Columns

SEPT. 16th is the date that gave us Amy Poehler, Jennifer Tilly, Ed Begley Jr., Lawrence Dobkin. Allen Funt, B.B. King and Maverick’s Jack Kelly. Starting their TV runs this day were ‘Miami Vice’, ‘Frasier’, and ‘The Dean Martin Show’ on NBC; ‘Shindig’ and ‘The Outer Limits’ on ABC, and ‘Wiseguy’ and ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ on CBS. Canadian-born Jenny Jones (pictured) began a syndicated US TV talk show that lasted 12 years. and the CBC introduced ‘The Fifth Estate’ which has now been the network’s key newsmagazine for 44 years. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 15th .. when “The Lone Ranger” debuted on ABC-TV, after 16 years on radio… When the family sitcom “Bachelor Father” with John Forsythe began its 5-year run on CBS-TV… When the rural comedy ‘Green Acres’ debuted on CBS-TV, starring Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor…. ..and when the action-adventure series ‘Lost in Space’ (CBS) and ‘I Spy’ (NBC) debuted on the same evening. ALL the milestones for Sept. 15th INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 9th .. when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed as a broadcasting service of the Radio Corporation of America, with partners General Electric & Westinghouse. 26 stations made up the US’s first national radio network … When the 1st broadcast of the long-running TV soap “Love of Life” aired on CBS… When 54 million viewers (82.6 percent of the U.S. television audience) turned their TV dials to the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ on CBS to see 21-year-old Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley … When NBC-TV’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report” (pictured), their evening newscast, expanded from 15 to 30 minutes, as had the CBS News (with Walter Cronkite) a week earlier… and when CBS CEO Les Moonves stepped down amidst a widening sex scandal. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 7th … when pioneer Vancouver radio station CKFC first took to the air from First Congregational Church… When a young Sally Field debuted in the title role of ‘The Flying Nun’ on ABC-TV… When the final episode of (pictured) the original “Dick Van Dyke Show” featuring Mary Tyler Moore, as well as the last “Beverly Hillbillies” episode, aired on CBS-TV… When ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on US cable TV as the world’s first fulltime sports TV station… .. and when CJRY-FM Edmonton signed on as Shine-FM, with 100,000 watts at 105.9 MHz. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT 6th … when the first prizefight to be broadcast blow-by-blow was heard on WWJ Detroit, as heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey scored a third-round knockout … When (pictured) Lionel Barrymore introduced us to his latest crowd-pleasing character as ‘Mayor of the Town’ debuted on the NBC Red radio network, co-starring Agnes Moorehead… When future movie star Steve McQueen premiered his CBS-TV series ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive” … When the team of Martin & Lewis were reunited on Jerry’s telethon after a 20-year estrangement … When Canadian television debuted as Montreal’s CBFT aired the drama ‘Oedipus Rex’ in French…. ..and when the smash hit radio comedy“Fibber McGee and Molly” ended after an almost 25 year run. ALL the milestones for Sept. 6th INSIDE!

Matt is on the road in Quebec this week and explains that the spoken word has more than than music to radio programmers. Canadian radio regulations need to be reviewed and instead of focusing on Cancon for music - maybe the CRTC should be focusing on regulating who is doing the talking and from where.

IT WAS SEPT. 5th .. when the populat daytime drama ‘Life Can Be Beautiful’ began its 16 year run on NBC radio… When Frank Sinatra was instrumental in the reuniting of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin live on Jerry’s Labor Day telethon… When the US got its first network hour-long news show as the Public Broadcasting System’s “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” expanded to 60 minutes… When the Camosun College radio station CKMO began an 11.5 year run on AM 900 … ..and when “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark on ABC, was cancelled after 30 years on television. ALL the milestones for Sept. 5 INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 4th … when BC-born actor Raymond Burr starred in the last original episode of the CBS-TV courtroom drama, Perry Mason… When Jerry Butler & the Impressions made their national TV debut on ABC-TV’s “American Bandstand”… When the short-lived Carol Burnett-Richard Hayes Show, a 20-minute nightly variety package, debuted on CBS Radio… ..and when the last of 98 original episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” aired on CBS-TV. It would continue for decades in syndicated reruns. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 3rd .. when CHAB-TV Moose Jaw and CHRE-TV Regina switched to CBK call letters as Moffatt completed their forced sale to the CBC… When the last original episode of ‘The Lone Ranger’ aired on ABC Radio after nearly 3,000 episodes …. When ‘The Lawrence Welk Show’ aired for the last time on ABC-TV, enroute to becomng a syndicated property… ..and when Jerry Lewis smashed all previous records for TV charity fund-raising, as $32,074,566 was pledged on the Labor Day Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!