Puget Sound Radio

Happy Birthday to Ryan Seacrest, Ricky Martin, Canadian Steve Smith (whom you know better as Red Green), and actor Mark Valley. The BBC aired radio’s first play, ‘The Truth About Father Christmas’; the ‘Voice of Firestone’ began its 27 years of light classical music on US Monday night radio; Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ starring Lionel Barrymore (pictured) began its long run each yuletide on the radio networks; a Midnight Mass was televised for the first time on NBC, beginning a 70 year tradition thus far; and Perry Como made his TV debut as NBC televised his ‘Chesterfield Supper Club.’ Checking out on Christmas Eve over the decades were actors Jack Klugman, Charles Durning and Peter Lawford, CBS president Frank Stanton and producer James Komack. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

German magazine Der Spiegel apologised to readers on Wednesday for publishing “invented stories” and content with “distorted facts” by one of its reporters

Jingle Bells - Mitch Miller & The Gang

It’s the day when Don McNeill of radio’s ‘Breakfast Club’ and James Gregory of TV’s ‘Barney Miller’ were born. As well it’s Happy Birthday to Harry Shearer, Susan Lucci, Patrick Watson and Eddie Vedder. The BBC began regular daily radio newscasts; NBC began programming its national radio network; the first complete opera (Hansel & Gretel) was televised on WRGB Schenectady; Swift Current got local TV service as CJFB signed on; the daytime soap ‘The Young and the Restless’ premiered on CBS-TV; and the ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ cartoon was televised for the first time. Obits for Dec. 23 include Dragnet’s Jack Webb, Canadian jazzman Oscar Peterson, comic pianist Victor Borge and actor Charlie Ruggles. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Momentum at “CBS This Morning,” the most buzzworthy morning show for a handful of years, stopped dead with Rose’s firing.

Paul Larsen will assume the role of news director and station manager for Global Okanagan, effective Jan. 8.