Oral history interview with Gene L. Brendler, 1982 February 26
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Interviewee
- Brendler, Gene L. (Eugene Louis), 1927-1998
- Title
- Oral history interview with Gene L. Brendler
- Dates
- 1982 February 261982-02-261982-02-26
- Quantity
- 0.1 cubic feet, (1 audiocassette (48 min., 17 sec.))
- Collection Number
- SR 9108
- Summary
- Oral history interview with Gene L. Brendler conducted by Kathleen D. Walsh on February 26, 1982. Brendler was a television broadcaster and public affairs director from 1953 to 1992 for the Portland, Oregon, station KPTV.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Digitization funded by the James F. Miller Endowment.
Biographical Note
Eugene "Gene" Louis Brendler was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1927. He joined the U.S. Army in 1945 and served in the Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. In 1947, he and Janet Patricia Harris were married; they later had two children. That same year, the couple moved to Portland, Oregon. Brendler worked as a radio broadcaster with KXL, and in 1953, he joined KPTV as a television broadcaster. He hosted several shows, including "See Hear," "High Time," and "Northwest Bylines." In 1976, he became the public affairs director for KPTV. After his retirement in 1992, he continued to work in radio for a short time. He died in 1998.
Other Descriptive Information
An incomplete transcript (23 pages) is available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Content Description
This oral history interview with Gene L. Brendler was conducted by Kathleen D. Walsh at KPTV Studios in Portland, Oregon on February 26, 1982, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.
In this interview, Brendler briefly discusses his early life and career before he moved to Portland in 1947. He talks about the history of KPTV, and speaks at length about his broadcasting career with that station, including his role as emcee for the musical variety program "See Here," hosting a localized version of "American Bandstand" called "High Time," and working as public affairs director. He discusses how broadcasting changed during his career, talks about how cable TV has affected local programming, and shares his opinion regarding increased diversity in television broadcasting. He closes the interview by talking about people he worked with, and by describing some of his photographs.
Use of the Collection
Alternative Forms Available
Audio available online in OHS Digital Collections.
Preferred Citation
Oral history interview with Gene L. Brendler, by Kathleen D. Walsh, SR 9108, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Television broadcasting--Oregon--Portland
- Variety shows (Television programs)--Oregon--Portland
Personal Names
- Brendler, Gene L. (Eugene Louis), 1927-1998
Corporate Names
- KPTV (Television station : Portland, Or.)
Form or Genre Terms
- interviews
- oral histories (literary works)
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Walsh, Kathleen D. (interviewer)
