Columns

IT WAS JUNE 3rd …when Dragnet (with Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday) was first heard on radio (KFI in Los Angeles), a month before it went nationak on NBC… When Victoria and Vancouver got their first ‘local’ TV service as Bellingham’s KVOS-TV signed on from Mount Constitution … When the Hollywood Palace on ABC-TV hosted the first North American performance by The Rolling Stones… When the characters of Nancy & Chris Hughes returned to CBS-TV’s ‘As the World Turns’, after an absence of 5 years… and when the final episode of the original ‘Star Trek’ series aired on NBC. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 2nd … when TV broadcasting started in Canada as Radio Canada’s Channel 2 in Montreal began airing a test pattern… When the coronation of 27-year-old Queen Elizabeth II was broadcast around the world… When Barbara Walters interviewed the legendary Katharine Hepburn on TV (pictured) and asked what kind of tree she would be… ..and when the final episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” aired in syndication. ALL the milestones for June 2nd INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 1st .. when the first seeds of the CBC were sown as Canadian National Railways formed the CNR Radio Department under W.D. Robb.. When the soon-to-become-legendary Lux Radio Theater moved from New York City to Hollywood… When “The Mask of Medusa,” on ABC-TV’s Twilight Theater, featured the US network-TV acting debut of New Westminster’s Raymond Burr (pictured), soon-to-be TV’s ‘Perry Mason’… When CNN first began presenting it’s all-news format via US cable systems … ..and when the CBS/CBC Sunday night TV showcase which drew families together for 22 years, the Ed Sullivan Show aired for its final time. ALL the milestones for June 1st HERE.

IT WAS MAY 31st … when the first Canadian TV signal on the prairies took to the air as CBWT Winnipeg signed on… When the weekly Odessa Texas TV show featuring Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings boasted Elvis Presley as their singing guest… When Bobby Darin appeared on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show singing his two top pop singles “Mack the Knife” and “Dream Lover.” And Canada’s Wayne & Schuster did a takeoff on TV crime shows… ..and when Mel Cooper (pictured) received approval to acquire 71% of Victoria’s CFAX 1070 from Clare Copeland. Cooper kept CFAX at the top of the Victoria radio ratings for the next 30 years, before selling to CHUM in 2004. ALL the milestones for May 31st INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 30th … when America’s Town Meeting debuted on NBC Blue (the predecessor to ABC radio). First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the debaters on the opener… When the first major league baseball network telecast saw Cleveland down the Chicago White Sox 7-2… When future Canadian superstar Anne Murray (pictured) signed a contract with C-B-C-TV’s “Singalong Jubilee.’ She would be paid between $71.50 and $99 per show … When an early experiment with sports talk radio came to an end on Vancouver’s AM 730 … ..and when CKPG-AM (Prince George) and its news-talk format gave way at noon, to replacement FM station CKDV 99.3 “The Drive” with a classic rock format. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 29th … when the soon-to-be #1 daytime soap ‘When a Girl Marries’ debuted on CBS Radio. It moved to NBC in 1941 and to ABC in 1951 for a total run of 18 years…. When Allen Funt’s “Candid Camera,” which began on radio as “Candid Microphone,” debuted on NBC TV…. When 20-year-old Barbra Streisand made an appearance on CBS TV’s “The Garry Moore Show”… ..and when 16-year-old Michael J. Fox (pictured) made his professional acting debut in the CBC TV series “Leo and Me.” ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 28th … when The Temptations headlined CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show, along with pop singers Robert Goulet and Jane Morgan … When The Association made their TV debut on CBS’s ‘Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour’ … When the ‘Dave Thomas Comedy Show’ debuted as a summer replacement for CBS-TV … When NBC announced that Brian Williams would succeed Tom Brokaw as anchor of the network’s ‘Nightly News’ … When Vancouver’s NW 2 AM 730 gave up its 15-months-long All-News radio battle with News 1130 .. ..and when bandleader Kevin Eubanks (pictured) left NBC’s ‘Tonight Show’ after 16 years of supporting Jay Leno. ALL the milestones for May 28th INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 27th … when Frank Sinatra (pictured) made his TV debut as he guested on NBC’s “Star-Spangled Review,” hosted by another show biz legend, Bob Hope… When Toronto’s CHUM AM 1050 became the first Canadian fulltime top-40 radio station and published its first hit record chart… When the final episodes of the sitcoms “Mork and Mindy,” “Punky Brewster” & “Bosom Buddies” aired on ABC-TV… ..and when Jim & Tammy Bakker appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” following their evangelical TV scandal. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 26th … when Canadian radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden was granted a patent for the liquid barretter microphone… When Carl Perkins finally appeared on NBC-TV’s “The Perry Como Show” singing his milion-selling version of “Blue Suede Shoes,” two months after he was injured in an MVA enroute to the show …. When the Rolling Stones were guests on ABC-TV’s weekly music showcase “Shindig!” along with Sonny & Cher, Jackie De Shannon, and Jimmy Rodgers .. ..and when Fantasia Barrino (pictured) was named winner of the third edition of Fox TV’s “American Idol,” edging out Diana DeGarmo. ALL the milestones for May 26th INSIDE.

IT WAS MAY 25th … when the 16th Annual Emmy Awards saw top honors go to “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and its stars, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore… When “The Brady Bunch Hour” aired for the final time on ABC-TV… When after a 20 year break CBS Radio resumed weekly Major League Baseball playbyplay … When the final episode of Tim Allen’s ‘Home Improvement’ aired on ABC .. When Jay Leno took over NBC-TV’s “Tonight Show,” replacing Johnny Carson as regular host. Leno’s first guest was Billy Crystal… ..and when Ringo Starr was a guest on CBS-TVs “Late Show With David Letterman.” ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.