October 1998 Cleveland TV: Oprah, Kids Say, Candid Camera and 20/20

Craig’s notes

I pulled out a Fuji tape with Kids Say the Darndest Things, Oprah and the World Series written on a pink note. I figured we might get Cleveland daytime TV. Instead, the recording kept jumping around, and for a while I thought whoever made it had cut out all the commercials. That's a rough start for a night when I wanted to watch commercials.

We did find some. Oprah gave way to Cleveland news, Hollywood Squares, a Martha Stewart piano segment, and a tiny piece of the World Series. The announcer said Game 3 was coming up next, and then we were back on Oprah. I wanted to get back to baseball; the tape had other plans. Kids Say the Darndest Things turned up, followed by Candid Camera. One bit had people being asked to change Canadian holidays to American ones.

Then 20/20 went from a suicide-by-cop report, which I skipped after the earlier news, into batteries and moshing. I stopped while the show was on a trademark dispute involving cashmere goat farmers. The note also promises a Game 4 postgame and Fox8 News, but I haven't reached either of those on this viewing. There's more tape to watch.

Content inventory

Shows and segments (playback order)

1. Oprah: opening and return: Breast-health discussion, with a brief Morning Exchange interruption and a return to Oprah.
2. Morning Exchange: Cleveland zoo: Brief Cleveland zoo segment.
3. News Channel 5 at Five: Local news including the Dustin Evans surgery report; the audio identifies News Channel 5, not Fox8.
4. ABC News: medical information online: Reports on finding health information and prescriptions online.
5. ABC News: Oshima Island: Health and work on the Japanese island.
6. Hollywood Squares: Naomi Judd, Al Roker, Whoopi Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried and Jamie Foxx appear in the viewed portions.
7. Martha Stewart: piano technician Franz Mohr: A piano-tuning segment interrupts Hollywood Squares.
8. News 5 midday: Mr. Food makes pumpkin-shaped cakes; medical editor Dr. Ted Castele discusses cholesterol.
9. Oprah: Jonathan Demme appearance: Another short passage after News 5.
10. Fox World Series Game 3 pregame lead-in: The audio says Game 3 is coming up next. No gameplay was established in the viewing.
11. Oprah: return and ad break: A hard cut back from the pregame lead-in to Oprah and a Cleveland ad block.
12. ABC News: brief transition: News appears before Kids Say the Darndest Things.
13. Kids Say the Darndest Things: Bill Cosby hosts; a break includes four ads and two CBS show promos.
14. Candid Camera: Suzanne Somers hosts; a petition asks Canadians to adopt American holidays.
15. 20/20: suicide-by-cop report: Craig skips much of this report after the earlier distressing local news.
16. 20/20: batteries and moshing: The viewed reports cover battery buying, crowd-surfing and stage-diving.
17. 20/20: Give Me a Break: Begins a cashmere goat farmers and trademark dispute; Craig stops the tape during this story.

Commercial inventory

Opening Oprah / News Channel 5 transition

1. The Lion King II: Brief spot encountered before News Channel 5 at Five.

Oprah return after Game 3 pregame lead-in

1. TRESemmé shampoo
2. Riders Jeans
3. Buick Park Avenue
4. Applebee’s fajitas
5. Value City Furniture
6. Bob Taft / Lee Fisher Ohio campaign spot

Kids Say the Darndest Things break

1. Pepto-Bismol
2. Motrin IB Gel Caps
3. CoverGirl at Walmart
4. Burger King breakfast

Candid Camera break

1. McDonald’s with Sammy Sosa
2. Burlington Coat Factory

20/20 observed breaks; individual position not fully established

1. Mood Mender: St. John’s wort
2. JCPenney Cathy comic: sale through October 26
3. Kinko’s
4. Nissan Altima
5. Pledge
6. Home Depot
7. Pepcid AC at the ball game
8. George Voinovich Ohio campaign spot
9. Canon Laser Color

Station and show promos

Kids Say the Darndest Things break

1. Touched by an Angel
2. Becker: Monday November 2 premiere

20/20 observed breaks; individual position not fully established

1. Cupid
2. David and Lisa: November 1 on ABC
3. New York Jets vs. New England

Tape details

Archive ID

VHS-2026-048

Recording type

Home TV recording

Format

VHS

Recorded

October 1998 material; no single day established for the mixed recording

Viewed

October 21, 2026 (partial; stopped during 20/20)

Unreached note entries

October 21 World Series Game 4 postgame and Fox8 News are written on the note; unverified in the remaining tape

Recording speed

EP (catalog metadata)

On the label

• Handwritten pink note: Lists Kids Say the Darndest Things, Oprah 10-16-1998, 1998 World Series final postgame 10-21, and Fox8 News. The Game 4 postgame and Fox8 News remain unverified in the unviewed remainder.
• Fuji Pro 120 sleeve: Printed 6 Hours and Premium High Grade; capacity is not the viewed runtime.