Columns

IT WAS JUNE 7th … when NBC radio presented The Lux Radio Theatre for the final time. For almost all of its 21 years it had brightened the CBS Radio schedule … When children’s puppet show stars Kukla, Fran Allison and Ollie (at right), along with the Boston Pops Orchestra, were stars of the first network TV broadcast shown in “compatible color”… When the “Johnny Cash Show” debuted as a summer series on ABC-TV … ..and when bandleader Ricky Minor jumped from FOX-TV to NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” replacing Kevin Eubanks. ALL the milestones for June 7th INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 6th … in fact D-Day on the beaches of Normandy 76 years ago today, when 44-year-old Toronto Star reporter Gordon Sinclair (pictured) began a daily series of popular broadcasts on CFRB Radio, that continued until his death… When CBC TV aired the first program in the long-running news-panel show “Front Page Challenge.” It continued for 38 years… When after 23 years The Ed Sullivan Show left CBS-TV. Gladys Knight & The Pips and singer Jerry Vale appeared on the final show… ..and when CHUM 1050 Toronto, the station with North America’s longest-running hit record chart, abandoned its Top-40 format for a mixture of soft rock and oldies. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS JUNE 5th .. when after 22 years, Canada’s longest running radio program, “The Happy Gang,” was heard for the last time… When Toronto newsman Gordon Sinclair wrote and first broadcast one of the most popular spoken-word recordings of all time: “The Americans”… When CBS-TV premiered the summer replacement show “The Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour”…. ..and when Edmonton’s CISN-FM signed on with 100,000 watts on 103.9 MHz as “Kissin’ Country”. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE>

It's not unusual for me to bring old friends onto the show. In fact, a good chunk of our episodes have come about because of existing connections I've had in the broadcast industry.

IT WAS JUNE 4th …. when NBC-TV’s “The Monkees” won an Emmy award for outstanding comedy series. When ABC-TV’s “Bobby Sherman TV Special” aired, featuring guest performers The 5th Dimension… When the final episode of “The Waltons” aired on CBS TV, though six TV movies followed over the next 15 years … When the CBC’s prairie radio powerhouse CBK AM 540 lost its transmission tower in a severe windstorm … .. and when the final episode of the sitcom “Married With Children” aired on FOX. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

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.