Today in Broadcast History

IT WAS MAY 20th … when the Canadian Marconi Company station X-W-A, later CFCF, in Montreal aired a musical concert, the first scheduled radio broadcast in North America, and possibly the world… When CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show featured Peggy Lee, The Brothers Four (from Seattle), and retired baseball great Jackie Robinson …. When the 25th Emmy Awards gave top honors to The Waltons, All in the Family & Mary Tyler Moore… ..and when the final episodes of ‘Barney Miller’ and the original run of 'Roseanne' aired on ABC-TV… and the 'Cheers' finale was seen on NBC. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 19th ….when the 20th Annual Emmy Awards gave top honours to Get Smart, Mission Impossible & best actress Barbara Bain … When NBC-TV celebrated the 50th anniversary of Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater with the 2-hour special “Motown Returns To The Apollo”… When the final episode of LA Law aired on NBC, after a wildly successful 8 year run… When Rosie O'Donnell and Tom Selleck sparred over gun control on Rosie's syndicated TV talk show ... ..and when the final episode of Angela Lansbury’s “Murder, She Wrote” aired on CBS, after 12 seasons. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 18th … when radio’s espionage adventure drama Counterspy premiered on the Blue Network, beginning a 15-year run… When 18-year-old singer Jackie DeShannon made her network television debut on CBS-TV’s Jackie Gleason Show… When the final episode of “Baretta” aired on ABC TV, and the last “Murphy Brown” ran on CBS … ..and when after 50 years with the station Jack Cullen aired his final “Owl Prowl” on CKNW as it moved to a fulltime news/talk format. ALL the milestones for May 18th INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 16th … when the quiz show for the intelligentsia “Information Please!” began its 10-year run on radio, the first 2.5 years on the NBC Blue Network… When the final episode of Groucho’s radio/TV quiz show “You Bet Your Life” was taped … When the Elton John TV special “Say Goodbye To Norma Jean And Other Things” aired on ABC… When Barry Manilow guested on the season finale of ‘Murphy Brown’ on CBS-TV … ..and when NBC-TV paid $5 million for the rights to air the 1939 movie blockbuster “Gone with the Wind” just one time. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 16th … when the first radio broadcast of the Kentucky Derby was heard via Louisville’s WHAS … When the popular radio thriller ‘The Whistler’ debuted on Columbia’s West Coast network, sponsored by Signal Oil … When ‘Cross Canada Check Up,’ the national open line show, debuted on CBC Radio. It has continued for 55 years so far… When ABC aired what turned out to be the final TV special from The Carpenters … When the popular series ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and ‘Baywatch Nights’ ended their first runs on US national TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 13th ….when “Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch” ended its 16 years as a Sunday afternoon staple on CBS Radio (Gene is pictured)… When the ‘Kraft Music Hall,’ now starring Milton Berle, ended a record 26 years on NBC radio & TV …. When the game-changing ‘Pat Burns Hotline’ debuted on AM 600 CJOR in Vancouver … When the 200th episode of the sitcom 'Murphy Brown' aired on CBS TV .... ..and when the CBC’s flagship TV news shows The National and The Journal were moved from 10 pm to 9 pm. (The move was a failure & was soon reversed.) ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 12th .. when syndicated gossip columnist Walter Winchell (pictured) made his radio debut on New York’s WABC… When after 46 years Toronto-born Morley Safer announced his retirement from CBS TV's 60 Minutes ... When Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley (just back from his military service in Germany) appeared on the ABC TV special ‘Welcome Back Elvis”… When CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show was headlined by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, along with comedians Richard Pryor and Rodney Dangerfield … When shares in CHUM Radio were first traded on the Toronto stock exchange ... ..and when the final episode of “The Incredible Hulk” was first telecast on CBS. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 11th …. when the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement (BBM) was formed as a non-profit Canadian radio ratings service… When the pioneering kids TV show, The Pinky Lee Show, aired for the final time on NBC-TV… When Buddy Holly and the Crickets auditioned for CBS-TV’s “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,” but were rejected and didn’t get to the air… When the Monty Python comedy troupe was formed in the UK…. ..and when John Lennon appeared (with wife Yoko Ono) on ABC TV’s “Dick Cavett Show” (pictured). ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 9th … when future legendary radio announcer & voice actor Gary Owens (pictured) was born in Mitchell South Dakota… When The Jackson Five made their second appearance on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show, together with comedians Don Rickles and George Carlin… When Top 40 formatted radio station WABC New York played its last record before adopting a Talk Radio format. It was John Lennon’s “Imagine”… When a long-anticipated wedding took place on NBC Radio’s ‘Great Gildersleeve’ … .. and when the last episode of “Laverne & Shirley” aired on ABC-TV. ALL the milestones for May 10th INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 8th .. when two Canadian musical superstars, Hank Snow and Don Messer, were born … When a fire caused extensive water damage to New Westminster radio station CKNW, which was forced to use studios in downtown Vancouver while their building was renovated…. When the final episode of the hit TV sitcom ‘The Golden Girls’ aired on NBC… When Bruce Springsteen (pictured) made his TV debut, singing three songs on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” … and when Victoria radio stations The Q and The Zone were sold to Jim Pattison. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.