An almost complete episode of The Grandpa Ken Show has been posted on YouTube on the TCMediaNow channel! The program features artwork by Grandpa Ken, a musical recording with artwork by Ken, a Vidcraft Wizard of Oz cartoon, price giveaways, and appearances by Ken’s puppets. This may be the only existing episode of the program […]
updated Feb 15, 2025 Romper Room was developed by Bert and Nancy Claster in Baltimore in 1953 and distributed nationally as a franchise. Each broadcast market around the country had it’s own locally produced version of the show. The program endured into the mid-90’s. Each local TV show shared several common elements. Children were encouraged […]
Minor updates Aug 12, 2023 Ken Wagner entertained Minnesota children from 1960 to 1973 on KMSP, channel 9. When the show began, Wagner was known as Captain Ken, a character he originally created for WOC-TV in Davenport, Iowa. In later years, the Captain retired and was known to viewers as Grandpa Ken. A talented artist, […]
Here’s a brief article from the Dakota Count Tribune, featuring Ken Wagner, best known at the time as Captain Ken on Channel 9. He later became Grandpa Ken. My thanks to Jack Kennelly for sharing this.
Dave Lee is fondly remembered for Pete the Penguin and his many other puppets from his programs on WTCN and KMSP in the late 50’s and throughout the 60’s. But Dave Lee spent much of his early career in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was an announcer and broadcast journalist. Here’s a photo of Dave […]
Minnesota broadcasting legend Daryl Laub has passed away at the age of 90. Laub was one of the earliest children’s television hosts in the Twin Cities, creating Captain Darl on WTCN in late 1953. Shortly after that, he hosted a second program as J.P. Patches the Carnival Clown. Laub said that with two shows, he […]
In August of 1962, Romper Room moved from WTCN, Channel 11, to KMSP, Channel 9. The host of the show, Miss Betty Douglass, also transitioned to the station. Romper Room followed Breakfast with Cap’n Ken starring Ken Wagner, which aired at 8:00 AM. Sources: TV Guide collection at the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
Russ Nyberg was a regular guest on the Grandpa Ken Show, on KMSP, channel 9. His youngest daughter, Delayne Nyberg Strand, was kind enough to share some of her memories of her father, and the Grandpa Ken Show. Delayne remembers “when I was a small child I spent most of my time with my dad […]
Ken Wagner is well known to Minnesota kids as Captain Ken and later Grandpa Ken on KMSP, channel 9 throughout the 1960’s. Before moving to the Twin Cities in 1960, Wagner was a popular kids show host in the Quad Cities area of Iowa. In addition to playing Captain Ken, he hosted a commentary show […]
TV Digest from December 14, 1968 featured a great profile on Ken Wagner and the Grandpa Ken Show. The program was revamped a bit at that time, and the article features a lot of information about the program as it was formatted at the time. A Great many readers may wonder just what is out […]