Columns

Born on Xmas Day were Rod Serling, Jimmy Buffett, WKRP’s Gary Sandy, Barbara Mandrell, Sissy Spacek, and bandleader Leighton Noble, who lived out his retirement years in Victoria BC. Trail BC got its own radio station when the experimental 10AT signed on; Milton Cross hosted the first Metropolitan Opera broadcast; Bing Crosby performed ‘White Christmas’ for the first time on NBC radio’s ‘Kraft Music Hall’; and Walt Disney made his first foray into TV. Obits this day include Dean Martin, W.C. Fields, Eartha Kitt, Joan Blondell, and the ‘Godfather of Soul’ James Brown. ALL the broadcast milestones for Christmas Day INSIDE.

Jason Dixon has been with Sirius XM since 2015.

Happy Birthday to Alyssa Milano, Elaine Joyce, Jennifer Beals, and illusionist Cris Angel. Pioneer Vancouver radio station CNRV was hooked up nationally via the CNR network; the BBC inaugurated shortwave radio service; New Westminster’s CKNW moved into new studios at 227 Columbia; the CBS-TV movie ‘The Homecoming’ first introduced America to ‘The Waltons’; and the musical special ‘The Carpenters: a Christmas Portrait’ aired in prime time on ABC-TV. Obits this date include Mike Clarke of ‘The Byrds’, Page Cavanaugh of ‘The Page Cavanaugh Trio,’ radio actor Les Tremayne and TV actress Hope Lange. ALL the milestones for Dec. 19th INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Steven Spielberg, Leonard Maltin, Rachel Griffiths, Ron White, Christine Aguilera, and Katie Holmes. ‘To Tell the Truth’ debuted in prime time on CBS-TV; NBC aired the 50th episode of ‘The A Team;’ ‘Wonder Woman’ had its premiere on ABC-TV; the classic Christmas episode of ‘I Love Lucy’ aired for the first time in 30 years on CBS-TV; and ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ was seen for the 1st time on CBS. Obits include Larry Lujack, Dave Abbott, Mavor Moore, Zsa Zsa Gabor (pictured), Mark Goodson and SNL icon Chris Farley. ALL the milestones for Dec. 18th INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Eugene Levy, Bill Pullman, Sarah Paulson and Chris Mathews. ‘The Simpsons’ began their 30 year (so far) 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 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’; 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, plus actresses Madlyn Rhue, and Nicolette Larson. 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. Arlo Guthrie (picture) released the future hit “Alice’s Restaurant.” 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.

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.