Today in Broadcast History

Three years and a day after the radio debut of ‘The Lone Ranger,’ WXYZ Detroit introduced ‘The Green Hornet,’ which ran weekly for 16 years. 11-year-old Brenda Lee (pictured) made her T-V debut on ABC’s “Junior Ozark Jubilee.” Julie Andrews, Henry Fonda, Rex Harrison and Jackie Gleason appeared in a two-hour CBS-TV special titled, “The Fabulous Fifties.” And newsman Edwin Newman retired after 35 years with NBC Radio & TV. ALL the milestones for Jan. 31st INSIDE.

This was the date ‘The Lone Ranger’ aired for the first time, from Detroit’s WXYZ radio. Vancouver got its second TV station (first privately-owned) in CHAN, now known as Global TV. NBC-TV introduced the anthology series ‘Robert Montgomery Presents’; the hour-long show would continue for 8 years. And Mutual radio began airing ‘The Larry King Show’ from midnight to 5:30 am Eastern. ALL the milestones for Jan. 30th INSIDE.

Victoria’s former CJVI (AM900) changed from playing Top 40 music to the ‘Jack FM’ format, ‘playing what we want’ on 103.1 MHz. Veteran CKNW beat reporter George Garrett retired after 43 years in radio. Lionel Barrymore was conscripted to host CBS’s ‘Lux Radio Theatre’ after star host/producer C.B. DeMille refused to join the performer’s union. The ‘Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour’ premiered on CBS-TV. And the ‘Crook & Chase’ talk show debuted on cable TV’s Nashville Network. ALL the milestones for Jan. 29th INSIDE.

Garry Moore (pictured) was the MC as ‘Beat the Band’ debuted on NBC Radio. The very first Emmy Awards were handed out in Los Angeles. The zany ‘Goon Show’ ended its 9-year run on BBC Radio. 'Barnaby Jones' starring Buddy Ebsen began its 8 season run on CBS-TV. Correspondent/anchor Roger Mudd left NBC News after seven stormy years. And ‘Fantasy Island’ began its 6-year-long Saturday night run on ABC-TV. All the milestones for Jan. 28th INSIDE.

The highbrow drama series ‘CBS Radio Workshop’ debuted on the radio network. Much lower on the intellectual scale was the debut of the ABC-TV sitcom 'Davis Rules' featuring Jonathan Winters. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Senor Wences headlined CBS-TV’s “Ed Sullivan Show.’ The hour-long ‘Singalong with Mitch’ began its 3-year run on NBC-TV. And two decades later the sitcom ‘Laverne & Shirley’ (pictured) debuted on ABC-TV. ALL the milestones for Jan. 27th INSIDE.

The medium of television was first demonstrated on Jan. 26th, in London by John L Baird. Singer & radio star Jack Smith took over from Art Baker as host of one of early TV’s most popular shows, “You Asked for It.” The Global Television Network began operations as a six-transmitter regional service covering southern Ontario. ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ made its debut on ABC-TV in the post-midnight slot formerly filled by Bill Maher. And we lost the long-faced Abe Vigoda (pictured) who added so much to the 'Barney Miller' police station show. ALL the milestones for Jan. 26th INSIDE.

The daytime soap opera. ‘The Guiding Light,’ began its 72-year broadcast run on this date on NBC radio, later moving to CBS-TV. Vancouver’s CBR 1130 became CBU AM 690. B.J. Thomas sang his current Top 20 hit “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” on CBS-TV’s ‘Ed Sullivan Show.’ President John F. Kennedy’s first press conference became the first such event to be carried live on radio & TV. ALL the milestones for Jan. 25th INSIDE.

Vancouver radio station CKWX (AM980) opened a new 5,000 watt transmitter on Lulu Island (now Richmond.) The UK’s ‘The Animals’ and ventriloquist Shari Lewis headlined CBS-TV’s ‘Ed Sullivan Show.’ The short-lived Norman Lear sitcom, "Hot-L Baltimore" debuted on ABC TV. The O.J. Simpson murder trial got underway, making CNN must-see TV for the next 8 months. It was also Jan. 24th when legendary Canadian broadcaster and author Peter Gzowski (pictured) lost his battle with emphysema at age 67. ALL the milestones for Jan. 24th INSIDE.

The outstandingly popular miniseries "Roots" by Alex Haley debuted on ABC and ran for 8 consecutive nights. Radio station WOR moved from Newark New Jersey to New York City. What would become an iconic police station sitcom, 'Barney Miller' premiered on ABC-TV. Mr. T became a TV action celebrity as 'The A Team' began its 5-year run on NBC. The 'Donny & Marie' variety show debuted on ABC-TV. The sitcom 'about nothing' Seinfeld' began a nine-year run on NBC-TV. And it's the date we lost TV superstars Johnny Carson and Bob Keeshan (Capt.Kangaroo.). ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

CKNW threw the switch boosting power from 250 to 1,000 watts on 1320 KHz. One of Irna Phillips’ early daytime dramas ‘The Right to Happiness’ moved from the NBC Blue network to CBS radio. The hilarious ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In’ began as a weekly series on NBC -TV. And New Westminster’s Raymond Burr starred for the 1st time as Captain Lee Quince in the debut of “Fort Laramie” on CBS radio. ALL the milestones for Jan. 22nd INSIDE.