Flanders
Post Staff Writer
It’s Thursday afternoon
Jim Strader, the producer and
writer of Whistlestop hurries
into the studio in his “Puff-n
Toot" garb railroad coveralls
and an engineer’s hat, carry
ing an armload of puppets and
a format for Sunday's show.
He calls an informal meeting
on the Whistlestop gang-Cla
ra Lowry, Jim Patterson and
Fred Kirby.
He explains what he wants
for this week's show and rea
dily invites input from the
cast. They all converse and
get into character while the
production crew is busy set
ting the props and making
sure that the lights are proper
ly set. The set and the cast are
ready, so the audio man at
A /
Mb. Beverly Butler
...Winthrop College graduate
Beverly Butler
Named WSOC
Media Assistant
Ms. Beverly Love Butler has
been named Media Assistant
for WSOC-TV, Charlotte, N.C.
Ms Butler’s duties include the
timing and editing of all films
for feature movies, commer
cials and promotional spots.
Ms. Butler joined the WSOC
TV staff in January of 1976 as
Promotional Assistant. Prior
to that she had been a statisti
cian for Xerox, Inc.
Beverly is a graduate of
Winthrop College, Rock Hill,
S.C., and attended Fayette
ville State University in Fa
yetteville, N.C. where she stu
died data processing and tele
vision production.
While at Winthrop College,
Beverly received the “Who’s
Who in American Colleges and
Universities Award" and the
“Drama Award” for 1970.
In addition to her duties at
WSOC-TV, Beverly does
some modeling and works in
commercial productions. She
is single and lives in Charlotte.
I J
discretion of the director, be
gins the theme song ..And
thus, the beginning of another
successful Whistlestop ses
sion.
Whistlestop, one of only two
local children's programs,
was the brain child of Dennis
Phillips, who left WBTV and
Charlotte more than a year
ago and willed it to the indus
trious young Jim Strader.
Since then, the ratings have
soared, and Whistlestop is now
deemed as being one of the
most successful attempts of
good education entertainment
for children. "The success of
the show is due to its talent
staff,” Jim Strader said.
“With a combination of expe
rience and wit from Jim Pat
terson, child appeal from Fred
Kirby and a sincere under
standing and rapport with
children from Clara Lowry,
the show has better than a fair
chance to continue being a
success."
Whistlestop is the first chil
dren’s show that Jim Strader
has ever produced and writ
ten. He sees it as an enormous
challenge, but the rewards for
both Jim and WBTV have
been worth all the time and
effort that Jim and the Whist
lestop cast have put in it. “The
biggest problem is finding the
time to do all the work that
producing and writing a chil
dren’s program takes. I have
had a great deal of input from
the cast and the production
crew, but the responsibilities
of trying to both educate and
entertain children are great. I
must continuously be aware of
the age group that I am trying
to reach and I’m often faced
with the dilemma of either
oversimplifying or undersim
plifying a particualr subject.”
une ot me questions mat is
usually posed by Black view
ers is whether or not the show
has “Black appeal.” Perhaps
one of the best answers to that
question is the fact that the
show has “child appeal,” and
a child’s world has no room for
color distinction or prejudice.
Also, the appearance of Clara
Lowry as the singer, the story
teller, the dancer and often the
puppeteer gives some Black
identification and appeal to
the show. “I am often recog
nized by Black and White chil
dren of all ages who tell me
that they enjoy the show...Not
just because I’m on it, but
because of the show itself.”
In an age when television
reflects the hectic and compli
cated pace of life, it should be
very rewarding for parents to
know that there’s at least one
program that is designed for
the innocent, uncomplicated
minds of children.
BILLY DAMS WITH MARILYN McCOO
Gladys Anderson .Popular husband and wife team
Marilyn McCoo, Delphonics
To Appear On “Soul Train”
Marilyn McCoo and Billy
Davis, the dynamic duo who
broke away recently from the
Fifth Dimension to form
their own act, are special
guests this weekend on the
Soul Train television show
which also features appear
ances by the Delphonics and
vocalists D. J. Rogers.
McCoo and Davis, husband
and wife, team up to do “I
Hope We Get To Love In
Time.”
The Delphonics blend their
melodious voices on ‘‘This
Time,” “Phoney” and “I’ve
Got Everything I Ever Want
In You.” Organized as the
Four Gents in 1964, the Del
phonics are now a trio com
posed of William and Wilbur
Hart and Randy Cain.
In soaring tenor tones, bal
lad singer, D. J. Rogers, im
presses with his lyrical delive
ry ol ‘•(It s Alright Now)
Think I’ll Make It Anyhow’
and “Say You Love Me.”
The Soul Train Dancers
keep the action lively ant
host-producer, Don Cornelius
interviews the artists.
Soul Train is sponsored b)
Johnson Products Co., manu
facturers of hair care pro
ducts and cosmetics especial
ly for Blacks.
nlmd i'eople tan Now
Purchase Needed Aids
RALEIGH — Blind or visual*
ly-impaired people from a
cross the state can now pur
chase needed aids and house
hold items designed especially
for them from the North Caro
lina Division of Services for
the Blind in Raleigh.
The agency stocks hundreds
of these items, and they can
drop by the office at 410 North
Boylan Avenue and inspect
the items prior to purchase.
Items include everything
from a needle threader to a
specially designed scrabble
game or a bowling rail. Dr.
William Waters, director of
the Division states that thus
far items such as self-thread
ing neeldles, large-pring tele
phone dials, specially design
ed alarm clocks, timers,
i1 ■ — 1 ■' ii
watcnes, canes, games, and
kitchen aids such as locklid
sauce pans, splatter guards,
oven mitts, food turners and
measuring cups have been the
most popular items.
Articles the Division sells
are pruchased from the Ame
rican Foundation for the Blind
and sold at a 5 percent dis
count. Dr. Waters says that
this is not a great savings, but
that the greatest advantage is
in saving time in receiving the
products. "People can walk in
our office and make direct
purchases or they can order
them by mail or telephone and
receive them in several
days,” Dr. Waters said.
“We felt this was another
service the Division could of
fer the visually-imparied citi. -
zens in our state.
THE HOUSE OF CHARLES
Barber Shop and Salon
When You Care Enough To Look The Very Best
Figure Control- Cosmetics- Jewelry
Charles H. Williams, MB
_ l LaSalle Street, Charlotte Telephone 394-0608
Loretha Hodges Finds New
Challenges In TV Reporting
D) rtuigan l. r lanuers.
Post Staff Writer
Loretha Hodges is quiet and
soft-spoken, yet dynamically
talented as WSOC TV’s news
reporter. She’s a small town
girl with small town qualities
the kind of qualities that have
made her one of WSOC’s big
gest assets.
Loretha’s home town is Hen
derson, North Carolina. She
came to Charlotte in 1967 to
attend Johson C. Smith Uni
versity. After her graduation
in 1972, she became interested
in trying her hand at news
reporting. In 1973, she became
a part of the WBT radio news
team. In 1974, she joined the
television news team at
WSOC. “It’s more challeng
ing, but easier to do television
news because there’s less hus
tle. Instead of doing five or six
stories as I did when I worked
in radio, I only do one or two.”
Loretha said.
Her goals, ambitions, and
personality are based on her
philosophy of life. “1 believe in
being sensitive to the needs of
others and I would like the
same consideration in return.
I deplore people who place
I more value on material things
than on basic human and emo
tional needs.”
She has the “girl-next-door”
image that blends very well
with her talents as a newsre
porter. She comes across on
Jhe screen as being positive
Ms. Loretha Hodges
...Small town girl
and aggressive yet very down
to earth and very feminine.
She is a young divorcee who
faces all the frustrations of
being a single parent. "1 real
ize that whereever I am going
career-wise is directly related
to where I am taking my child.
I am constantly thinking of
her needs and realizing that
she must come first. After a
busy day of researching and
reporting news, I must extend
just as much energy at the end
of the day for my child. She’s
anexceptional child and like
me, her interest span is very
short.”
Ultimately, Loretha would
like to host her own show-A
show that would analyze the
r
oasic numan condition. 1 De
lieve that’s a long way off, but
I still dream of the day when I
am asked."
Poet To Publish
6-Part Series On
CBD Conference
The Post will begin publish
ing a six-part series on the 12
issues of the Caucus of Black
Democrat Conference. Re
serve your copy now for Hoyle
Martin’s crisp reporting on
this historic event in Black
history. Which will begin
Thursday, May 13.
Attend J
Church
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