The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 409

THE MIAMI HERALD Sunday August 19 1979 foby the robot OBW Off not true that just anybody could get inside Toby and make him work Toby is a reflection of me my moods my drive my vwti laJta CferuTi El Just and Bear in comics A Man Who Makes You Laugh and published a number of freelance articles He fills other spare corners of his time by teaching acting classes twice a week at an office he rents in Margate And Charhe Folds takes the advice he dramatically gives his acting students gotta be up up up no matter how bad you feel known but yes I still have to sell myself OF COURSE face really known from his work When Cnan-dler and I olds are out together at mealtimes for example Chandler is recognized frequently from his appearances both on and as one ofCh weekend weathermen get upset when he gets recognized because his face is seen Sure I want the recognition too but the the thing the character and Wayne work Folds says Nonetheless he frequently mentions that Chandler is the fourth host had to audition ith the robot before he was hired he seemed to understand my he always adds Over the vears Folds has taken a lot of kidding about playing a robot Even now Chandler teases him about Vero Beach erecting a sign outside town that says of Toby the Robot taken a lot to get over the ribbing especially because a sensitive Folds says have been slow in casting accolades on Toby Maybe because I play the character so well people just take it for granted not true that just anybody could get inside Toby and make him work Toby is a reflection of me my moods my drive my feelings And Toby works' Kids can relate to the character After all Toby just a clown of a more mechanical FROM PAGE 1BW cloak of his calling with a conviction that needs no ordination Toby Toby to begin with A robot was developed for a Ch 7 show before Folds got involved and he was simply The Robot first robot was just a garbage can with a funny nose I took it and modified it to become a human-type he remembers Those were heydays both for film departments and kids' shows Today things have changed: video tape with its crisper television image and ease of electronic editing has replaced film Local television has fallen victim to advertising cutbacks and competition for airtime WCKT has retained its officials say because it believes the program helps children learn to read Chandler with some help from the children in the studio reads the comics aloud and kids at home can follow along from their copies of the Sunday newspaper Folds barely acknowledges the problems of local television these days although he does say really a fight to keep it HE CALLS his role on the show He estimates he earns $10000 a year for his role as Toby and personal appearances connected with promoting the robot over and above the $20800 salary he receives for his job the film department He opens mail 5800 pieces a year he notes with pride and assembles the drawings children send in He rounds up the four to six children who come in for each show thousand kids a year want to be he says Folds and Chandler both write the show and plan the sound effects that accompany the reading of the comics but the man-inside-the-robot coordinates the 40 or so charity and paid appearances the pair makes around South Florida each year got to be done You just sit back and say successful No way It happen that way Folds Chandler and a Miami lawyer have formed a company Toby and Tulip Inc to market Wayne and Toby beyund South Honda As Folds talks of a comic strip greeting cards books a movie and a network show his enthusiasm nails together an elaborate plan believe in that robot 100 per cent going to make us a lot of he expounds In the course of planning and development Folds has given Toby a family With his help he built a lady robot named Tulip and two children They appear regularly on the show but they have appeaed occasionally at public events 17-year-oid daughter Abbie plays Tulip and his 9-year-old daughter Jennifer plays one of the kid robots A friend fills the third costume cried when saw the two baby robots Beeper and Tinker come on stage at the Dade County Youth Fair Wow' They just kind of fell into place and they are their creator says THERE WAS a time vv hen I own family life fall so neatly into place He has been married twice and had two children in each marriage The daughter from the first marriage lives with him His first wife took their son with her 10 years ago when the boy was 3 Folds says bitterly had a strong emotional impact on my life which I kept inside me or maybe released through Folds says Folds dreams of retiring to the North Carolina mountains and like his idol Thomas Wolfe writing novels He has already written jy C'h -r a S' Cha-gp 601 LINCOLN ROAD 16 trd ST CENTER POMPANO FASHION SQUARE LAL HARBOUR SHOPS ft til I'Y Wvri Lj i (W-I fefajj TV Has Lost Ads and Audience There are about 2 million TV-watching households in South Florida but only about 25000 of them are tuned in to anything at 7:30 Sunday morning The latest Arbitron ratings show that snares about 17000 of these households 20000 children ages 2 to 11 1000 teens 4000 nun and 2000 women for its first half-hour The numbers drop substantially in the second half-hour During the first half-hour other stations are showing religious programs At 8 WPBT takes a big bite of the audience with Street These numbers very large and thev reflect the trend of dwindling audiences for locally produced television programs Yet South three major network affiliates each produce at least one show contrary to the national trend In addition to WCKT (Ch 7) produces a 30-rtiinute nature program on Saturday mornings For much of its history Ch 4 "Skipper was on the air five days a week Now it is weekly at 7 30 a on Saturday The program is 30-minutes of entertainment and educational games Ch 10 offering is and aired from 630 to 7:30 a on Sunday and from 7-8 a on Saturday is a puppet who shows the audience film stories and cartoons and introduces a studio audience of children ADVERTISING is largely responsible tor the decline advocates have protested misleading advertising aimed at kids and such advertising has been the subject of congressional inquiry a cloud over advertising to children show advertisers are out unless thev have a product of unquestioned explained A1 Sternberg WCK operations manager A recent weekend survey of local programs showed that only was fully sponsored Steinberg estimated that 1 has about $100 worth of advertising each week it costs more than $1 100 per episode to produce Audiences are mall for local shows in part because of the early morning time slots Yet there is competition for those times lor example representatives of religious programs want to buv the funnies" 7 30 a time slot Sternberg said is just constant pressure to knock off from a cascade of programs which have religious he said hey pay you to occupy the time period But Ch 7 has commitment to local chil Sternberg added made the commitment of personal and professional pride and having found something that attracts kids and is of educational value we want to give it Sternberg said of Funnies SANDRA EARLEY Barbara has never had a sale like this before Shes clearing out the store to make room for her Fall lines selling everything far below cost Here are a few examples And there are hundreds more But hurry this sale to end all Barbara sales-starts tomorrow and lasts one week only iJ I IB Smart Shoppers read Food Today section inThe Miami Herald Third Generation Fine Jewelers The Bubble Gum Boutique Distinctive Wear com: HACK TO SCHOOL with III MILL (il 1 llontiquc Anti Ileeeire a I' rev Gii wilh purchase Sizes Newborn to 20 FINEST European Collection of clothing for kids of all ages North Miami Beach Store Only 16455 NE 15th Avcnuo 947 2108 Hours Monday thru Sutuiday 9 30 a to 6 1617 NE 163rd St jNorlh Miami Beach Phone -910-8107 3323 Sheridan Ilollvwood Ha 33021 Phone 981-5261 OPEN MON -SAT 10-6 Jf Vt ltd! 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