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The Old-Time Radio Digest!
Volume 2020 : Issue 23
A Part of the [removed]!
[removed]
ISSN: 1533-9289
Today's Topics:
Stan Freberg [ A Joseph Ross <joe@[removed] ]
This week in radio history 9-15 Augu [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
Jim Snyder, RIP [ Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@veriz ]
This week in radio history 16-22 Aug [ Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed] ]
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ADMINISTRIVIA:
I was trying so darned hard to do this without making a big deal of
it, and then the journey backwards in [removed]
For those of you who received an issue of the Digest from mid-July,
I apologize. The Digest is moving from the machine it has been
served-from almost the entire time I have been "runing the trains"
to a new machine. This move will occur in the next few days; I was
using a testing list I created to work out some of the kinks on that
machine, getting software to work properly and such, and was over-
joyed that that testing list sent to the few subscribers (all me) the
messages and a digest.
But triggering that also triggered an OTR Digest that was working at
the time I took the backup from the old server in July. Oops.
Anyway, while I had planned to tell you all of this AFTER the first
successful episode of the Digest was released by that server, my
screw-up has pushed up the timetable a little. I am guessing the
NEXT issue of the Digest will be sent by that server, but it's
possible one more will be sent by the ancient workhorse that has
served us all so well for so many, many years.
I will warn you, however, that most of the scripts and programs
I have used over the years to auto-clean the Digest submissions are
NOT functioning at this [removed] hope to get back to them later and
update them for the new server, but for now I will be attempting to
"fix" any of the little gremblins manually. This means it is possible
that I will screw up and not get everything fixed as well as those
autoroutines have for so long, so please accept this apology now
in advance of any (additional?) screwups I might make over the next
few weeks or months. --cfs3
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Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2020 21:06:56 -0400
From: A Joseph Ross <joe@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject: Stan Freberg
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1957 Funnyman Stan Freberg debuted a new weekly comedy program on CBS.
The Freberg show only lasted a short time and that newfangled
contraption, television, was blamed for the show's quick demise.
I remember that show. I don't think television was the direct cause of
its short duration. I think it was more indirect than that. By 1957,
the networks had pretty much given up on radio ad were already cutting
back. Why they bothered to do the few shows they were continuing to run
is a mystery to me. Apparently the main reason CBS was doing it was
because William Paley insisted on it.
I knew about the Stan Freberg Show because it was a summer replacement
for Jack Benny. Jack Benny's show was all reruns by then, but I
continued to listen because I liked it. I was 13 and about to start 7th
grade at the time, and I didn't quite realize yet the extent that
network radio was self-destructing. But it didn't take me long to
realize that there were never any ads in the newspapers or anywhere
promoting network radio shows. no promotion anywhere. I'm not even
sure there were promos for the show on CBS radio or on the local CBS
station. I don't remember any, but that was, after all, over 60 years
ago. I happened to find Stan Freberg because I had been listening to
Jack Benny. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known about it. Audiences don't
tune in shows they don't know about.
--
A. Joseph Ross, [removed] . 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 . Newton, MA 02459
[removed] . [removed]
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Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2020 21:11:22 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 9-15 August
From Those Were The Days
8/9
1942 CBS debuted Our Secret Weapon. The program featured Rex Stout,
who countered lies being broadcast by the Axis powers through shortwave
radio.
8/11
1909 The international distress call, SOS, which replaced CQD (All
stations distress!), was first used by an American ship "The Arapahoe"
(out of Cape Hatteras, NC) on this day.
8/12
1937 Comedian Red Skelton got his first taste of network radio as he
appeared on the Rudy Vallee Show on NBC.
8/13
1912 St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia, PA was granted the first
experimental radio license by the [removed] Department of Commerce.
8/14
1933 WLW in Cincinnati, OH premiered Ma Perkins. Just four months
later, Ma moved to WMAQ in Chicago and was heard over the entire NBC
network. Virginia Payne was 23 years old when she started in the title
role. Ma Perkins operated a lumberyard in Rushville Center. Her children
were Evey, Fay and John (who was killed in the war). One of the other
characters in the show was Shuffle Shober. Virginia Payne played Ma
Perkins for 27 years and 7,065 episodes.
1942 Garry Moore hosted a new program on NBC. The Show Without a Name
was an effort to crack the morning show dominance of Arthur Godfrey
(CBS) and Don McNeil's Breakfast Club (ABC). A prize of $500 ($7,953 in
2019 dollars) was offered to name the show and Someone came up with the
title, Everything Goes.
1945 CBS began the series, Columbia Presents Corwin. Orson Welles did
a special reading about the fall of Japan, titled, Fourteen August.
8/15
1911 Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, OH introduced Crisco
hydrogenated shortening. (Where would all those shows have been with
Crisco as a sponsor? And remember, its digestible! ed)
Joe
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Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2020 21:11:00 -0400
From: Jack & Cathy French <otrpiano@[removed];
To: OTRBB <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: Jim Snyder, RIP
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I am sorry to provide this sad, and belated, news: Jim Snyder died May 2, 2019
in Mesa, AZ. Jim was an avid OTR collector, researcher, writer, editor, and
frequent attendee at FOTR and SPERDVAC conventions, among others.
Jim was a teacher in the Detroit area and in the 70's had joined the OTR
Club of Buffalo, SPERDVAC, and North American Radio Archives (NARA), the
latter now defunct. He wrote a regular column for the newsletter of the
Buffalo Club entitled "Wireless Wanderings" and also contributed to NARA
NEWS.
I first met Jim at FOTR Newark in early 80's when I was manning the NARA
table, trying to recruit new members. I had brought with me five copies of the
paperback version of "The Big Broadcast" by Buxton and Owens which I'd
purchased from a remainder bin for a buck each. I was selling them for two
bucks, with NARA getting the profits. A tall, slender red-head with rimless
glasses approached my table and examined the books. He slapped down a crisp
ten dollar bill and said; "I'll take'em [removed] make great
stocking stuffers." And we became friends from that moment.
Jim was easy-going, friendly and generous. When he and I found out that the
gift shop at Fort Laramie wanted to market copies of that radio series, Jim
forwarded the entire series in perfect condition so they could duplicate them
and sell them in their gift shop. Interestingly, CBS tried to stop this,
claiming the shows were still under copyright. However a pair of young
attorneys from the Department of Interior quickly established that the CBS
copyright protection had expired years prior.
Jim Cox, prominent OTR author, recalls his association with Jim Snyder with
warmth. "He never spoke an unkind word about anyone" Cox recalled, "and
he was so gracious with me and introduced me to OTR associates he knew."
I edited NARA NEWS from 1980 to 1985, a labor of love but a large task. It was
an OTR magazine of some 65 pages that came out four times a year. Jim was its
editor for a longer period-seven years, ending in Summer 2001. By that time,
he had retired from teaching, moved to Mesa, AZ, and also pursuing his second
favorite [removed] travel.
From Mesa, Jim would occasionally travel to Tucson (a 90 minutes drive, one
way) where Norm Schickedanz had organized a small OTR club. Norm and Jim also
attended FOTR Newark together.
So this is a fervent farewell to a great guy and a pillar of our OTR
community.
Jack French
Former Editor: RADIO RECALL
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Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2020 21:07:42 -0400
From: Joe Mackey <joemackey108@[removed];
To: otr-digest <[removed]@[removed];
Subject: This week in radio history 16-22 August
From Those Were The Days
8/16
1922 WEAF began broadcasting from new studios atop the Western
Electric Building in New York City.
1939 Lights Out, radio's "ultimate horror show," was heard for the
last time on NBC. In 1942, Arch Obler brought the show back to life on
CBS. The show's most familiar trademark, guaranteed to put you under the
covers on a dark night was, "Lights out, everybody!", followed by 12
chimes of a clock. (On campus there is a clock that strikes the hours
and I will catch myself saying "It-is-later-than-you-think.
Lights-out-every-body" at 10 quite often. -ed)
8/19
In 1929, Amos and Andy, starring Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll,
made its network debut on NBC.
8/22
1947 After many years as a 15 minute daily serial, Jack Armstrong, the
All American Boy, was heard for the first time as a 30 minute feature on
ABC. Remember, if you want to grow up to be big and strong like Jack
Armstrong, keep these three rules in mind: Get plenty of sleep, fresh
air and exercise. Make a friend of soap and water, because dirt breeds
germs and germs can make people sickly and weak. And for sound
nourishment and keen flavor, eat a big bowlful of Wheaties, the
Breakfast of Champions, with plenty of milk or cream and some type of fruit.
Joe
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End of [removed] Digest V2020 Issue #23
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