 Host Doug Copsey on set for first show in 1983 |
We cringe when we go back to the beginnings of "Outdoor Idaho." There was little money. Our equipment was antique, even for the 1980's. And we tried not to think of the Idaho outback and all the rugged obstacles that awaited both us and the delicate tools of television.
We began small with what we thought we could do well. One half hour show a month. We told ourselves we'd grow, that we'd overcome obstacles. The first show, in October of 1983, was in the studio; it was a little rough, but we knew the show had potential.
The creators of "Outdoor Idaho" were Peter Morrill and Royce Williams. Royce came from a magazine background, so he wrote long. Peter was television, so he said "words-schmurds...more pictures and music." Eventually, the two compromised and what came out of it was something different, something better.
 Bruce Reichert, Royce Williams and Peter Morrill at Jump Creek in 1986 |
The show needed a personality and Doug Copsey filled that role. The problem, though, was that we were calling ourselves Outdoor Idaho, but we looked like Indoor Idaho.
In April of 1986 Bruce Reichert became the host. His first assignment was Jump Creek, where he proceeded to contract a terrible case of poison ivy. It was so bad that his eyes swelled up and even his friends couldn't recognize him!
By this time, the show had gone "outdoors" and would never look back. Of course, this meant more problems with equipment, often far from home.
 Peter Morrill attempts to fix a broken camera deck in the wilderness |
One shoot, in the White Cloud Mountains, required two different trips back to Boise by one of the crew, just to make the camera work. Back then, we never quite knew what would be in the show, because we never quite knew what we'd get on video tape.
Outdoor Idaho was a co-production of Idaho Public Television and the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, so there were lots of stories on hunter orange, fishing regs and road closures for elk. But there were also wonderful video essays, which opened every show. Folks didn't see a single dead animal, because the essence of the show was wildlife.
Aside from Peter and Royce, there were others who worked on the early show. Jeff Tucker was a high school intern, who became a valued member of the crew. Both he and Ricardo Ochoa and Al Hagenlock ventured out on shoots that took them far from the highways and even the dirt roads of Idaho. They knew first-hand the vagaries of television equipment! For several years Al Hagenlock also directed and edited the half hour show.
Watch our " Ode to Hats."
 Bruce and Director Sauni Symonds confer |
In 1990 "Outdoor Idaho" took a dramatic shift in direction. Idaho Public Television became the sole producer of the show, as both agencies decided they wanted different things. Royce Williams and Peter Morrill had both moved on to other jobs by this time, and Bruce Reichert assumed the duties of producer and writer, as well as host. Sauni Symonds took on the job of director, editor, and chief videographer.
The show changed dramatically in format, from a magazine style show to a thematic, single topic program. Sauni worked on the show for about four years. In 1994 Pat Metzler became the director, editor, and chief videographer, a position he holds today.
Two others who deserve recognition for their efforts over the years are Roger Fuhrman and Victoria Osborn, two producers who worked during the 1990's on some of our more popular programs.
No one believed that "Outdoor Idaho" would be alive and kickin' twenty years later. Its longevity is due in large part to those who love to watch the show and who support it... and to the talented individuals who contribute to the making of the program. It truly is a labor of love.
To see who works on "Outdoor Idaho" today, check out Behind the Scenes.