Radio History: Aug 14

 

➦In 1909...Edward Joseph "Ed" Herlihy born (Died at age 89 – January 30, 1999). He was an newsreel narrator for Universal-International. He was also a long-time radio and television announcer for NBC, hosting The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour in the 1940s and 1950, and was briefly interim announcer on The Tonight Show in 1962. He was also the voice of Kraft Foods radio and TV commercials from the 1940s through the early 1980s. When he died in 1999, his obituary in The New York Times said he was "A Voice of Cheer and Cheese".

Educated at Boston College, graduating in 1932, he gained his first radio job in his home town, at Boston's WLOE. When he was hired by NBC in 1935, he decamped for New York, along with his friend, fellow Boston announcer Frank Gallop, who was hired by CBS. He was the announcer for many radio shows from the 1930s, to the 1950s, among them: America's Town Meeting, The Big Show, The Falcon, Mr. District Attorney, and Just Plain Bill. He became the host of The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour on radio in 1948, remaining its announcer when the show went to television. He continued his success in the new medium: his early television credits included Sid Caesar's hit Your Show of Shows and soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children. He was also the host of Recollections At 30, which was a special NBC Radio series created for the network's 30th birthday.

For Universal Newsreels in the 1940s, Herlihy narrated editions describing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Allies' early setbacks against the Axis powers, the turning of the tide of WWII, the death of President Roosevelt, the execution of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the detonation of the first atomic bombs. In the next decade, during the Cold War, he narrated the very first American newsreel on the launch of Sputnik.

➦In 1932...Philips makes 1 millionth radio

'Ma Perkins' Cast

➦In 1933... Crossley Broadcasting’s WLW in Cincinnati premiered the daytime drama “Ma Perkins.”

Starting December 4, 1933, Ma Perkins was heard on NBC from 1933 to 1949 and on CBS from 1942 to 1960. Between 1942 and 1949, the show was heard simultaneously on both networks.

The series was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert with scripts by Robert Hardy Andrews, Orvin Tovrov and others. Ma Perkins began August 14, 1933, on WLW in Cincinnati. On December 4 of that year, it graduated to the NBC Red network. On NBC and CBS the series ran for a total of 7,065 episodes.

"America’s mother of the air" was portrayed by actress Virginia Payne, who began the role at the age of 23 and never missed a performance during the program's 27-year run. Kindly, trusting widow Ma Perkins had a big heart and a great love of humanity. She always offered her homespun philosophy to troubled souls in need of advice.

➦In 1942...“The Show Without a Name” hosted by Garry Moore started airing on NBC.  It was an effort to crack the morning show dominance of Arthur Godfrey (CBS) and “Don McNeil’s Breakfast Club” (ABC). A prize of $500 was offered to name the show and someone came up with the title, “Everything Goes”.

➦In 1945...radio brought the news of Japan’s surrender ending World War II.

➦In 1957...1010 WINS-AM New York went Top40. 1010 WINS used a strict playlist, except for Alan Freed and Jack Lacy.

➦In 1957...ABC Radio announced an experiment with a “live” music show hosted by Herb Oscar Anderson. This was 3 years before WABC flipped to Top40.

➦In 1962…Pete Best was let go from the Beatles. Producer George Martin was unhappy with his drumming and it was said that some group members felt overshadowed by Best's teen idol good looks.

John Lennon later admitted to the group's "cowardly" handling of the event. Ringo Starr, drummer for the Liverpool group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, was asked to join the group as Best's replacement. Ringo made his first appearance with the Beatles on August 18.

Tom Harmon

➦In 1962...It was announced that starting in September, sportscaster Tom Harmon will be heard on ABC radio where he will have a 10-minute weekday sports broadcast and he’ll also be heard on weekends in eight five-minute broadcasts. He joins ABC after 13 years with CBS’ Pacific radio network.

Once a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Tom Harmon was one of the first athletes to go into broadcasting. He was an All-American football player in 1940 at the University of Michigan.

One of Tom’s daughters would marry Ricky Nelson and, later, son Mark would become a well-known actor. He currently stars in NCIS on CBS-TV.

➦In 1965...the Beatles traveled to CBS' New York studio to rehearse and tape their third (and final) appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Their performance kicked-off the 18th season-premiere of the long-running variety hour on September 12, which was its final black and white telecast.

➦In 1973...In the past six years, FM radio listening had increased by 152%, according to Arbriton and a statistic that should give AM music stations some pause. The study covered 8 of the top-10 markets.

➦In 1973...WYSP 94.1 FM became the third FM rock station in Philadelphia.  It went up against (Now Country WXTU) WIFI 92.5 FM and WMMR 93.3 FM. WYSP (Your Station in Philadelphia) jocks included Tom Straw, Dean Clark, and Doug Cristian with Frank X. Feller as program director. The music included popular cuts from albums by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Crosby Stills and Nash.

➦In 1983...WFIL 560 AM Philadelphia switched to all oldies.

It was on September 18, 1966, that WFIL began playing a Top40 format. It quickly became the most successful non-RKO "Boss Radio" formatted station, known locally as "The Pop Music Explosion". The original line up of air personalities, or "Boss Jocks" were scheduled as follows:

• 
  6-10am: Chuck Browning
• 10am-2pm: Jay Cook ("Captain Jay Cook")
• 2-6pm: Jim Nettleton ("Diamond Jim" Nettleton)
• 6-10pm: George Michael ("King George" Michael)
• 10pm-2am: Long John Wade
• 2-6am: Dave Parks ("Dave the Rave" Parks)
• Weekends: Frank Kingston Smith

WFIL announcers heard in later years of the Top 40 era included Dr. Don Rose, Jim O'Brien (who later also became a WPVI-TV weather broadcaster and station personality), Dan Donovan, J. J. Jeffrey, Dick Heatherton, Tom Dooley, "Tiny" Tom Tyler, Mitch "K.C." Hill, "Big" Ron O'Brien, Kris Chandler, Geoff Richards, Joel Denver, Brother Lee Love (Alan Smith), and Banana Joe Montione.

➦In 1988...Shadoe Stevens became host of “American Top 40”

Casey Kasem left the show over contract concerns with ABC. Billboard magazine reported that the main disputes between Kasem and Watermark/ABC were over his salary, because of declining ratings and a smaller number of affiliates. Casey's final AT40 show aired on August 6, 1988. At no point during that final show did Kasem ever let on that any changes were afoot, and simply omitted the phrase "join me next week" while closing the show.

Kasem was replaced by Shadoe Stevens, whose first American Top 40 show aired on August 13, 1988, on 1,014 stations.  Kasem joined the Westwood One less than a year later to start a rival show, Casey's Top 40. Many AT40 listeners were upset by Kasem's departure and, as a result, many stations dropped American Top 40 in favor of Casey's Top 40 once it hit the airwaves on January 21, 1989.

➦In 1993...It was announced teens are listening to country music more and more. Country has climbed from a 2.3% share of teens in the summer of 1989 to an 8.7% share this year.

Charly Butcher

➦In 2007...Ryan Seacrest was tapped to host the 59th annual Emmy Awards.

➦In 2012…Actress Rosemary Rice died after a heart attack at 87. She provided the voice of Betty Cooper on the Archie Andrews radio series, played the oldest daughter and narrated the early 1950s TV series, "Mama," appeared on Broadway, recorded 15 children's albums, and earned three Clio Awards for her work in television commercials – on camera and as a voiceover artist. For Clairol, she became the familiar voice of the ad slogan, "If I've only one life to live, let me live it as a blonde."

➦In 2018...Fort Wayne radio icon Charly Butcher, died from a heart attack at age 61.  Butcher spent more than 30 years on the air in Fort Wayne, both on WMEE, and at the time of his death, as host of WOWO’s morning show. Over the years, he became a crucial part of many people’s morning routines as he helped get their day started.

Steve Martin is 79

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Singer Dash Crofts of Seals and Crofts is 86. 
• Country singer Connie Smith is 83. 
• Actor-musician Steve Martin is 79. 
• Actor Antonio Fargas (“Starsky and Hutch”) is 78. 
• Bassist Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone is 78. 
• Actor Susan St. James is 78. 
• Romance novelist Danielle Steel is 77. 
• Keyboardist Terry Adams of NRBQ is 76. 
• Cartoonist Gary Larson (“The Far Side”) is 74. 
• Actor Carl Lumbly (“Alias”) is 73. 
• Actor Jackee Harry (“Sister, Sister,” ″227″) is 68. 
• Actor Marcia Gay Harden is 65. 
• Singer Sarah Brightman is 64. 
• Actor Susan Olsen (“The Brady Bunch”) is 63. 
• Actor Halle Berry is 58. 
• Actor Ben Bass (“Rookie Blue”) is 56. 
• Actor Catherine Bell (“JAG”) is 56. 
• Keyboardist Cody McCarver of Confederate Railroad is 56. 
• Guitarist Kevin Cadogan (Third Eye Blind) is 55. 
• Actor Lalanya Masters (“Barbershop”) is 52. 
• Actor Christopher Gorham (“Ugly Betty”) is 50. 
• Actor Mila Kunis is 41. 
• Actor Lamorne Morris (“New Girl”) is 41. 
• TV personality Spencer Pratt (“The Hills”) is 41. 
• Actor Marsai Martin (“black-ish”) is 20.

✞REMEMBRANCES

• In 1951..William Randolph Hearst, American newspaper publisher (San Francisco Examiner, Seattle P-I), dies at 88
• In 1964..Johnny Burnette, American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist ('Train Kept A-Rollin'"; "You're Sixteen"), drowns in nighttime boating mishap at 30
• In 1972..Oscar Levant, American actor (An American in Paris, Dance of Life), dies at 65
• In 1991..Douglas Kiker, American newscaster (NBC-TV), dies of a heart attack at 61
• In 1992..Tony Williams, American singer (The Platters, 1953-59 - "Only You"; "Great Pretender"), dies at 64
• In 2006..Bruno Kirby, American actor (b. 1949)
• In 2015..[Donald William] Bob Johnston, American music producer (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash), dies at 83