Category Archives: History

History

Honoring All Who Served

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November 11, 2024

©US Veterans Magazine
Veterans Day honors all veterans, both living and dead, who served in times of war and peace.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”1

1 US Department of Veterans Affairs 

The anniversary of the armistice of November 11, 1918, observed since 1954 as Veterans Day in the US.

 

Archive, History

Writing Debut

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In May 1964, after my final spring-semester exams at Columbia, the Writers Guild agreed to allow me to work for a week as a writer for WNEW Radio News. I don’t know if, at the age of 20, I was the youngest writer WNEW ever employed, but it was a thrill, and I got to work with some of the greatest people the business was ever privileged to employ.

Here is the schedule for that unforgettable week.

Others on the schedule are:

Jack Pluntze, later to become assistant news director, then news director;

John (Jack) Laurence, later a correspondent for CBS News in Vietnam, creator of the award-winning “World of Charlie Company;”

Mike Stein, later assistant news director and news director;

Ike Pappas, later CBS News correspondent;

Rudy Ruderman, later assistant news director and news director;

Al Wasser, later senior producer at ABC News and CBS News;

Christopher Glenn, later producer and host of CBS’ “In the News;”

Ed Scott, who had been one of Murrow’s writers at CBS; and,

Loren (Larry) Craft, transfer from the Daily News.

Contributed by Andy Fisher

Postedit: Thank you, Marianne, for formatting and posting the story of my wonderful week as a rookie writer at WNEW. The following week I turned back into a pumpkin and resumed the copy boy duties I had been doing since 1962.
Among the credits for that astounding staff of colleagues, I should have mentioned that Mike Stein went on to be Peter Jennings’ writer at ABC’s “World News Tonight.”

 

History

Happy Birthday R-A-D-I-O

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Frank Mullen on the air

By many, but not all historians’ thinking, this could have been dubbed America’s Radio Day more than a century ago! That’s when the sound medium began finding its way from the assorted cobwebs of a laboratory eventually to what we can call Main Street, USA!

It was precisely 104 years ago that KDKA, Pittsburgh (November 2, 1920) was issued the first broadcast license by the predecessor of the Federal Communications Commission.

 

© KDKA Radio, Pittsburgh

 

KDKA’s logo from the 1920s. Already they were known as broadcast pioneers.

 

 

Now all of these years later, that station at 1020 on the AM dial with a power output of the maximum-allowed 50-thousand watts, is very much alive and well! For that matter, so is Detroit’s WWJ which is reported to have first put out a signal a year earlier in 1919. Like KDKA, that Detroit all-news station is still in business, and like its Pittsburgh counterpart, is part of the radio company known as Audacy. Yes, radio preceded television, but don’t try to convince a true radio broadcaster that TV is better or more important than its sister medium!

Article contributed by Bob Gibson

Editor’s Note: Among Bob’s many prestigious credits, he was a news anchor for KDKA-AM during the late 60’s and early 70’s.

 

History, Listener Comments, Sports

NY Giants back on 1130

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The following interesting and nostalgic piece of information is provided by radio history viewer, Mr. Steven Didovich, via a comment through WNEW1130.com. What timing, with the recent Jock of all Trades post, 01-Oct-2024.

Thank you so much for sharing, Steven.
—MCP—

This is about radio scheduling.

Because of NY Yankees World Series game 3 Monday night at Yankee stadium, the NY Giants-Steelers game on Monday night will move from WFAN 660/101.9 to WBBR 1130.

This will be the 1st Giants game on 1130 since December 1992 when WNEW 1130 ended.

New York Giants Football and WNEW

 

History, Perspective, Uncategorized

Mission Accomplished-the Vote

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Thanks to the concept of early voting, I’m done for another four years in terms of those top of the ticket entries!!

We all, presumably, want a first-rate democracy while maintaining our position as the best and strongest nation on Earth. Of course, how we go about achieving that is at the voting booth where each of us has one, and only one, chance to make our voice heard.

Whenever you do that, make the right choice, and if you’re not sure ahead of time, read and think about it some more, rather than calling a friend, as someone whose opinion you may think is golden, could differ from yours.

Good luck and may the best people win for them, us and the world!

Bob
Click-Bob Gibson Bio

Editor’s Note:  Abstention because you don’t like either candidate is not an option. Find something you like about one…or dislike about one-make a choice, and VOTE. It’s your right. It’s your duty.
usa.gov/voting-rights

Image courtesy of Guides.Vote

 

 

History

1968 Convention

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As the United States rounds the corner from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, I am reminded of my first Presidential Convention–the 1972 RNC.

My memories, though, contain not one thought of politics or news.  They were filled with dreams of Disney Land, and all points along the way as my courageous mother drove her four-children (between the ages of 10 and 14)  down country from NY to FL to meet up with her husband, our father, who was working the RNC for WNEW.

By stark contrast, please enjoy The Conventions – 1968,
written by Edward Brown.

You will hear the reports and voices of Metromedia Network correspondents Al Wasser, Walter Rodgers, Jeff Kaman, Edward Brown, Dan Blackburn, Mike Eisgrau, Al Wyman and Jay Richards, and Vice President of News, Alan Walden.

MM Radio News – 1968