My first recollection of wanting to do a television show was about 50 years ago. I grew up 30 miles south of St. Louis, and back then, that was way out in the country. We just got our first television set, and Mom and I watched the "Charlotte Peters Show", on KSD TV. Charlotte's show came on at noon. Mom and I made a ritual during summer time to have lunch together on the living room floor and watch Charlotte sing, interview her guests and talk to kids about what they liked to do. One day, I convinced Mom to take me down to the KSD TV studio in St. Louis to watch the show and meet "Aunt" Charlotte. (She was not really my aunt; that's just what all the kids who watched the show called her - and yes, she even had a "Kids Korner".) After seeing the studio, lights and cameras, I knew that was my calling. I talked to "Aunt" Charlotte after the show and told her about my vegetable garden, and with that she invited me to come on television and share this information with all the other kids who watched. WOW! I had made it on to television! From then on I would practice doing commercials in front of the bathroom mirror. I even set up a little studio in our basement, forcing my baby sister to be my guest and get interviewed. As the years, my desire to work in television just became stronger. In high school I started visiting our local radio station in Festus Mo., doing anything they would allow me to, which usually included emptying the trash cans and sorting through albums. On day I got to make an "on air" announcement. After high school, I got a full time job at the radio station, but still wanted to work in television. I trotted off to all 4 television stations in St. Louis and applied for a job. I wanted to do a show just like Charlotte Peters. They were all kind to this naive 17 year old kid, but there were no takers. I continued working in radio, attended junior college, spent my time in the military, and then went back to working in radio. I started promoting Nashville country music shows, featuring the likes of Loretta Lynn, Marty Robbins, The Osborn Brothers, and the really "big star" at the time, Jeannie C Riley. Remember "Harper Valley, PTA"? I thought this was the show that would make me a ton of money! Instead it was the show that lost EVERYTHING! This show lost so much money I did not even have enough left to eat a meal.

It did get better though, because shortly after that "low" point I answered an ad for a commercial announcer at KOMU TV. I applied for the job, with an audition. On September 14, 1969 I started working in television, doing commercials. A short time later I was doing the Noon Weather, plus commercials. Later, it was the noon, six and ten weather and commercials. In 1982 my real dream was about to come true. At 8 pm on February 3, 1982 we taped our very first "Pepper & Friends"! Those first shows were taped on Tuesday evenings with a live audience of 100 people and aired on Saturday evenings at 6:30 pm. In October of 1985, "P&F" (as we call it) moved to daytime. In 1989, it became an hour show, and in 1993, we added the Kids Korner, which is still hosted by "Uncle" James Mouser. We have now done well over 5000 daytime shows! "Pepper and Friends" really is my dream come true. I give thanks every day for the privilege of showcasing the folks of Central Missouri and being allowed into your homes. Thank you so much! And thanks "Aunt" Charlotte for the inspiration! I couldn't ask for a better job!