Today in Broadcast History

Happy Birthday to Eugene Levy, Bill Pullman, Chris Mathews, Tommy Banks, Art Neville of The Neville Bros., and Julia Meade of the 50's and 60's live commercials. 'The Simpsons' began their 25 year run on FOX; Edgar Bergen made his national debut with Charlie McCarthy, as pictured, on NBC radio; Moose Jaw's only radio station got official 'commercial' status as CHAB, after 11 years in the experimental stage; Wayne & Shuster and Paul Anka were headliners on CBS-TV's 'Ed Sullivan Show';and Tiny Tim & Miss Vicky were wed to much national acclaim on Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show.' Obits include Don Chevrier, Dana Andrews, Rex Allen Sr., performance artist Captain Beefheart and muckraker Jack Anderson. Details and ALL the Dec. 17th milestones INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Steven Bochko, Lesley Stahl, JB Smoove, Jon Tenney and ABBA's Benny Andersson. 'One Day at a Time' began its 9-year run on CBS-TV; the same network aired the 50th episode of 'All in the Family' (pictured); Vancouver's first TV station CBUT began transmitting from Mount Seymour; Jack Webb's 'Dragnet' got a sneak preview on NBC-TV's 'Chesterfield Sound Off Time'; and Howard Stern did his last terrestrial broadcast before moving to Sirius Satellite Radio. Obits Dec. 16 include Dan Fogelberg, the West Wing's John Spencer, Kojak's Dan Frazer, Arthur Godfrey's Haleloke, Madlyn Rhue, and Nicolette Larson. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Tim Conway, Don Johnson, Michelle Dockery, Helen Slater, Dave Clark of the 'Dave Clark Five',and ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson. 'Captain Midnight' aired for the last time, after 10 years thrilling young radio audiences; 'Davey Crockett Indian Fighter' debuted on the Walt Disney Sunday night hour on ABC-TV; Elvis Presley sang for the last time on the Shreveport radio program that first gave him wide exposure, 'Louisiana Hayride'; Joe Garagiola joined NBC-TV's 'Today Show' as co-host and interviewer; and Melissa Etheridge made her national TV debut on Dave Letterman's late night NBC show. Celebrities bowing out this date include Walt Disney (pictured), Jan Peerce, Fats Waller, Charles Laughton, Chill Wills, and televangelist Oral Roberts. ALL the milestones for Dec. 15th INSIDE.

Entertainers born this date include Dan Dailey, Charlie Rich, Patty Duke, Spike Jones, Morey Amsterdam, Lee Remick, and Miss Frances Bavier, who was 'Aunt Bee' on the Andy Griffith Show. 80-year-old Frank Sinatra appeared in his last TV special on ABC; The Jackson Five' made their national TV debut on CBS' 'Ed Sullivan Show', CFYK 1340 Yellowknife became the first radio station in the Northwest Territories; and after 14 years, Howard Cosell (pictured) retired from ABC-TV's 'Monday NIght Football.' Dec. 14th claimed the lives of Peter O'Toole, William Bendix, Arthur Treacher, Verna Felton, Myrna Loy, Norman Fell, singer Dinah Washington, and game show producer John Guedel. Specific details, and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Steve Buscemi, Dick Van Dyke, Christopher Plummer,Ted Nugent and Wendie Malick. The clear channel sound of Denver radio station KOA AM 850 was heard for the first time; 'Allen's Alley' (pictured) debuted on the Fred Allen radio show; the TV rights to the first four 'Suoer Bowls' went to NBC & CBS for $9.5 million; Infinity Broadcasting was fined $600,000 for the potty mouth of Howard Stern on the radio; and NBC-TV's 'Saturday Night Live' instituted a time delay system because of foul-mouthed guest host Richard Pryor. Dec. 13th claimed two leading men of TV's 'Amos 'n' Andy,'first Tim Moore (Kingfish Stevens) and 11 years later to the day, Spencer Williams Jr. (Andy Brown) passed away. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

ON THIS DAY in 1893  actor Edward G. Robinson was born Emmanuel Goldenberg in Bucharest, Romania.  He starred as Steve Wilson for the first 5 years of the...

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 was seen for the first time as '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, 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 (pictured), Marie Windsor, Paul Richards, Feeman 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, 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 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.