History of Broadcasting BlogLatest Posts
Our blog commemorates the history of broadcasting from the Golden Age of Radio to the Early Days of Television. We cover the people and stations who made history especially those from the Cincinnati area.
Putting a Painful Father’s Day story to bed
Fifty years ago, the story spread like wildfire. There were variations, but the basic premise was this: Candy Newman, beloved daughter of Cincinnati TV personality Ruth Lyons, was dying from cancer and took one last trip with her family on a cruise ship to Europe. Late one night, in the... Continue Reading »
John Kiesewetter and the End of an Era
The forced retirement of John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer marks an end of an era that traces back to the beginnings of broadcasting. John had been at the newspaper since 1975 and was always an enthusiastic supporter of history-minded projects and efforts, including those of Media Heritage. His encouragement... Continue Reading »
Nelson King: “King” of Cincinnati Disc Jockeys
One hundred years ago this month, August 7, 1914, Charles Schroeder was born in Portsmouth, Ohio. If that name is a bit unfamiliar, it's because he would eventually take the name “Nelson King” and become Cincinnati's most influential disc jockey. The job of “disc jockey,” or an announcer who plays... Continue Reading »
Whatever Happened to Signal Oil?
Signal Gasoline Company was founded in 1922 by Samuel B. Mosher, a farmer. What started as just a gasoline business quickly evolved to include products like grease and oil in 1928. These changes caused “Signal Gasoline Company” to become “Signal Gas and Oil”. In 1931 Signal and Standard Oil began... Continue Reading »
Helen Diller, Cincinnati’s first TV “star”
The first “star” of Cincinnati television died recently. I use quotation marks because Helen Diller Hinn would've gotten a big laugh from that opening sentence. Helen was 96 years young when she passed away quietly at her apartment in Lancaster, California on March 24, 2014. Born in Winnipeg in 1917,... Continue Reading »
Remembering Candy Newman
Recently, Media Heritage’s Mike Martini embarked on a road trip to the St. Louis area to visit Linda Lupton Hern and accept the gift of a portrait of Candy Newman. Cincinnati radio and television fans certainly remember Ruth Lyons—perhaps the most influential local broadcaster of the 20th century. Candy Newman... Continue Reading »
Whatever happened to Petri Wines?
Listeners who tune into Theater of the Mind for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes often hear Harry Bartell and Nigel Bruce discuss Petri Wines before a new case is introduced. Petri – The family that took time to bring you good wine – brought The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes into... Continue Reading »
Mary Wood Centennial
In a previous post, we mentioned the centennial of the birth of beloved Cincinnati vocalist Ruby Wright but Ruby wasn't the only one to enter the world in January 1914 because on the 19th of that month, Mary Wood was born. For folks outside of Greater Cincinnati, the name might... Continue Reading »
Ruby Wright, Cincinnati Vocalist
It’s hard to believe that popular Cincinnati vocalist Ruby Wright passed away ten years ago this year. It’s perhaps even more difficult that today marks the centennial of her birth. One-hundred years ago, on January 8, 1914, Ruby Wright was born in Anderson, Indiana. Destined for a career in show... Continue Reading »
Quiz 10 – “Teeny” a.k.a. Marian Jordan
If you've just checked our blog, we're playing a game on our Facebook “Media Heritage, Inc.” and “Big Broadcast” pages. This was the tenth and final quiz this time around (see all of the quizzes here). Perhaps we'll do this again in the future. Have an idea for something you’d... Continue Reading »
Quiz 9 – William Conrad
If you've just checked our blog, we're playing a game on our Facebook “Media Heritage, Inc.” and “Big Broadcast” pages. If you'd like to play, “like” one or both of those Facebook pages and on Mondays, we'll post a photo of an old radio “second banana”…a secondary or character actor... Continue Reading »
Quiz 8 – Joan Banks
Fans of the classic early-1950s radio drama Nightbeat know the lead character, Randy Stone, was played by actor Frank Lovejoy. However, fans might not know that the actress who often played the femme fatale on Nightbeat, Joan Banks, was Lovejoy's real-life wife. Joan Banks was born... Continue Reading »