Columns

IT WAS APRIL 13th .. when the weekly radio crime drama ‘Bulldog Drummond’ began its 8-year run on the Mutual Broadcast System… When the CRTC’s first public hearings on Cable Television were held… When “The Grand Ole Opry,” a Saturday night radio staple from Nashville that holds the longevity record for any live broadcast, came to cable TV (Nashville Network) … and when the cast of “The Andy Griffith Show” reunited for the NBC-TV film “Return To Mayberry.” It attracted the largest audience of any TV-movie that year. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 12th when Canadian broadcaster J. Frank Willis began his legendary 69 hour marathon coverage from a mine surface in Nova Scotia (pictured), after an explosion trapped three miners down below … When ‘The Life of Riley’ family comedy was heard for the first time on the CBS radio network, as a Saturday morning half-hour… When CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show featured Brook Benton singing his first hit, “It’s Just A Matter Of Time”… and when the first episode of “21 Jump Street” starring a young Johnny Depp, aired on the Fox Network. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 11th .. when the first live sports event on radio, a boxing match, was heard blow-by-blow over Pittsburgh’s pioneer station KDKA… When hockey play-by-play legend Danny Gallivan (pictured) was born in Montreal… When Lesley Gore and Paul Anka headlined the final broadcast of NBC-TV’s pop music showcase, ‘Hullabaloo!’… and when the Tommy Hunter Show, after a nearly 27 year run, was seen for the last time on CBC TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 10th .. when Art Baker hosted ‘People Are Funny’ in its debut on NBC radio … When 16-year-old Ricky Nelson sang for the first time on his family’s radio show ‘The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet’ .. When legendary Toronto newsman Dick Smythe ended an 18-year run at CHUM-FM and walked across the street to CFTR-FM… and when Charles Kuralt (pictured) hosted his last broadcast of CBS-TV’s ‘Sunday Morning.’ ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 9th … when Bob Hope made his network TV debut, hosting the 90-minute “Star-Spangled Review” on NBC… When the Ed Sullivan Show’s eclectic playbill on CBS-TV included Zippy the Chimp rollerskating and riding a bike, a comedy routine by vaudeville veterans Smith & Dale, ventriloquist Ricky Layne & Velvel, singers Julie Wilson, Oscar Brown Jr. and Jan Peerce… When The Rolling Stones made their first live TV appearance on ITV’s Friday night music showcase “Ready Steady Go!”… and when CBS radio & MSNBC shock jock Don Imus was suspended (and later fired) after he jokingly referred to members of the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos”. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 8th … when the original radio voice of ‘The Lone Ranger,’ Ontario-born Earl Graser, was killed in an auto accident at age 32 … When country singer Jimmy Dean began a morning show on CBS in what would be a futile effort to defeat NBC’s Today Show … When UK singer Petula Clark starred in her own NBC-TV prime time special, with guest Harry Belafonte (pictured) … and when the last original episode of ‘All in the Family’ aired on CBS-TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 7th … when the first national rock and roll series, Alan Freed’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party’, made its debut on the CBS Radio network… When San Francisco deejay Tom Donahue turned KMPX-FM into what is considered to be America’s first alternative “free-form” radio station, playing non-commercial music by album-oriented bands… When Rickie Lee Jones was the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, performing her soon-to-be smash hit “Chuck E’s In Love”… and when the 100th episode of “Married With Children” aired on Fox TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 6th .. when the comic strip ‘Little Orphan Annie’ came to life for the first time on NBC radio … When ‘This is Your FBI’ debuted as a weekly 30-minute drama on ABC radio .. When Swanson & sons introduced their frozen ‘TV Dinner’… When Bob Hope (pictured) hosted the 31st Annual Academy Awards that named ‘Gigi’ best picture… and when singers Peggy Lee & Tony Bennett, and comics Rodney Dangerfield & Joan Rivers headlined the Easter Sunday edition of CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 5th … when less than five months after the first NBC network broadcast from New York, the Pacific Coast-based NBC ‘Orange’ network aired its first programmming from temporary studios in San Francisco…. When 19-year old Barbra Streisand (pictured) made her first network television appearance on NBC’s late night “Jack Paar Show” with guest host Orson Bean… When the final episode of the original ‘Hawaii Five-0’ aired on CBS-TV… and when the FOX Broadcasting Company debuted coast-to-coast in the US with two Sunday night comedy shows, Married..With Children and The Tracey Ullman Show. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 4th .. when Kate Smith began a new daily quarter-hour talk show in the noon hour at CBS radio… When the ill-fated CBC-FM Network signed on, with connected stations only in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal… When Johnny Carson quit The Tonight Show in a salary dispute with NBC. He returned three weeks later with an additional $30,000 a week!… and when, after six years, the final episode of the WWII prison camp sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” aired on CBS TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.