TIPTON’S STORY. IT’S NEW AT FIVE. IT JUST REALLY CAME VERY EASILY FOR HIM. SO IT NEVER REALLY FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WORK. THE LATE BEN TIPTON BEGAN HIS BROADCAST CAREER IN THE 50S AS A DISC JOCKEY AT KBI RADIO, AND THIS IS JUST A PICTURE OF HIM AS A DJ. IT WAS PROBABLY A AN EVENT, WHETHER IT WAS THE RICH, ROBUST HIS FATHER AND MOTHER WERE BOTH FORMER SLAVES. FROM THIS AUDIO PROVIDED BY THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, YOU CAN HEAR THE VOICE OF BEN TIPTON. MOON, THE MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, WAS BORN MAY 4TH, 1896. TIPTON, OFTEN CALLED THE TALL MAN, HELPED SHAPE THE LANDSCAPE OF BROADCAST BY CREATING A SPACE IN THE INDUSTRY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS. MY DAD HAD A GIFT BECAUSE HE NEVER REALLY WORKED HARD AT IT. IF YOU KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE HE WAS SUCH A NATURAL, WHETHER THAT WAS THROUGH RADIO OR TV. THIS IS FIVE A LIVE NEWS. AND AS KOCO REACHES A MILESTONE OF 70 YEARS ACROSS OKLAHOMA AIRWAVES, THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES IT ALL STARTED ON 63RD AND PORTLAND. IT’S ALSO THE SAME PLACE BEN TIPTON STARTED HIS JOURNEY AS THE HOST FOR THE BLACK REVIEW, THAT WEEKLY TALK SHOW HIGHLIGHTED PEOPLE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY CREATING A PLATFORM OF REPRESENTATION. I THINK THAT WE NEEDED A VOICE IN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, AND HE WAS HE WAS THE PERSON THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKED TO YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKED TO HIM, YOU KNOW, FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE AND TO HEAR HIM OR SEE HIM. WELL, AGAIN, I’LL SAY HE WAS MY DAD. SO A LOT OF IT WAS, UM, WELL, I WAS PROUD OF MY DAD. AFTER HIS TV CAREER, TIPTON ALSO MADE HIS MARK IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, SERVING A TIME AS WARD SEVEN CITY COUNCILMAN. THIS IS A PICTURE OF OF HIM WITH SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HE WORKED WITH, THEY YOU KNOW, THEY BECAME LIFELONG FRIENDS AND THEY WERE ALWAYS AROUND. AND I’M SO HONORED THAT PEOPLE STILL, HE’S HE’S BEEN DECEASED FOR 35 YEARS AND PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER HIM AND HONOR HIM. AND AND I JUST I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY KEEP HIS MEMORY ALIVE. THIS IS WHEN MY DAD FIRST GOT STARTED IN RADIO. TIPTON IS PROUD OF HER FATHER’S FOOTPRINT, CREATING A PATH FOR MINORITIES, BEING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS
Well-known voice in Oklahoma community was on set of KOCO 5 in the '70s
As KOCO 5 celebrates Black History Month, Ben Tipton has been a monumental Oklahoman.
![KOCO logo]()
Updated: 5:22 PM CST Feb 13, 2024
A well-known voice in the Oklahoma community was on the set of our KOCO 5 studios in the '70s.As KOCO 5 celebrates Black History Month, Ben Tipton was a monumental Oklahoman."It just really came very easily for him, so, it never felt like, you know, work," Michellene Tipton, Ben's daughter, said.| MORE | Oklahoma leaders honor history at state Capitol for Black History DayThe late Ben Tipton began his broadcast career in the '50s as a disc jockey at KBYE Radio. He was often called "The Tall Man" who helped shape the broadcast landscape, creating a space in the industry for African Americans."My dad had a gift because he never really worked hard at it, if that makes sense because he was such a natural," Michellene said.As KOCO 5 reaches a milestone of 70 years on Oklahoma airwaves, it was also where Ben started his journey as the host of the Black Review. That weekly talk show highlighted people in the Black community and created a platform of representation."I think we needed a voice, in our community, and he was the person that a lot of people looked to. A lot of people looked to him for advice, guidance. To hear him and see him, well, again, I'll say he was my dad, so a lot of it was, well, I was proud of him," Michellene said.After his television career, he also made his mark in the African American community, serving a term as Ward 7 city councilman."A lot of people he worked with, they became lifelong friends, and they were always around. I'm so honored that people still, he's been deceased for 35 years, and people still remember and honor him, and I'm so grateful for that to keep his memory alive," Michellene said.| MORE | OKC Black Restaurant Bingo to help local businesses, celebrate Black History MonthMichellene was proud of her father's footprint, creating a path for minorities and being a voice for the voiceless."And that was the life of my dad. He was very active and very tall," Michellene said.Top HeadlinesBill could force Oklahoma businesses to accept cash as form of paymentCouple driving from California to Arkansas has truck, trailer stolen in OKCSenate passes $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after rare all-night sessionHow to fix the new 'chirping' sound on FacebookStingray expected to give 'miraculous birth' with no mate: Both pregnancy scenarios are rare
OKLAHOMA CITY — A well-known voice in the Oklahoma community was on the set of our KOCO 5 studios in the '70s.
As KOCO 5 celebrates Black History Month, Ben Tipton was a monumental Oklahoman.
"It just really came very easily for him, so, it never felt like, you know, work," Michellene Tipton, Ben's daughter, said.
| MORE | Oklahoma leaders honor history at state Capitol for Black History Day
The late Ben Tipton began his broadcast career in the '50s as a disc jockey at KBYE Radio. He was often called "The Tall Man" who helped shape the broadcast landscape, creating a space in the industry for African Americans.
"My dad had a gift because he never really worked hard at it, if that makes sense because he was such a natural," Michellene said.
As KOCO 5 reaches a milestone of 70 years on Oklahoma airwaves, it was also where Ben started his journey as the host of the Black Review. That weekly talk show highlighted people in the Black community and created a platform of representation.
"I think we needed a voice, in our community, and he was the person that a lot of people looked to. A lot of people looked to him for advice, guidance. To hear him and see him, well, again, I'll say he was my dad, so a lot of it was, well, I was proud of him," Michellene said.
After his television career, he also made his mark in the African American community, serving a term as Ward 7 city councilman.
"A lot of people he worked with, they became lifelong friends, and they were always around. I'm so honored that people still, he's been deceased for 35 years, and people still remember and honor him, and I'm so grateful for that to keep his memory alive," Michellene said.
| MORE | OKC Black Restaurant Bingo to help local businesses, celebrate Black History Month
Michellene was proud of her father's footprint, creating a path for minorities and being a voice for the voiceless.
"And that was the life of my dad. He was very active and very tall," Michellene said.
Top Headlines
