➦In 1915...announcer Dick Joy was born in Putnam, Connecticut.
Starting in local LA radio while a USC journalism student he became the youngest staff announcer in CBS radio history at age 21. On radio he worked on The Danny Kaye Show, The Sad Sack, Vox Pop, The Adventures of Sam Spade, Blue Ribbon Town, Dr. Kildare. Silver Theatre, New Old Gold Show, The Saint, and The Danny Thomas Show. On TV his assignments included December Bride, Perry Mason, Have Gun – Will Travel, Daktari, Lost in Space, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., and Playhouse 90.
He died Oct. 31 1991 at age 75.
➦In 1953...Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeartMedia was born.
The son of a Methodist minister, Pittman was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but raised in Brookhaven and became a radio announcer at the age of 15 to earn money for flying lessons.
He was an announcer in a number of cities and then successfully programmed radio stations in Pittsburgh, Chicago and finally at the NBC flagship station, WNBC-AM, in New York when he was 23 years old. He also produced and co-hosted a music video and news show in 1978 that ran on NBC's O&O Television stations.
He did learn to fly, and has been a pilot for almost 40 years: He now has over 6,000 flight hours; currently holds an Airline Transport Pilot's license for airplanes; and is rated for helicopters and 3 types of jets.
➦In 1981...WEA Records (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic) raised the price of its 45 rpm records from $1.68 to $1.98. The company was the leader of the pack with other labels soon boosting their prices. Within a few years, the 45 rpm record was “boosted” right out of existence by the arrival of the CD.
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Actor Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”) is 89.
Actor Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter”) is 87.
Siennia Miller is 40
Singer-keyboardist Edgar Winter is 75.
Actor Denzel Washington is 67.
TV personality Gayle King (“CBS This Morning”) is 67.
Drummer Mike McGuire of Shenandoah is 63.
Actor Chad McQueen (the “Karate Kid” films) is 61.
Country singer-guitarist Marty Roe of Diamond Rio is 61.
Actor Malcolm Gets (“Caroline in the City”) is 58.
Political commentator Ana Navarro (“The View”) is 50.
Comedian Seth Meyers (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) is 48.
Actor Brendan Hines (“Suits,” ″Lie To Me”) is 45.
Actor Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”) is 45.
Actor Vanessa Ferlito (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 44.
Singer John Legend is 43.
Actor Andre Holland (“Selma”) is 42.
Actor Sienna Miller is 40.
Actor Beau Garrett (“The Good Doctor”) is 39.
Actor Thomas Dekker (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Heroes”) is 34.
Actor Mackenzie Rosman (“7th Heaven”) is 32.
“American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta is 31.
Actor Mary-Charles Jones (“Kevin Can Wait”) is 20.
In the face of higher prices, product shortages, and a new variant of COVID-19 virus, Americans went shopping. Holiday sales rose 8.5%, the biggest increase in 17 years, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks payments. Traditional department stores showed a 21% increase over a year before while online sales were up 11%.
WATCH: U.S. retail sales rose 8.5% during the holiday shopping season from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, powered by soaring e-commerce sales, according to a report by Mastercard https://t.co/5Nsce7Plhipic.twitter.com/fJzQHB2Acb
🛫FLIGHTS STILL DISRUPTED BY STAFF SHORTAGES: Many people had trouble getting a flight out to their holiday destinations, and many of those who did get away are having trouble getting home. The major airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights yesterday, citing shortages of crew members due to the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. About 3,500 other flights were delayed yesterday.
Airline executives have asked the Centers for Disease Control to shorten the quarantine period for fully vaccinated employees to five days, from 10. A similar measure has been put in place for healthcare workers.
➤DESMOND TUTU DIES: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whose powerful voice helped end apartheid in South Africa, died yesterday in Cape Town at age 90. The Anglican archbishop of Cape Town was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his commitment to a peaceful transition to Black majority rule in South Africa.
An FBI informant infiltrated the KKK in Florida, helped foil 2 murder plots, and said white supremacist groups infiltrated law enforcement at the state, county and city levels. “It is more prevalent and consequential than any of them are willing to admit.” https://t.co/TpWpezpa8y
➤DR. FAUCI AND DONALD TRUMP FIND SOMETHING TO AGREE ABOUT: Dr. Anthony Fauci praised former President Donald Trump for indicating his support of COVID vaccines and for acknowledging that he himself had gotten a booster shot. In an appearance on ABC News, the chief medical advisor said he was dismayed that the former president was booed by some in the crowd that heard him speak in support of the vaccine. Trump later touted the vaccines on Fox News as "one of the greatest achievements of mankind."
➤COVID PATIENTS REPORTING RESIDUAL VOICE PROBLEMS AFTER INFECTION: Some COVID-19 patients are now experiencing problems with their voice. Fox News reports these issues include hoarseness, quality of voice, and a condition called vocal fatigue, which can have an impact on a person’s quality of life. Dr. Catherine Crawley, a speech pathologist, says, “If a patient is feeling fatigued after using their voice, they may tend to not want to communicate as often as usual. They may withdraw from social activities as speaking becomes too taxing and no longer pleasurable. A patient may not be able to perform their regular duties in their workplace as speaking is too difficult.” Health experts say vocal fatigue symptoms may include the feeling of a raspy, strained, or breathy quality in a patient’s voice. Some may also complain of discomfort when speaking and experience a loss of range or pitch and breaks in their voice. The issue was found even in patients that did not require intubation. Crawley says this may occur due to compromised respiratory status, overall fatigue, and other underlying medical issues that occur after being infected with the novel coronavirus. Health experts say anyone experiencing voice issues should seek an examination by an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) to evaluate their vocal cords.
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" cruises past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2021, Sony Pictures Entertainment says. https://t.co/7AVa5KYdtz
➤NINTENDO ESHOP BUCKLES ON CHRISTMAS DAY: Nintendo's eShop buckled under the strain of its own players on Christmas Day. Error messages intermittently prevented many gamers from downloading and playing games online. Resigned fans on social media labeled it a "Christmas tradition."
Davyon Johnson, an 11-year-old boy from Oklahoma, is being honored by his community after saving two lives in one day. https://t.co/QIxo5NnaEe
➤GIANT TELESCOPE LAUNCHED INTO SPACE: NASA launched its new James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day, beginning a voyage that is designed to travel one million miles from Earth. It has many formidable tasks, including recording information about the atmospheres of planets in other solar systems and watching stars evolve. The Webb telescope is the successor to the Hubble Telescope.
At 7:20am ET (12:20 UTC), the beginning of a new, exciting decade of science climbed to the sky. Webb’s mission to #UnfoldTheUniverse will change our understanding of space as we know it. pic.twitter.com/Al8Wi5c0K6
CHECK IT OUT: Astronomy Now has details of the Webb Space Telescope mission.
👥THERE’S ACTUALLY A GOOD DATING TREND OUT THERE AND IT’S CALLED ‘HARDBALLING’: There are many dating behaviors with clever nicknames, such as “Ghosting,” and “Pocketing,” that are associated with not-so-great behaviors. But the latest trend, dubbed “hardballing,” is actually a good thing. The term refers to explaining to someone all of your expectations upfront before you even go on a first date with them. The intention is that you won’t waste time and can weed out anyone who may not be as serious about a relationship as you are. Relationship expert Susan Winter says “hardballing” can be helpful to give the other person a “clear and definite vision” for your potential future together, and also tell you “exactly what you’re getting” when you choose to date someone. To properly “hardball” Winter says you should use “clear cut, thoughtful, tactful and diplomatic language.” She adds that at first hardballing may seem top harsh, but that “its truthful” and can potentially “alleviate unnecessary heartbreak.”
🏈BUCS CAPTURE DIVISION TITLE: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South division title for the first time since 2007 with a 32-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers. They pulled it off despite a long list of players out on the injured list or the COVID-19 list.
🏈COWBOYS EMBARRASS WASHINGTON: The Dallas Cowboys didn't even have to defeat Washington to capture the NFC East title. But they did, by a margin of 56-14. That's the Cowboys' most points in a game since a 59-14 win over San Francisco back in 1980.
🏈JEFFERSON BREAKS A RECORD: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson broke the record yesterday for most receiving yards ever by a player in his first two seasons. Jefferson made the record books on his third catch of the game against the Los Angeles Rams. He ended the game at 2,851 receiving yards, surpassing a milestone set in 2015 by Odell Beckham Junior.
🏈JAGS' ROBINSON HAS SEASON-ENDING INJURY: Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter of yesterday's game against the New York Jets. He is expected to be out for the rest of the season.
🏈NFL SCORES – WEEK 15:
Green Bay Packers 24, Cleveland Browns 22
Indianapolis Colts 22, Arizona Cardinals 16
Philadelphia Eagles 34, New York Giants 10
Los Angeles Rams 30, Minnesota Vikings 23
Buffalo Bills 33, New England Patriots 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32, Carolina Panthers 6
New York Jets 26, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
Atlanta Falcons 20, Detroit Lions 16
Houston Texans 41, Los Angeles Chargers 29
Cincinnati Bengals 41, Baltimore Ravens 21
Chicago Bears 25, Seattle Seahawks 24
Kansas City Chiefs 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 10
Las Vegas Raiders 17, Denver Broncos 13
Dallas Cowboys 56, Washington Football Team 14
Monday Night football on ESPN: Miami Dolphins at NOLA Saints on ESPN (8:15 p.m. ET)
🏈WSU DESPERATELY SEEKS AN OPPONENT: The University of Miami has withdrawn from its planned Sun Bowl game against Washington State, citing a COVID-19 outbreak. Now, Washington State coach Jake Dickert is promising his team will play "any opponent" in the game, scheduled to be played Friday in El Paso. The Pac-12 and the Sun Bowl Association were still looking for a worthy contender as of last night.
🏈TWO MORE COLLEGE BOWLS CANCELED: Two more college football bowl games have been canceled because of coronavirus illnesses. The Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, between Boston College and East Carolina University will not be played today. Also canceled is the Fenway Bowl between the University of Virginia and Southern Methodist University. The Fenway Bowl, which had been scheduled for Wednesday, would have been the first.
🏀WARRIORS' GREEN AT RISK: Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has reportedly entered the NBA's health and safety protocols. At worst, he could be out for 10 days and miss four games. At best, he'll test negative twice in a 24-hour window and be back soon.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a popular Cape Cod radio personality.
On Friday, Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe announced the arrest of Justin Peckham, 29, of Boston in connection with the December 8 murder of Eric Christensen in Hyannis, reports WBSM 1440 AM.
Justin Peckham
Barnstable Police responded to a 911 call for a medical emergency at 91 Oakview Terrace in Hyannis just before 6 p.m. on December 8.
When police arrived, they found the 50-year-old Christensen unresponsive on the kitchen floor with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Christensen, who worked in the promotions department for Cape Cod radio station WCOD, was transported to Cape Cod Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Peckham was arraigned Friday morning in Barnstable District Court on one count of murder and one count of assault and battery by means of the discharge of a firearm. He is being held without bail, and a probable cause hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2022.
Three-quarters of American adults listen to spoken word audio, with 45% of Americans ages 13 and older saying they listen daily. This is according to data this year from National Public Media and Edison Research, which also points to a shift away from listening to spoken word audio on AM/FM platforms.
Over the past eight years, spoken word audio — namely news, sports, talk/personalities and audiobooks — has seen its share of audio listening increase. In 2014, spoken word audio accounted for 20% of audio listening, while music accounted for 80%. However, by 2021 spoken-word audio’s share increased to 28% — an increase of 40% over 2014.
The platforms through which Americans are listening to spoken word audio have also changed over this period. Back in 2014, 79% of spoken word audio listening took place on AM/FM radio (whether over the air or on radio streams). Since then, that share has been on a steady decline, with this year being the first time the majority of spoken word audio listening occurs on platforms other than AM/FM radio.
As such, less than half (48%) of spoken word audio listening currently takes place on AM/FM radio platforms. Instead, most spoken word audio listening takes place on podcasts (22%), audiobooks (10%) and other sources (including streaming audio and satellite radio; 20%). It should come as no surprise that there has been growth in the time spent listening to spoken word audio via podcasts, considering that 6 in 10 US adults now listen to podcasts.
A plurality of spoken word audio listening occurs on mobile devices (35%), followed by AM/FM radio receivers (29%) and computers (27%). In fact, the time spent listening to spoken word audio on mobile devices has nearly tripled since 2014.
Lastly, respondents who say they listen to spoken word audio on a monthly basis tend discover new shows primarily by searching online (59%), by getting recommendations from family and friends (51%) and from social media (44%).
Citing internal documents spanning 2018 to 2021, Bloomberg reports that a number of signs point to a decline in Alexa device owners' interest and use of the voice-control products.
Internal data showed that in some years, 15% to 25% of new users were no longer active with their Alexa devices in their second week since buying them. Amazon told Insider the vast majority of Alexa users are still active a month after registering their devices and beyond.
New Alexa users find half of the features they'll ever use on the devices in the first three hours from activating them, according to a planning document for 2019 that Bloomberg cited. Amazon told Insider this finding is based on research from 2016, and is no longer accurate.
"The assertion that Alexa growth is slowing is not accurate," Amazon spokesperson Kinley Pearsall told Insider in a statement." The fact is that Alexa continues to grow — we see increases in customer usage, and Alexa is used in more households around the world than ever before. Tens of millions of customers use Alexa every day, and we are as optimistic about Alexa's future today as we have ever been."
The company is throwing plenty of money and manpower at the problem, Bloomberg reports, citing documents that show projections of $4.2 billion in fixed costs for this year and noting that Amazon has more than 10,000 people working on Alexa.
In 2018, the company projected losing $5 per device this year but hoped to break into profits of $2 per device in 2028, though an internal market analysis conducted last year concluded Amazon "passed its growth phase" with smart speakers, according to Bloomberg.
Documents also laid out plans to outfit Alexa devices with more cameras and sensors so they could recognize different people's voices and figure out which room a user is in while speaking, Bloomberg reports. Amazon told Insider this isn't new, pointing to optional features like ultrasound motion detection, visual ID, and Alexa Guard, which notifies users about sounds like smoke alarms and breaking glass.
KGKS-FM 93.9 "The River," a classic hits radio station, got a new identity Sunday.
The semissourian.com reports the station, part of the River Radio chain in Cape Girardeau, is keeping its call letters and its frequency but is now known as "Mike FM."
"In recent years, there's been a trend in the radio industry to move from classic hits to adult hits, which is basically a hybrid for the listener to hear newer stuff yet keeping some of the classic format. You kind of get a little bit of it all," said KGKS program director Rachel Cook, who arrived in Cape in late May after four years working promotions and programming for St. Louis country outlet WIL-FM.
"We're giving the station a fresh coat of paint. We're adding some more excitement into it and a little more life."
Listeners, Cook said, should expect to hear artists as varied as Matchbox 20, Aerosmith, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, and Gwen Stefani.
Cook said River Radio has a key demographic in mind for Mike FM.
"We're kind of shooting for younger, female listeners, like 35-year-olds. That's our real pinpoint target, plus we want in-office listening too," she said.
Mike FM kicked off the new format with a weeklong event intended to grab the listening public.
"We're doing a 9,300-minute music marathon and it all will be commercial free," Cook said.
Giving the station a first name identity is intentional, she said.
"There are stations across the country known as Charlie FM or Bob FM. We chose a name to give the station a bit of a persona of its own. It's kind of a personality we're introducing here in launching Mike FM."
Broadcasters are expressing concerns about the notion of changing the Emergency Alert system to add or expand alerting via the internet, including via streaming, reports RadioWorld.
Congress instructed the FCC to examine the feasibility of such changes and of improving alerts that are already delivered online. A notice of inquiry from the commission invited public feedback.
Feedback from broadcasters and other interested parties reflect a general wariness of modifying EAS in this way.
The majority of commenters told the FCC they worry about the practicality of enabling online alerts via streaming services. Proponents of the established system say it is proven and that alerts are available via radio and TV broadcast stations, analog and digital cable, satellite radio, cell phones and other mobile wireless devices.
In addition, some broadcasters worry that any lessening of the FCC’s regulatory jurisdiction over EAS could create enforcement issues while overseeing streaming platforms.
“Expanding emergency alerts through non-FCC regulated streaming services not only presents technological challenges, but also fundamental regulatory and compliance challenges,” iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media wrote in joint comments to the FCC.
The broadcasters expressed concerns that internet-based services such as Netflix, Spotify and Hulu operate from centralized platforms, which if enabled with emergency alert capabilities could leave them susceptible to hackers.
“An intentional hack into one of these platforms by an actor with the malicious intent to cause public panic through false emergency alerts could have very broad national impact, all outside the regulatory control of the FCC,” iHeartMedia and Cumulus wrote.
A New York state judge has ordered the New York Times to return internal documents to the conservative activist group Project Veritas, a restriction the newspaper said violates decades of First Amendment protections.
Reuters reports Justice Charles Wood of the Westchester County Supreme Court directed the New York
Times to return to Project Veritas any physical copies of legal memos prepared by one of the group's lawyers, and to destroy electronic versions.
Wood had entered a temporary order against the New York Times last month, drawing criticism from freedom of the press advocates. read more
Project Veritas, led by James O'Keefe, has used what critics view as misleading tactics like secret audio recording to expose what it describes as liberal media bias. The group is the subject of a Justice Department probe into its possible role in the theft of a diary from President Joe Biden's daughter, Ashley, pages of which were published on a right-wing website.
Project Veritas objected to a Nov. 11 Times article that drew from the legal memos and purported to reveal how the group worked with its lawyers to "gauge how far its deceptive reporting practices can go before running afoul of federal laws."
Wood said in Friday's ruling that the Project Veritas legal memos were not a matter of public concern and that the group has a right to keep them private that outweighs concerns about freedom of the press.
"Steadfast fidelity to, and vigilance in protecting First Amendment freedoms cannot be permitted to abrogate the fundamental protections of attorney-client privilege or the basic right to privacy," Wood wrote.
A.G. Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times, said the newspaper would appeal the ruling.
Sulzberger said the decision barred the Times from publishing newsworthy information that was obtained legally in the ordinary course of reporting.
Radio talker and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ wife was arrested in Texas on Friday for alleged domestic violence, reports The NY Post.
Jones, the right-wing founder of Infowars, blamed the incident on a “medication imbalance.”
“It’s a private family matter that happened on Christmas Eve,” Jones told The Associated Press. “I love my wife and care about her, and it appears to be some kind of medication imbalance.”
Jones did not disclose exactly what transpired Friday evening nor elaborate on if he had been injured.
His wife, Erika Wulff Jones, 43, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies, who took her into custody and put her into an Austin jail about 8:45 p.m. Friday.
She faces misdemeanor charges of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and resisting arrest, jail records show. She had not received a bond Saturday afternoon.
Jones told the outlet his wife’s arrest “doesn’t concern” his fringe political views and that “it wasn’t some kind of personal hateful thing or anything.”
Tom Barberi, a radio talk show host who loved to poke fun at Utah institutions and became one himself, has died.
Barberi died Friday morning, according to daughter Gina Barberi, who followed her father’s career path and is now a host of KXRK X96′s “Radio From Hell” show. He was 78, according to Salt Lake Tribune.
Known as “The Voice of Reason” on radio station KALL from 1971 to 2004, Barberi mixed news and sports and politics. He interviewed powerful and not-so-powerful people, and took calls from listeners.
Barberi often took aim at the Utah establishment — from politicians to religious leaders.
“He pushed a little bit. He teased Utah in a good way,” said former Salt Lake Tribune Editor James E. “Jay” Shelledy, who is now a member of the nonprofit Tribune’s board of directors. “But he was always kind — never mean about it. And he was quite popular for a long time.
In 1991, when Barberi was celebrating 20 years at KALL, he told The Tribune he went into radio “because I have no marketable skills. See, it’s either do radio or go back to San Jose to the loading docks and unload boxes. I think I’d rather abuse people over the air than work for a living.”
And, he said, he didn’t spend much time planning each day’s installment of “The Tom Barberi Show.”
“I never know what I’m going to talk about when I go on the air,” he said, “and I never know who is going to call me. It’s just as much of a surprise to me as it is to the listeners.”
Shelledy said he didn’t recall Barberi going after the state’s predominant faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on matters of religion, but that he did push back against Utah’s cultural norms.
“He went after the culture of the state,” Shelledy said, “and where there’s a dominant religion, that’s going to be part of the culture.”
➦In 1932...Radio City Music Hall, at 1260 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, opened to the public. Nicknamed the Showplace of the Nation, it is the headquarters for the Rockettes, the precision dance company.
The name "Radio City Music Hall" derives from one of the complex's first tenants, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), who planned a mass media complex called Radio City on the west side of Rockefeller Center.
Radio City Music Hall was built on a plot of land that was originally intended for a Metropolitan Opera House. The opera house plans were canceled in 1929, leading to the construction of Rockefeller Center.
One of the more notable parts of the Music Hall is its large auditorium, which was the world's largest when the Hall first opened. The new complex included two theaters, the "International Music Hall" and the Center Theater, as part of the "Radio City" portion of Rockefeller Center. The 5,960-seat Music Hall was the larger of the two venues. It was largely successful until the 1970s, when declining patronage nearly drove the Music Hall to bankruptcy. Radio City Music Hall was designated a New York City Landmark in May 1978, and the Music Hall was restored and allowed to remain open. The hall was extensively renovated in 1999.
Although Radio City Music Hall was initially intended to host stage shows, it hosted performances in a film-and-stage-spectacle format through the 1970s, and was the site of several movie premieres. It now primarily hosts concerts, including by leading pop and rock musicians, and live stage shows such as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The Music Hall has also hosted televised events including the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, the Daytime Emmy Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the NFL Draft.
➦In 1939...“The Glenn Miller Show”, also known as “Music that Satisfies”, started on CBS radio. The 15-minute, three-a-week big band show was sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes and was heard for nearly three years.
➦In 1943...Broadcast journalist Cokie Roberts was born in New Orleans. The child of two members of the U-S Congress she joined an upstart National Public Radio in 1978 and left an indelible imprint on the growing network with her coverage of Washington politics before later going to ABC News. She was still on the ABC payroll at age 75 when she died Sept. 17th 2019 due to complications from breast cancer.
Howdy Doody
➦In 1947...The children's TV program Howdy Doody program first aired on NBC. It continued until September 24, 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s.
Bob Smith created Howdy Doody during his days as a radio announcer on WNBC 660 AM. At that time, Howdy Doody was only a voice Smith performed on the radio. When Smith made an appearance on NBC's television program Puppet Playhouse on December 27, 1947, the reception for the character was great enough to begin a demand for a visual character for television. Frank Paris, a puppeteer whose puppets appeared on the program, was asked to create a Howdy Doody puppet.
➦In 1947...Bell Labs invented the transistor.
➦In 1958...Buddy Holly made his first appearance in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas since becoming a major recording star. Along with broadcasting live over KLLL radio from a fruit and vegetable store, he returned to the station's studios to record "You're The One," a song that station management challenged him to write in half an hour.
➦In 1968...Don McNeil's "The Breakfast Club" signed off the ABC Radio network, after 35 years.
In Chicago during the early 1930s, McNeill was assigned to take over an un-sponsored early morning variety show, The Pepper Pot, with an 8 a.m. time-slot on the NBC Blue Network. McNeill re-organized the hour as The Breakfast Club, dividing it into four segments which McNeill labeled "the Four Calls to Breakfast."
Don McNeil 1942
McNeill's revamped show premiered in 1933, combining music with informal talk and jokes often based on topical events, initially scripted by McNeill but later ad-libbed. In addition to recurring comedy performers, various vocal groups and soloists, listeners heard sentimental verse, conversations with members of the studio audience and a silent moment of prayer. The series eventually gained a sponsor in the Chicago-based meat packer Swift and Company. McNeill is credited as the first performer to make morning talk and variety a viable radio format.
The program featured Fran Allison (later of Kukla, Fran and Ollie fame) as "Aunt Fanny", plus Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers and various comedy bits. Every quarter-hour came the "Call to Breakfast" -- a march around the breakfast table. A featured vocalist on the show, under her professional name of Annette King, was Charlotte Thompson Reid, who later became an Illinois congresswoman for five terms (1962–71). Eileen Parker became a vocalist with the program in 1953.
The Breakfast Club initially was broadcast from the NBC studios in the Merchandise Mart. In 1948, after 4,500 broadcasts from the Merchandise Mart, the program moved to the new ABC Civic Studio. It was also heard from other Chicago venues: the Terrace Casino (at the Morrison Hotel), the College Inn Porterhouse (at the Sherman House) and "the Tiptop Room of the Warwick Allerton Hotel on Chicago's Magnificent Mile," as well as tour broadcasts from other locations in the U.S. It remained a fixture on the ABC radio network (formerly the NBC Blue Network; it became known as ABC in 1945), maintaining its popularity for years and counting among its fans Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas.
Don McNeil with comedian Sam Cowling 1956
After ABC Radio was split into four networks in 1968, The Breakfast Club was moved to the new American Entertainment network, and was known for its last months on the air as The Don McNeill Show.
➦In 1974...The 'Dear Abby' 5-minute show ended airing on CBS Radio after 11 years.
Tracy Nelson is 77
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Actor John Amos (“The West Wing,” “Roots”) is 82.
Guitarist Mick Jones of Foreigner is 77.
Singer Tracy Nelson is 77.
Actor Gerard Depardieu is 73.
Jazz drummer T.S. Monk is 72.
Singer Karla Bonoff is 70.
Shay Mooney is 30
Guitarist David Knopfler of Dire Straits is 69.
Actor Tovah Feldshuh (“Law and Order”) is 68.
Actor Maryam D’Abo (“The Living Daylights”) is 61.
Drummer Jeff Bryant (Ricochet) is 59.
Actor Ian Gomez (“Felicity,” ″The Drew Carey Show”) is 57.
Actor Theresa Randle (“Bad Boys”) is 57.
Actor Eva LaRue (“CSI: Miami”) is 55.
Bassist Darrin Vincent of Dailey and Vincent is 52.
Guitarist Matt Slocum of Sixpence None The Richer is 49.
Actor Wilson Cruz (“Party of Five,” ″My So-Called Life”) is 48.
Actor Masi Oka (“Hawaii Five-0,” ″Heroes”) is 47.
Actor Emilie de Ravin (“Once Upon A Time,” ″Lost”) is 40.
Actor Jay Ellis (“Insecure”) is 40.
Guitarist James Mead of Kutless is 39.
Singer Hayley Williams of Paramore is 33.
Singer Shay Mooney of Dan and Shay is 30.
Actor Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name,” ″Lady Bird”) is 26.
