Subject: [removed] Digest V2015 #85
From: [removed]@[removed]
Date: 10/23/2015 10:18 PM

To: [removed]@[removed]
Reply-to: [removed]@[removed]

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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

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    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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