It's that time of year to remember St. Patrick and all things Irish and, for many older Cincinnatians, thoughts turn to the late Bill McCluskey. It was Bill McCluskey who co-founded Cincinnati's St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1968 and he was often Grand Marshal of that parade when he was... Continue Reading »
When discussing the memorable characters on radio’s The Great Gildersleeve, there seems to always be interest in the character “Mr. Peavey,” portrayed by character actor Richard LeGrand. Mr. Peavey was proprietor of Peavey’s Drug Store in Gildy’s hometown of Summerfield. He was quiet and had a droll sense of humor.... Continue Reading »
A friend sent me a small death notice recently from California noting the passing of Margaret (Peggy) McNulty Day—widow of Jack Benny Show vocalist Dennis Day—on February 1st. Mrs. McNulty Day was 89-years old. Dennis (whose birth name was Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, but used “Dennis Day” as a stage... Continue Reading »
It’s the time of the year for the Academy Awards and you may not realize that there was a radio program called Academy Award Theater during radio’s golden age. However, while similar shows like Lux Radio Theater (which Media Heritage draws upon for our Hollywood Radio Theater program) lasted for... Continue Reading »
To celebrate Valentine’s Day we’re highlighting one of Radio’s most beloved couples, Fibber McGee and Molly. James “Jim” Jordan (Fibber) and Marian Driscoll (Molly) first met at church choir practice in Peoria Illinois. They started out not in radio, but as a vaudeville act in Chicago. It wasn’t until 1924... Continue Reading »
For those of us who studied—really studied—those wonderful Warner Brothers cartoons of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, the names that rolled through during the credits are permanently inscribed in our memories: Chuck Jones, Fritz Freleng, Robert McKimson, music by Carl Stalling, voices by Mel Blanc. One name that did not... Continue Reading »
For a period in the mid-to-late 1940s, the name “Barbara Cameron” was everywhere at WLW. The Dayton-born songstress was hired to replace none other than Doris Day in late 1943 and the attractive 18-year-old quickly filled several holes in wartime-depleted WLW’s vocal department. Barbara sang on the popular late-night Moon... Continue Reading »
Pirate radio stations are certainly not new. These are radio transmitters operating without permission by the FCC and their origins can be traced to the very earliest days of broadcasting. In fact, before computers became the youth distraction they are today, it wasn’t uncommon for young, tech-savvy lads to buy... Continue Reading »
Ever wonder why radio station call letters start with the letters K or W? The reason goes back as early as 1912 and originated with the United States federal government. In 1923 the boundary was set by the Mississippi River and all radio stations to the West were given K... Continue Reading »
The news of the passing of legendary vocalist Andy Williams did not come as too much of a surprise. Andy, himself, announced he faced a diagnosis of bladder cancer last fall and British tabloids were reporting his impending death as recently as July. Still, even at age 84, Williams’ passing... Continue Reading »