January 18 In Radio History

In 1929...Walter Winchell, the "New York Daily Mirror" columnist, began on Radio. He began his career in journalism by posting notes about his acting troupe on backstage bulletin boards. Joining the Vaudeville News in 1920, Winchell left the paper for the Evening Graphic in 1924, and in turn was hired on June 10, 1929 by the New York Daily Mirror where he finally became the author of what would be the first syndicated gossip column, entitled On-Broadway.

Walt Winchell

Using connections in the entertainment, social, and governmental realms, he would expose exciting or embarrassing information about celebrities in those industries. This caused him to become very feared, as a journalist, because he would routinely impact the lives of famous or powerful people, exposing alleged information and rumors about them, using this as ammunition to attack his enemies, and to blackmail influential people. He used this power, trading positive mention in his column (and later, his radio show) for more rumors and secrets.

He made his radio debut over WABC in New York, a CBS affiliate, on May 12, 1930.

His newspaper column was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers worldwide, and he was read by 50 million people a day from the 1920s until the early 1960s. His Sunday-night radio broadcast was heard by another 20 million people from 1930 to the late 1950s.

In 1948..."The Original Amateur Hour," hosted by Ted Mack, a spinoff of Major Bowes' popular radio series, debuted on the Dumont Television Network. Mack had been Bowes' field assistant who scouted and auditioned talent for the program. During its 22-year run, the TV series aired on all four networks and introduced acts such as Teresa Brewer, Pat Boone, Ann-Margret, and Irene Cara.



In 1983...First GUI/mouse computer, the Apple Lisa, was unveiled.

In 1985...Cleveland, Ohio was chosen to be the site of the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2004...Harry Fleetwood died. He was a commentator on WNBC-AM's "Music Through the Night" in 1954. In 1975 he left that station and went to WNCN where he hosted classical music.