Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #202
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 5/17/2003 9:03 AM

To: <[removed]@[removed];

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

                                The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                                  Volume 2003 : Issue 202
                             A Part of the [removed]!
                                     ISSN: 1533-9289

                                     Today's Topics:

      Armed Forces Radio & Television       [ Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed] ]
      Green Hornet                          [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]
      Re: Frustration revenge               [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Re: Green Hornet's identity           [ Christopher Werner <werner1@globalc ]
      Re: RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS            [ hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed]; ]
      Sunbeam Bread                         [ JPurc64093@[removed] ]

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    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 09:22:12 -0400
    From: Herb Harrison <herbop@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Armed Forces Radio & Television

    "Martin Grams, Jr." <mmargrajr@[removed]; writes, in part, regarding
    Armed Forces Radio transcriptions:

>     During the war and the years after, the AFRS took transcriptions
>     of radio broadcasts, deleted the commercials, and added their own opening
>     and [removed]  Sadly, this kind of butchering is evident in almost all of
>     their recordings.

    I was stationed in Germany in the Army in 1964-1965. The English-language
    television shows that we saw on the "Day Room" TV were supplied by AFRTS.
    The shows were relatively current with what were shown in the US, but all
    TV commercials were excised.
    We missed those commercials, because their absence reminded us of what our
    families were seeing on their TVs at home - and of what products we
    couldn't buy at our Base PXs.
    Nowadays, however, I wouldn't mind watching some of those "chopped-up" TV
    [removed] because they didn't have the blasted commercials!
    Then again, when I listen to OTR programs, I WANT to hear the original
    commercials, just for old-times-sake!

    Go figure.
    Herb Harrison

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    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 10:42:26 -0400
    From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
    To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Green Hornet

    Thanks to Bill Brooks for providing detailed info about the Green Hornet.  I
    know that a few months later, sometime in 1948, both Commissioner Higgins
    and Ms. Case learn the identity of the Green Hornet.  I don't know if these
    episodes are yet in circulation.  I do know that Jack McCarthy had assumed
    the role of the Hornet by late 1947 and that most of these broadcasts are
    still not available.
    RyanO

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    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:38:38 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re: Frustration revenge

    In Michael Henry's post  Re: Ball Games pre-empting radio, he mentions the
    incredible frustration he experienced whenever sports events pre-empted
    regularly scheduled OTR entertainment programs.

    But the weird story I will now relate has to do with the reverse of that
    situation. It happened when a tied baseball game went into extra innings,
    and the local station eventually cut away so it could begin broadcasting
    evening Network programming.

    This is a true story. I know it for a fact, having worked for the man that
    could not abide such frustration, and was incensed that he was deprived of
    hearing the conclusion of the ballgame.

    The individuals name was James Gerity, (in his early 60's), who inherited
    his father's fortune that had been amassed by manufacturing chrome parts for
    Detroit's auto industry. (I think it was [removed])

    On this particular day, he was returning to his Pontiac, Mich. home in his
    chauffeured driven limousine, contentedly listening to his Detroit Tigers
    Ballgame. When the local station cut away from the game, he was so incensed,
    that he ordered his chauffeur to drive to the offending station.

    He stormed into the building, demanding to see whoever was in charge. In
    this case the station owner was in the building.(In small local OTR
    stations, The owner often acted as program Manager, chief cook and bottle
    washer). So, upon intimidating the receptionist all to hell, Gerity was
    ushered into the owners office. A heated argument ensued, and the poor guy
    was out gunned. He tried explaining the stations contractual Network
    obligations, the revenues involved with national, regional, and local
    advertisers who bought time in the breaks around the network shows, etc.
    But Gerity could not be mollified. The station owner, himself frustrated by
    Gerity's attitude, made the comment that if he didn't like the way things
    were done, he should buy the station and run it his way.

    Guess what?

    And that's how Gerity Broadcasting was born. He eventually opened another
    Radio station in Bay City-Saginaw, Michigan, and when the FCC TV station
    freeze was lifted, Gerity started a TV station in that market. After leaving
    OTR Performing behind, I was hired to work there, and got to know this man
    quite well. Fortunately, he was not there on a day to day basis, since he
    still had a automobile Chrome business to run in Detroit. But he would fly
    up monthly in his private jet, assemble all the brass and creative
    personnel, and drive us crazy with his ideas. He was like a poor mans Howard
    Hughes. You'd be amazed at some of the local TV programming ideas he wanted
    me to undertake.  Talk about Frustration?

    Fortunately, his trips became less frequent thanks to a turkey buzzard. On
    one of his trips, one of these big birds came crashing through the planes
    windshield, and he, his secretary, and his pilot, were covered from head to
    toe in Turkey Poop. He sold the plane shortly after. Come to think of it,
    being covered from head to toe in shredded Buzzard guts, poop and feathers
    might even discourage me from flying. :)

    There's more to tell about my four years working for this "interesting"
    (although likable) off the wall man, but that will have to wait for the next
    book about my TV career. :)

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead   [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:40:24 -0400
    From: Christopher Werner <werner1@[removed];
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Re: Green Hornet's identity

    On: Thu, 15 May 2003 11:54:31 -0400 Jody Davis mentioned:

>     Re: the Hornet (or as Mike Axford would [removed] the Hahrnet)... even more
>     liberties were taken when the series moved to ABC Television in 1967. Not
>     only did Kato know Britt was the [removed] so did Lenore [removed] AND the
>     district [removed] whose last name was Scanlan.

    Given the date of the program (1967) it sounds like they were trying to
    challenge Perry Mason or Ironsides for the ratings. Both ot them had two
    j'sidekicks'. Although they themselves were not Superheros per se (although
    Mason rarely lost). Of course the Burt Ward Batman was on at the time and
    noone knew who they were outside of the comic specified people.

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

    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 12:12:40 -0400
    From: hal stone <dualxtwo@[removed];
    To: <[removed]@[removed];
    Subject:  Re:  RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS

    Chester Littlejohn mentions;

>     I own a book, A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF RADIO'S FIRST 75 YEARS," by B. Eric
>     Rhoads (Streamline Press, 1996)

    (SNIP)

>     Interesting book (90% pictures) that covers nearly all of the persons
>     discussed in this forum.

    OK! Chester. Let me down gently. Is my puss in it? :)

    Hal(Harlan)Stone
    Jughead   [removed]

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

    Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 12:19:02 -0400
    From: JPurc64093@[removed]
    To: [removed]@[removed]
    Subject:  Sunbeam Bread

    Sunbeam was a national brand. I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. I went to
    California, Wyoming,Idaho and Wyoming for vactions and I saw it there. I
    lived in Philadelphia later on and Sunbeam had a terrible TV commercial with
    a small boy taking a large bite from a peice of buttered Sunbeam and chewing
    it with his mouth wide open as the voice-over exhalted the brand. I either
    looked away or changed the channel as did most people I knew. I now live in
    New York City and I have seen faded signs on the sides of older buildings
    advertising Sunbeam. It was just Wonder Bread in a different wrapper.

    John Purchase
    New York
    jpurc64093@[removed]

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    End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #202
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