November 27 Radio History

➦In 1901...early radio sportscaster Ted Husing was born in the Bronx NY.

For CBS he covered events as diverse as boxing, horse racing, track and field, regattas, seven World Series, tennis, golf, four Olympic Games, Indianapolis 500 motor racing, and especially college football, where he laid down much of the structure of football play-by-play that is still used today.

Husing died of a brain tumour Aug. 10 1962 at age 60.


➦In 1926...radio station KXL in Portland, Oregon began broadcasts with a licensed power of 50 watts. Today, the calls are KXTG and airs sports talk at 750 AM.  KXL-FM airs news/talk on 101.9 FM.

➦In 1930...Broadcasting from “…a little theatre off Times Square,” according to the show’s introduction, “First Nighter” was first heard on NBC. The 30-minute anthology series, which actually originated from Chicago, then beginning in 1946 from Hollywood, aired for an impressive 23 years, featuring both dramas and comedies complete in each show.


➦In 1960...the CBS Radio Network canceled "Have Gun Will Travel".


➦In 1962...In London, the Beatles recorded their first BBC radio session, performing "Twist and Shout," "Love Me Do," and "P.S. I Love You." The tracks aired later on the BBC program "Talent Spot."


➦In 1975...Bill Winters WCBS 101.1 FM personality passed.

Bill Winters

Winters worked in Tampa Bay in the early to mid 1960’s, first at WALT (mid-days) in 1963-64, and then WLCY. He also went on to work at Miami’s WQAM. During his short career, he held down shifts at some pretty impressive stations, including wakeup duty beginning in early 1968 at WPOP Hartford. There, he achieved the station’s highest Pulse ratings ever and, as a pivotal member of its “BOSS”ketball team, once broke two toes during a benefit game.

During a year out to serve with Uncle Sam, Bill worked part-time at WFBS in Spring Lake, NC, and then returned to mornings at WPOP. This time, he was billed as “The Big Kahuna – World Champion Surfer and 14th Degree Black Belt with Red Strikers.”

Early in his career, Bill worked at some fairly small stations, paying his dues at WCEC, WFMA-FM, and WEED AM/FM, all in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina, WGAI Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and WHAP Hopewell, Virginia. Later stops (and bigger stations) included WKYC Cleveland, CKLW Detroit, WCAO Baltimore, WBZ Boston, WCBS-FM New York (mid-days), and WIBG Philadelphia.

Bill’s career was cut short when he died in 1975 at the age of 35.





➦In 1979...Chuck Leonard did his last show at WABC.


➦In 1981...The British Phonographic Industry, with support from musicians including Elton John, 10cc, Gary Numan, Cliff Richard, and the Boomtown Rats, placed ads in British newspapers claiming "Home taping is wiping out music."


➦In 1984...long time St. Louis Radio personality, Jack Carney, died. He is best remembered for his stints at WIL and KMOX.

Jack Carney

Carney took his first radio job in New Mexico and moved from job to job at small stations throughout the southwest early in his career. Carney then became a rock n’ roll disc jockey serving up the hits to teens in Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Boston.

Carney’s first job in St. Louis came on WIL Radio from 1958-1960. While at WIL, Carney came up with his alter ego character “Pookie Snackenburg.” Carney was lured away from WIL to work for a short time at WABC Radio/New York.

Carney’s second stint in St. Louis was at KMOX where he established a following and his place in the community. Taking over the morning spot from Jack Buck in 1971, Carney was an instant hit.

During his KMOX years, virtually every celebrity that passed through St. Louis stopped by to say hello to Jack Carney.Carney’s show on KMOX was a fixture in St. Louis for 13 years. Jack Carney died of a sudden heart attack at age 52.

Jack Carney was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2001.


➦In 2006...Sportscaster (Cleveland Browns, WJW-TV)/radio sports talk host (WTAM, WERE) Kenneth "Casey" Coleman, Jr., son of play-by-play announcer Ken Coleman and a broadcaster in Cleveland for almost 30 years, died of pancreatic cancer at 55.