1964 Alaskan Earthquake
at KTVA Channel 11

by Dick Liberatore
(Las Vegas)

McKinley Building

It was March 27, 1964.

I had just finished hosting “The Buckaroo Show” on KTVA from the first floor of the McKinley Building. And as the host, “Deputy Dick,” I was dressed like a lawman from the old west complete with a badge and the whole getup including cowboy boots.

At 5:35 I went to the men's room to get out of my outfit prior to running the camera for the 6 PM news when it happened.

The loud thundering sound, lights going out, and plaster falling from the ceiling. But took cover underneath the sink.

I then realized that it was an earthquake and here I was on the first floor of a 14-story apartment building and that I was going to die with my boots on.

Maybe 5 minutes later, I joined several other employees and newscaster Evan White in the lobby.

Those of you who were there already know that no one in the lower 48 was even aware we had a quake.

We were listening to radio stations from Seattle that evening and not a word. Bright and early the next morning, I drove Evan around the city with him behind the camera.

A few hours later, we went to the airport where the undeveloped film went on a small plane to be delivered to KIRO, the CBS affiliate in Seattle. And that film went on the network that same evening.

And speaking of Evan White, in 1982 I was hired to host a new cable television game show titled “Starcade” for Ted Turner's super station WTBS. The shows were taped in San Francisco.

While in my hotel room there was Evan hosting the evening news on San Francisco's KRON-TV.

I made a quick call to the station and Evan and I met for lunch and a few drinks the following day.

By this time, I had changed my name from Dick Liberatore to Mark Richards – for professional purposes.

You can view the actual half-hour shows of “Starcade” by logging on to www.starcade.tv. I hosted the first 23 shows.

Yours Free

Memories, Pioneers, and Alaska History

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