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The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2015 : Issue 85
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
This week in radio history 19-24 Oct [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Expanded ITunes List [ Damon Coffey <damoncoffey@sbcglobal ]
Fred Allen's ratings [ A Joseph Ross <joe@[removed] ]
Mel Blanc [ "jsalerno@[removed]" <jsalerno@ ]
Fred Allen's last days [ <[removed]@[removed]; ]
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Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 13:27:00 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 19-24 Oct
10/18
1922 As the British observed the wild growth of radio in the [removed],
they realized the potential of broadcasting in their own country, as
well as the need for its regulation. The British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) was established on this day to monitor the development
of the radio biz in Great Britain.
1943 The first broadcast of Perry Mason was presented on CBS. In the
15 minute (Monday Friday) shows, Perry was played by Barlett Robinson,
Santos Ortega, Donald Briggs and John Larkin.
10/19
1937 "The freedom of the press is a flaming sword. Use it justly, hold
it high, guard it well." The radio classic, Big Town, made its debut on
CBS radio. Star reporters at the Illustrated Press, Steve Wilson and
Lorelei Kilbourne, were played by Edward G. Robinson and Claire Trevor.
Tell the Story was the theme song. Sponsors included Ironized Yeast
tablets and Lifebuoy soap.
10/20
1930 - One of the most memorable of all radio shows, "The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes", was first heard on the NBC Red network. Its debut
entry, "The Speckled Band", featured William Gillette in the role of the
famous detective. Gillette introduced Holmes to New York audiences as
early as 1899 ... on the stage, not the radio, of course.
1932 - Journalist Robert Trout joined CBS. Trout became a household name
to CBS listeners -- and they later became loyal viewers of Trout on CBS-TV.
10/23
1932 - Fred Allen made his radio debut. His wife, Portland Hoffa, joined
him on the CBS radio broadcast. Allen's comedy-variety program was known
as "The Linit Bath Club Revue". It then became "The Salad Bowl Revue",
then, "The Sal Hapatica Revue", "The Hour of Smiles", "Town Hall
Tonight", "The Texaco Star Theatre" and finally, someone with just a bit
of sense, came up with "The Fred Allen Show". The comedic legend stayed
on radio for 17 years.
10/24
1929 The Rudy Vallee Show was broadcast for the first time on NBC.
Actually, the Rudy Vallee show had several different titles over the
years, all of which were referred to by the public as The Rudy Vallee
Show. Megaphone totin' Rudy and his Connecticut Yankees band were
mainstays on radio into the late 1940s.
Joe
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:08:12 -0400
From: Damon Coffey <damoncoffey@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Expanded ITunes List
<found under ITunes Internet Radio, News/Talk Radio category>:
[removed] America's OTR Christmas (OTR Christmas Shows, occassional modern
commercial intrusion)
Alltime Oldies - Radio Theater Channel ("Radio Now and Then"--modern
commercial intrusions)
AM 1290 - Old Time Radio and Nostalgia (modern commercial and modern
sportsplay intrusions)
AM 1710 Antioch OTR (Scheduled old-time subgenres keyed to today's
date--highly recommended)
Am America Old Time Radio Classics ([removed])
AMAZING TALES (featuring Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Horror)
Audio Noir (OTR detective and police procedural shows--very few modern
intrusions)
Crime Fighter Detectives (a "365" station, with modern commercials intruding
from time to time)
Cult Radio A-Go-Go ("Drive-In Movies / Vintage TV / Pop Culture / OTR")
KIBM: Fibber & Gildy (all Fibber / Gildy, all the time, occassional modern
intrusions from 365)
Old Valve Radio OTR ([removed]) UK OTR
OTR Now Presents Hollywood (featuring Hollywood stars in OTR settings, a 365
station)
OTR Now Radio Program (another 365 station, [removed])
Radio Once More ([removed])
The Thrilling Adventures of Serials (OTR Soapers, from radio once more / 365,
modern intrusions)
<under ITunes Golden Oldies Category> more music than strictly OTR, but it is
OTR music
The Lounge Sound (Sinatra, Martin, Darin, Clooney--when martinis were part of
everyday life)
The Penthouse (a bit more sultry than The Lounge Sound)
Old Time Radio USA ([removed])
Golden Days Radio (Nostalgic music from the '20s onward)
OTR 105 ([removed])
Happy Listening! Damon
[ADMINISTRIVIA: As a side-note, the rather bloated iTunes software is not
required for most of these [removed] can be heard on [removed] and
other Internet streaming services. And each likely has their own website,
like [removed] - I know that one because my daughter Kate and
I have a program that airs Monday at 6p Eastern and other times during the
week.
Ok, ok, shamless promotion over. ;) --cfs3]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:08:21 -0400
From: A Joseph Ross <joe@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Fred Allen's ratings
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 11:40:37 -0400
From: Ryan Ellett <oldradiotimes@[removed];
... if the show was so popular for so long, why wouldn't the network simply
move
it to another time where it faced less competition and could hold on to more
of its audience?
I believe that Fred Allen was having health problems and could no
longer handle the stress of his regular weekly show. He appeared from
time to time on various radio and TV shows up until his death in 1956.
As it happened, our TV wasn't working at the time of Fred Allen's death,
so one evening we all sat in the livingroom listening to a radio tribute
to Fred Allen on the livingroom radio that we still had (and is now in
my livingroom). I remember looking around and thinking, nostalgically,
that this must be how it used to be in the old days of radio.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed]| 92 State Street| Suite 700 | Boston, MA 02109-2004
[removed]|[removed]| [removed]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:08:45 -0400
From: "jsalerno@[removed]" <jsalerno@[removed];
To: OTR List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Mel Blanc
[removed]
A touching little tribute to Mel, who began in radio, altho this piece
doesn't touch on that. Well worth the 20 minnits it takes to listen to it.
--
Joe Salerno
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2015 01:08:56 -0400
From: <[removed]@[removed];
To: Otr <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Fred Allen's last days
The key word in understanding Fred Allen's exit from radio was not 'network'
but 'sponsor'. Two books about Allen's career note that the Stop The Music
threat was based on sponsor costs. Allen's budget had to cover the costs of
his cast, orchestra, singers and his writers, about double the Stop the Music
budget, based on nothing more than a small orchestra and Bert Parks.
It was written at the time that Fred's last sponsor, Ford, wasn't going to
renew him regardless of what network he was on, for reasons of those high
production costs. But the ultimate factor was his declining health. He was in
and out of hospitals during the 1940s, took a year off because of ill health
and finally died of a heart attack in 1956.
Michael Berger
--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2015 Issue #85
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