Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #348
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 11/1/2001 2:03 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

    ------------------------------

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2001 : Issue 348
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Nig  [ lois@[removed] ]
      SKIP BANDS                            [ "David Phaneuf" <otr_fan@[removed]; ]
      Sponsorship and Ratings               [ OTRChris@[removed] ]
      WRVO Playhouse                        [ OTRChris@[removed] ]
      Re: The Archers                       [ Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed]; ]
      FOTR Convention                       [ Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed]; ]
      Tapes vs CD                           [ "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed]; ]
      The Archers - BBC serial              [ "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed]; ]
      Archiving DVD-R                       [ "Todd & Nancy Bright" <tnbright@wor ]
      Lucille Fletcher                      [ "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback ]
      Marlene Dietrich on Duffy's Tavern    [ "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@ ]
      Fran Striker Book                     [ Don Taylor <don@[removed]; ]
      Tape Versus CD Storage                [ "[removed]" <swells@[removed]; ]
      The Archers                           [ "Steve Whitbread" <Rumpo@Ecossetel. ]
      Mrs. Red Skelton & Dusty Rogers       [ Duane Keilstrup <duanek9@[removed]; ]
      WOTW: Grovers Mill revisited          [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
      CBS Announcers                        [ William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed]; ]
      Thanks to Franz Greb                  [ "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@earthl ]
      The Archers                           [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
      Harry Emerson Fosdick                 [ Peter Kinder <pdkinder@[removed]; ]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 04:52:00 -0500
    From: lois@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  #OldRadio IRC Chat this Thursday Night!

    A weekly [removed]

    For the best in OTR Chat, join IRC (Internet Relay Chat), StarLink-IRC
    Network, the channel name is #OldRadio.  We meet Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern
    and go on, and on! The oldest OTR Chat Channel, it has been in existence
    over four years, same time, same channel!

    Our numerous "regulars" include one of the busiest "golden years" actors in
    Hollywood; a sound man from the same era who worked many of the top
    Hollywood shows; a New York actor famed for his roles in "Let's Pretend" and
    "Archie Andrews;" owners of some of the best OTR sites on the Web;
    maintainer of the best-known OTR Digest (we all know who he is)..........

    and Me

    Lois Culver
    KWLK Longview Washington (Mutual) 1941-1944)
    KFI Los Angeles (NBC) 1944 - 1950
    and widow of actor Howard Culver

    (For more info, contact lois@[removed])

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:16:11 -0500
    From: "David Phaneuf" <otr_fan@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  SKIP BANDS

    Owens writes:

> >     I wonder if anyone on the thread has had a similar
> >     experience of receiving broadcasts outside of your
> >     listening area?

    I remember a drive along I70 from Zanesville to Springfield, Ohio, one
    October night in 1982.  My wife and I were returning home from an interview
    with a new church, and scanning the car radio dial for something to listen
    to, when we happened upon a broadcast of some sci-fi OTR (I can't remember
    the [removed] haha! can barely remember the plot!)  I was so excited to hear an
    actual OTR program being broadcast.  Turns out it was a station in New York
    [removed](can't remember that either -- sorry).  But only that night did I ever
    get it, though I hunted for it again and again in the weeks and months
    afterward.

    Dave Phaneuf

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:20:13 -0500
    From: OTRChris@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sponsorship and Ratings

    I am unclear what factor  determined the price a sponsor  paid for air time
    during the OTR days. Today a station or the programs specific popularity
    seems to determine
    the cost  of the air  time . Larger audience equals larger cost for the air
    time.
    However,  it has been indicated that during the  OTR days a network  would
    have a standard  asking price  for an evenings air time. The sponsor  would
    pay for the time and often through their advertising agency would produce a
    show to occupy the time slot. It was the sponsor's problem if the show never
    produced considerable ratings . The sponsor could  "cancel "  the series and
    try a different one I  suppose . It does appear that the sponsor was
    committed to the series for the duration of the contract .
    But a network was often just the  conveyance as many ad agencies seemed to be
    the ones  programming the networks with shows they owned. The network didn't
    seems to care what was on the schedule as long as a certain amount of time
    was sold. So what determined the asking price of the networks for their air
    time?

    -Chris

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:20:36 -0500
    From: OTRChris@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WRVO Playhouse

    10-31-2001

    In reading this newsgroup I have often  seen mention of the WRVO playhouse.
    WRVO  is a station out of NY and it can be heard on the internet. I don't
    know why it took me so long but I checked it out this evening and it is
    great!   The playhouse airs for about  4 1/2 hours  each  weeknight and 4
    hours on weekends  and is a  mix of great old time radio shows , a nightly
    airing of the CBS Mystery Theater and  often an inclusion of some newer audio
     productions as well. They post on the  web site
    ([removed] ) a schedule for three months listing all
    that is on the playhouse. These guys deserve kudos because  this is how OTR
    and NTR should be presented. I will be tuning in quite often between 4:30 and
    9PM  PST.
    This is public radio and I would like to support this station and more
    specifically this program.

    Thanks  WRVO

    -Chris

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:21:22 -0500
    From: Gerry Wright <gdwright@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: The Archers

    Bob Axley asked:

>     Does anybody in this august bunch know anything about this series [The
>     Archers]?

    The Archers has been on the air in Britain for 50 years, for more
    information than you would ever want, see the official web site at:

    <[removed];

    Gerry Wright

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:22:14 -0500
    From: Bryan Wright <bswrig@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  FOTR Convention

    Hi, all!

    Boyoboyoboyoboyo! This past weekend at FOTR in Newark was fantastic. Another
    big thanks to Jay Hickerson, all the OTR stars, and everyone else who made
    it possible. I had never attended FOTR before (I went to Cincinnati last
    year), and was so glad I was able to go this year.

    I was thrilled to meet and talk with Ed and Nana Clute who provided the
    marvelous music for the recreations, and enjoyed saying hello to many other
    attendees. I even got to chat a bit with the Digest's own Charlie Summers
    ;-) I enjoyed checking out the goodies offered by the many dealers who
    showed up, and the panel discussions were very entertaining as well as
    educational. Michael Henry of the Metro Washington OTR Club led a discussion
    on the WWII-era program "Vox Pop," which I knew very little about before the
    convention, and the big band panel on Saturday afternoon was a real treat
    with Michael T. Wright's impressions of Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, and
    others.

    Although I didn't get to talk to everyone, I caught glimpses of many
    familiar names from this Digest on people's nametags around the convention,
    and now have a face to go with many of the names here.

    Friday evening's Red Ryder re-creation was top-notch. One of the actors had
    left the second half of his script back at his banquet table--and didn't
    notice it until the middle of the re-creation! Some quick thinking and help
    from fellow cast members ensured that the show continued smoothly. So while
    the audience was chuckling at the sight of three or four actors huddled
    around one script and one microphone, the folks on stage did a fine job of
    finishing the show flawlessly. That's real talent!

    I hope to make it back next year.

    A big thank you to everyone who made it possible!

    Bryan Wright

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:32:51 -0500
    From: "Doug Leary" <dleary@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Tapes vs CD

    What Jim Stokes wrote about storing tapes "tails out" has me puzzled. How is
    it that storing the tapes this way prevents print-through? I'm not
    questioning that it does, because what do I know. I just wish I could
    understand how it does it.

    Suppose you have a section of tape with Bud Abbott saying "Who's on first,
    What's on second, I Don't Know is on third" recorded on it. If the tape is
    wound heads out, "Who's on first" is lying on top of "I Don't Know" and
    print-through occurs. If the tape is wound tails out, "I Don't Know" is
    lying on top of "Who's on first" and print-through does not occur. What (or
    maybe it's Who) makes these two pieces of tape behave differently? I Don't
    Know. (Third base!) Can anyone explain this phenomenon, hopefully without
    involving the shortstop?

    Doug Leary

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:33:21 -0500
    From: "Phil Watson" <philwats@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Archers - BBC serial

    Bob Axley mentioned hearing the BBC's Archers recently. This is a 15 minute
    show with a farming background that has run five times a week for well over
    fifty years. It's extremely popular with radio audiences, and very many
    personalties and politicians have appeared on it as themselves over the
    years. Several BBC audio cassettes are available.  I'm not a big fan myself
    but as with any serial it has a body of fans who lap it all up. Many of the
    situations reflect real life and the lifestyles and social positions of
    farmers feature heavily - if they ever make a mistake they get hundreds of
    complaints ! Many of the cast are more or less lifetime characters, and do
    no other work. As they retire or die, their characters are written out too.

    Regards
    Phil

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:40:02 -0500
    From: "Todd & Nancy Bright" <tnbright@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Archiving DVD-R

     Much discussion as of late regarding the best archiving method. Some have
    eloquently described the benefits of tape, however have failed to say what
    makes it better than CD-R.  I know little of tape and would like to know.

    It seems to me DVD-R would be worth considering. One could certainly store a
    very large collection on a relatively small number of discs.  Does any one
    utilize this method?

    Todd

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:40:31 -0500
    From: "Philip Railsback" <philiprailsback@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Lucille Fletcher

    One of my all time favorite OTR episodes is "The Thing in the Window", which
    she wrote for "Suspense".  Sorry, don't have the date on that one.

      - Philip

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:49:07 -0500
    From: "Christian Blees" <christian-blees@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Marlene Dietrich on Duffy's Tavern

    Hello all,

    I have got a tape from a Duffy's Tavern episode with Marlene Dietrich as
    guest but don't know from which date. Does anybody know when this
    particular episode was boadcast?

    Christian

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:50:17 -0500
    From: Don Taylor <don@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Fran Striker Book

    Well, everyone, my 82-year-old mother reminded me last weekend that
    it's time to start putting together my Christmas wish list. (Some
    traditions just never get old.) So I'm asking for your [removed]

    Sometime back I think I remember seeing a mention of a book either
    written *by* Fran Striker (script writer for The Lone Ranger, Green
    Hornet, Challenge of the Yukon and others) or written *about* him by
    one of his children. Can anyone tell me the name of the book/author,
    and where my mom can obtain it?

    Thanks in advance.

    -Don Taylor

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:19:37 -0500
    From: "[removed]" <swells@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Tape Versus CD Storage

        Seriously now, you can't actually believe that magnetic tape would
    outlast a compact disc? Now I can only speak of my own experience with this
    but I can say that your experiences are not consistent with mine. Granted I
    have some reels that are very old, and from what I recall they sound pretty
    good, but there are a few that have "given all they can." A realistic
    question for all ; Has anyone out there every listened to a tape, cassette
    or reel, so many times that they tape becomes useless? and for the second
    part of the question; how many of you out there have ever worn out a CD?
         I would venture a little speculation here about audio/video tape. There
    is no doubt in my mind that within the next few years that tape, in any
    format, will be replaced for good. Now it may not be compact discs and DVD's
    that do it. Granted it would appear that, that will be the case, but you
    never know, something better might come along.
        Don't get me wrong, I like open reels, I own a ton of them, but I have
    been transferring all of my shows to CD for about 4 years now. Once I finish
    with a set of reels, I pack them up and store them away, never to be played
    again. I have never had any problems with the cd's I've made, but like I
    said they are at the most, just four years old. I keep the reels because
    they have a sentimental value to me.
    Shawn

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:19:47 -0500
    From: "Steve Whitbread" <Rumpo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  The Archers

    Bob Axley inquired about the [removed]

    The Archers is a BBC radio series, effectively a 15 minute soap which has
    been going out twice a day on weekdays (repeating the previous evening's
    episode on the following morning for rather longer than I've been alive. The
    hour-long omnibus edition that was eventually introduced on Sundays is now
    part of many people's weekend ritual and as part of a relatively recent
    shake-up a 6th weekly instalment was introduced on Sunday night and the
    omnibus extended to seventy-five minutes.

    "But what's it about?" I hear you cry. Well, it's set in and around the
    village of Ambridge, which lies somewhere on the outskirts of Borchester,
    county town of  the equally fictional county of Borsetshire (which lies
    somewhere in middle England) and revolves around the 'everyday life of
    country folk', principally the Archer family, and has done so for more than
    fifty years since the original broadcast on New Year's Day 1951 (following a
    trial week on local radio in 1950) which makes it the world's longest
    running soap.

    It was originally conceived as a way of passing on agricultural information
    and there are now complaints that it doesn't actually deal with 'country
    folk' any more but the fact is that it charted the changes to the
    countryside over the last half century: mechanisation and industrialisation,
    the dwindling of the rural workforce, the break-up of large family estates,
    the disappearance of small farms and the rise of agri-business; closure of
    village schools, decline in rural services and falling church attendance of
    interest and what the situation now is. Yet it still gives coverage to the
    village fete, the Christmas Pantomime in the village hall, Harvest Festival
    and the village show and a thousand and one other things which go to make up
    village life today.

    The original purpose of the show, and other limitations (FX : Cow moos)
    meant that it was originally quite a stilted, lumpen thing, and it was
    rather wonderfully lampooned by Tony Hancock in 'The Bowmen', but the
    dramatic element continued to grow and the show has provided some of he most
    moving moments in British radio broadcasting over the years. There was also
    the incident when the young Phil Archer's wife Grace perished in a stable
    fire - on the very night that independent television was launched in the UK,
    to the great detriment of its viewing figures. Coincidence? I doubt it.

    The original Archers were Dan and Doris, who had two children Philip and
    Christine, and also living in the village when Dan's brother Jack and his
    wife Peggy. In the early days much of the 'action' took place at the
    100-acre Brookfield Farm where Dan was tenant farmer and in the first year,
    Dan sold his old plough horses and bought a tractor. Phil was a young man
    wanting to get ahead and try out the latest techniques, whilst Dan went
    along  with some but sensibly pooh-poohed the more outlandish ideas. And the
    years came and went and Dan bought Brookfield and Phil married twice and had
    four children whilst, Jacks three children also married and started broods
    of their own, and those children now have kids of their own and Dan Archer
    has died, Phil has taken over the farm, retired and passed it on to one of
    his sons and very little is as it was in the village of Ambridge, yet the
    show still has a listening audience of about 4 million. The actor, Norman
    Painting has played Phil Archer throughout.

    The show dispenses very little in the way of advice now, but deals quite
    broadly with the issues of living in the countryside whether folk work on
    the land or not, so whilst BSE and Foot and Mouth have been dealt with in
    recent times, so has the ever-growing organic movement, the diversification
    of the countryside economy, the effects of bankruptcy, racism, cancer and
    who's grown the best onions for the Produce Show. There are lots of comedic
    moments built into the show too and a number of truly wonderful characters,
    although I mourn for those who have disappeared over the mere 20 years in
    which I have listened to the show on and off and I wish that I'd been in a
    position to record the omnibus shows in order to be able to dip into them
    now and again.

    As you'd probably expect the show has its own fan club, Archers Addicts and
    there is also a newsgroup devoted to the show [removed] The
    BBC has released a very few Archers tapes so, although I've not come across
    anyone with Archers recordings in their collection as yet you'll probably
    find a whole bunch of folk willing to provide you with more detailed
    information, to trade recordings or to generally natter about the show.

    A search on "The Archers" + BBC + Radio - will yield lots more general info
    should you wish it

    All the best,

    Steve Whitbread

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:57:52 -0500
    From: Duane Keilstrup <duanek9@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Mrs. Red Skelton & Dusty Rogers

    Mrs. Red Skelton will be interviewed live on Sunday night, November 4, about
    8:00 [removed] Eastern at [removed].  Later in the evening Dusty
    Rogers, Roy's son, and Rogers Museum Director, will also be a guest.  Red's
    version of The Pledge of Allegiance will probably play a little before Mrs.
    Skelton's interview.
    God bless America!

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:58:05 -0500
    From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  WOTW: Grovers Mill revisited

    Interesting article in today's (10/31) Washington Post Style section, about
    Grovers Mill that night and today.  After all I've read from Elizabeth and
    others on this list, I think the reporter did a good job of keeping myth out
    of the piece.  Here's the link:

    [removed]

    Anybody here ever visit the place?

    Michael

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:58:15 -0500
    From: William L Murtough <k2mfi@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  CBS Announcers

    Yesterday's posting included a list entitled "CBS Staff Announcers".
    However only half of them were actually staff announcers at CBS
    (Hollywood and New York). The others were free lance, even though they
    were announcers on various shows broadcast by and on the CBS network. In
    that I worked as an engineer both at CBS-Hollywood and CBS-New York, and
    both television and radio, I knew nearly all of these gentlemen
    personally.

    Bill Murtough

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 17:23:35 -0500
    From: "Harry Machin, Jr." <harbev5@[removed];
    To: "Old Time Radio" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Thanks to Franz Greb

    Just a short note to thank Franz for
    emailing me and answering a question
    that I posted recently.  I don't have his
    email address or this note would have
    gone directly to him.  Thanks, Franz,
    your reply was greatly appreciated!

    Harry Machin, Jr.
    Scribe, Ring One

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:47:18 -0500
    From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  The Archers

    Bob Axley asks about the Archers radio serial:

    The Archers began over the BBC in the late forties, early fifties as an
    idea of creating a serial about a family struggling to make a living from
    the land. The idea was to present a dramatized program that would include
    tips and methods on farming the land. It was after the war and the
    government was attempting to get back on with life and was looking for a
    way to build up its agricultural power. Thus was born a drama about a
    family and their life in the village of Ambridge.

    At its basest, the series was a serial drama like the American soap operas.
    On a higher plane, it began as an educational exercise in teaching Louis
    Bromfield style agricultural techniques. The series has been on the air
    continuously since 1950 when it began as a Midland Region episode entitled
    "Archers of Wimberton Farm." After a 3 month trial it went national as
    "Announcing the Archers."

    Nowadays it has settled into a normal serialized drama about the Archer
    family and their friends and events in their lives.  I guess it can be
    addictive as my wife will attest. She gets up early in the morning to
    listen to the series via the Internet on Radio 4 of the BBC.

    Jim Widner
    jwidner@[removed]

    ------------------------------

    Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 20:54:02 -0500
    From: Peter Kinder <pdkinder@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Harry Emerson Fosdick

    	My brother, the Congregational minister, has asked me to inquire if
    tapes exist of the radio broadcasts of the great preacher, Harry Emerson
    Fosdick (d. 1969) especially from before WWII.

    Thanks.

    Peter Kinder

    --------------------------------
    End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #348
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