Today in Broadcast History

Jason Sudeikis, Jack Warden, Jada Pinkett Smith, Fred Willard, Frankie Avalon, James Marsden and June Foray all were born on this date. ‘Roving Mike’ began its 50 year run on CKNW, Victoria’s CKDA moved up the dial to 1220 and doubled its power to 10,000 watts… CBS radio came into being with an initial 16 stations,… ‘Toast of the Town’ on CBS-TV became ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’… and ‘Wagon Train’ began its 8 year run on NBC-TV. Ken Burns opened his 18.5 hour documentary ‘Baseball’ on PBS… ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ and ‘Get Smart’ debuted the same evening on NBC-TV… and the sitcom based on a rock radio station, ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ had its premiere on CBS-TV. Details and ALL the Sept. 18th milestones INSIDE.

SEPT. 16th is the date that gave us Amy Poehler, Jennifer Tilly, Ed Begley Jr., Lawrence Dobkin. Allen Funt, B.B. King and Maverick’s Jack Kelly. Starting their TV runs this day were ‘Miami Vice’, ‘Frasier’, and ‘The Dean Martin Show’ on NBC; ‘Shindig’ and ‘The Outer Limits’ on ABC, and ‘Wiseguy’ and ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ on CBS. Canadian-born Jenny Jones (pictured) began a syndicated US TV talk show that lasted 12 years. and the CBC introduced ‘The Fifth Estate’ which has now been the network’s key newsmagazine for 44 years. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 15th .. when “The Lone Ranger” debuted on ABC-TV, after 16 years on radio… When the family sitcom “Bachelor Father” with John Forsythe began its 5-year run on CBS-TV… When the rural comedy ‘Green Acres’ debuted on CBS-TV, starring Eddie Albert & Eva Gabor…. ..and when the action-adventure series ‘Lost in Space’ (CBS) and ‘I Spy’ (NBC) debuted on the same evening. ALL the milestones for Sept. 15th INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 14th … when two major radio soap operas made their debut on the same day, ‘Big Sister’ on CBS, and ‘John’s Other Wife’ on NBC… When Milton Berle was named the permanent host of NBC-TV’s ‘Texaco Star Theatre,’ enroute to his earning the title ‘Mr. Television’… When Richard Boone (pictured) starred in episode one of CBS-TV’s‘Have Gun, Will Travel’… When Jerry Van Dyke starred in the debut of the universally condemned NBC sitcom ‘My Mother the Car’… ..and when Alberta premier Ernest Manning was on hand to help inaugurate Medicine Hat’s CHAT-TV on channel 4. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT 13th .. when Eddie Cantor (pictured) began his long career as a radio comedian on NBC … When a number of new TV shows made their debut .. ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien,’ ‘Law and Order,’ ‘Car 54 Where Are You,’ ‘The Rockford files’ and ‘Police Woman’ on NBC-TV, ‘The Outer Limits’ on ABC, and ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ on CBS… When the first-ever viewer discretion warning was aired on TV, at the start of the syndicated ‘Soap,’ which introduced us to Billy Crystal… ..and when NBC’s “Frasier” won a record fifth consecutive Emmy award as TV’s best comedy series. ALL the milestones for Sept. 13th INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 12th … when a raft of TV series debuted, including Lassie, Family Affair and Maude on CBS; Bonanza, The Monkees and Punky Brewster on NBC; and Taxi (pictured), Lois & Clark, and the Jeff Foxworthy Show began on ABC. Party of Five was seen for the first time on Fox. The 10th season of Murder She Wrote began on CBS-TV, and Vancouver radio station AM 1040 signed on with an adult contemporary music format. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

 IT WAS SEPT. 10th … when vaudeville star Jimmy Durante made his first radio appearance on Eddie Cantor’s “Chase and Sanborn Hour” on NBC… When Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King took to the radio to announce that Canada was now at war with Germany (WWII)…. When comedian/singer Eddie Cantor moved from radio to television, as he hosted the Colgate Comedy Hour on NBC TV… ..and when Seattle’s KING TV introduced the first local TV newscast west of Minneapolis and north of Los Angeles, anchored by Charles Herring (pictured). ALL the milestones for Sept. 10th INSIDE

IT WAS SEPT. 9th .. when the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed as a broadcasting service of the Radio Corporation of America, with partners General Electric & Westinghouse. 26 stations made up the US’s first national radio network … When the 1st broadcast of the long-running TV soap “Love of Life” aired on CBS… When 54 million viewers (82.6 percent of the U.S. television audience) turned their TV dials to the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ on CBS to see 21-year-old Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley … When NBC-TV’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report” (pictured), their evening newscast, expanded from 15 to 30 minutes, as had the CBS News (with Walter Cronkite) a week earlier… and when CBS CEO Les Moonves stepped down amidst a widening sex scandal. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT. 8th … when The Hoboken Four, featuring a 19-year old Frank Sinatra as lead singer, appeared on Major Bowes Amateur Hour on WOR radio, and won the week … When Canada’s first English-language TV station, CBLT in Toronto started operations… two days after Montreal’s French-language CBC station… When “Bat Masterson,” a western starring Gene Barry, began its 108-episode run on NBC-TV… ..and when the pioneering space series “Star Trek,” starring Montreal-born William Shatner, debuted on NBC-TV. ALL the milestones for Sept. 8th INSIDE!

IT WAS SEPT 6th … when the first prizefight to be broadcast blow-by-blow was heard on WWJ Detroit, as heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey scored a third-round knockout … When (pictured) Lionel Barrymore introduced us to his latest crowd-pleasing character as ‘Mayor of the Town’ debuted on the NBC Red radio network, co-starring Agnes Moorehead… When future movie star Steve McQueen premiered his CBS-TV series ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive” … When the team of Martin & Lewis were reunited on Jerry’s telethon after a 20-year estrangement … When Canadian television debuted as Montreal’s CBFT aired the drama ‘Oedipus Rex’ in French…. ..and when the smash hit radio comedy“Fibber McGee and Molly” ended after an almost 25 year run. ALL the milestones for Sept. 6th INSIDE!