November 25 Radio History

Norman Tokar

➦In 1919...Writer, producer Norman Tokar born (Died from a heart attack at age 59 – April 6, 1979). He directed many of the early episodes of Leave it to Beaver, and found his greatest success directing over a dozen films for Walt Disney Productions, spanning the 1950s to the 1970s.

After a career as an actor on Broadway in the early 1940s, Tokar moved into radio, most notably The Aldrich Family, where he played Henry Aldrich's friend Willie at the microphone and wrote several episodes as well. Tokar then went into television direction on such sitcoms as The Bob Cummings Show and The Donna Reed Show, and the drama Naked City.

In the early 1960s, Tokar’s success working with the juvenile actors on 93 episodes of the TV sitcom Leave it to Beaver encouraged Walt Disney to hire him to direct family features for his studio, which frequently used children in key roles.

WJAX mics at March 1936 news event.
Future FL Gov. Warren Fuller is third person from the right

➦In 1925...City of Jacksonville FL launched a broadcast station. The city appropriated $19,960 to put the station on the air and operate it through 1926. The station manager/engineer, John T. Hopkins was paid $250 a month and his assistant, James Brock made $165. The station, WJAX, made its first broadcast on Thanksgiving 1925 operating on 890 Kc. with 1000 watts using an antenna wire strung between two large tapered towers. WJAX shifted to 880 Kc. in 1928 and 900 Kc. in 1930.(Jacksonville radio historian Billy Williams).   Today, the station is WFXJ, branded as Sports Radio 930 AM and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.

➦In 1944...The FBI in Peace & War began a 14-year run on CBS Radio. 

➦In 1949..."Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" first appeared on the hit music charts. The song was written by Johnny Marks based on the 1939 story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer published by the Montgomery Ward Company.

In 1939 Marks's brother-in-law, Robert L. May, created the character Rudolph as an assignment for Montgomery Ward and Marks decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into a song.

The song was first sung by crooner Harry Brannon on New York City radio in early November 1949, before Gene Autry's recording hit No. 1 in the U.S. charts during Christmas 1949. The song was suggested as a "B" side for a record Autry was making. Autry rejected the song. His wife convinced him to use it.

Autry's version of the song also holds the distinction of being the only chart-topping hit to fall completely off the chart after reaching No. 1. The official date of its No. 1 status was for the week ending January 7, 1950, making it the first No. 1 song of the 1950s.

Autry‘s rendition is the most popular, 80 different versions of the song have been recorded, with nearly 20,000,000 copies sold.

➦In 1960...CBS radio axed five daytime serials from the airwaves, including The Second Mrs. Burton (after 14 years), Whispering Streets, Young Dr Malone & Right to Happiness (both after 21 years) and Ma Perkins (after 27 wonderful years.)

NY Times 11/26/60

In 1940, the high point for radio soap operas, there were as many as 45 on the air each day

➦In 1960...“Amos ‘n’ Andy” as played for over 30 years by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, made their last broadcast on the CBS Radio Network. It aired as a daily serial from 1928 until 1943, as a weekly situation comedy from 1943 until 1955, and as a nightly disc-jockey program from 1954 until 1960.

Show from 1941...

➦In 1968...The Beatles double White album was released in the US. Featuring ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’, ‘Dear Prudence’, ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘Blackbird’ ‘Back In The USSR’ and George Harrisons ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. The album spent 101 weeks on the Billboard chart peaking at No.1.

➦In 1998...Comedian/actor Flip Wilson succumbed to liver cancer at age 64.  He was featured in TV’s Laugh In, and starred in his own two series, The Flip Wilson Show & Charlie and Company.

Amy Grant is 61

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Kathryn Crosby is 88. 
• Singer Bob Lind is 79. 
• Actor-game show host Ben Stein is 77. 
• Actor John Larroquette is 74. 
• “Dancing With The Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli is 66. 
• Singer Amy Grant is 61. 
• Singer Mark Lanegan (Queens of the Stone Age and Screaming Trees) is 57. 
• Drummer Scott Mercado (Candlebox) is 57. 
• Singer Tim Armstrong of Rancid is 56. 
• Actor Steve Harris (“Friday Night Lights,” ″The Practice”) is 56. 

• 

  C.Applegate is 50

  Actor Billy Burke (“Twilight” films) is 55. 
• Singer Stacy Lattisaw is 55. 
• Guitarist Rodney Sheppard of Sugar Ray is 55. 
• Rapper-producer Erick Sermon (EPMD) is 53. 
• Actor Jill Hennessy (“Crossing Jordan”) is 52. 
• Actor Christina Applegate is 50. 
• Actor Eddie Steeples (“My Name Is Earl”) is 48. 
• Actor Kristian Nairn (“Game of Thrones”) is 46. 
• Actor Jill Flint (“The Good Wife,” “Royal Pains”) is 44. 
• Actor Jerry Ferrara (“Entourage”) is 42. 
• Actor Valerie Azlynn (“Sullivan and Son”) is 41. 
• Actor Katie Cassidy (“Arrow,” new “Melrose Place”) is 35. 
• Actor Stephanie Hsu (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is 31. 
• Contemporary Christian singer Jamie Grace is 30.