Columns

IT WAS JULY 4th … when the radio panel show Life Begins at 80, with host Jack Barry, debuted on Mutual… When L.A. deejay Casey Kasem launched the longrunning ‘American Top 40’ as a weekly four hour syndicated radio feature… When the third episode of CBS-TV’s Sunday night talent showcase ‘Toast of the Town” hosted by Ed Sullivan, starred baseball icon Joe DiMaggio and dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson… … and when the “Tony Orlando and Dawn” TV show debuted on CBS as a summer replacement for Sonny & Cher. ALL the milestones for July the 4th INSIDE!

IT WAS JULY 3rd … when “Hawaii Calls” began its 60 years of radio broadcasts from the Moana Hotel on the beach at Waikiki. At its peak it aired on 600 radio stations around the world… When the comic strip character, Blondie was first heard on CBS radio, starring Penny Singleton & Arthur Lake … When Pamela Martin announced her departure from BCTV to join Bill Good as co-anchor of CTV Vancouver’s 6 pm news… When the legendary comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello debuted their own network radio show on NBC… ..and when “The Andy Williams Show” debuted as a summer replacement series on CBS-TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

It was the date the 1st million-dollar prizefight (Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier) aired on US radio. “The Aldrich Family,” “The Adventures of the Thin Man” and the satire of “Bob and Ray” had their premieres on NBC radio. Morning radio star Arthur Godfrey (pictured) signed to host a weekly prime time CBS show. Lawrence Welk debuted his new dance show on ABC-TV. Elvis recorded “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel,” Dean Martin recorded “Houston,” and Andy Williams recorded “Canadian Sunset.” Obits on July 2nd include James Stewart, Betty Grable, Lee Remick, Fred Gwynne and Jan Murray. Details of all the anniversaries for this date INSIDE.

IT WAS JULY 1st .. when Prime Minister Mackenzie King dedicated Ottawa’s Peace Tower carillon in the first Trans-Canada radio network broadcast hookup over telephone and telegraph lines… When Hall of Fame sportscaster Jim Robson at age 17 (pictured) broke into radio at CJAV Port Alberni … When an apparently sanitized Elvis Presley appeared on NBC- TV’s ‘The Steve Allen Show’ in a tuxedo and sang ‘Hound Dog’, to a real live Hound Dog… When Vancouver’s country music station JR Country 93.7 signed on at 9:37 a.m…. …and when Toronto CTV flagship CFTO-TV transmitted the first colour television in Canada. ALL the milestones for July 1st INSIDE.

Abe Hefter and I finally crossed paths in 2002. I recall hearing him on CJFM (FM96) in the 80's, and in 2002 we convened on Fort Street at that station when CHOM, Mix96 and CJAD merged itself into one entity. Abe began to transition into academia in 2003 when he received an opportunity to teach part time at Concordia University.

IT WAS JUNE 30th … when CBS-TV debuted “The Guiding Light,” a daytime serial that had been on radio already for 15 years. Over the next 57 years it would become TV’s alltime longest running drama … When CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show featured The Everly Brothers singing their debut hit “Bye Bye Love”… When “The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour,” starring Jack Burns & Avery Schreiber debuted as a 10-week summer replacement series on ABC TV… ..and when Richmond (BC)’s CISL moved up the dial from 940 to 650 KHz. It is now branded Sportsnet 650. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 29th … when just the second daytime serial on network radio, ‘Vic & Sade’ (pictured) made its debut on NBC Blue. Paul Rhymer’s scripted sly humour made the series unique for almost 20 years … When radio’s “show with a heart” made its debut. “Strike It Rich” became a weekly Sunday night favorite on CBS radio… When the radio version of “The Life of Riley,” starring William Bendix, ended its 7-year run on NBC Radio… ..and when Neil Diamond made his TV debut on ABC’s “American Bandstand,” performing his first Top Ten hit “Cherry, Cherry.” ALL the milestones for June 29th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 28th … when an old favorite of radio audiences ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ made the switch to TV. Two years later, criticism from the NAACP about ‘stereotyping’ forced CBS-TV to drop the show… When ‘The Quiz Kids’ (pictured) began a 13-year run on radio as a summer replacement for the blind piano virtuoso Alec Templeton… When ‘The Alan Young Show’ debuted on NBC radio featuring the Vancouver-raised comedian. He would later be the human star of the talking horse TV show, ‘Mr. Ed’… When CKUA-FM signed on in Edmonton, and 'Sunny 94' took to the air in Lacombe Alta.... ..and when “The Helen Reddy Show” debuted as an eight-week summer replacement series on NBC-TV, with Flip Wilson, The Pointer Sisters, and Seals & Croft as guests. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

JUNE 27th is the birthdate of Captain Kangaroo and Khloe Kardashian, and also gave birth to an ABC-TV soap called “Loving.” Red Robinson held his first rock concert at the Kerrisdale Arena starring Bill Haley, Elvis began taping his first TV special, and Billy J. Kramer guested on the Ed Sullivan Show. Jim Pattison got the okay to buy six Van. Island radio stations. Hugh Grant was arrested for ‘lewd behaviour’ with an L.A. prostitute, and John Lennon was finally granted his Green Card. Gale Storm and Don Grady and Canadian teen idol Terry Black breathed their last, as did the TV shows Miami Vice, The Flip Wilson Show (pictured), and the NBC Matinee Theatre. Details of these and dozens more milestones for June 27th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 26th … when Ted Rogers Sr. invented the alternating-current tube which facilitated plug-in batteryless radios. Until then, all radios had been battery operated… When comedian Fred Allen ended his 17-year run as host of his own radio show. Allen was (unsuccessfully) attempting a transition to TV… When Canadian folksinger/songwriter Joni Mitchell guested on ABC’s Mama Cass TV special from Los Angeles… ..and when CKNW ‘s Bill Hughes (pictured, right) qualified for the Guiness Book of World Records as he broadcast the 12,000th edition of “Roving Mike.” ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.