Today in Broadcast History

Canada’s Genie awards, celebrating the best in the country’s cinema, were held in Montreal for the first time. A new Beatles single, “Free As a Bird,” was released in North America, a week after it hit stores in the UK. Denver Pyle (photo)  got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, plus so much more, including Birthday Milestones

Happy Birthday to Brenda Lee, Jermaine Jackson, Rita Moreno, Donna Mills, Teri Garr and comedienne Mo’Nique. Radio around the world carried the abdication speech of the UK’s King Edward VIII; Alan Waters purchased Totonto’s CHUM 1050; Victoria’s CFMS was transformed into ‘The Ocean 98.5’; the CBC announced the cutting of 378 jobs; ABC-TV aired the first of Bing Crosby’s 17 Christmas TV Specials; and Tom Selleck (Pictured) was seen for the first time as the original ‘Magnum PI’ on CBS-TV. Notable obits include sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, radio & TV host Robert Q. Lewis, and Canadian TV vocalist Wally Koster, Details and ALL the Dec 11th milestones INSIDE.

Born this date were BC broadcaster Mel Cooper(pictured), actresses Nia Peeples, Susan Dey and Gloria Loring, actors Kenneth Branagh, Dan Blocker and John Colicos, and newsman Chet Huntley. Vancouver’s good music CHQM signed on at 1320 KHz; Seattle’s KOMO 4 became the city’s 2nd TV station; Nashville’s WSM Barn Dance was introduced for the first time as ‘The Grand Ole Opry’; and 6-year old Donny Osmond appeared for the 1st time with his brothers on NBC-TV’s ‘Andy Williams Show.’ Checking out were Richard Pryor), Marie Windsor, Paul Richards, Freeman Gosden, Shirley Hemphill, and Canadian broadcasters Spence Caldwell and Duke McLeod. ALL the Dec. 10th milestones INSIDE.

A talented group of birthday celebrants today, including Kirk Douglas (who turns 103!), Judi Dench, Beau Bridges, John Malkovich, Felicity Huffman, Buck Henry and Donny Osmond. The joketelling radio show ‘Can You Top This’ debuted on New York’s WOR, two years before it got to the networks; ‘Coronation Street’ premiered on ITV in the UK; ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ began its more than 50 year run on CBS-TV; and the ‘Royal Canadian Air Farce’ was heard for the first time on CBC Radio. U2 made their first appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live; Bobby Darin was the mystery guest on CBS-TV’s ‘What’s My Line’; and Motown’s The Supremes and The Temptations shared the spotlight on their own NBC prime time special. Among those checking out this date were singer Georgia Gibbs,, actors Gene Barry and Vincent Gardenia, and ABC-TV prime time star Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. ALL the milestones for Dec. 9th INSIDE.

Dec. 7th gave us radio’s king of horror writing Arch Oboler, Mary Tyler Moore’s TV newsman Ted Knight, music men Tom Waits and Harry Chapin, and actors Rod Cameron and Ellen Burstyn. Radio brought us the news of Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor; KCTS signed on on Seattle channel 9 bringing Public Television to the Northwest; CHPQ AM1370 in Parksville signed on; some 35 years later KSQM 91.5 Sequim Wash. signed on; Instant Replay was used for the first time on CBS-TV’s telecast of the Army-Navy football game; the Christmas special ‘Frosty the Snowman’ (pictured) debuted on CBS-TV; and The Beatles were seen for the first time on North American television. ALL the milestones for Dec. 7th INSIDE.

It’s the date of birth for the late Agnes Moorehead, Wally Cox and Bobby Van. Calvin Coolidge gave the first presidential address to be carried on radio; ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ was seen for the first time on NBC; ‘Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,’ already a hit on radio, became a simulcast on CBS-TV; psychologist Joyce Brothers (pictured) won the top prize on CBS-TV’s ‘$64,000 Question’; and Moose Jaw’s pioneer radio station CHAB moved to its current dial position at 800 KHz. Obits include singer Roy Orbison, actor Don Ameche, puppeteer Burr Tillstrom of Kukla, Fran and Olly, and ‘Aunt Bee’ of ‘The Andy Griffith Show,’ Frances Bavier. ALL the milestones for Dec 6th INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to comedian Margaret Cho and actor Frankie Muniz. Bing Crosby (pictured) took over the hosting of NBC radio’s ‘Kraft Music Hall; “The Green Hornet’ aired its last original episode after 15 years on network radio; Jack Webb’s ‘Dragnet’ debuted on NBC-TV; and Bob Dylan gave a rare interview to CBS-TV’s ’60 Minutes.’ Obits Dec. 5th include Canadians Art Hallman and Wilf Carter, Roone Arledge of ABC News, and jazz giant Dave Brubeck. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

It’s the birth date of actors Jeff Bridges, Donnelly Rhodes, Marisa Tomei, Patricia Wettig and Victor French; of the music world’s Dennis Wilson, Deanna Durbin, Chris Hillman, Freddy Cannon and Eddie Heywood; and of broadcasters Wink Martindale and Alan Jackson. ‘The Eveready Hour’ began its pioneering radio variety show run on New York’s WEAF; Walter Winchell began his longrunning Sunday night news and gossip radio show on NBC Blue; the iconic radio soap ‘Ma Perkins’ moved from Cincinnati’s WLW to the NBC Red network; Frank Reynolds co-anchored his final ABC-TV evening newscast; and ‘Falcon Crest’ began its 9-year prime time run on CBS-TV. It’s also the date we lost iconic Calgary sportscaster Ed Whalen (pictured). Details and ALL the Dec 4th milestones INSIDE.

Born this date were Julianne Moore, Amanda Seyfried, Connee Boswell, Jaye P Morgan, Daryl Hannah and Ozzie Osbourne, ‘The Voice of Firestone’ started a 35 year run on radio; Paul Harvey News & Comment began a 58 year run on ABC Radio; CTV’s Harvey Kirck (pictured) became the frst 20-year man anchoring a Canadian network newscast; the late New York disk jockey Alan Freed was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and CBS-TV aired the 200th episode of ‘Knots Landing.’ Fraser Valley transmitters on the AM band fell silent, as the original stations in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Hope completed their transfer to the FM band, Details and ALL the milestones for Dec. 3rd INSIDE.

Born this date were Britney Spears, Nelly Furtado, Lucy Liu, Cathy Lee Crosby, Ray Walston and Hy Gardner. ‘The Adventures of Charlie Chan’ debuted on radio’s NBC Blue network; Don Imus brought his shock-jock radio schtick from Cleveland to New York’s WNBC; Jungle Jay Nelson (pictured) did his first morning show on Toronto’s CHUM radio; NBC-TV’s ‘This is Your Life’ surprised their subject of the week Bobby Darin; after nearly half a century the amazing Alan Waters stepped down as head of CHUM broadcasting; and Brian Williams took over the anchor chair at NBC’s Nightly News. Celebrity deaths include folksinger Odetta, actors Robert Cummings and Desi Arnaz, jazz star Bob Haggart, actresses Gail Fisher and Roxie Roker, as well as Canada’s Fifi D’Orsay and broadcast magnate Ted Rogers Jr. Details and ALL the milestones for Dec. 2nd INSIDE.