Subject: [removed] Digest V2003 #297
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 8/2/2003 11:02 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

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


                            The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                              Volume 2003 : Issue 297
                         A Part of the [removed]!
                                 ISSN: 1533-9289


                                 Today's Topics:

  ADMINISTRIVIA: Where things [removed]  [ Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed] ]
  Hope's Televised Tributes             [ "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed]; ]
  Re: Information Please (west coast )  [ BryanH362@[removed] ]
  Re: OTR Trivia                        [ "RW" <carlotta50@[removed]; ]
  Information PleaseI                   [ Dick Judge <dickjudge@[removed]; ]

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

Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:50:34 -0400
From: Charlie Summers <charlie@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  ADMINISTRIVIA: Where things [removed]

Folks;

   Ok, so I'm going to be long-winded again. Sit back, grab a beverage, and
relax.

   First off, I have _finally_ gotten mostly caught up contacting those who
have been kind enough to contribute to the operation of the OTR Digest and
The Nostalgia Pages; if you have contributed anything to the operation of
this list and the website in the last two years or so, and have NOT received
a note from me, PLEASE drop me a private email. Some of the notes I sent out
have bounced (could be an old email address, or might just be my lousy typing
skills), and I'd _really_ like to make sure I've contacted everyone, so
PLEASE don't be shy.

   Remember, no contribution is EVER required to receive the OTR Digest,
visit The Nostalgia Pages, or drop by the Phorums. However, if you appreciate
the OTR Digest and other services, and are financially able, we _do_ accept
voluntary "subscription" contributions to help pay for bandwidth fees, colo
fees, and other expenses. Check out [removed]
(this URL is at the bottom of every issue, if you lose it) for information on
how you can make a contribution. We accept personal checks by surface mail,
and instant credit card/bank account payments through PayPal (yeah, we'd like
to see a better alternative, too, but no luck yet). We're also gratefully
accepting donated computer parts; more on that in a bit.

   But while we're speaking of [removed]

   As I'm sure you all are painfully aware, the server this list and The
Nostalgia Pages website is running on has [removed] than stable for
the last few weeks. What started as an apparent rootkit install on the server
escalated to what appears to be a hardware problem. After the initial
disaster was dealt with, additional little things kept creeping up, causing
occasional and unpredictable "glitches" in what had been, up until the crash,
a completely reliable machine. Even after a complete OS restore, software
recompiles, etc., the machine is still requiring almost daily restarts,
something unheard-of in the worlds of linux/unix. The colo company and I have
been working on the server, and we're both a little stumped at what could be
causing the symptoms we're seeing. I've decided that it would be foolish to
add additional hardware to this server, especially considering we're not
exactly sure what hardware needs to be replaced. I have to be honest and tell
you that, between this disruption and the one a few months ago that caused us
to disappear from the Net for four days, I'm no longer all that thrilled with
the current hosting company, either.

   So I've decided to spec out and have built a new server; one with all new
parts, at a new hosting facility with hopefully a better support and tech
staff. In addition, the plan is to maintain _both_ machines on the Net for a
month or so, paying colo and bandwidth fees for both, so the transition of
the websites and mailing lists can be properly [removed] think we've all
had just about enough of the "crisis management," and an ordered transition
would be a pleasant change. The goal is to make the transition of any given
service completely transparent - the only way you should know the list has
moved, for example, is that it doesn't act goofy anymore.  ;)

   I have spent the last week in _serious_ research, trying to find a new
location for the new server. I was hoping to be able to tell you in this note
that the decisions were made and contracts signed, but I can't. It's pretty
clear I'm going to need to pay more than I'm paying now, but I want to make
sure I get the best deal I [removed] I _am_ going to be spending more, I want
to at least receive more bandwidth for the price so we can add some extra
services (I have a few ideas, like a family-friendly OTR instant message and
chat server, or OTR "torrents," and some other things that might be
implemented with more bandwidth).

   For at least a little while, however, I'm going to try to keep the current
machine operational while shopping for the best server/colo deal I can make.
If the machine acts up again (like the infamous issue #290), please accept my
apologies in advance - understand that I am doing everything I can to
minimize the inconvenience. I _really_ want to get this taken care of as
quickly as possible and have a brand-spankin'-new server we can all depend on
running this list.

   At the same time, I plan to build at least one, and possibly two, machines
_here_ (I mean in my office, not at whatever colo data center finally gets
our business) to both act as redundant off-site backups, and to help take
some of the disc-burning load off of the existing computers here. I'm hoping
once the new server is completely operational, and the machine or machines
_here_ are auto-pulling backups, even a catastrophic failure at the data
center could be rerouted directly to my DSL line in a matter of hours,
instead of the days we've suffered through during the last outages. This is
where the donation of operational computer parts comes in; if you have any
working stuff you'd be willing to donate, please contact me. I have to be
honest and tell you I really don't need fifty WinModems, but I could use
relatively modern motherboards, cases, power supplies, display cards, even
drives (although I've been hitting up the OfficeMax rebated stuff pretty hard
recently to save some cash). If you have any working equipment lying around
you aren't using that you'd be willing to donate, drop me email.

   But [removed] don't volunteer to donate the [removed]   ;)

   I'll let you know when we've got all the ducks back in a [removed]

         Charlie

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

Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:53:26 -0400
From: "MICHAEL BIEL" <mbiel@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Hope's Televised Tributes

Because there still seems to be some people who feel that there were no
television tributes to Bob Hope, let me mention that I am now on
videocassette #6 and I think my daughter has also filled 3 cassettes.  We
record at the 4 hour mid-speed, and considering that some of the recordings
include non-Hope segments of things like the Today Show, we have about 20
to 25 hours of broadcast tribute material.

It should be noted that there is a difference between what those of us with
satellite or cable feeds can get and what would be available to those with
just over-the-air tuning.  For the latter group, you did have access to the
30 minute CBS prime time special edition of "48 Hours" at 8 PM, the 30
minute Nightline on ABC at 11:35 PM, the 2 minute NBC tribute at 8 PM,
about 8 to 10 minutes on each of the three evening network newscasts, and
whatever your local stations did during their local news times.  If your
local stations air syndicated entertainment programs like "Entertainment
Tonight," "Extra," "Access Hollywood," and "Inside Edition," each of these
four programs did between 10 and 20 minutes of material.  And Jay Leno
talked about Hope for about 5 minutes after the first commercial.  All of
that was on Monday.  On Tuesday, the "Today" show did a segment during the
first half of each of the three hours.  The national weather was done from
a Bob Hope exhibit in Hollywood that included some early microphones, an
RCA TK-41 color camera, and the curtain and some of the set props from the
Hope specials.  Entertainment Tonight also had some more material on their
Tuesday program.

While it can be felt that NBC didn't do enough, remember they did air a
2-hour 100th Birthday tribute twice in recent months, both before and
around his birthday.  They let Bravo air it on cable that night.  Yes the
2-minute piece was nice, yes they should have also aired it again at the
11:35 start of Leno's Tonight Show, but I think what was missing most would
have been a simple graphic to have been done at the start and ends of the
programs that evening, his picture, his name, and the years 1903-2003.
This would have informed people that had not already heard the news, and
would have been a fitting tribute from the network he had served for almost
all of his broadcast career.

Some local stations did more material than others.  I noted yesterday that
the Los Angeles local stations did more than most, as would be expected.
They aired the Linda Hope news conference live at 10 AM Pacific time, and
the Fox morning program had done some lengthy material from and above
Hope's home.  They also devoted most of their late afternoon newscasts to
Hope, some of them doing complete half hours about him.  The New York City
stations also did a lot of interviews, as did WGN Chicago.  I saw Chuck
Schaden on it, and also saw Joe Franklin from his amazing office on one of
the NYC stations.  (I gotta bring my daughter to see Joe's office.  Amazing
place.  I was on the phone with her when that shot came up on the screen,
and my wife who is visiting with her said "My god it looks like your
father's office.")  One station I spotted also changed their scheduled "I
Love Lucy" re-run with an episode that Hope had appeared on.

As could be expected, those of us with cable or satellite have a lot more
to choose from, and all of the news networks like CNN, CNN Headline News,
Fox News, MSNBC, and CNBC had a field day watching clips and interviews.
MSNBC played a segment from an old piece David Brinkley did in the 70s with
Hope from his joke vault--and commented that we lost Brinkley just a month
ago.  Phyllis Diller appeared on just about every channel, Ann Margaret was
on a couple, and many of Hope's writers and biographers appeared one or
more times.  Mickey Rooney was on a bunch of times, and Sid Ceaser as well.
Larry King had an all-star panel on both Monday and Tuesday's programs,
including Linda Hope on Tuesday.  He did an updated repeat of his hour of
clips from his past interviews with Hope for the Friday night program.
That program originally aired on the night of Hope's 100 birthday.  I am
not sure what his two weekend programs will be, but Paula Zahn is doing an
hour about Hope on Sunday night at 7 PM.  A&E replayed a 2-hour "Biography"
on Monday at 8 and midnight, and Bravo replayed NBC's 2-hour 100th Birthday
Salute on Monday at 8.  (As I mentioned, NBC had already aired that program
twice in past months, both before and around his birthday.)  Game Show
Network is airing three of his appearances on "What's My Line" during the
Friday/Saturday overnight at 4 AM.

So, again, I don't know what those who are still complaining had expected
to see, except perhaps a special hour on NBC.  But to claim that there were
no tributes, or that there were more tributes to Groucho, Sinatra, or
George Burns is not quite honest.

Michael Biel  mbiel@[removed]

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

Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:53:28 -0400
From: BryanH362@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Information Please (west coast )
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/alternative
X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was text/plain

Martin Grams, Jr.  writes:

Since the program's premiere in 1938, each and every broadcast was 
recorded and transcribed for later playback.  
From June 1938 to February 1945, all of the INFORMATION, PLEASE broadcasts
were recorded in NY City and replayed the same recording two hours later 
for the west coast .  A program aired   at 8:30 on the East Coast (at Eastern 
War Time), the West Coast could tune in to the same broadcast at 8:30 on the 
West Coast (at Pacific War Time).

Not exactly.  In fact when Information Please first premiered , the show was 
***NOT***  repeated   later for the west coast.  In 1938 all sources indicate 
that west coast stations  aired the broadcast at 5:30pm   Pacific coast time.  
This continued for about a year . During the months of daylight savings time 
in 1939 the program was even heard out west as early as 4:30 pm because 
western states  were not observing daylight savings time. It was in  the fall of 
1939  when the program began utilizing the recorded playback for western 
stations. 
Radio Guide lists  the broadcast time of the program on October 27, 1939 as 
being at 
8:30 EST  7:30 CST  9 MST  8 PST  . This is once the program began the 
recorded  playback for the west coast.   Program logs of western stations confirm 
the 8pm air time. However , radio logs of Mountain time zone stations actually 
indicate a 6:30 air time rather than the 9pm one  listed by Radio Guide.  
I do not know why  NBC decided on the later air time for the west coast 
beginning in the 1939 season .  Sponsor request perhaps?  NBC allowed plenty of 
other  big time shows to air on the west coast at 5:30 pm  so why the exception ? 

I am thinking it has something to do with the children's serial hour.  NBC 
blue may have been keeping the time free so that they could beging using  the 
5-6 pm time slot 
for  shows like  Jack Armstrong and other 15 minute serials .  During the 40s 
NBC blue (later ABC )  would be totally sold out from 5-6 pm  PST with shows 
such as Captain Midnight , Jack Armstrong ,  Terry and the Pirates etc. 
....Therefore , on  the Blue network no commercial  program  airing at  8:30 EST 
could ever air at 5:30 PST.
In 1943 Information Please was moved to NBC Red on Monday nights and the 
recorded west coast playback was discontinued. At this time Information Please was 
heard at  10:30  EST / 7:30 PST.  
_ ______________________________________________________________

October  1939---  Tuesday night on NBC   West coast  :

NBC  RED     
5 Aldrich Family *  5:30  Horace Heidt Pot  O Gold *   6   Melody  and 
Madness *
6:30  Fibber Mc Gee and Molly  * 7  Bob Hope  *  7:30  Uncle Walter's Dog 
House*
8  Fred Waring  *   8:15  I Love a Mystery  * 8:30  Johnny Presents Johnny 
Green*
9  Good Morning Tonight  * 9:30   Battle of the Sexes

NBC BLUE

5:15  Tom Mix  * 5:30  Sherlock Holmes  * 6  
8  Information Please  *  8:30  Aldrich Family  *  9   

-Bryan  

  *** This message was altered by the server, and may not appear ***
  ***                  as the sender intended.                   ***

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

Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:53:31 -0400
From: "RW" <carlotta50@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re:  OTR Trivia

As a fan of OTR and [removed]'ll take a stab:

1.  I think the musica is Mame, staring Angela Lansbury with Willard
Waterman (Gildersleve).

2.  [removed] player who became a smash in two hit shows:  Bea Arthur
(Maude and Golden Girls).  OTR characters mentioned:  Little Orphan Annie,
Sandy, Amos and Andy in the song Busom Buddies.

3.  I may be wrong, but I see Lucille Ball as Mame?

They just don't make them like they used [removed]

Ruby

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

Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 12:54:16 -0400
From: Dick Judge <dickjudge@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Information PleaseI

Sorry, Marty
You may have missed the point when it comes to the number of IP shows in
circulation as well as the number of programs in the series.

My point is that there have been several OTR books published in recent years
that are loaded with inaccuracies, typos and mis-statements. This is tragic
since the readers have to believe what they read.

We can go back and forth on IP specifically but my position is that if one is
to provide data on OTR it should be as accurate as possible. If your source
provides you with mis-information, then be wary.

I worked on the Information Please log located on Lou Genco's site at
[removed] for weeks and weeks using the information from the actual
recordings in my collection. And yes, I did catch the fact that Boris Karloff
was a no-show on the Friday the 13th 1942 episode. That, as well as the fact
that I correctly identified episode #180. And on and on.

When it comes to authoring a book on OTR is it better to use scripts over
actual broadcast recordings? I'd go with the broadcasts but a combination of
both is perfect.

dickjudge

MEMORIES OF RADIO/Dick Judge

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2003 Issue #297
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