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.

Candy Newman, born Candace Laird Newman

Putting a Painful Father’s Day story to bed

June 17, 2016

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

December 15, 2014

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, WCKY Disc Jockey was born as Charles Schroeder

Nelson King: “King” of Cincinnati Disc Jockeys

August 12, 2014

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 »


Signal Oil, sponsor of the CBS radio show, The Whistler

Whatever Happened to Signal Oil?

July 27, 2014

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 television star

Helen Diller, Cincinnati’s first TV “star”

July 20, 2014

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 »


Linda Hern, Ruth Lyons' niece, with a portrait of Candy Newman, Ruth Lyons' daughter

Remembering Candy Newman

April 27, 2014

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 »


The history of Petri Wine and Basil Rathbone, Sherlock Holmes on The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Whatever happened to Petri Wines?

March 6, 2014

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, Cincinnati Post's radio critic

Mary Wood Centennial

January 21, 2014

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, a Cincinnati vocalist who appeared on WLWT, WSAI, WLW and recorded on King and Columbia Records

Ruby Wright, Cincinnati Vocalist

January 11, 2014

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 »


Teeny on Fibber McGee and Molly was played by Marian Jordan (Molly)

Quiz 10 – “Teeny” a.k.a. Marian Jordan

December 6, 2013

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 »


WIlliam Conrad, a radio and television actor known for playing Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke and many other roles

Quiz 9 – William Conrad

November 29, 2013

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 »


Joan Banks with her husband, Frank Lovejoy

Quiz 8 – Joan Banks

November 22, 2013

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 »