Puget Sound Radio

Happy Birthday to Burton Cummings, Ben Kingsley, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer and Bebe Neuwirth. Seattle radio station KOMO debuted at 980 KHz; Guy Lombardo played ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on CBS radio to bring in 1930, and a tradition was born; ‘Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve’ debuted on NBC-TV (it moved to ABC two years later); CNN’s second channel ‘Headline News’ debuted on US cable systems; the BBC began using the chimes of Big Ben as its ID; and ‘The Doctors’ ended its 19 year run on NBC-TV. Among the obits for Dec. 31 are Vancouver big bandleader Dal Richards, Nashville pianist Floyd Cramer, Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, pop singers Rick Nelson and Natalie Cole, and actress Eileen Heckart. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Dawn Wells, who famously played Mary Ann Summers, has died. She was 82.

Bell Media has flipped 10 stations across Canada to AC "MOVE RADIO". Surprising that they would kill some heritage brandings such as QM in Vancouver

Happy Birthday to Tracey Ullman, Meredith Vieira, Sean Hannity and sitcom guru James Burrows. Also born this day were Bert Parks, Jack Lord, Dennis Morgan and Jeannette Nolan. Canada’s first radio network hooking up Montreal with Ottawa broadcast the CNR’s Anniversary Show; the famous Jack Benny feud with Fred Allen kicked off on NBC radio; the first black and white TV sets sold for $1,175 US; James Arness, soon to be Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke, made his TV acting debut on the Lux Video Theatre; ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ with Winnipeg’s Monty Hall (pictured) debuted on NBC-TV; and the same network, after 25 years, cancelled ‘The Wonderful World of Disney.’ Among the obits for Dec. 30th were composer Richard Rodgers, bandleader Ralph Flanagan, and ’60/’70’s Seattle radio DJ Lan Roberts. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

During his final broadcast of the year, Premiere Networks-syndicated conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh thanked his listeners for the support shown to him as he battles Stage 4 lung cancer.

Happy Birthday to Ted Danson, Jon Voight, Dinah Christie, Patricia Clarkson and Ashleigh Banfield. Radio soap favorite ‘Young Dr. Malone’ began 4 seasons on CBS-TV; WMCA’s Good Guys became the first N.Y. radio station to play ‘The Beatles’; Jane Pauley ended her 13 years as co-host of NBC-TV’s ‘Today Show”; and Sly and the Family Stone headlined CBS-TV’s ‘Ed Sullivan Show.’ And passing away at age 77 was the ‘King of Jazz,’ Paul Whiteman (pictured). ALL the milestones for Dec. 29th INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Dame Maggie Smith, Denzel Washington, Seth Meyers,, Nichelle Nichols and John Legend. The last episode of ‘Ding Dong School’ with Miss Frances aired on NBC-TV; trumpeter Hugh Masekela guested on CBS-TV’s ‘To Tell the Truth’; Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau gave a year’s end interview to CTV; ‘The Edge of Night’ wrapped up its 28 year run on CBS and later NBC-TV; CNN boss Ted Turner was named TIME Magazine’s Man of the Year; and Ed Bradley interviewed an emotional Michael Jackson on CBS-TV’s 60 Minutes. Dec. 28th obits include Clayton Moore (TV’s Lone Ranger), Jerry Ohrbach of ‘Law & Order,’ William Demarest (‘My Three Sons’), music men Billy Taylor and Freddie King, and singer/comedienne Kaye Stevens. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.