Columns

IT WAS APRIL 3rd … when two staples of NBC radio made their debuts three years apart, ‘Mr. District Attorney,’ and ‘People Are Funny’… When the comedy team of (Dean) Martin & (Jerry) Lewis (pictured) began their own weekly series on NBC radio … When radio station CKSA Lloydminster had its official grand opening, with 1000 watts at 1450 KHz… and when John Chancellor stepped down as anchor of the The NBC Nightly News, to be succeeded by the team of Roger Mudd and Tom Brokaw as coanchors. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS APRIL 2nd .. when the newspaper-based docudrama ‘The Big Story’ began its 8-year run on NBC radio.. When two very successful & long-running daytime dramas ‘The Edge of Night’ and ‘As The World Turns’ premiered on the same day on CBS TV… When CBS Radio began to produce News On the Hour 24/7… When the sci-fi soap opera “Dark Shadows” concluded an almost 5 year run on ABC TV… and when J.R. Ewing and the clan arrived at Southfork, as ‘Dallas’ debuted in prime time on CBS-TV. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

On APRIL FIRST .. Victoria’s first radio station CFCL went on the air for the first time, broadcasting the Easter Sunday sunrise service from the top of Mt. Tolmie. The same day the predecessor to Vancouver’s CKWX went on the air in Nanaimo .. with a whopping 10 watts of power, 23 years later on April 1st, Port Alberni got its own 250 watter, CJAV AM 1240. It was April 1st when Chet Huntley (pictured) began his career with NBC News.. and when ‘General Hospital’ began its record-setting run (57 years so far) as a key part of the ABC-TV daytime schedule. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Ben McCully has one of the most interesting portfolios I, and probably you, have ever seen: Radio host, car salesman, pro wrestler, brewery tour manager. If that combo of careers doesn't have you hooked on this episode already, I don't know what will.

MARCH 31st … was the birthdate of legendary radio entertainers Arthur Godfrey (pictured) and Henry Morgan. It was the date Quebec City FM radio station CJMF was ordered off the air by the CRTC for playing contemporary hit music in contravention of the terms of its licence. And when Madonna’s appearance on “Late Show With David Letterman” caused headaches for C-B-S censors. The network deleted 13 offending words from the audio track before the show aired. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MARCH 30th … when legendary deejay Red Robinson was born in Comox BC, 83 years ago today…. When Bette Davis starred on the premiere of the anthology series ‘Academy Award’ on CBS Radio… When the TV game show ‘ Jeopardy,’ developed by Merv Griffin, began an 11 year daytime run on NBC… When the final episode of “Police Woman” starring Angie Dickenson aired on NBC-TV… and when the season-ending episode of CBS-TV’s ‘The Waltons’ featured the return to the household of Grandma after a stroke that had left her (actress Ellen Corby, pictured) virtually speechless. ALL the milestones for March 30th INSIDE.

IT WAS MARCH 29th when Jack Benny appeared on radio for the first time, on newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan’s interview show in New York City… When the melodramatic radio serial ‘Our Gal Sunday’ debuted at 12:45 ET on CBS Radio, where it would remain for the next 22 years!… When the great frequency switch of 1941 sent Vancouver’s CKWX 950 to AM 980, CFCT 1450 Victoria became CJVI 1480, and Vancouver’s CBR 1100 moved to AM 1130…. When the CBC first announced it would be removing all commercials from its radio stations… and when Jack Paar (pictured) left his wildly-popular NBC-TV ‘Tonight Show’ after five years. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MARCH 28th when one of Chicago’s great radio stations, WGN 720 first took to the air… When the New York Times classical music station WQXR banned singing commercials from its schedule… When UK pirate radio station Radio Caroline began broadcasting from a ship off the British coast …. When we lost a Toronto radio legend Wally Crouter …. And when New Westminster’s Raymond Burr (pictured) starred in an NBC movie ‘Ironside,’ which became (after Perry Mason) his second longrunning TV series. ALL the milestones for March 28th INSIDE.

IT WAS MARCH 27th when ‘Blue Ribbon Town,’ the radio show that starred Groucho Marx was first heard on CBS…. When the daytime serial ‘Myrt & Marge’ ended its 11-year run on CBS radio When a young Steve McQueen (pictured) made his network TV debut on NBC’s Goodyear Playhouse… When a huge tsunami wave nearly demolished Port Alberni’s CJAV radio .. When David Letterman hosted the 67th Academy Awards on ABC-TV … and when Vancouver’s CFUN 1410 once more scrapped its music format to go all-talk under the slogan “Talk with Attitude.” ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

IT WAS MARCH 26th when comedian Red Buttons made his serious acting debut on CBS-TV’s Studio One… When the TV special ‘Welcome Home Elvis,’ with Frank Sinatra as host, was taped in Miami Beach …. When CBC Radio listeners chose Four Strong Winds written by Victoria’s Ian Tyson as the greatest Canadian song … When the daytime drama ‘The Young & the Restless’ began its long run on CBS-TV … When Johnny Carson was the headlining comedian on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show … and when radio’s original Marshall Dillon on “Gunsmoke,” William Conrad (pictured) starred in the TV movie “Cannon” on CBS which spawned a weekly series. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.