September 3 Radio History

➦In 1913...actor Alan Ladd was born in Hot Springs Arkansas.  His career began in radio in 1935 and he went on to star in films, of which Shane was the highlight.  When his short stature caused his movie career to wind down he returned to radio.

He had short term stints at MGM and RKO, but got regular professional acting work only when he turned to radio. Ladd's rich, deep voice was ideal for that medium and in 1936 he ended up being signed by station KFWB as its sole radio actor. He stayed for three years at KFWB, working as many as twenty shows a week.

Depression and alcoholism contributed to his early death Jan. 29 1964 at age 50.

➦In 1939…Two days after Germany invaded Poland, England's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that Britain and France had declared war on Germany.

➦In 1954...“The Lone Ranger” aired a new episode for the final time on ABC Radio Network. It premiered on WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan, on January 30, 1933. Repeat episodes were aired by ABC in 1955 and on NBC in 1956.

➦In 1965... Los Angeles radio personality Gary Owens (right) KMPC 710 AM was signed to be the voice of Roger Ramjet, humorous super hero of a new animated TV series.

Owens performed several other voices on the show in addition to the leading character. Roger Ramjet is a super astronaut who fights assorted evildoers with the help of a high- powered “proton” energy pill.

➦In 1966...the final “Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” TV show (co-starring son Rick Nelson) aired on ABC.  The show launched October 8, 1944 on CBS, it moved to NBC in October 1948, then made a late-season switch back to CBS in April 1949. The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949 to June 18, 1954.

In total 402 radio episodes were produced.

In an arrangement that exemplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television, the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network the option to move their program to television. The struggling network needed proven talent that was not about to defect to the more established and wealthier networks like CBS or NBC. The show moved to TV in 1952.

The Nelsons' sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until the radio show's fifth year (initially appearing on the February 20, 1949 episode, ages 12 and 8, respectively). The two boys were played by professional actors prior to their joining because both were too young to perform.

➦In 1970... WMCA NYC announced the hiring of Los Angeles talk host Bob Grant to do a daily show starting September 22. The station had also recently announced it was going full-time talk radio ending a long run of playing Top40 music.

➦In 1972...Radio personality Mike Kelly of Cleveland's WIXY 1260 AM spent 21 days, 3-hours and 58-minutes on a ferris wheel at nearby Cedar Point Amusement park.

➦In 1976...The FCC ordered radio station KOIL 1290 AM and sister KEFM in Omaha off the air. Licenses for the two stations, plus WIFE 1300 AM in Indianapolis and KISN in Vancouver Washington were revoked by the FCC on grounds of misconduct by operator Don Burden – board chairman and majority stockholder of Star Broadcasting. It was the FCC’s most severe action to date. Revoking the license meant he couldn't sell his stations.

Burden (left) was charged with a long list of violations, including running phony contests on the air, billing advertisers twice, and giving free airtime to some political candidates.

➦In 1979...Don Imus returned to the air in mornings at 66WNBC NYC.  By this time, Imus had started to use cocaine until he quit in 1983.   In April 1981, Imus renewed his contract with WNBC with a five-year deal worth $500,000 a year with bonuses if he surpassed ratings targets. Following the addition of Howard Stern in afternoons in 1982, he and Imus began a longtime feud though both were paired on WNBC print and television advertisements.

After a stint at WGAR 1220 AM in Cleveland, Ohio, Imus originally moved to NYC and WNBC in December 1971. During this first stint at WNBC, Imus recorded three record albums, two for the RCA Victor label '1200 Hamburgers to Go', including some of his more popular humor from KXOA, WGAR and WNBC broadcasts, and 'One Sacred Chicken to Go with Anthrax', a primarily studio-created album centering on his satirical character, The Right Rev. Dr. Billy Sol Hargis and one for the Bang label.

Imus had been fired from WNBC in August 1977 along with several of the station's other personalities, in an effort to revamp the station's sound and boost ratings. In 1978 he returned to Cleveland radio as afternoon drive host on WHK. During that year, Imus commuted between Cleveland and New York to tape a TV talk show, Imus Plus at WNEW-TV.

➦In 1979...WLUP Chicago DJ Steve Dahl’s “Do Ya Think I’m Disco” reportedly sold more than 200,000 copies nationwide in two weeks and many radio stations were playing the anti-disco record. In Detroit  - WWWW morning DJ’s have organized a Death to Disco Ducks society, In Los Angeles, KROQ’s own insane Daryll Wayne is burying disco albums at the beach.  In Kansas City – KYYS DJ Max Floyd is recruiting listeners for an anti-disco “Rock ‘n’ Roll Army.

➦In 1985...Johnny Marks, who wrote the Christmas classics Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and A Holly Jolly Christmas, died at age 75.

Bob Sievers

➦In 2007...long time Fort Wayne, IN radio personality, Bob Sievers, died at age 90.

Sievers worked for WOWO 1190 AM for more than 50 years.

During his five decades with WOWO, he earned the title of “Mr. WOWO” as host on the popular morning show “Little Red Barn Show” that aired from 5 to 7 a.m., and the Bob Sievers show that aired from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Saturdays.

“I can’t think of anyone more influential in this town, and I’ve been here 35 years,” said Ron Gregory, a close friend and former WOWO radio announcer. “I can’t think of anybody who comes close to the impact that Bob Sievers had. It’s definitely the end of an era.”

Bob at age 90

In the days when the station’s 50,000-watt signal was not competing with the number of stations it does today, Sievers’ voice – and popularity – stretched across the country and around the world.

WOWO listeners could be found in 28 states and even overseas, and Sievers would often receive letters from devoted listeners across oceans, like missionaries in Africa, Gregory said.

➦In 2017...Steely Dan guitarist and co-founder Walter Becker died just four months after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer at age 67.  Together with Donald Fagan in 1971 he formed Steely Dan  and introduced a unique sound in rock, with hits such as “Do it Again” and “Reeling’ in the Years.”

Al Jardine is 80

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Pauline Collins is 82. 
• Singer-guitarist Al Jardine of The Beach Boys is 80. 
• Actor Valerie Perrine is 79. 

• 

  Jennifer Paige is 49

  Drummer Donald Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad is 74. 
• Guitarist Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols is 67. 
• Actor Steve Schirripa (“The Sopranos”) is 65. 
• Actor Holt McCallany (“Lights Out,” ″CSI: Miami”) is 58. 
• Guitarist Todd Lewis of The Toadies is 57. 
• Actor Costas Mandylor (“Picket Fences”) is 57. 
• Actor Charlie Sheen is 57. 
• Singer Jennifer Paige is 49. 
• Musician Redfoo of LMFAO is 47. 
• Actor Ashley Jones (“True Blood”) is 46. 
• Actor Nichole Hiltz (“In Plain Sight”) is 44. 
• Actor Joel Johnstone (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is 44. 
• Actor Nick Wechsler (“Revenge,” ″Roswell”) is 44. 
• Guitarist Tomo Milicevic of 30 Seconds To Mars is 43. 
• Actor Garrett Hedlund (“Tron”) is 38. 
• Singer August Alsina is 30.

✞DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

• The Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan died of a heart attack on this day in 2012. He was 54.
• Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, after whom the Super Bowl trophy is named, died on this day in 1970. He was 57.