Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Turcovsky. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Jim Turcosky (Jim T.) was born in Homestead, PA. My family worked in the Steel Mills and Railroad. My Dad served in the National Guard during the Korean War, left the steel mill, and started a Gulf Gas Station/Auto Repair Shop with my uncle 20 miles north of Pittsburgh soon after I was born in 1955, and ran it for over 40 years. I worked there through High School and during breaks in college. There I learned an appreciation of the people who made up our community and was taught that all individuals bring something to the table and we depend on everybody’s contribution to make our Nation great. I went to Holy Sepulcher Grade School from 1st to 6th grade then finished up at Mars Jr. Sr. High School. in Butler County, Pa. (We were the mighty Mars Planets.) Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, I loved to watch localTV and listen to the radio. I enjoyed advertising jingles of the day and still can sing along. I had a chance to hear my voice played back to me from a tape recording from one of my Dad’s friends, and thought that was so cool! Later on while in Jr. High and High School, we got a cassette tape recorder/player and I started creating “shows” and satires of TV shows. My sister Carol was one of the stars, then my fellow classmates joined in. We used to record LPs for sound FX and started writing scripts. We got a kick out of this because it was well received by our classmates in school. Later on, our family bought an 8mm film camera and we started doing funny action shorts in the backyard, using stop-action. I had my sister sit on her butt and move around the yard as I took a frame at a time. (The result was her scooting around and crashing into a tree, which was a riot).
As I was nearing graduation, I had to figure out what was I going to do. I could work at the family service station or go to college. After looking back at what I liked to do… it seemed that radio and TV would be an occupation that I would enjoy. I wrote to the local Pittsburgh TV stations to see if they could recommend a college. All but one declined to recommend, except WXII-TV’s Programming Director David Chase. He let me come in to visit and talk to him. Mr. Chase recommends Ohio University in Athen, OH. After a visit there, that is where I went. O.U. was great for hands-on experience besides academics. I worked at my dorm’s radio station and started working at the PBS Station on campus WOUB-TV. The station had high-end equipment, full color, did local programs, and had a weekly 10 pm newscast. All student workers had to be trained and checked out before they were to do anything on the air. It was wonderful, and I knew that I wanted to get a job as a Producer-Director, and Writer. Because my parents were great lovers of all kinds of music, I too loved all types of music. This was extremely helpful in TV production. I graduated with a BS in Communications majoring in TV Production. It was very challenging to get a job in TV. I received many rejections. I even drove up to 6 hours just to meet representatives at TV stations in Pennsylvania. (Even if there wern’t opening) It was tough then to prove you had the experience because VHS tape was not invented yet and video tape recording was done on 2″ tape on very expensive record/playback machines. I couldn’t show them any of the videos I did in school and just had to sell them on my experience. In the meantime, I also worked at the family service station.
I sent out a flock of resumes once again and finally received one reply back. This was going on for almost one year since I graduated from OU. It was from one of the stations I drove two hours just to meet them. By the grace of God, I got the job as a Producer/Director/Writer for commercials and direct newscasts for CBS affiliate WTAJ-TV10 Altoona, Pa. TV10 was a wonderful place to grow. I had the chance to learn from a great staff of coworkers and was able to produce documentaries, children, sports, public service announcements, promotions, and presentations for Sales. I later was promoted to Production Manager after three years.
I could have stayed there forever, but I wanted to grow in my career and took a job at WXII-TV12 Winston-Salem, NC. as a Producer/Director/Writer. (Thanks to coworkers who moved there from TV10) The projects I was responsible for were Commercials, Sales Presentations, Daily Shows, Newscasts, Corporate Videos (R.J.Reynolds has based in W-S) Entertainment Programs such as Beauty Pageants, NCAA Sports, and philharmonic concerts. TV12 had its own remote truck, and this helped add to my production experience a lot. After 4 years at TV12, I wanted to go back into management and was offered the position of Production Manager within the same company at WPTA-TV21 in Fort Wayne, IN. This is where I stayed for over 30 years. This was a great experience. Went through 4 corporate changes, and a tremendous change in technology, and was still able to Produce/Direct and write now and then.
I added telethons to my experience. (We did telethons for Easter Seals and United Cerebral Palsy) The most challenging experience I had is when TV technology allowed TV stations to the hub. TV technology switched from an analog signal to a digital broadcast signal. Through corporate deals, we started running our local NBC affiliate, WKJG-TV33 half a mile away and ended with running programming for 17 stations from the WPTA-TV facility. (Stations from Peoria, IL and Detroit MI). I was responsible for keeping track of the recording of all programs, commercials, promos, and public service announcements for all the stations., and server management.
This tremendous feat could have never taken place without an amazing group of coworkers. It’s mind-boggling what we achieved. Everyone’s contribution was over the top. Some of the interesting things that happened while I was working in TV were the following:
Some of the People I Met:
Arlen Spector when he first ran for US PA Senate
Bobby Venton (singer)
Oak Ridge Boys
Herbie Mann Jazz Flute Player
Murray Amsterdam (Dic Van Dyke Show)
Patricia Neal (actress)
Doug Henning (Magician)
Dave Thomas (Wendy’s Founder)
Richard Simmons (Personality and Exercise Expert)
Richard Luger (US Indiana Senator)
Peter Noon (Herman’s Hermits and Show Host)
Shelly Long (Cheers)
Shirley Jones (Actress)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Taran Noah Smith (Home Improvement)
Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver)
Jerry Houser (Actor… (Summer of ’42 Slap Shot)
Joe Paterno (Coach Penn State)
Some major Stories that happen while working on TV
President Reagan Shot
John Lennon Shot
Iranian Hostages Released
Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia Disasters
911 Twin Towers
After I left WPTA-TV in 2017 I later joined Turnstone Center for Disabled Children and Adults as their Special Events Coordinator. Turnstone is also a Training Center for the USA Paralympics Goalball Team. I had the honor of meeting amazing clients and staff who make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. I worked there for one year and still volunteer for major projects.
Community Volunteer and activist and Misc facts
I have been a Little League Coach and Little League Sponsorship Board Member.
PTA President in Elementary School
PTA Member and Volunteer in Jr. High and Senior High
Fort Wayne Three Rivers Festival Board Member for over 30 years.
Choreographer for Elementary School Talent Shows
Pep Rally Show producer
Basketball Coach for Elementary School age students
Co-Producer for 2 Veterans Parades in Fort Wayne
Volunteer for The National Memorial Shrine and Museum in Fort Wayne
Coordinate United Day of Caring with Businesses and Shrine
Took 2 sign language courses in order to say hello to Elementary Students
Flew with my father in his Piper J-3 Cub (1946 model)
Carry on Family and Friends’ history and stories from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.
Was involved in the last draft in 1971. The number was 278. Didn’t have to serve.
The first car was a 1952 Ford Mainline
Involved with Drive-Alive Indiana to keep young drivers safe on the road and keep parents involved while they are learning. I lost 10 high school classmates within 5 years to auto wrecks. some of those wrecks were towed by our service station.
Did brake jobs, exhaust systems, tune-ups with points and condenser, balanced end-of-the-day receipts at the end of the day, towed cars, tire work and balancing, Pennsylvania State Licensed auto inspector, at family service station and repair shop.
Pin Boy at Heinz Company (Ketchup) Employee Resort Bowling Alley.
Crazy Thing in TV. WPTA-TV has knocked off the air when a hawk landed on our power transformer and shorted it out. I was with others to see what happened and saw the transformer smoking and saw the headless hawk body charred from the inside out. the feather was still on the body but the inside of the quills was burnt. The head was in perfect condition except it was cauterized at the neck.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It was very challenging to get a job in TV. I received many rejections. I even drove up to 6 hours just to meet representatives at TV stations in Pennsylvania. (Even if there wern’t opening) It was tough then to prove you had the experience because VHS tape was not invented yet and video tape recording was done on 2″ tape on very expensive record/playback machines. I couldn’t show them any of the videos I did in school and just had to sell them on my experience. In the meantime, I also worked at the family service station. I sent out a flock of resumes once again and finally received one reply back.
This was going on for almost one year since I graduated from OU. It was from one of the stations I drove two hours just to meet them. By the grace of God, I got the job as a Producer/Director/Writer for commercials and direct newscasts for CBS affiliate WTAJ-TV10 Altoona, Pa.
The most challenging experience I had is when TV technology allowed TV stations to the hub. TV technology switched from an analog signal to a digital broadcast signal. Through corporate deals, we started running our local NBC affiliate, WKJG-TV33 half a mile away and ended with running programming for 17 stations from the WPTA-TV facility. (Stations from Peoria, IL and Detroit MI). I was responsible for keeping track of the recording of all programs, commercials, promos, and public service announcements for all the stations., and server management.
This tremendous feat could have never taken place without an amazing group of coworkers. It’s mind-boggling what we achieved. Everyone’s contribution was over the top.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Proud to have: (Not One Thing) Directing Newscasts for 10 years
Directing Winston-Salem Philharmonic Concerts
Directing Fort Wayne Philharmonic Concerts
Writing and Producing Commercials…Sometimes acting in them
Producing Festival of Trees using Dance and Musicians in the community
Directed Miss North Carolina USA Pageant Show
Produced Miss Pennsylvania Show (Miss America Scholarship Pageant)
Doing PSAs for our Fort Wayne Ballet
Writing/Directing and Producing Children Programs
Doing a “Come Together” Video Campaign after 911 hit.
Having CBS WKRP Show Stars come in and do some fun bits on our news set at WTAJ-TV10
Doing a scene with CBS Soap Opera stars with a script I wrote promoting our Noon News at WTAJ-TV10
I am running Programming for 17 stations.
I run the camera, instant reply, Robo cam., and graphics for our local pro sports teams at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum. The video is part of the scoreboard system for the fans. This is just part-time fun. (I’m retired)
I don’t look at what sets me apart from others. This is what I contribute to the community around me. I would be nothing without the people who are and have been part of my life.
I’d like to think I’m known for my work ethic, caring for others, craziness and fun attitude, and creativity.
What matters most to you?
Family, doing the right thing. Helping others. Creative Outlets. Being someone who people can count on. Having family in town is a blessing. Reaching out to help others is a blessing and I thank God for the opportunity.
I enjoy displaying creativity to others to offer enjoyment. It fulfills me. I had a bucket list to sing in a rock n roll band I got that chance for 6 months. The band broke up, but it was a fantastic experience.
I have performed in a couple of stage musicals in one of our local theaters. It was a blast. (Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the Roof).
