June 5 Radio History

➦In 1910...character actor Herb Vigran was born in Cincinnati.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1939, and with his unique voice was frequently cast in scores of network radio dramas and variety shows, performing with the likes of Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Jimmy Durante. He appeared in more than 350 TV shows and bigscreen films, most notably in Dragnet, Gunsmoke and I Love Lucy.

He died of complications from cancer Nov. 29 1986 at age 76.

➦In 1954…Billboard magazine reported that, as of July, major record labels would supply radio stations with 45-RPM singles rather than 78-RPM singles.

➦In 1956...Elvis Presley appeared on The Milton Berle Show, causing a national uproar with his hip-swiveling performance of "Hound Dog.

➦In 1973…CFRB-Toronto radio newsman Gordon Sinclair aired an editorial, later released as the recording "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)," his reaction to the growing amount of U.S.-bashing around the world. Another recorded version of his dissertation, "Americans" by CKLW-Windsor/Detroit radio news director Byron MacGregor, peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 and became one of the most popular spoken-word recordings of all time.

➦In 1977…DJ Charlie Van Dyke did his last show on KHJ 930 AM, Los Angeles.

➦In 1982…DJ Cousin Brucie returned to New York City Radio on WCBS 101.1 FM.


➦In 1998...actress Jeanette Nolan died following a stroke at age 86.

During the golden age of radio she played a variety of characters on such programs as “The March of Time”, “Cavalcade of America“, “The Court of Missing Heirs”, “The Adventures of Mister Meek”, “Life Begins” and “Manhattan at Midnight”.  She appeared in more than 300 television shows, including “Perry Mason” (1957), “I Spy” (1965), “MacGyver” (1985), “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1955), and as a regular on “The Richard Boone Show” (1963) and “The Virginian” (1962). She received four Emmy nominations.

Ronald Reagan

➦In 2004...Ronald Reagan who broadcast baseball on midwest radio, and hosted Death Valley Days & GE Theatre on TV, and who 1n 1980 was elected the 40th President of the US, died of Alzheimer’s at age 93.    His specialty was creating play-by-play accounts of games using as his source only basic descriptions that the station received by wire as the games were in progress.

➦In 2013…Radio personality (original host of the syndicated American Country Countdown from 1973 to 1978, KDEO-San Diego, KEWB-Oakland-San Francisco, KDWB-Minneapolis-St. Paul, WKDA-Nashville, KRZK-Branson)/ commercial announcer (Bank of America, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pace CB Radios)/actor (The Las Vegas Hillbillys, Hillbillys in a Haunted House) Don Bowman died at age 75.