Michael Rustad's Memories

Early Television In The Red River Valley

During the first weeks of December, high school chorusesfrom Hallock,

Humboldt, Lancaster, Kennedy and Pembina would frequentlyappear on

television to sing Christmas carols. The elementary gradeswould also sing

Christmas carols.

There was a children's show produced at Pembina's KCNDTV called Bo and his

Bucaneers featuring announcing Bo Westergaard. KCND Televisionreceived

very little revenue from our area and was principally a station that servicedthe

Winnipeg market. Still, it was an ABC affiliate and forthe first time we

were able to get good reception because of the large towerthat had to have

the fire power to reach Winnipeg.

I have no present memory of ever watching CBS or NBC. I do remember CBC

from Winnipeg which featured the Canadian news, Hockey Night in Canada and

other television for the Canadian market. We received a faint signal fromValley
City. One of my early memories was watching basketball games on the Valley

City station.

The North Dakota stations had lots of local programming including gardenand

home shows. The North Dakota State Basketball Tournament was generally

broadcast in late February and early March. I remember seeing Phil Jackson

score 47 points in a tournament game. Phil Jackson later played at UNDand still
later for the New York Knicks. He was a minister's kid from Williston and

captained Williston's State High School Championship team.

I would look forward to trips to Grand Forks which received a wider

distribution of television stations including announcers such as Boyd Christensen.
The programs which I remember seeing at my Grandpa and Grandma Carrigans

included The Little Rascals, Queen for a Day, Ozzie and Harriet, and many

others. ABC programs that I can recall were the Donna Reed Show, The

Fugitive, the Millionaire and Leave It to Beaver.

I stopped watching television entirely when I reached college. I then hadanother
hiatus when I lived in Europe from 1975-78.