The Auction Zebra

Ah, yes, you’ve found my page. I’d like to tell you the story of how I came to be the WVIZ/PBS Auction mascot. It took me quite some time to type this out since I have no opposable thumbs, so bare with me!

Let’s see… WVIZ/PBS signed on the air in 1965. To be able to sign on, you have to send in proposed call letters for the station to the FCC. So, we chose some. Our call letters were based on the Latin word videlicet, which means “To wit; take note; that is to say; namely.” Videlicit is abbreviated as viz and is derived from videre licet, “it is permitted to see.”

Betty Cope, the first general manager of the station, was often asked to speak in public about this “new thing” called public television. She would inevitably be asked the question: what does WVIZ stand for? She would respond with the entire story of what videlicit means, and would find eyes glazing over and the audience tuning out.

So Betty decided to shake it up. After being asked that same question again, she gave a different response: Very Important Zebras. A few days later, a stuffed zebra arrived at the station, followed by many others, including a very large Steiff Zebra!

Well, instead of associating this whole zebra thing with the entire station, they made me the mascot for the annual televised Auction. And the rest is history!