#CHANNEL 10 NEWS COLUMBUS OHIO TV#

'But they hired him away from Channel 10.'ĭuring his show, Flippo would ask viewers to participate in games, offer their opinions, and answer trivia questions.Īnother popular show was Talent Search where-decades before American Idol or America’s Got Talent-QUBE customers voted for local acts. 'When they found out it was a clown in a blue suit covered with pompoms, they freaked out,' Jaeger said.

#CHANNEL 10 NEWS COLUMBUS OHIO TV#

Jim Jaeger, who worked on QUBE's tech crew from 1977 to 1984, said that when Warner was looking for talent, they wanted the top TV personality in Columbus.

Marvin worked for decades as Flippo, hosting children's shows and movies on WBNS. Employees got to work installing large banks of computers and a new production studio at their headquarters at 1201 Olentangy River Road.Ĭourtesy of Jim Jaeger QUBE program guide with Flippo the Clown on the cover.įlippos Magic Circus was a kid's show hosted by Bob Marvin, a.k.a. In the Spring of 1977, Warner Cable started hiring staff in Columbus. Years before the widespread use of home computers or the internet, QUBE created a truly novel form of two-way communication. That included more channels, better reception, and in the case of QUBE, a console that gave subscribers the ability to 'talk back' to their television set. Cable television, which was first created to reach rural homes, opened up new possibilities. One WOSU listener wrote into Curious Cbus to ask 'How did QUBE start in Columbus and what happened to it?'įorty-five years ago, most TV viewers could expect 3 or 4 channels with an antenna. But even more impressive was the remote control that let viewers interact with local shows in real-time.

Warner Cable would now offer an unheard-of 30 channels. In 1977, a bold new way to watch television launched in Columbus.

Channel 10 news columbus ohio