If you've been startled lately by seeing that grumpy guy next door coming down the walk whistling in the morning, you can be reasonably sure he's discovered "3 To Get Ready", the new breakfast program on WPTZ, Channel 3.
Every morning, Monday thourgh Friday, from 7:30 to 9:00, Ernie Kovacs takes the televiewers through ninety minutes of music, and good fun. The fellow has become the greatest "Cheerer Upper" in television. When people say, "I'd set my watch by him," they aren't kidding. Most of his viewers do set their watches and clocks by "3 To Get Raedy."
In addition to playing the latest hit records, posting the weather and temperature reports and announcing the time every five minutes, Kovacs hs a sweep second, studio accurate clock super-imposed on the screen all during his program. Viewers need only a quick glance at their screens to know the exact time. Few, however, are satisfied with a quick glance. One look at Kovacs' antics demands another. The fellow always has something doing.
During the playing of a record, for instance, Kovacs will light a cigarette, take a few puffs and then nonchalantly proceed to eat the cigarette. Not a word is spoken during the stunt, nor is any reference made to his cigarette eating on the program -- but how Kovacs does it is driving some viewers batty.
"3 To Get Ready" is one of those programs that defies description. Just to say that Ernie Kovacs plays records, gives the time, news and weather is a gross understatement. You really have to see the show to appreciate it.
Ernie Kovacs, star of the new morning show, is a big, easy going, former Trenton radio announcer. A chain cigar smoker, Ernie burns 15 to 20 big black butts a day. Like most successful television personalities, Ernie is serious about his work. Nothing is left to last minute chance. Thus he hits the floor at 5:00 a.m. so he'll be fresh and awake-looking when he goes before the cameras at 7:30 in the morning.
He started his television carrer as host and chief kibitzer of WPTZ's "Deadline For Dinner" program, a role he still handles. He also emcees the "Pick Your Ideal" program on Channel 3.
Thirty-two years old, Kovacs carries 212 pounds of his 6' 2 1/2" frame. Naturally witty, most of Ernie's best gags are spur of the moment bits. However, Kovacs and WPTZ director Cal Jones work out most of the next day's program immediately after the morning show. Ernie then spends the rest of the morning going over his rather heavy mail, checking music for the following day's program and lining up his other television programs. The "3 To Get Ready" conductor usually posts the all clear signal by 5:00 o'clock in the afternoon.
Work is pleasant to Ernie Kovacs. It has to be, otherwise he'd be a dead man. At one stage of his career Ernie was doing an early morning disc jockey show on WTTM, a Trenton radio station, writing a daily column for the Trentron Trentonian, handling three television shows a week and filling in on commercial announcing assignments for WPTZ. He also did free lance writing in his spare time. Channel 3 ended this back breaking routine by placing Kovacs under exclusive contract. As Ernie puts it, "Now I'm down to a 12 hour day."
A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Kovacs has laways been reluctant to come to what he calls "the big city." He makes his home with his mother and two children in Trenton, but now keeps a mid-town Philadephia apartment so he can be sure of making his 7:30 a.m. show.
The one surprising thing to Ernie about the television is the number of people he's gotten to know in Philadelphia.
There's nothing surprising about it to radio station officials. The rating surveys show that Kovacs has 150,000 television viewers watching him at a given time on "3 To Get Ready." No wonder everywhere he goes someone calls, "Hi, Ernie."
