Although best remembered for his role as Chester the deputy on the CBS radio version of Gunsmoke, Baer also was greatly in demand for other radio series including The Whistler Escape, Suspense, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Dragnet, The CBS Radio Workshop, Lux Radio Theater, The Six Shooter, and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. On TV he had recurring roles on The Andy Griffith Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Addams Family, The Young and the Restless, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
He died Nov. 22 2002 eleven days after a stroke at age 88.
➦In 1921...the first Radio broadcast of a baseball game occurred. The Pirates beat the Phillies, 8-0 over KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh. Harold Arlin, a 25-year-old Westinghouse foreman and nighttime studio announcer, described the action from the Steel City's Forbes Field.
➦In 1935...the daily radio drama “Backstage Wife” was first aired — on the Mutual Broadcasting System. The show, produced by prolific soap opera creators Frank & Anne Hummert, continued in the usual quarter-hour format on NBC and finally CBS Radio, until January 2, 1959.
➦In 1957..."American Bandstand" debuted nationally on ABC-TV, hosted by former deejay, Dick Clark. First guests were the singing group the Chordettes and Billy Williams. The first record danced to by the teenagers on the show was the Crickets' "That'll Be the Day."
➦In 1966...Beatles manager Brian Epstein flies into NewYork to convey John Lennon’s concern over the furor caused by his statements that the Beatlesare more popular than Jesus Christ.
The Fab-Four will begin a 19-day/14 city American tour starting next Friday and Epstein says he’s especially concerned about security during their visit. In a news conference, Epstein said that Lennon’s statements, which appeared in a U.S.teen-age magazine, were taken out of context. Says Epstein: “What Lennon said and meant was that he was astonished that, in the last 50-years, the Church of England, and therefore Christ, has suffered a decline in interest. He did not mean to boast about the Beatles’ fame. He meant to point out that the Beatles’ effect appeared to be a more immediate one upon certainly the younger generation.” “It was not anticipated that the article would be displayed out of context and in such a manner as it did in the magazine."
Some of the nation’s biggest top-40 stations won’t be banning Beatles records. Top-rated WMCA-New York says it has no intention of pulling their current hit “Paperback Writer” or any Beatle cut in the station’s “Good Guy Goldie” library. Rival WABC says it already has, but will look at the “crisis” on a week by week basis. WCFL Chicago says the Beatles will stay. In Los Angeles, KFWB, KHJ and KRLA have no intention of pulling any Beatles recordings. Other stations sticking with the Fab-Four: WIXY-Cleveland, KRUX/KRIZ - Phoenix,WMEX-Boston, WDRC/WPOP - Hartford, WQAM-Miami, KYA-San Francisco,WPGC-Washington D.C, WPTR/WTRY - Albany, NY.
Born Don Steel Revert in Hollywood, California, he graduated from Hollywood High School, served in the United States Air Force and then studied at a local radio school, the Don Martin School of Broadcasting, where he also taught for a short time. Shortly thereafter, Steele began his radio career working outside of L.A. at a small station, KBUC in Corona, CA then moving on to KEPR Kennewick, KIMA Yakima and KXLY Spokane, all in Washington; KOIL Omaha, Nebraska; KISN Portland, Oregon, and KEWB San Francisco before returning to Los Angeles to help kick off what would become one of the most influential radio stations in the country, 93/KHJ, Boss Radio, in April 1965.
Steele became nationally-known as a DJ on radio station KHJ in Los Angeles, where he helped to promote the "ultrahip" top-40 Boss Radio format which began at 3pm on April 27, 1965. When the popularity of AM radio gave way to FM stereo in the 1970s, Steele continued to remain a popular personality at the station. Following the years at 93/KHJ, The Real Don Steele continued to be heard on Los Angeles radio stations, including KIQQ (K-100), KRLA, KCBS-FM and KRTH-FM (K-Earth 101).
Steele was never one to analyze the evolution of rock radio. In a 1995 interview, he insisted, "Look, you take the Motown sound and the British Invasion and you throw in Elvis and Roy Orbison, and you have a music mix that's hard to beat at any time or any place."
➦In 1994...Steve Perun is now program director of KIIS-FM, Los Angeles.
➦In 1994...KPWR, new morning stars “The Baka Boys” are making waves with what some call, distasteful billboards – where they are pictured sitting on a toilet, pants down. Since beginning in February, they’ve leaped to the #5 morning show in Los Angeles – at a 4.5 overall share. Previous morning man Jay Thomas left with a 3.8 share, so clearly, these guys are doing much better. A similar billboard-toilet campaign helped boast the ratings of Dr. Dre and Ed Lover ant New York’s Hot 97 (WQHT).
➦In 1997...WDBZ 105.1 FM NYC switched call letters back to WNSR.
➦In 2002...Chick Hearn, the legendary Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play announcer, died following a fall at 85 years of age. For 42 years he called Laker games on radio & TV until his death.
➦In 2008...Last Mike and Mad Dog Show aired on WFAN 660 AM NYC
