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SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Nimoy wasn't the only actor to ride in the Pear Blossom Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The photo of Leonard Nimoy in last Saturday's Mail Tribune, showing him serving as grand marshal of Pear Blossom Parade, got me wondering about the actors who used to be part of our local springtime rite. I heard the local TV stations once promoted network programs by having actors serve as grand marshals. How did that work? — William E., Phoenix   Before the Internet and social media, television networks and their affiliates had fewer promotional options, William. Personal appearances were just the thing for small markets such as the Rogue Valley. In the 1960s, local television stations KTVM (now KOBI) and KMED (now KTVL) had the town pretty much to themselves, without a lot of competition from cable, other than a handful of out-of-town stations. At that time, Channel 5 was a CBS affiliate and Channel 10 was with NBC, and they shared ABC programming. "The station's motivation was to promote their program or network," said Pear Blossom Festival President Darcy Mann-Self. "The networks would send celebrities to promote programs and get publicity. We never saw the bill, we just knew the networks wanted them to come in to advertise a program and promote the network in general." The appearance of Leonard Nimoy in 1967 was the product of Channel 10's affiliation with NBC, but other TV stars rode through downtown Medford in a convertible waving at the locals. Bruce Yarnell, a cast member of NBC Western series "The Outlaws," was the first TV grand marshal, in 1962. The next year, according to Pear Blossom archives, it was Peter Graves, who was in between a starring role in "Fury" and "Mission Impossible," where he worked with Nimoy. Johnny Crawford, Tom Kennedy, Frank Cady, Bill Dailey, Paul Brinegar, Mitch Vogel, Glenn Strange, Sara Kennedy, Conrad Bain, Arch Whiting, Joanna Pang, Eric Scott, Melissa Sue Anderson and Randi Oakes appeared in near succession before the actors were supplanted by politicians, local leaders and the Easter Bunny. In 1988, Tony Dow, who played the role of Wally Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver," was grand marshal, with Kevin Hagen of "Little House on the Prairie" carrying the banner in 1993. There are varying accounts of what it took to land the actors. "The television stations were responsible for getting the marshal every other year," said Patsy Smullin of California Oregon Broadcasting Inc., whose brother Don Smullin was KOBI's general manager during the 1970s. Celebrity appearances came with conditions, said KTVL General Manager Kingsley Kelley. "They were only available for a certain period of time, so the length of the parade made it tricky." Times and trends have changed, with Harry & David carrying the grand marshal mantle in 2014 and Amy's Kitchen scheduled for next month. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.       MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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