Columns

Happy Birthday to John Laroquette, Jill Hennessy, Christina Applegate, Amy Grant, and Bing Crosby’s widow Kathryn. Texas radio station WTAW aired the first football play-by-play; four decades later, CBS telecast the first NFL game in color; and decades later, CBC-TV aired the Grey Cup game for the last time. Also on this date Seattle got its first TV station, in fact the first station north of San Francisco; CBS cancelled the last 5 daytime serials on radio; Michael J. Fox revealed he had Parkinson’s disease and would be leaving ‘Spin City’; and CBS televised the TV special ‘Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing.’ Obits for Nov. 25th include Canadian TV chef Madame Benoit, comedian Flip Wilson, actor Jack Albertson (pictured), dancer Bill Bojangles Robinson, and onetime CKNW staff singer Alberta Slim. Details and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Katherine Heigl, Colin Hanks, Sarah Hyland, Billy Connolly, Pete Best, and the late Howard Duff. It was the day JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald himself was shot dead by Jack Ruby; radio station KVI started serving Tacoma with 50 watts at 1280 KHz; CBC Vancouver opened its new radio-TV headquarters on Hamilton Street; the private eye show ‘Simon & Simon’ debuted on CBS-TV; Dusty Springfield and The Muppetts were featured on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show; and Frank Sinatra ended 2 years in retirement with the NBC-TV special ‘Old Blue Eyes is Back’. The music world lost Freddie Mercury, Big Joe Turner, and Kiss drummer Eric Carr, and actors Richard Carlson and Pat Morita also passed. Details and ALL the Nov. 24 milestones INSIDE.

It’s the date that gave birth to Miley Cyrus, Robin Roberts, John Dehner, Ruth Etting and Boris Karloff. The forerunner to Vancouver’s CKWX radio was licensed as CFDC in Nanaimo; already a hit on TV, ‘Have Gun Will Travel’ debuted on CBS Radio; Bob Hope’s final TV special aired on NBC-TV; ‘Doctor Who’ had its premiere on BBC-TV; Ronald and Nancy Reagan co-starred in a 30-minute ‘GE Theatre’ on CBS-TV; and Bon Jovi played three numbers on NBC-TV’s ‘Today Show.’ Passing away were Larry Hagman, Gloria Gordon (Our Miss Brooks), Marie Wilson (My Friend Irma) (pictured), western swing’s Spade Cooley, and country music’s Roy Acuff. Details and ALL the Nov. 23rd milestones INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Scarlett Johansson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mariel Hemingway, Terry Gilliam, Richard Kind and Steve Van Zandt. President Kennedy was assassinated, and broadcasters went to wall-to-wall coverage for 4 days; the first televised interracial kiss occurred on NBC’s Star Trek; Woody Allen was the subject of a 60 Minutes interview about his affair with Mia Farrow’s adoptive daughter; Ted Koppel anchored his final ‘Nightline’ on ABC-TV; and the same network aired the 100th episode of ‘Who’s the Boss.’ Obits include Parley Baer, Michael Conrad, Jazz’s Norman Granz, and down east musician John Allan Cameron. ALL the milestones for Nov. 22nd INSIDE.

It’s the date of birth of Goldie Hawn, Marlo Thomas, Lorna Luft, Harold Ramis, Carly Rae Jepsen, and (pictured) the late Foster Hewitt. Albertans first heard the call letters CKUA, as the University of Alberta took over radio station CFCK. Vancouver got its first FM station as CBR-FM debuted at 105.7; The ‘Roy Rogers Show’ was first heard on the Mutual radio network; CKO-FM came to Vancouver with All News Radio at 96.1 MHz; 82 million saw the season opener on CBS-TV’s ‘Dallas’; Aerosmith guested on Fox-TV’s ‘The Simpsons’; and Sherry Stringfield left the cast of NBC-TV’s ‘ER’ for the first time. Leaving this mortal coil on Nov. 21st were Bruno Gerussi, Harry Von Zell, Jerry Colonna, Bill Bixby, Gardner McKay and Bill Black. Details and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

Happy Birthday to Dick Smothers, Judy Woodruff, Estelle Parsons, Richard Masur, Sean Young and Joe Walsh of The Eagles. On this date 72 years ago ‘Meet the Press’ made its TV debut on NBC; 22 years ago today Victoria got its own CBC Radio station at 90.5 MHz; George Harrison and Paul Simon sang as a duet on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and six years later to the day, 7-year old Drew Barrymore hosted the show. CBS-TV aired the 100th episode of ‘Green Acres’; 12 years later it broadcast ‘M*A*S*H*’ episode #200. ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ featured headliners the Dave Clark Five, Bobby Vinton and Dick Cavett, and U2 was profiled on ’60 Minutes.’ Obits include Canadian broadcasters Chuck Davis and Tom Rivers, and the ‘first lady’ of radio, Cathy Lewis ALL the milestones for Nov. 20th INSIDE.

Around Montreal, mention the words "Queen of Rock" and that title goes to Sharon Hyland, longtime on air host at CHOM-FM. Last month she eclipsed 25 years of broadcasting at the legendary radio station. And while her name might not get lumped in with the CHOM Alumni who came before her, (just yet) her knowledge of rock and the station's more recent history is second to none.

Happy Birthday to, Dick Cavett, Ted Turner, Allison Janney, Meg Ryan and Jodie Foster. On this date the first mass market transistor pocket radio was introduced; the cartoon series ‘Rocky & his Friends’ debuted on ABC-TV; Linda Ronstadt appeared as herself on FOX-TV’s ‘The Simpsons’; a six-hour Beatles Anthology began airing on North American radio; NBC aired the 100th episode of their hit drama ‘ER’; Vancouver’s X-FM 104.9 switched to All Christmas music, and a year later Victoria’s CHBE107.3 did the same. Ending their stay with us Nov. 19th were US sportscaster Bill Stern, songwriter Bobby Russell, producer & son of Doris Day Terry Melcher, Dick Wilson of Charmin toilet tissue ad fame, and Toronto-based classical actor John Neville. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

It’s the date that brought us Linda Evans, Elizabeth Perkins, Owen Wilson, Imogene Coca, Johnny Mercer, Dorothy Collins, and former Fox News and NBC host/journalist Megyn Kelly. Edward R. Murrow’s acclaimed documentary series ‘See It Now’ debuted on CBS-TV; ‘As It Happens’ started it’s 50+ year run on CBC Radio; the first CanCon rules for TV were announced; CKNW Radio boosted its power to 5,000 watts at 1320 KHz; ABC-TV aired Britney Spears’ first TV concert; and Fats Domino sang ‘Blueberry Hill’ on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show. Nov. 18th claimed the lives of bandleaders Ted Heath and Cab Calloway, singers Dorothy Kirsten and Hal Dickenson (The Modernaires), composer Cy Coleman and actor Harold J. Stone. ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.

 Happy Birthday to Canadians Gordon Lightfoot, Lorne Michaels and Rachel McAdams. Also born this date were the late Rock Hudson, Archie Campbell and Jack Lescoulie. Calgary’s CHQR began broadcasting at 810 KHz with 10,000 watts; Edgar Bergen and his dummy Charlie McCarthy became overnight sensations after guesting on NBC radio’s ‘Rudy Vallee Show’; Rush Limbaugh returned to the airwaves after a month in drug rehab; FOX-TV aired the US’ first condom ad; longtime CBS newsman Roger Mudd (pictured) began working for NBC News; and Elton John recorded his next album live on New York’s WABC-FM. Passing away Nov. 17th were early Chicago radio children’s favorite Ireene Wicker, big band singer Bob Eberly, announcer Bill Baldwin, and country music’s Don Gibson. Details and ALL the milestones for the date INSIDE.