Columns

It was the date the 1st million-dollar prizefight (Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier) aired on US radio. “The Aldrich Family,” “The Adventures of the Thin Man” and the satire of “Bob and Ray” had their premieres on NBC radio. Morning radio star Arthur Godfrey (pictured) signed to host a weekly prime time CBS show. Lawrence Welk debuted his new dance show on ABC-TV. Elvis recorded “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel,” Dean Martin recorded “Houston,” and Andy Williams recorded “Canadian Sunset.” Obits on July 2nd include James Stewart, Betty Grable, Lee Remick, Fred Gwynne and Jan Murray. Details of all the anniversaries for this date INSIDE

IT WAS JULY 1st .. when Prime Minister Mackenzie King dedicated Ottawa’s Peace Tower carillon in the first Trans-Canada radio network broadcast hookup over telephone and telegraph lines… When Hall of Fame sportscaster Jim Robson at age 17 (pictured) broke into radio at CJAV Port Alberni … When an apparently sanitized Elvis Presley appeared on NBC- TV’s ‘The Steve Allen Show’ in a tuxedo and sang ‘Hound Dog’, to a real live Hound Dog… When Vancouver’s country music station JR Country 93.7 signed on at 9:37 a.m…. …and when Toronto CTV flagship CFTO-TV transmitted the first colour television in Canada. ALL the milestones for July 1st INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 30th … when CBS-TV debuted “The Guiding Light,” a daytime serial that had been on radio already for 15 years. Over the next 57 years it would become TV’s alltime longest running drama … When CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show featured The Everly Brothers singing their debut hit “Bye Bye Love”… When “The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour,” starring Jack Burns & Avery Schreiber debuted as a 10-week summer replacement series on ABC TV… ..and when Richmond (BC)’s CISL moved up the dial from 940 to 650 KHz. It is now branded Sportsnet 650. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE

IT WAS JUNE 29th … when just the second daytime serial on network radio, ‘Vic & Sade’ (pictured) made its debut on NBC Blue. Paul Rhymer’s scripted sly humour made the series unique for almost 20 years … When radio’s “show with a heart” made its debut. “Strike It Rich” became a weekly Sunday night favorite on CBS radio… When the radio version of “The Life of Riley,” starring William Bendix, ended its 7-year run on NBC Radio… ..and when Neil Diamond made his TV debut on ABC’s “American Bandstand,” performing his first Top Ten hit “Cherry, Cherry.” ALL the milestones for June 29th INSIDE

IT WAS JUNE 28th … when an old favorite of radio audiences ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ made the switch to TV. Two years later, criticism from the NAACP about ‘stereotyping’ forced CBS-TV to drop the show… When ‘The Quiz Kids’ (pictured) began a 13-year run on radio as a summer replacement for the blind piano virtuoso Alec Templeton… When ‘The Alan Young Show’ debuted on NBC radio featuring the Vancouver-raised comedian. He would later be the human star of the talking horse TV show, ‘Mr. Ed’… When CKUA-FM signed on in Edmonton, and 'Sunny 94' took to the air in Lacombe Alta.... ..and when “The Helen Reddy Show” debuted as an eight-week summer replacement series on NBC-TV, with Flip Wilson, The Pointer Sisters, and Seals & Croft as guests. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

JUNE 27th is the birthdate of Captain Kangaroo and Khloe Kardashian, and also gave birth to an ABC-TV soap called “Loving.” Red Robinson held his first rock concert at the Kerrisdale Arena starring Bill Haley, Elvis began taping his first TV special, and Billy J. Kramer guested on the Ed Sullivan Show. Jim Pattison got the okay to buy six Van. Island radio stations. Hugh Grant was arrested for ‘lewd behaviour’ with an L.A. prostitute, and John Lennon was finally granted his Green Card. Gale Storm and Don Grady and Canadian teen idol Terry Black breathed their last, as did the TV shows Miami Vice, The Flip Wilson Show (pictured), and the NBC Matinee Theatre. Details of these and dozens more milestones for June 27th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 26th … when Ted Rogers Sr. invented the alternating-current tube which facilitated plug-in batteryless radios. Until then, all radios had been battery operated… When comedian Fred Allen ended his 17-year run as host of his own radio show. Allen was (unsuccessfully) attempting a transition to TV… When Canadian folksinger/songwriter Joni Mitchell guested on ABC’s Mama Cass TV special from Los Angeles… ..and when CKNW ‘s Bill Hughes (pictured, right) qualified for the Guiness Book of World Records as he broadcast the 12,000th edition of “Roving Mike.” ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 25th .. when Vancouver radio station CKWX moved UP the dial from AM 1010 to AM 950, and increased its power to 1000 watts…. When ‘The Imogene Coca Show’ and two years later ‘The Jonathan Winters Show’ aired their final telecasts on NBC… When the gothic horror daytime serial “Dark Shadows” began its run on ABC-TV… ..and when “The Dave Thomas Comedy Show” starring the Ontario-born SCTV alumnus, was seen for the last time on CBS-TV. ALL the milestones for June 25th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 24th … when ‘A Date With Judy’ starring Louise Erickson aired for the first time on NBC radio as a summer replacement for Bob Hope… When “The Steve Allen Show” was seen for the first time on NBC-TV, while “Ed Sullivan’s 8th Anniversary Show” captured the ratings for CBS-TV… When the iconic early sitcom “I Love Lucy” aired its last original episode in CBS-TV prime time, before beginning a record number of reruns in syndication… When Victoria's CKDA Radio narrowed its Oldies format down to just the hits of the '70's ... … and when Front Page Challenge (pictured) debuted on CBC-TV as a 13-week summer replacement program. It would eventually become North America’s longest-running game-interview TV show. ALL the milestones for June 24th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 23rd … when Chilliwack’s first radio station CHWK signed on at 1210 KHz with 5 watts. At first it only broadcast an hour or two a day… When Don McNeill took over as host of Chicago’s ‘Pepper Pot’ program, and renamed it ‘The Breakfast Club’ which ran on the networks for 35 years… When ‘The Jimmy Durante Show’ concluded its run on NBC-TV, and ‘The Pat Boone Show’ ran for the last time on ABC-TV… When 2,200 CBC broadcast technicians ended their 5-month strike ... …and when ‘The David Letterman Show’(pictured) began its torturous 4-month run on NBC-TV daytime. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.