You will have to forgive me for this one if you are not from St. Louis and you are not about my age.

This morning, I started thinking about TV news, and all of a sudden two names popped into my mind: Frank Eschen and John Rodell. Both were newscasters on KSD-TV, channel 5. I remember Frank Eschen as an older man. Apparently he died at age 50 in 1960. John Rodell, on the other hand, was John Roedel (I probably knew that at dome point) and he lived until 2007, when he died at 86.

The other local TV personalities I remember:

Russ David

Dotty Bennett

Texas Bruce

Ernie Heldman

Sammy Gardner

Charlotte Peters

Texas Bruce was on five days a week and tought us “border Spanish”. Like “hasta la vista, vaqueros”. I remember my surprise when I discovered he wasn’t from Texas and his name wasn’t Bruce. But I guess he would have had a harder time as Cowboy Harry Gibbs.

Ernie Heldman was a magician who had a weekend show with his wife (was her name Arleen?) as his assistant. I bet he had a good time doing his show. I bet she didn’t.

They were sponsored by Pepsi Cola. Whenever anyone says, “Say the magic word”, I still know what it is. I remember when I learned where the Heldmans lived in University City. It was such an ordinary house.

Sammy Gardner was a musician. I think he played the clarinet. He had a combo called the Mound City Six and for a while they had a weekend TV show, which I loved. The Mound City Six was a dixieland band. Every week. What could be better?

Russ David was also a musician and pianist. He popped up everywhere, and he had his own TV variety show, too. I connect him with Pevely Dairy (“white in the bottle, pink on the cheeks”). Is that right? I was never a big fan, but he seemed to be ubiquitous. And I remember Dottie (Dotty? Dottye?) singing with him, don’t I?

As to Charlotte Peters, I remember her name, but not much else.

Of course, I remember the sportscasters. Harry Caray broadcast the Cardinals games (before a sex scandal sent him to Chicago).

The original Cardinals’ sponsor in those days was Griesedieck Bros. Brewery (“GB for me, the flavor is terrific, try it and see, refreshing GB beer”). Then, of course, Anheuser Busch bought both GB and the Cardinals.

Caray’s sidekick was former Cardinal Gabby Street, until he died in 1951. Street looks more serious in this picture than I remember him.

The Browns, meanwhile, had the all time best broadcast duo, Buddy Blattner and Dizzy Dean.

As a team, they lasted longer than the Browns did.

Well, that’s about it for my memory. We now leave those exciting days of yesteryear. Back to the future. It’s 2026.