Columns

IT WAS JUNE 18th .. when ‘The Adventures of Ellery Queen’ debuted on CBS radio in a 60-minute format for the first six months … When the adult western ‘Gunsmoke” wrapped its 9-year run on CBS radio… When the luminescent Nanette Fabray (pictured) made her final appearance as co-star of NBC-TV’s ‘Caesar’s Hour’… When Vancouver’s CKNW AM 980 launched the Western Information Network .. .. and when Dan Rather’s final report for CBS aired on the network’s feature weekend news magazine ‘Sunday Morning.’ ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE

IT WAS JUNE 17th ..when NBC’s WNBT-TV, channel 4 in New York City, was granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the United States… When ‘Suspense,’ radio’s outstanding theatre of thrills, began its 20-year run on CBS… When Seattle’s KOL-FM 94.1 switched from automated background music to “Progressive Rock”… When Vancouver’s CKWX (now News1130) moved to new studios at 2440 Ash Street… ..and when “The Discovery Channel” first appeared on U.S. cable systems. First program was “Iceberg Alley.” ALL the milestones for June 17th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 16th .. when the first network TV news aired in the US on Dumont’s “News from Washington”… When the great Dave Garroway was fired as host of NBC-TV's 'Today Show'.... When the sitcom ‘My Little Margie’ debuted on CBS-TV… When the Vancouver-filmed TV series 'The Dead Zone" debuted on the USA cable channel ... When “The Dean Martin Summer Show” featuring the comedy team of Rowan & Martin, debuted on NBC-TV… ..and when the CRTC authorized the XM & Sirius satellite subscription-based radio/music services for Canadian consumers. ALL the milestones for the date

IT WAS JUNE 15th .. when the first-ever radio broadcast of live music took place from Chelmsford, England, featuring Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba… When the rural TV comedy/musical show “Hee Haw” with Roy Clark, Buck Owens & Canadian Don Harron, premiered on CBS… When Rev. David Mainse broadcast the first “100 Huntley Street” program out of its studios at the said address in downtown Toronto… ..and when 83-year-old Bob Barker’s final appearance as emcee of CBS TV’s”The Price Is Right” aired. He had hosted the game show for 35 years! ALL the milestones for June 15th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 13th … when the Rolling Stones made an appearance on ABC-TV’s “Hollywood Palace,” during their first tour of North America …. When John Lennon made his last TV appearance on an ABC-TV salute to UK entertainment mogul Sir Lew Grade that had been taped in April…. When NBC’ late night TV host Tom Snyder interviewed serial killer Charles Manson on what has since become the most famous edition of his “Tomorrow” Show… ..and when Garrison Keilor (pictured), host and storyteller on the award-winning US public radio series, A Prairie Home Companion, left the show and its delightful shores of Lake Wobegon for Denmark where he intended to spend his time writing (he returned to the U.S… and the program … two years later). ALL the milestones for June 13th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 12th … when pioneer Toronto radio station CFCA had its Grand Opening. Foster Hewitt broadcast his first hockey game on CFCA eight months later…. When Pittsburgh’s KDKA became the first 50,000 watt radio station… When the Sunday night TV extravaganza that would be must-see family viewing for the next twenty years, “Toast of the Town,” (later the Ed Sullivan Show), made its debut on CBS… ..and when the early TV comedy hit “Mr Peepers” starring Wally Cox with Tony Randall, aired for the last time on NBC. ALL the milestones for June 12th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 11th … when Hank Williams made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. His performance, with the audience demanding several encores of “Lovesick Blues,” is still considered one of the Opry’s greatest moments… When the all-black TV sitcom “Amos ‘n Andy” was driven from the air in the heat of the civil rights movement, for its so-called stereotypical characterizations, though the radio version continued for 7 years more … When the first episode of “Fear Factor” with host Joe Rogan, aired on NBC-TV… ..and the final episode of ‘The Sopranos’ aired on HBO. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 7th … when NBC radio presented The Lux Radio Theatre for the final time. For almost all of its 21 years it had brightened the CBS Radio schedule … When children’s puppet show stars Kukla, Fran Allison and Ollie (at right), along with the Boston Pops Orchestra, were stars of the first network TV broadcast shown in “compatible color”… When the “Johnny Cash Show” debuted as a summer series on ABC-TV … ..and when bandleader Ricky Minor jumped from FOX-TV to NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” replacing Kevin Eubanks. ALL the milestones for June 7th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 5th .. when after 22 years, Canada’s longest running radio program, “The Happy Gang,” was heard for the last time… When Toronto newsman Gordon Sinclair wrote and first broadcast one of the most popular spoken-word recordings of all time: “The Americans”… When CBS-TV premiered the summer replacement show “The Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour”…. ..and when Edmonton’s CISN-FM signed on with 100,000 watts on 103.9 MHz as “Kissin’ Country”. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE>

IT WAS JUNE 4th …. when NBC-TV’s “The Monkees” won an Emmy award for outstanding comedy series. When ABC-TV’s “Bobby Sherman TV Special” aired, featuring guest performers The 5th Dimension… When the final episode of “The Waltons” aired on CBS TV, though six TV movies followed over the next 15 years … When the CBC’s prairie radio powerhouse CBK AM 540 lost its transmission tower in a severe windstorm … .. and when the final episode of the sitcom “Married With Children” aired on FOX. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.