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As you will learn, our guest this time, Walden Hughes, is blind and has a speech issue. However, as you also will discover none of this has stopped Walden from doing what he wants and likes. I would not say Walden is driven. Instead, I would describe Walden as a man of vision who works calmly to accomplish whatever task he wishes to undertake. Walden grew up in Southern California including attending and graduating from the University of California at Irvine. Walden also received his Master's degree from UCI. Walden's professional life has been in the financial arena where he has proven quite successful. However, Walden also had other plans for his life. He has had a love of vintage radio programs since he was a child. For him, however, it wasn't enough to listen to programs. He found ways to meet hundreds of people who were involved in radio and early television. His interviews air regularly on www.yesterdayusa.net which he now directs. Walden is one of those people who works to make life better for others through the various entertainment projects he undertakes and helps manage. I hope you find Walden's life attitude stimulating and inspiring. About the Guest: With deep roots in U.S. history and a lifelong passion for nostalgic entertainment, Walden Hughes has built an impressive career as an entertainment consultant, producer, and historian of old-time radio. Since beginning his collection in 1976, he has amassed over 50,000 shows and has gone on to produce live events, conventions, and radio recreations across the country, interviewing over 200 celebrities along the way. A graduate of UC Irvine with both a BA in Economics and Political Science and an MBA in Accounting/Finance, he also spent a decade in the investment field before fully embracing his love of entertainment history. His leadership includes serving as Lions Club President, President of Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound, and long-time board member of SPERDVAC, earning numerous honors such as the Eagle Scout rank, Herb Ellis Award, and the Dick Beals Award. Today, he continues to preserve and celebrate the legacy of radio and entertainment through Yesterday USA and beyond. Ways to connect with Walden: SPERDVAC: https://m.facebook.com/sperdvacconvention/ Yesterday USA: https://www.facebook.com/share/16jHW7NdCZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr REPS: https://www.facebook.com/share/197TW27jRi/?mibextid=wwXIfr About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset, where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. We're going to deal with all of that today. We have a guest who I've known for a while. I didn't know I knew him as long as I did, but yeah, but we'll get to that. His name is Walden Hughes, and he is, among other things, the person who is the driving force now behind a website yesterday USA that plays 24 hours a day old radio shows. What I didn't know until he told me once is that he happened to listen to my show back on K UCI in Irvine when I was doing the Radio Hall of Fame between 1969 and 1976 but I only learned that relatively recently, and I didn't actually meet Walden until a few years ago, when we moved down to Victorville and we we started connecting more, and I started listening more to yesterday, USA. We'll talk about some of that. But as you can tell, we're talking, once again, about radio and vintage radio programs, old radio programs from the 30s, 40s and 50s, like we did a few weeks ago with Carl Amari. We're going to have some other people on. Walden is helping us get some other people onto unstoppable mindset, like, in a few weeks, we're going to introduce and talk with Zuzu. Now, who knows who Zuzu is? I know Walden knows, but I'll bet most of you don't. Here's a clue. Whenever a bell rings, an angel gets his wingsu was the little girl on. It's a Wonderful Life. The movie played by Carol from Yeah, and she the star was Carolyn Grimes, and we've met Carolyn. Well, we'll get to all that. I've talked enough. Walden, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Walden Hughes ** 03:19 here. Hello, Michael boy, I mean, you, you had John Roy on years ago, and now you finally got to me that's pretty amazing. Michael Hingson ** 03:25 Well, you know, we should have done it earlier, but that's okay, but, but you know what they say, the best is always saved for last. Walden Hughes ** 03:34 Hey. Well, you know, considering you've been amazing with this show on Friday night for the last year. So here yesterday, USA, so we you and I definitely know our ins and outs. So this should be an easy our place talk. Michael Hingson ** 03:47 Yes. Is this the time to tell people that Walden has the record of having 42 tootsie rolls in his mouth at once? Walden Hughes ** 03:52 That's what they say. I think we could do more, though, you know. But yeah, yeah. Well, we won't ask, miss, yeah, we won't ask you to do that here. Why not? Michael Hingson ** 04:03 Yeah, we want you to be able to talk. Well, I'm really glad you're here. Tell us a little about the early Walden growing up and all that. Walden Hughes ** 04:12 I'm my mom and dad are from Nebraska, so I have a lot of Midwestern Nebraska ties. They moved out here for jobs in 65 and I was born in 1966 and I was the first baby to ever survive the world Pierre syndrome, which means I was born with a cleft palate, being extremely near sighted and and a cup and a recession. So I was the first baby through my mom and dad debt by $10,000 in 17 days, and it was a struggle for my folks. You know, in those early days, without insurance, without any. Thing like that. You know, people really didn't think about medical insurance and things like that in those days, that was not an issue. So, um, so I've always had extremely loving family. Then I went through five retina detachments, and starting when I was seven years old, up to I was nine, and I finally woke up one morning seeing white half circle so the retina detached. Sometime in the middle of the night, went to the most famous eye doctor the world at times, Dr Robert macchermer, who was the one who invented the cataract surgery and everything. Later, he wound up being the head of Duke Medical that was down in Florida, and they took one last ditch effort to save my sight, but it was a 2% chance, and it didn't work out. So they went blind in November 75 and went into school for people who may or may not know California pretty aggressive in terms of education, and so when I wear hearing aids, so I parted a hard of hearing class. Newport school. Mesa took care of the kids who were hard of hearing and the blind children went up to Garden Grove. So when I walked my site, went up to Garden Grove. And so that was my dedication. I was always a driven person. So and I also had a family that supported me everything I ever did. They didn't it just they were ultimately supporting me in education, all sorts of stuff. So I wound up in the Boy Scout Program. Wound up being an Eagle Scout like you, wound up being visual honoring the OA. And this was always side of kids. I was sort of the organizer all decided kid, and there was Walden that was right, I was that way in my entire life, which is interesting that the most kids are all hanging out. We were sighted and and even the school district, which was pretty amazing to think about it, Newport, they told my mom and dad, hey, when Wong ready to come back to his home school district, we'll cover the bill. We'll do it. And so my freshman year, after my freshman year in high school, we thought, yeah, it's time to come back. And so the Newport school, Mesa picked up the tab, and so did very well. Went up, applied to seven colleges, Harvard, a Yale Stanford turned me down, but everybody else took me Michael Hingson ** 07:53 so, but you went to the best school anyway. Walden Hughes ** 07:57 So I mean, either like Michael Troy went to UCI and I graduated in three years and two quarters with a degree in economics, a degree in politics, a minor in management, and then I went to work as a financial planner with American Express and then a stockbroker. I always wanted to go back get my MBA. So I got my MBA at UCI, and I graduated with my MBA in accounting and finance in 1995 so that's sort of the academic part Wow of my life. Michael Hingson ** 08:32 How did your parents handle when it was first discovered that you were blind? So that would have been in what 75 how do they handle that? Walden Hughes ** 08:42 They handle it really well. I think my dad was wonderful. My dad was the one that took, took me my birth, to all the doctor appointments, you know, such a traumatic thing for my mom. So my dad took that responsibility. My mom just clean house. But they, they My dad always thought if I were going to make it through life, it was going to be between my ears. It could be my brain and I, I was gifted and academically in terms of my analytical abilities are really off the chart. They tested me like in 160 and that mean I could take a very complicated scenario, break it down and give you a quick answer how to solve it within seconds. And that that that paid off. So no, I think, and they they had complete and so they put in the time. Michael Hingson ** 09:47 What kind of work did your dad do? My dad Walden Hughes ** 09:51 wound up being a real estate agent, okay, and so that gave him flexibility time. My mom wound up working for the Irvine camp. Attorney, which is the big agriculture at that time, now, apartments and commercial real estate here in oil County and so. So with their support and with the emphasis on education, and so they helped me great. They helped my brother a great deal. So I think in my case, having two really actively involved parents paid off, you know, in terms of, they knew where to support me and they knew the one to give me my give me my head, you know, because I would a classic example of this. After I graduated from college at UCI, I was looking for work, and mom said, my mom's saying, oh, keep go to rehab. Talk to them. They're both to help you out, give it. I really wasn't interested, so I sat down and met with them and had several interviews, and they said we're not going to fund you because either A, you're gonna be so successful on your own you pay for your own stuff, or B, you'll completely fail. So when I, and that's when they flat out, told me at rehab, so I I had more more luck in the private sector finding work than I did ever in the public sector, which was interesting. Michael Hingson ** 11:39 I know that when I was in high school, and they it's still around today, of course, they had a program called SSI through the Department of Social Security, and then that there, there was also another program aid of the potentially self supporting blind, and we applied for those. And when I went to UC Irvine, I had met, actually, in 1964 a gentleman while I was up getting my guide dog. He was getting a guide dog. His name was Howard Mackey, and when I went to college, my parents also explored me getting some services and assistance from the Department of Rehabilitation, and I was accepted, and then Howard Mackey ended up becoming my counselor. And the neat thing about it was he was extremely supportive and really helped in finding transcribers to put physics books in braille, paid for whatever the state did it at the time, readers and other things like that that I needed provided equipment. It was really cool. He was extremely supportive, which I was very grateful for. But yeah, I can understand sometimes the rehabilitation world can be a little bit wonky. Of course, you went into it some 18 to 20 years later than that. I, in a sense, started it because I started in 6869 Yeah. And I think over time, just the state got cheaper, everything got cheaper. And of course, now it's really a lot different than it used to be, and it's a lot more challenging to get services from a lot of the agencies. And of course, in our current administration, a lot of things are being cut, and nobody knows exactly what's going to happen. And that's pretty Walden Hughes ** 13:30 scary, actually. When I went to UCI, the school picked it up the pic, the school picked up my transcribing. They picked up my readers and all that. So interesting. How? Michael Hingson ** 13:39 But did they let you hire your own readers and so on? Or do they do that? Walden Hughes ** 13:43 They just put out the word, and people came up and and they paid them. So they just, they were just looking for volunteer, looking for people on the campus to do all the work. And, yeah, in fact, in fact, I had one gal who read pretty much all my years. She was waiting to get a job in the museum. And the job she wanted, you basically had to die to get it open. And so she for a full time employee with the read, can I be taking 20 units a quarter? Yeah. So I was, I was cranking it out. And in those days, everybody, you were lucky they I was lucky to get the material a week or two before midterm. Yeah, so I would speed up the tape and do a couple all nighters just to get through, because I really didn't want to delay, delay by examinations. I wanted to get it, get it through. But, uh, but, you know, but also, I guess I was going four times just throughout the quarter, set them into the summer. Okay, I wanted to get it done. Yeah, so that's, that's how I Michael Hingson ** 14:50 did it. I didn't do summer school, but I did 16 to 20 units a quarter as well, and kept readers pretty busy and was never questioned. And even though we have some pretty hefty reader bills, but it it worked, no and and I hired my own readers, we put out the word, but I hired my own readers. And now I think that's really important. If a school pays for the readers, but lets you hire the readers, that's good, because I think that people need to learn how to hire and fire and how to learn what's necessary and how to get the things that they need. And if the agency or the school does it all and they don't learn how to do it, that's a problem. Walden Hughes ** 15:36 If fashioning is just a sidebar issue, computer really became a big part. And with my hearing loss, TSI was really, yeah, telesensory, the one Incorporated, right? And they were upscale, everybody. It was, you know, $2,500 a pop. And for my hearing, it was the was for the card, the actual card that fits into the slot that would read, oh, okay, okay, right. And eventually they went with software with me, a lot cheaper, yes, and so, so my folks paid for that in the early days, the mid 80s, the computers and the software and a lot of that were trial and error terms of there was not any customer support from the from the computer company that were making special products like that, you were pretty much left on your own to figure it out. Yeah, and so time I went to graduate in 1990 we figured, in the business world, financial planning, I'm gonna need a whole complete setup at work, and we're gonna cost me 20 grand, yeah, and of course, when we have saying, We biking it, we're gonna finance it. What happened was, and this has helped with the scouting program. I knew the vice president of the local bank. And in those days, if it was, if it was still a small bank, he just went, he gave me a personal loan, hmm, and he, I didn't have to get any code centers or anything. No, we're gonna be the first one to finance you. You get your own computer set up. And so they, they, they financed it for me, and then also Boyle kicked in for 7500 but that was, that's how I was able to swing my first really complicated $20,000 units in 1990 Michael Hingson ** 17:33 the Braille Institute had a program. I don't know whether they still do or not they, they had a program where they would pay for, I don't know whether the top was 7500 I know they paid for half the cost of technology, but that may have been the upper limit. I know I used the program to get in when we moved, when we moved to New Jersey. I was able to get one of the, at that time, $15,000 Kurzweil Reading machines that was in 1996 and Braille Institute paid for half that. So it was pretty cool. But you mentioned TSI, which is telesensory Systems, Inc, for those who who wouldn't know that telesensory was a very innovative company that developed a lot of technologies that blind and low vision people use. For example, they developed something called the optic on which was a box that had a place where you could put a finger, and then there was attached to it a camera that you could run over a printed page, and it would display in the box a vibrating image of each character as the camera scanned across the page. It wasn't a really fast reading program. I think there were a few people who could read up to 80 words a minute, but it was still originally one of the first ways that blind people had access to print. Walden Hughes ** 18:59 And the first guinea pig for the program. Can I just walk my site in 75 and they, they wanted me to be on there. I was really the first one that the school supply the optic on and has special training, because they knew I knew what site looked like for everybody, what Mike's describing. It was dB, the electronic waves, but it'd be in regular print letters, not, not broil waters, right? What Michael Hingson ** 19:25 you felt were actually images of the print letters, yeah. Walden Hughes ** 19:30 And the thing got me about it, my hand tingled after a while, Michael Hingson ** 19:35 yeah, mine Walden Hughes ** 19:36 to last forever, Michael Hingson ** 19:38 you know. So it was, it wasn't something that you could use for incredibly long periods of time. Again, I think a few people could. But basically, print letters are made to be seen, not felt, and so that also limited the speed. Of course, technology is a whole lot different today, and the optic on has has faded away. And as Walden said, the card that would. Used to plug into computer slots that would verbalize whatever came across the screen has now given way to software and a whole lot more that makes it a lot more usable. But still, there's a lot of advances to be made. But yeah, we we both well, and another thing that TSI did was they made probably the first real talking calculator, the view, plus, remember Walden Hughes ** 20:25 that? Yep, I know a good sound quality. Michael Hingson ** 20:28 Though it was good sound quality. It was $395 and it was really a four function calculator. It wasn't scientific or anything like that, but it still was the first calculator that gave us an opportunity to have something that would at least at a simple level, compete with what sighted people did. And yes, you could plug your phone so they couldn't so sighted people, if you were taking a test, couldn't hear what what the calculator was saying. But at that time, calculators weren't really allowed in the classroom anyway, so Walden Hughes ** 21:00 my downside was, time I bought the equipment was during the DOS mode, and just like that, window came over, and that pretty much made all my equipment obsolete, yeah, fairly quickly, because I love my boil display. That was terrific for for when you learn with computers. If you're blind, you didn't really get a feel what the screen looked like everybody. And with a Braille display, which mine was half the screen underneath my keyboard, I could get a visual feel how things laid out on the computer. It was easier for me to communicate with somebody. I knew what they were talking Michael Hingson ** 21:42 about, yeah. And of course, it's gotten so much better over time. But yeah, I remember good old MS DOS. I still love to play some of the old MS DOS games, like adventure and all that, though, and Zork and some of those fun games. Walden Hughes ** 21:57 But my understanding dos is still there. It's just windows on top of it, basically, Michael Hingson ** 22:02 if you open a command prompt in Windows that actually takes you to dos. So dos is still there. It is attached to the whole system. And sometimes you can go in and enter commands through dos to get things done a little bit easier than you might be able to with the normal graphic user interface, right? Well, so you, you got your master's degree in 1995 and so you then continue to work in the financial world, or what did Walden Hughes ** 22:35 it for 10 years, but five years earlier? Well, maybe I should back it up this way. After I lost my site in 1976 I really gravitated to the radio, and my generation fell in love with talk radio, so I and we were really blessed here in the LA market with really terrific hosts at KBC, and it wasn't all the same thing over and over and beating the drum. And so listening to Ray Breen, Michael Jackson, IRA for still kill Hemingway, that was a great opportunity for somebody who was 10 years old. Michael Hingson ** 23:18 Really, they were all different shows. And yes, I remember once we were listening to, I think it was Michael Jackson. It was on Sunday night, and we heard this guy talking about submarines, and it just attracted Karen's and my attention. And it turns out what it was was Tom Clancy talking about Hunt for Red October. Wow. And that's where we first heard about it, and then went and found the book. Walden Hughes ** 23:45 But So I grew up in the talk radio, and then that, and I fell in love with country music at the time on koec, and then Jim Healy and sports, yep, and then, and then we were blessed in the LA market have a lot of old time radio played, and it was host like Mike was here at K UCI, John Roy, eventually over KPCC, Bob line. And so my relatives said you should listen to this marathon KPFK, which was a Pacific did an all day marathon. I fell in love with that. Jay Lacher, then one night, after I walked my site, I tuned in. Ray bream took the night off, and Bill balance had frankly sit in. And the first thing they played was Jack Armstrong, and this is where Jack, Jack and Billy get caught up in a snow storm and a bone down the hill. And Brett Morrison came in during the one o'clock two o'clock hour to talk about the shadow. And so my dad took me to, oh, I'm trying to think of the name of the record. Or if they gave away licorice, licorice at the at the record store tower, yeah, not Tower Records. Um, anyway, so we bought two eight track tapes in 1976 the shadow and Superman, and I started my long life of collecting and so. So here we up to 1990 after collecting for 15 years. Going to spill back conventional meetings. I knew Ray bream was going to have kitty Cowan at the guest. Kitty Cowan was a big band singer of the 40s who later the fifth little things mean a lot. And I figured nobody was going to act about her days on the Danny Kaye radio show. And so I called in. They realized I had the stuff. I had the radio shows, they took me off the air, and Kitty's husband, but grand off called me the next day, and we struck up a friendship. And so they were really connected in Hollywood, and so they opened so many doors for me. Mike I Katie's best friend with Nancy Lacher, SR bud with the one of the most powerful agents in town, the game show hosting, who could come up with a TV ideas, but did not know how to run a organization. So that was Chuck Paris, hmm, and Gong Show, yeah, so I wound up, they wound up giving me, hire me to find the old TV shows, the music, all that stuff around the country. And so I started to do that for the Sinatra family, everybody else. So I would, while we do the financial planning, my internet consulting thing really took off. So that wound up being more fun and trying to sell disability insurance, yeah. So one wound up doing that until the internet took over. So that would that. So my whole life would really reshape through kitty Carolyn and Ben granoff through that. So I really connected in the Hollywood industry from that point on, starting 1990 so that that really opened up, that really sure reshaped my entire life, just because of that Michael Hingson ** 27:28 and you've done over the years, one of the other things that you started to do was to interview a lot of these people, a lot of the radio stars, The radio actors Walden Hughes ** 27:39 and music and TV, music, Michael Hingson ** 27:44 yeah. Walden Hughes ** 27:45 And I think when Bill Bragg asked me to interview kitty Carol, and I did that in 2000 and Bill said, Well, could you do more? And so one of Kitty friends, but test Russell. Test was Gene Autry Girl Friday. He she ran kmpc for him. And I think everybody in the music industry owed her a favor. I mean, I had Joe Stafford to Pat Boone to everybody you could think of from the from that big band, 3040s, and 60s on the show. Let's go Michael Hingson ** 28:24 back. Let's go back. Tell us about Bill Bragg. Walden Hughes ** 28:29 Bill Bragg was an interesting character all by himself. Born in 1946 he was a TV camera man for CBS in Dallas. He was also a local music jockey, nothing, nothing, big, big claims of fame boys working for channel two. And then he in Dallas, he was at a press conference with LBJ, and LBJ got done speaking, and the camera crew decided that they were going to pack up and go to lunch. And Bill thought it'd be fun to mark what camera, what microphone the President used for his address, and the guys were in a rush door in the box, let's go have lunch. So Bill lost track, and that bothered him. So he started the largest communication Museum in 1979 and he collected and was donated. And so he had the biggest museum. He had a film exchanger. So in those early days of cable TVs, you know, we had a lot of TV stations specializing in programming, and there were channels, I think this was called a nostalgic channel, wanted to run old TV shows and films. They had the film, but they didn't. Have the equipment. And they got hold of Bill. He said, Okay, I'll do it for you. But what you're going to give me is games. Bill was a wheel and dealer, yeah. And Charlie said, We'll give you your own satellite channel. And I was talking to Bill friend later, John women in those days, in the 1983 when Bill got it, the value of those satellite channels was a million dollars a year, and he got it for free. And Bill would try and figure out, What in the world I'm going to do with this, and that's when he decided to start playing with old time radio, because really nobody was playing that on a national basis. You had different people playing it on a local basis, but not really on a national basis. So Bill was sort of the first one before I play old time radio. I became aware of him because of bur back, so I was trying to get the service on my cable TV company. Was unsuccessful. Michael Hingson ** 30:58 So what he did is he broadcast through the satellite channel, and then different television stations or companies could if they chose to pick up the feed and broadcast it. Did, they broadcast it on a TV channel or Walden Hughes ** 31:13 on radio public asset channel. Okay, so remember note day a lot of public it would have the bulletin boards with the local news of right community, and lot of them would play Bill can't Michael Hingson ** 31:28 play Bill's channel because the only because what they were doing was showing everything on the screen, which didn't help us. But right they would show things on the screen, and they would play music or something in the background. So Bill's programs were a natural thing to play, Walden Hughes ** 31:44 yeah, and so Bill wound up on a stout then he wound up being the audio shop Troyer for WGN, which was a nice break and so. And then Bill got it to be played in 2000 nursing homes and hospitals, and then local AMFM stations would pick us up. They were looking for overnight programming, so local throughout the country would pick it up. And so Bill, Bill was a go getter. He was a great engineer, and knew how to build things on the cheap. He was not a businessman, you know, he couldn't take it to the next level, but, but at least he was able to come up with a way to run a station, 24 hours a day. It was all the tapes were sent down to Nash, down to Tennessee, to be uploaded to play into the system. Eventually, he built a studio and everything in Dallas. And so, Michael Hingson ** 32:38 of course, what what Weldon is saying is that that everything was on tape, whether it was cassette or reel to reel, well, reel to reel, and they would play the tapes through a tape machine, a player or recorder, and put it out on the satellite channels, which was how they had to do it. And that's how we did it at kuci, we had tape, and I would record on Sunday nights, all the shows that we were going to play on a given night on a reel of tape. We would take it in and we would play it. Walden Hughes ** 33:13 And so that's how it's done in the 80s. Eventually built bill, built a studio, and then started to do a live show once a week. Eventually, they grew up to four days a week. And so here is about 1999 or so, and they were playing Musa from kitty cat, and did not know who she was. I would quickly, I would quickly give a couple background from AIM hang up. I didn't really they had no idea who I was yet. I didn't talk about what I would do and things like that. I was just supplying information. And eventually, after two years, they asked me to bring kitty on the show, which I did, and then I started to book guests on a regular basis for them, and then eventually, the guy who I enjoyed all time radio shows listening to Frank Percy 1976 built decided that I should be his producer, and so I wound up producing the Friday Night Live show with Frankie, and eventually we got it up and running, 2002 So Frank and I did it together for 16 years and so that so Bill built a studio in Texas, mailed it all to my House. My dad didn't have any engineering ability. So he and my bill got on the phone and built me a whole studio in six hours, and I was up and running with my own studio here in my bedroom, in 2002 and so overhead, I'm in my bedroom ever since Michael, you know, there you go. Michael Hingson ** 34:58 Well and to tell people about. Frank Bresee Frank, probably the biggest claim to fame is that he had a program called the golden days of radio, and it was mainly something that was aired in the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service on the radio, where he would every show play excerpts of different radio programs and so on. And one of the neat things that's fascinating for Frank was that because he was doing so much with armed forces, and doing that, he had access to all of the libraries around the world that the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service had, so he could go in and oftentimes get shows and get things that no one else really had because they were only available in at least initially, in these military libraries. But he would put them on the air, and did a great job with it for many, many years. Yeah, Frank Walden Hughes ** 35:53 was an interesting character, a pure entrepreneur. He invented a game called pass out, which was a drinking game, board game, and he for 20 years, he spent six months in Europe, six months in United States. And he was making so much money in Europe, he would rent out castles and lived in them, and he would and he would spend months at a time in Germany, which was the main headquarter of art, and just sit there in the archives and make copies of things he wanted to play on his show, yeah. And so that's how he built that. And then he he started collecting transcriptions when he would to 10 he was a radio actor, and so he had one of the largest collection, collection, and he his house, his family house was in Hancock Park, which was the, it was Beverly Hills before Beverly Hills, basically, what did he play on radio? Well, when he was, he was he was deceptive. He was the backup little beaver. When someone Tommy, writer, yeah, when, when Tommy Cook had another project, it was Frank be was a substitute. And so that was a short coin of fame. He did bit parts on other shows, but, but that's what he did as a kid. Eventually, I think Frank came from a very wealthy family. He wound up owning the first radio station when he was 19 years old on Catalina Island in 1949 and then he wound up being a record producer. He worked with Walter Winchell, created albums on without about Al Jolson worked on Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante and anyway, Frank, Frank had a career with game with creating board games, doing radio and having an advertising company. Frank was responsible for giving all the game shows, the prices for TV and the way he would do it, he would call an advertise, he would call a company. He said, you want your product. Beyond on this section, go to say, yes, okay, give us, give us the product, and give me 150 bucks. And so Frank would keep the cash, and he would give the project to the TV shows, Michael Hingson ** 38:17 Dicker and Dicker of Beverly Hills. I remember that on so many shows Walden Hughes ** 38:23 so So Frank was a wheeling dealer, and he loved radio. That was his passion project. He probably made less money doing that, but he just loved doing it, and he was just hit his second house. The family house was 8400 square feet, and so it was pretty much a storage unit for Frank hobbies, right? And we and he had 30,000 transcriptions in one time. But when he was Europe, he had a couple of floods, so he lost about 10 to 20,000 of them. Okay? Folks did not know how to keep them dry, but he had his professional studio built. And so I would book guests. I arranged for art link writer to come over, and other people, Catherine Crosby, to come over, and Frank would do the interviews. And so I was a big job for me to keep the Friday night show going and get Frankie's guess boy shows. I would have been. He died, Michael Hingson ** 39:22 and he was a really good interviewer. Yeah, I remember especially he did an interview that we in, that you played on yesterday USA. And I was listening to it with Mel Blanc, which is, which is very fascinating. But he was a great interviewer. I think it was 1969 that he started the golden days of radio, starting 49 actually, or 49 not 69 Yeah, 49 that was directly local, on, Walden Hughes ** 39:49 on Carolina, and K, I, G, l, which was a station I think heard out in the valley, pretty much, yeah, we could pick it up. And then, and then he started with on. Forces around 65 Michael Hingson ** 40:02 that's what I was thinking of. I thought it was 69 but, Walden Hughes ** 40:06 and well, he was, on those days there were armed forces Europe picked them up. And also, there was also the international Armed Forces served around the far eastern network, right? Yeah. And so by 67 he was pretty much full on 400 stations throughout the whole world. And I that's probably how you guys picked him up, you know, through that capability. Michael Hingson ** 40:30 Well, that's where I first heard of him and and the only thing for me was I like to hear whole shows, and he played excerpts so much that was a little frustrating. But he was such a neat guy, you couldn't help but love all the history that he brought to it Walden Hughes ** 40:46 and and then he would produce live Christmas shows with with the radio. He would interview the guest he, you know, so he had access to people that nobody generally had, you know. He worked for Bob Hope, right? So he was able to get to Jack Benny and Bing Crosby and yes, people like that, Groucho Marx. So he was, he had connections that were beyond the average Old Time Radio buff. He was truly a great guy to help the hobby out, and loved radio very much. Michael Hingson ** 41:21 Well, going back to Bill Bragg a little bit, so he had the satellite channel, and then, of course, we got the internet, which opened so many things for for Frank or Frank for, well, for everybody but for Bill. And he started the program yesterday, usa.net, on the radio through the internet, Walden Hughes ** 41:44 which he was the first one in 1996 right? There's a great story about that. There was a company called broadcast.com I bet you remember that company, Mike. Anyway, it was founded by a guy who loved college basketball, and he was a big Hoosier fan, and he was living in Texas, and so he would generally call long distance to his buddy, and they would put up the radio. He could went to the basketball games. And eventually he decided, well, maybe I could come up and stream it on my computer, and all these equipment breaking down, eventually he came up with the idea of, well, if I had a satellite dish, I could pick up the feed and put and stream it on the computer, that way people could hear it right. And he hired bill to do that, and he offered bill a full time job installing satellites and working Bill turned them down, and the guy wound up being Mark Cuban. Yeah, and Mark Cuban gave every every employee, when he sold broadcast.com to Yahoo, a million dollar bonus. So Bill missed out on that, but, but in exchange, Mike Cuban gave him broadcast.com While USA channel for free. So Bill never had to pay in the early days, until about 2002 so when Yahoo decided to get out of the streaming business for a while, then that's when we had to find and we found life 365 eventually, and we were paying pretty good. We're paying a really good rate with like 265 Bill was used to paying free, and we were paying, I think, under $100 and I knew guys later a couple years, were paying over $500 a month. And we were, we were, but there was such a willing deal able to get those things for really dope less Michael Hingson ** 43:45 money, yeah. Now I remember being in New Jersey and I started hearing ads for an internet radio station. This was in the very late 90s, maybe even into 2000 W, A, B, y. It was a company, a show that a station that played a lot of old songs from the 50s and 60s and so on. And it was, it was, if you tuned on to it, you could listen. And after four or five hours, things would start to repeat, and then eventually it disappeared. But I started looking around, and I don't even remember how I found it, but one day I heard about this radio station, www, dot yesterday, usa.net. Right, yep.net.com, Walden Hughes ** 44:31 yep, and yeah. And Michael Hingson ** 44:33 I said, Well, oh, I think I actually heard an ad for it on W, A, B, y, when it was still around. Anyway, I went to it, and they were playing old radio shows, and they had a number of people who would come on and play shows. Everyone had an hour and a half show, and every two weeks you would have to send in a new show. But they. They played old radio shows, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, except they also had some live talk shows. And I remember listening one day and heard Bill Bragg talking about the fact that he was going to have his standard Friday night show with Walden Hughes, it would start at nine o'clock. I had no idea who Walden was at the time. And the problem is, nine o'clock was on the in Pacific Time, and it was, I think, Midnight in New Jersey time, as I recall the way it went anyway, it was way too late for me to be up. And so I never did hear Walden on yesterday USA, or I may have actually listened. Just stayed up to listen to one and fell asleep, but the show, the whole innovative process of playing radio all the time on the internet, was intriguing and just opened so many opportunities, I think. And of course, the internet brought all that around. And now there are any number of stations that stream all the time. And Bill Bragg passed away. What in 2016 Walden Hughes ** 46:15 2018 Michael Hingson ** 46:18 1819 2019 Yeah. And Walden now is the person who directs, operates, and is the manager of yesterday USA. And so when I go ahead, Walden Hughes ** 46:30 it's fascinating. In the height of the station, there was 15,000 internet radio stations out there in 2000 they did a survey yesterday, USA was number three in the world, behind the BBC and CNN, which I thought was a pretty nice number to be concerned. We had no budget to promote, right? And the last time I saw the numbers been a couple years, we were number 44 in the world, which I don't think of, 15,000 radio stations. Not bad. No, not at all. You know, really not bad. But now there is more talk than there used to be, because Walden and the gasmans, who we had on years ago on this podcast, but Michael Hingson ** 47:16 have interviewed a lot of people, and continue to interview people. And of course, so many people are passing on that. We're trying to talk to people as much as we can, as they can, and all of us now, because I've started to come a little bit and become a little bit involved in yesterday USA. And as Walden said on Friday night at 730 Pacific Time, see it's earlier, we we do a talk show. Bob Lyons, who did a lot of radio out here, and for 50 years, had a program called Don't touch that dial. And John and Larry and Walden and I get on the air and we talk about, Gosh, any number of different things. We've talked about Braille, we've talked about sometimes, everything but radio. But we talk about a lot of different things, which is, which is a lot of fun. Walden Hughes ** 48:04 And I think it probably is, you know, in the old days, it would pretty much no entertainment, and Bill telling some stories and things like that. But with me, I always had a focus in interviews, but it's so much more fun to do radio as a co host. And that's when Patricia and I connected back in the 2007 I knew was in 2005 she's my co host. And Patricia didn't grow up with whole town radio. She became a fan after she found yesterday, USA into 2000 but she's a very articulate person, and so through the shows, what she and I did on Saturday night, the audience grab it and just we should talk about everything, and I just generate calls. I mean, when she and I were doing eight hours a night, we would average about 18 calls a night, which was pretty amazing, but we would cover the gamut, and I think a really good talk show host had to know a little bit about a lot of things. Yes, he got it. You got to be flexible. And Patricia and I compliment each other that way, that we're able to cover history and politics and music and just everything. And so when I do a show with her, you never know what direction we go with where. When I'm with John Roy, it's more radio centric. So it depends on what night a week people tune in, is what you're going to Michael Hingson ** 49:40 get. And Walden has Patricia on now Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but we know why she's really on there, because she likes hearing Perry Como song Patricia that starts out every show Walden plays that he's in love with Patricia. One of these days, there's still the possibility. But anyway, we. We, he, we love it when he, he has Patricia on, and it's every week. So, so it is really cool. And they do, they talk about everything under the sun, which is so fascinating. Tell us about Johnny and Helen Holmes. Walden Hughes ** 50:15 Ah, well, it's an interesting story. I I say the second biggest old time radio station in the country, after yesterday USA. It's about half the size in terms of audience basis. Radio once more, and you can find them at Radio once more.com and they do a good job. No else with probably yesterday USA branch offers own internet radio station, and he found he would go to the east coast to the nostalgic convention, and he connected with Johnny and Helen. Holmes and Johnny and Helen are people who love to attend nostalgic convention and get autographs and things. And they became really friends. So Neil convinced them, why don't you come on? Just come on radio once more. And so after a while, they do the presentation the coffee shop. Neil convinced them to take it, take it to the air, and they started to have their own show, and I was aware of them, and I produced the spirback convention, 2017 in Las Vegas. So Johnny helm came to the convention, and Johnny wanted to say hi to me. I said, I know who you are. I think he was for by that that I knew who he was, but I invited Johnny and Helen to come on with Patricia and I one night to talk about their coffee shop presentation and their show on Radio once more. And we just bonded very quickly and easy to bond with Johnny. They really are really fabulous people. He's really a generous guy, and so over the last six, seven years, we have developed a great friendship on you, and almost have created a whole subculture by itself, playing trivia with them. Every time they come on, Michael Hingson ** 52:17 they do a lot of trivia stuff, and Johnny produces it very well. He really does a great job. And he'll put sound bites and clips and music, and it's gotten me such a major production with Johnny and Helen. And people look forward to it. I sometimes count the interaction people hanging out in the chat room, on the phone, email, about 18 to 20 people will get and get an answer question, was it amazing that that many people will be interested in trivia like that? But and, and Johnny also collects, well, I guess in Helen collect a lot of old television shows as well. Yep. So we won't hold it against him too much, but, but he does television and, well, I like old TV shows too, you bet. Well, so you know, you are, obviously, are doing a lot of different things. You mentioned spurred vac oop. They're after you. We'll wait. We'll wait till the phone die. You mentioned, well, I'll just ask this while that's going on. You mentioned spurred back. Tell us a little bit about what spurred vac is and what they've been doing and what they bring to radio. Walden Hughes ** 53:23 Sprint vac started in 1974 it's the largest full time radio group in the country, called the society to preserve and encourage radio drama, variety and comedy. John Roy Gasman were two of the main driving force behind the club. It reached up to a membership of 1800 people, and they've honored over 500 people who worked in the golden days of radio and to speak at their meeting, come to the special conventions. And so I attended some dinners at the Brown Derby, which was a great thrill. I started attending their conventions, and it was just, it was wonderful. So I so I really got to meet a lot of the old time radio personality and become friends with Janet Waldo and June for a and people like that. And so I eventually got on the board. I eventually became one young, somewhat retired. I wound up being the activity person to book guests, and started producing conventions. And so that became a major part of my life, just producing those things for spur back and in other places, and I first started to do that for reps. Was it the Old Time Radio Group in Seattle in 2007 so they were actually the first convention I produced. Michael Hingson ** 54:54 And rep says radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, Walden Hughes ** 54:57 right? Reps online.org, G and so I would produce new convention. I was helping super vac, and I also helping the Friends of all time radio back in New Jersey and so. And it probably helped my contact, which is 300 pages long, so, and I would book it. I would also contact celebrities via the mail, and my batting average was 20% which I thought were pretty good. I got Margaret. I got Margaret Truman. She called me, said, Walden, I got your order, and I forgot that I did the show with Jimmy Stewart. I'd be happy to come on talk about my memory. You know, she talked about Fred Allen on the big show, and how, how Mike Wallace had a temper, had a temper. She was a co host. Was among weekdays, which with the weekday version of monitor. Monitor was weekend and weekday, we see NBC. And so she was just fabulous, you know, so and I would get people like that 20% bad average, which was incredible. So I met, that's how it's up to two, my guess was, so I, I was sort of go to guy, find celebrities and booking them and and so in that help yesterday, USA helped the different conventions. And so it and so you're so you're booking the panels, and then you're coming up with ideas for radio recreations. And so I produce 37 of them, ranging from one day to four days. And I get counted, over the last 18 years, I've produced 226 audio theater plays with it. A lot at least, have an idea of how those things Michael Hingson ** 56:55 work. So right now, speaking of recreations, and we're both involved in radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, and for the last couple of years, I've participated in this. Walden has done radio recreations, and twice a year up in the Washington State area, where we bring in both some some amateurs and some professionals like Carolyn Grimes Zuzu and so many others who come in and we actually recreate old radio shows, both before a live audience, and we broadcast them on yesterday USA and other people like Margaret O'Brien who won Walden Hughes ** 57:46 Gigi Powell coming this year. Phil Proctor. David Osmond from fire sign theater. Chuck Dougherty from Sergeant Preston. John Provo from Timmy from Lassie, Bill Johnson, who does a one man show on Bob Hope. Bill Ratner from GI Joe. Bill Owen, the who might have had he is the author of The Big broadcast, Ivan Troy who Bobby Benson, Tommy cook from the life O'Reilly Gigi parole, a movie actress of the 50s, as you mentioned, Carolyn grime, Beverly Washburn and others, and it's just the radio folks are really down to earth, really nice people, and you get to break bread with them, talk to them and reminisce about what was it like doing that radio show, this movie, or that TV show, and then They still got it, and they can perform on stage, Michael Hingson ** 58:43 and they love to talk about it, and they love to interact with people who treat them as people. And so yeah, it is a lot of fun to be able to do it. In fact, I was on Carolyn Grimes podcast, which will be coming out at some point in the next little while, and Carolyn is going to be on unstoppable mindset. So keep an eye out for that. Bill Owens program is coming out soon. Bill and I did a conversation for unstoppable mindset, and we're going to be doing Bill Johnson will be coming on, and other people will be coming on. Walden has been very helpful at finding some of these folks who are willing to come on and talk about what they did, and to help us celebrate this medium that is just as much a part of history as anything in America and is just as worth listening to as it ever was. There is more to life than television, no matter what they think. Walden Hughes ** 59:40 And also, we do a Christmas thing too. And hopefully Mike, if his speaking engagement allow him, will be with us up at Christmas saying, Well, I will. I'm planning on it. We're gonna do, It's a Wonderful Life. Keith Scott, coming over from Australia, who's a he's the rich little of Australia. And we'll do, It's a Wonderful Life. We'll do. The Christmas Carol, milk on 34th Street film again, Molly Jack Benny will have a great time. Michael Hingson ** 1:00:07 These are all going to be recreations using the the original scripts from the shows, and that's what makes them fun. And for those of us who don't read print, we do have our scripts in Braille, absolutely so that's kind of fun. Well, Walden, this has been absolutely wonderful. We're going to have to do it some more. Maybe we need to get you, John and Larry all together on that. That might be kind of fun. But I really, I don't think we need a host if you that. No, no, we just, you know, just go on. But this has been really fun. I really enjoy it. If people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? Walden Hughes ** 1:00:45 Oh, I think they can call my studio number 714-545-2071, I'm in California, or they can email me at Walden shoes at yesterday, usa.com, W, A, l, D, E, N, H, U, C, H, E, S at, y, E, S T, E, R, D, A, y, u, s a.com, I'm the president of radio enthusiast sound, that's reps online.org or on the board of Sper back, which is S, P, E, R, D, V, A, c.com, so while waiting shakes me down, when Michael Hingson ** 1:01:25 will the showcase actually occur up in Bellevue in Washington? Walden Hughes ** 1:01:30 That will be September 18, 19 20/21, and then our Christmas one is will be Friday, December five, and Saturday, December the sixth. And then we're also going back and spir back, and I bet we'll see you there. We're going to go back to the Troy Blossom Festival next April, 23 to 26 and we'll know, are we set up to do that now? Yep, looks like that gonna happen? Yeah? Oh, good, yeah. So kick out the phone with Nicholas here a few days ago. So everything's gonna go for that, so that will be good. Michael Hingson ** 1:02:03 Yeah, we will do that. That's cool. Well, thank you for being here, and I want to thank you all for listening. I hope you had fun. This is a little different than a lot of the episodes that we've done, but it's, I think, important and enlightening to hear about this medium into to meet people from it. So thank you for listening wherever you are. We hope that you'll give us a five star review of unstoppable mindset wherever you're listening or watching. Please do that. We'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, and you can also go to our podcast page if you don't find podcasts any other way. Michael hingson.com/podcast, that's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, O, n.com/podcast, singular. So thanks again for being here and for listening to the show, and Walden, once again, I want to thank you for being here. This has been great. Walden Hughes ** 1:03:01 Thank you, Michael, Michael Hingson ** 1:03:07 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
Same Time, Same Station 2025-08-17 Bing Crosby Part 8. “The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby 04/01/1943 First Song – You Are My Sunshine, Guest – Lucille Ball. The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby 12-02-1943 Guest – Ed Gardner (Archie). “Yesterday USA” 05/12/2024 John, Larry, Walden and Perry Huntoon Bing Crosby part 8. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 2025-08-17 Bing Crosby Part 8. “The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby 04/01/1943 First Song – You Are My Sunshine, Guest – Lucille Ball. The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby 12-02-1943 Guest – Ed Gardner (Archie). “Yesterday USA” 05/12/2024 John, Larry, Walden and Perry Huntoon Bing Crosby part 8. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 2025-07-13 Bing Crosby Part 7. “Soldiers With Wings” 07/01/1942 ep001 Bing Crosby, Joan Blondell. “Mail Call” 11/04/1942 (011 ) Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Fibber Mcgee and Molly. “Yesterday USA” 04/14/2024 Sunday Night Bing Crosby part 7 with Perry Huntoon, John, Larry and Walden. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 2025-07-13 Bing Crosby Part 7. “Soldiers With Wings” 07/01/1942 ep001 Bing Crosby, Joan Blondell. “Mail Call” 11/04/1942 (011 ) Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Fibber Mcgee and Molly. “Yesterday USA” 04/14/2024 Sunday Night Bing Crosby part 7 with Perry Huntoon, John, Larry and Walden. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
This episode was originally released on 3/1/2019. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 89, we explore the birth of the dramatic radio western show, specifically targeted to adult audiences. This is the first of a three-part mini-series on adult western radio shows. Highlights: • Back to the Very Beginning • What is a Western Show? • The Birth of Western Dramatic Radio Shows • Empire Builders • Death Valley Days • The Western show on local stations • ...And in syndication • Lux Presents Hollywood • The Triumph and Tragedy of Buck Jones • Americana and the Cavalcade of America • Howard McNear and Romance of the Ranchos • The First Western Soap Opera • The War Ends and the Western show grows up • What's Next? The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today's episode was: • On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning • Radio Rides The Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929 - 1967 by Jack French and David S. Siegel • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - by Jim Ramsburg • Hello Everybody! The Dawn of American Radio by Anthony Rudel & • The Network by Scott Woolley On the interview front: • Don Ameche, Joan Fontaine, Hans Conried, Rudy Vallée were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. The full interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org • Agnes Moorehead and Anne Seymour were with Chuck Schaden. Chuck's interviews from an over 39-year career can be listened to for free at SpeakingofRadio.com • John Dunkel and William N. Robson were with John Hickman for his WAMU program “Recollections.” A modern version of this program is heard each Sunday evening as “The Big Broadcast.” For more information, please go to WAMU.org • Ruth Woodman was with Ida Blackburn in 1961 for KOCO. The full video clip can be seen on the Oklahoma Historical Society's Youtube page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOnsye8K4SEsY9Ssi8EzzHg • and journalist Robert Bendiner was with Westinghouse for their 1970 50th Anniversary program. Selected music featured in today's episode was: • The Colorado Trail Opus 28 by Elizabeth Hainen - http://www.elizabethhainen.com • The Last Rose of Summer by Tom Waits • Morning Prayer by Kenneth Little Hawk • All Mortal Flesh Be Silent by Deirdre Fay • Across the Wide Missouri, by Mathias Gohl, Molly Mason, Jay Unger, and Andy Stein • Jefferson and Liberty by John Owen Lardinois • Amazing Grace by Leta Rector • Across the Alley from the Alamo by the Mills Brothers I'd also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com Online Store - jamesthewallbreaker.com/shop/
Same Time, Same Station 06/08/2025 Bing Crosby Part 6. “Bing Crosby Presents” 08/16/1940 prevue of his new movie. from the Turf Club at Del Mar. Guest Mary Martin “Command Performance” 06/11/1942 (017) Don Ameche, Max Baer has trouble reading his lines, Carole Landis, Bing Crosby. “Yesterday USA” 03/17/2024 Sunday night Perry Huntoon with John, Larry and Walden, Bing Crosby part 6. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 06/08/2025 Bing Crosby Part 6. “Bing Crosby Presents” 08/16/1940 prevue of his new movie. from the Turf Club at Del Mar. Guest Mary Martin “Command Performance” 06/11/1942 (017) Don Ameche, Max Baer has trouble reading his lines, Carole Landis, Bing Crosby. “Yesterday USA” 03/17/2024 Sunday night Perry Huntoon with John, Larry and Walden, Bing Crosby part 6. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
This episode was originally released on 12/1/2018. While new episodes of Breaking Walls are on hiatus I'll be going back and posting the older episodes. ____________ In Breaking Walls episode 86, we spotlight what was on the air over the US' major radio networks during December of 1945. Highlights: • The First Peacetime Holiday Season in Five Years Begins • Radio's Three Main Production Hubs • Macabees • Frank Nelson, Lurene Tuttle, and Mandel Kramer • I Can't Stand Jack Benny • Soap Operas and Kid's Shows • NBC Dominates Sunday and Tuesday Nights • Falling Mid-Week Ratings Open the Door for CBS • Victory Bonds and Bing's Strike • Christmas Draws Closer • Fibber, Molly, Red and Christmas Day • Dinah Shore and Groucho return Christmas Gifts • I Still Can't Stand Jack Benny • New Year's Eve • What Comes Next The WallBreakers: thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today's episode was: • On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio - by John Dunning • Christmas 1945: The Greatest Celebration in American History - by Matthew Litt • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953 - by Jim Ramsburg • The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Radio - by Christopher H. Sterling And several articles from: • The New York Times • Broadcasting Magazine • Radio Daily The Interviews Chuck Schaden was with: Mel Blanc Himan Brown Phil Harris Danny Kaye Barbara Luddy Mercedes McCambridge Shirley Mitchell Frank Nelson Olan Soule Larry Stevens Lurene Tuttle Don Wilson All of Chuck's Interviews can be found at SpeakingofRadio.com Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran were with: Jackson Beck Edgar Bergen Mel Blanc Staats Cotsworth Howard Duff Jim Jordan Mandel Kramer Jan Miner All of their interviews for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio can be found at GoldenAge-WTIC.org SPERDVAC was with Harry Bartel Jack Johnstone For more information please go to SPERDVAC.com • Jo Stafford was with Matthew Feinstein for Jo Stafford's “Ballad of the Blues” • Fran Carlon was with Westinghouse for their 1970 50th Anniversary Production • Bing Crosby was interviewed for Same Time, Same Station in 1972. Selected music featured in today's episode was • Kay Starr's The Man With The Bag • Nancy Wilson's What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? • Bing Crosby's White Christmas and I'll Be Home For Christmas The clip of CBS' Cimarron Tavern came courtesy of Jerry Haendiges. Visit his site at OTRsite.com. I've been visiting since 2002. Thank you Jerry. I'd also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network.
Same Time, Same Station 05/18/2025Bing Crosby Part 5. “The Screen Guild Theater” 02/05/1939 Ep005 Bing Crosby, Hugh Herbert, Jane Withers, The Yacht Club Boys. “The Screen Guild Theater” 12/10/1939 (034) Mr Jinks Goes to Sea. Bing Crosby, Andy Devine. “Yesterday USA” 02/11/2024 Sunday Night show Perry Huntoon with Bing Crosby part 5. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 05/18/2025Bing Crosby Part 5. “The Screen Guild Theater” 02/05/1939 Ep005 Bing Crosby, Hugh Herbert, Jane Withers, The Yacht Club Boys. “The Screen Guild Theater” 12/10/1939 (034) Mr Jinks Goes to Sea. Bing Crosby, Andy Devine. “Yesterday USA” 02/11/2024 Sunday Night show Perry Huntoon with Bing Crosby part 5. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 04/13/2025 Bing Crosby Part 4. “Lux Radio Theater” 11/08/1937 (149) She Loves Me Not. Bing Crosby and Joan Blondell. “Yesterday USA” 01/14/2024 Sunday Night show. Larry, John and Walden with Perry Huntoon and Bing Crosby part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman:
Same Time, Same Station 04/13/2025 Bing Crosby Part 4. “Lux Radio Theater” 11/08/1937 (149) She Loves Me Not. Bing Crosby and Joan Blondell. “Yesterday USA” 01/14/2024 Sunday Night show. Larry, John and Walden with Perry Huntoon and Bing Crosby part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman:
Same Time, Same Station 03/09/2025 Bing Crosby Part 3. “Hollywood is on the Air” 1941. Road to Zanzibar. “Paramount Is On The Air” 1933 Too Much Harmony. “Paramount Is On The Air” 1938. Sing You Sinners . “MOVIE PREVIEW) 1945. BELLS OF ST. MARY’S. “Yesterday USA” 12/10/2023 Sunday Night Show Perry Huntoon, John Gassman, and Walden Hughes. Bing Crosby part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 03/09/2025 Bing Crosby Part 3. “Hollywood is on the Air” 1941. Road to Zanzibar. “Paramount Is On The Air” 1933 Too Much Harmony. “Paramount Is On The Air” 1938. Sing You Sinners . “MOVIE PREVIEW) 1945. BELLS OF ST. MARY’S. “Yesterday USA” 12/10/2023 Sunday Night Show Perry Huntoon, John Gassman, and Walden Hughes. Bing Crosby part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 02/16/2025 Bing Crosby Part 2. “15 Minutes With Bing Crosby” 09/02/1931 (01) First Song – Just One More Chance. 8 minutes only. Edited. “Kraft Music Hall” 01/09/1936 First Song – A Little Bit Independent, Guest – Joe Venuti. 45 minutes, not complete. “Yesterday USA” 11/12/2023 Sunday Night Show. Perry Huntoon with Bing Crosby part 2.c If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 02/16/2025 Bing Crosby Part 2. “15 Minutes With Bing Crosby” 09/02/1931 (01) First Song – Just One More Chance. 8 minutes only. Edited. “Kraft Music Hall” 01/09/1936 First Song – A Little Bit Independent, Guest – Joe Venuti. 45 minutes, not complete. “Yesterday USA” 11/12/2023 Sunday Night Show. Perry Huntoon with Bing Crosby part 2.c If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 01/12/2025 Bing Crosby Part 1. “SOLID GOLD” 10/18/1976 BING Crosby BBC Narrated by Bob Hope. “Yesterday USA” 10/15/2023 Sunday Night Show, John, Larrry, Walden and Perry Huntoon. Bing Crosby Part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 01/12/2025 Bing Crosby Part 1. “SOLID GOLD” 10/18/1976 BING Crosby BBC Narrated by Bob Hope. “Yesterday USA” 10/15/2023 Sunday Night Show, John, Larrry, Walden and Perry Huntoon. Bing Crosby Part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 11/10/2024 Johnny Mercer Part 3. “Command Performance” 44-08-12 0133 Spencer Tracy, Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer. “The Dennis Day Show” 07/31/1955 Guests – Vera Ellen and Johnny Mercer (AFRS). “Yesterday USA 09/10/2023 Sunday night show with John Gassman and Walden Hughes with Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 11/10/2024 Johnny Mercer Part 3. “Command Performance” 44-08-12 0133 Spencer Tracy, Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer. “The Dennis Day Show” 07/31/1955 Guests – Vera Ellen and Johnny Mercer (AFRS). “Yesterday USA 09/10/2023 Sunday night show with John Gassman and Walden Hughes with Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 10/13/2024Johnny Mercer . Part 2. “ASCAP On Parade” 02/01/1941 Al Jolson Johnny Mercer, Ethel Merman. “Yesterday USA” 08/20/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, John and Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 2. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 10/13/2024Johnny Mercer . Part 2. “ASCAP On Parade” 02/01/1941 Al Jolson Johnny Mercer, Ethel Merman. “Yesterday USA” 08/20/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, John and Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 2. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 09/08/2024 Johnny Mercer. Part 1. “The Bob Hope Show” 05/21/1946 – Guest – Johnny Mercer (AFRS 147) “Bing Crosby Philco Radio Time” 01/12/1949 Johnny Mercer. “Yesterday USA” 07/30/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 09/08/2024 Johnny Mercer. Part 1. “The Bob Hope Show” 05/21/1946 – Guest – Johnny Mercer (AFRS 147) “Bing Crosby Philco Radio Time” 01/12/1949 Johnny Mercer. “Yesterday USA” 07/30/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon. Johnny Mercer Part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 08/11/2024 Doris Day Part 6. “The Kraft Music Hall 12/30/1948 Doris Day Al Jolson “National Guard Show” 1961: Martin Block with Doris Day Part 1. “The Swingin Years” 05/xx/1974 Hall Of Fame Doris Day. “Yesterday USA” 06/25/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, and John with Perry Huntoon. Doris Day part 6. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 08/11/2024 Doris Day Part 6. “The Kraft Music Hall 12/30/1948 Doris Day Al Jolson “National Guard Show” 1961: Martin Block with Doris Day Part 1. “The Swingin Years” 05/xx/1974 Hall Of Fame Doris Day. “Yesterday USA” 06/25/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, and John with Perry Huntoon. Doris Day part 6. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Here we are, back at Bill Pogue's. It's after 11PM. What do we know? Well, there are less people drinking here than last night, most would rather stay in and listen for updates. On the air over CBS right now is Joan Brooks. Me? I'm just trying to have that nightcap I started yesterday. There are still news bulletins coming out of Europe. It's almost dawn there. The men will be continuing their missions with D-Day: Plus 1 So far, we know that at least four-thousand Allied soldiers have been killed in the initial attack, but the German forces on the Normandy peninsula have either been killed, captured or forced to withdraw to Caen. I'm sure as we speak troops and equipment are being ferried across the Channel. I know the hope is that by the end of June we'll have nearly a million men in western Europe as we advance north from Italy simultaneously. With the Russians pushing Germany west it's only a matter of time, but the Germans won't go down without a fight. But, I know American resolve. We'll be up for the task, no matter how long it takes. It's why next month on Breaking Walls we'll move just a few weeks into the future and focus on Independence Day, 1944. —————————— The reading material used in today's episode was: • Radio Speakers--A Biographical Dictionary — By Jim Cox • On The Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings — By Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from • Broadcasting Magazine • CBSNews.com • GlobalNews.ca • LIFE Magazine • Military-History.org • The New York Times • The New York Daily News • Presidency.UCSB.edu • RadioArchives.com • Radio Daily —————————— On the interview front: • André Baruch, Mel Blanc, Ken Carpenter, Norman Corwin, Alice Frost, Barbara Luddy, Bret Morrison, Ken Roberts, Kate Smith, and Olan Soule spoke with Chuck Schaden. Hear these full chats at Speakingofradio.com. • Himan Brown, Staats Cotsworth, Jim Jordan, Mandel Kramer, and Jan Miner, spoke to Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these interviews at Goldenage-WTIC.org • Joan Banks spoke to SPERDVAC. For more info, go to SPERDVAC.com • Fran Carlon, John Daly, and Ben Grauer spoke for Westinghouse's 50th anniversary. • Ned Calmer, Doug Edwards, Lowell Thomas, Charles Osgood, and Bob Trout spoke to CBS for their 50th anniversary. • HV Kaltenborn spoke to NBC for their 50th anniversary • Charles Collingwood and Bob Trout spoke to the makers of Please Stand By • Bob Trout also spoke to the Television Academy • George Burns spoke with Barbara Walters • Red Skelton spoke with Dini Petty —————————— Selected music featured in today's episode was: • Romanian Folk Dances #3 — By Béla Bartók, played by Avi Avital • Wilderness Trail — By Walter Scharf for National Geographic —————————— A massive special thank you to Walden Hughes for supplying so many master quality recordings used in this D-Day episode. Listen to Walden's shows on the Yesterday USA radio network.
Same Time, Same Station 06/09/2024 Doris Day Part 4. “One Night Stand” 07/10/1944 (0302) Les Brown, Doris Day. “Ray Noble Show” 11/21/1951 Doris Day guests. Audition. “Yesterday USA” 04/16/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, John, and Larry with Perry Huntoon. Doris Day part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 06/09/2024 Doris Day Part 4. “One Night Stand” 07/10/1944 (0302) Les Brown, Doris Day. “Ray Noble Show” 11/21/1951 Doris Day guests. Audition. “Yesterday USA” 04/16/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, John, and Larry with Perry Huntoon. Doris Day part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 05/19/2024 Doris Day Part 3. “The Kraft Music Hall) 04/28/1949 Ep068 Doris Day. “The Railroad Hour 11/21/1949 Ep060 No, No Nanette. Doris Day. “Yesterday USA” 03/19/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, John, and Perry Huntoon. Doris Day Part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 05/19/2024 Doris Day Part 3. “The Kraft Music Hall) 04/28/1949 Ep068 Doris Day. “The Railroad Hour 11/21/1949 Ep060 No, No Nanette. Doris Day. “Yesterday USA” 03/19/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden, Larry, John, and Perry Huntoon. Doris Day Part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 03/10/2024 Doris Day Part 1. “Barney Rapp” 06/17/1939 with Doris Day. “Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands” 03/31/1944 (AFRS 324) Les Brown, and Doris Day. First Song – A Fine Romance. “Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands” 05/25/1944 (AFRS 371) Les Brown, and Doris Day. First Song – 9-20 Special. “Yesterday USA” 01/22/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon and Doris Day part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 03/10/2024 Doris Day Part 1. “Barney Rapp” 06/17/1939 with Doris Day. “Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands” 03/31/1944 (AFRS 324) Les Brown, and Doris Day. First Song – A Fine Romance. “Victory Parade of Spotlight Bands” 05/25/1944 (AFRS 371) Les Brown, and Doris Day. First Song – 9-20 Special. “Yesterday USA” 01/22/2023 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon and Doris Day part 1. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 02/18/2024 Paul Whiteman Part 4. “Paul Whiteman Hour” 10/13/1946 xxx Where The Blue Of The Night Meets the end of the day. “Yesterday USA” 11/20/2022 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon. Paul Whiteman part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 02/18/2024 Paul Whiteman Part 4. “Paul Whiteman Hour” 10/13/1946 xxx Where The Blue Of The Night Meets the end of the day. “Yesterday USA” 11/20/2022 Sunday Night Show. Walden and John with Perry Huntoon. Paul Whiteman part 4. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 01/14/2024 Paul Whiteman Part 3. “Paul Whiteman Coast To Coast” 02/08/1939 ep31. “Paul Whiteman Presents 06/06/1943 Ep001 Guest-Eddie Canter. “Yesterday USA 10/16/2022 Sunday Night Show. John with Perry Huntoon. Paul Whiteman part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
Same Time, Same Station 01/14/2024 Paul Whiteman Part 3. “Paul Whiteman Coast To Coast” 02/08/1939 ep31. “Paul Whiteman Presents 06/06/1943 Ep001 Guest-Eddie Canter. “Yesterday USA 10/16/2022 Sunday Night Show. John with Perry Huntoon. Paul Whiteman part 3. If you would like to request shows, please call (714) 449-1958 E-mail: Larry Gassman: LarryGassman1@gmail.com John Gassman: John1Gassman@gmail.com
In Breaking Walls episode 142 we feature one of Brooklyn's native sons, Bill Gargan, who made more than sixty films, and good money on radio in the 1950s. —————————— Highlights: • Brooklyn's Native Son • Hollywood and An Oscar Nomination • The War and Being a Radio Detective • Martin Kane • Launching Barrie Craig • Radio Ratings in 1954 • Hollywood vs. New York • Hay is For Homicide • Ghosts Don't Die in Bed • Throat Cancer and Thereafter • Looking Ahead to 1957 —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material for today's episode was: • On the Air — By John Dunning • Why Me? An Autobiography — By William Gargan • The Big Show — By Martin Grams Jr. • Network Radio Ratings — By Jim Ramsburg —————————— On the interview front: • Parley Baer, Himan Brown, Lawrence Dobkin, Betty Lou Gerson, Virginia Gregg, Herb Ellis, and Herb Vigran spoke to SPERDVAC. For more info, go to SPERDVAC.com. • Bing Crosby and Lurene Tuttle spoke with Same Time, Same Station. • Himan Brown spoke to Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC's The Golden Age of Radio. Hear these interviews at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. • Parley Baer and Himan Brown also spoke with Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at Speakingofradio.com. • Connee Boswell spoke with Lee Philip. • Ernest Konoy spoke with Walden Hughes for Yesterday USA. —————————— Selected music featured in today's episode was: • The Man With The Golden Arm — By Elmer Bernstein • String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96 — By Avi Avital • Pyramid of the Sun and Voodoo Dreams — By Les Baxter • Living Without You — By George Winston, who recently passed away —————————— A special thank you to Ted Davenport, Jerry Haendiges, and Gordon Skene. For Ted go to RadioMemories.com, for Jerry, visit OTRSite.com, and for Gordon, please go to PastDaily.com. —————————— Thank you to: Tony Adams Steven Allmon Orson Orsen Chandler Phil Erickson Jessica Hanna Perri Harper Thomas M. Joyce Ryan Kramer Earl Millard Gary Mollica Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Ray Shaw Filipe A Silva John Williams Jim W. —————————— WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers
Host: Allan NewsomeRunning time: 0:34:17 I hope you heard first 2 parts of this series but even if you haven’t, you are in for a treat as we continue the interview with Two Chair No Waiting’s resident Mayberry History expert, Randy Turner. The interview was originally aired on Yesterday USA (https://yesterdayusa.net/). Yesterday USA is a […]
Host: Allan NewsomeRunning time: 0:34:08 I hope you heard part 1 of this series but regardless you are in for a treat as we continue the interview with Two Chair No Waiting’s resident Mayberry History expert, Randy Turner. The interview was originally aired on Yesterday USA (https://yesterdayusa.net/). Yesterday USA is a streaming radio station with […]
Host: Allan NewsomeRunning time: 0:37:45 You are in for a treat the next few weeks as we’ll be listening to and interview with Two Chair No Waiting’s resident Mayberry History expert, Randy Turner. The interview was originally aired on Yesterday USA (https://yesterdayusa.net/). Yesterday USA is a streaming radio station with the purpose of preserving and […]
Next time on Breaking Walls, we move into February and discuss polio, falling ratings points, and radio profit margins. ___________ The reading material used in today's episode was: • The General: David Sarnoff & The Rise of the Communications Industry - by Kenneth Bilby • On the Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings — by Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from: • Broadcasting Magazine • LIFE Magazine • Time Magazine ___________ On the interview front: • John Guedel, Phil Leslie, and Don Wilson spoke to Chuck Schaden. Hear their full chats at SpeakingOfRadio.com. • Norman MacDonnell and George Walsh spoke to John Hickman, the longtime host of WAMU's Recollections. Today, this program is heard each Sunday evening as The Big Broadcast. For more information, please go to WAMU.org • Art Linkletter spoke to John Gassman. • Ozzie Nelson was with James Day. • Jack Benny spoke for Great Radio Comedians. • He and Don Wilson also spoke with Jack Carney. ___________ Selected music featured in today's episode was: • Auld Lang Syne — By The Manhattan Strings • January Stars — By George Winston • The Klezmer's Wedding — By André Moisan • Love in Bloom — By Bing Crosby • Seance on a Wet Afternoon — By John Barry • Danse Macabre — By Camille Saint-Saëns ___________ A special thank you to Ted Davenport, Jerry Haendiges, and Gordon Skene. For Ted go to RadioMemories.com, for Jerry, visit OTRSite.com, and for Gordon, please go to PastDaily.com. I'd also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. ___________ Thank you to: Tony Adams Steven Allmon Orson Orsen Chandler Phil Erickson Jessica Hanna Briana Isaac Thomas M. Joyce Ryan Kramer Earl Millard Gary Mollica Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Ray Shaw ___________ WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers
Meet John and Larry Gassman who each and together are as unstoppable as it gets. John and Larry Gassman, blind and identical twins live life to the fullest. They both have worked in the travel industry, one for Disney Travel company and the other for Marriott, for more than 19 years. You will get to hear their stories about their work as well as their many and varied hobbies. I rarely have met two individuals who have been and continue to be so enthusiastic about life even in the face of Covid and the many challenges faced by all of us. You won't soon forget these twins and how they help forge a better for blind people and for everyone around them. Some directories do not show full show notes. For the complete transcription please visit https://michaelhingson.com/podcast About Our Guests: John and Larry Gassman are identical twins born on January 2, 1955. Both are blind due to being given too much oxygen after being born more than two and a half months premature. At birth Larry weighed 1 pound ten ounces and John weighed 1 pound eight ounces. Larry's late wife Melinda referred to them when describing how little they were to her nieces as “About the size of a Macho Burrito. The Gassman twins were fortunate that their parents did not totally buy into the myth that blind children could not grow up and thrive in the world. Thus both boys were given the opportunity to explore and grow just like other kids. After completing their scholastic educations both twins secured employment. After a stint teaching Braille at the Braille Institute of America in Los Angeles John joined the Walt Disney Travel Company working in reservations as well as testing updates and changes in the reservations systems to insure that the software remains accessible. Larry Joined Marriott in 2,000 also becoming involved in reservations. Larry trained many other blind persons to use the Marriott programs. He also tested new applications to insure accessibility for blind employees. The Gassmans have been collectors of “old time radio shows” since the early 1970s. The began hosting their own program in 1973. Today you can hear them regularly on the internet radio station, Yesterday USA, www.Yesterdayusa.com. In addition to hosting programs they are both part of the behind the scenes directors of Yesterday USA. Talking about being busy and active, they both are very active, as Larry says, “Barbershoppers”. They have sung in various quartets as well as participating in various conventions and helping to run barbershop chapters in Orange County. About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes
A conversation about Christmas TV and Movies on the internet radio show Yesterday USA, with Walden and Patricia hosting and guest, author Joanna Wilson. Originally broadcast 12/21/19.
In Breaking Walls Episode 97 we usher in the holiday season with the first of a three-part mini-series on the 1947-48 radio season. The 1947-48 season had the largest radio audience in history. Homes with radios jumped 6%, car radios 29%. The major networks—NBC, CBS, ABC, and the Mutual Broadcasting System added 147 new affiliates. 97% of the nation’s AM stations were now linked to one of the big four. Network revenue topped $200 Million. —————————— Highlights: Famine in Europe; Anti-Communism at Home—The World is Changing Boomer Babes Fuel a Ratings Increase The Annual Hollywood Santa Parade Happy Thanksgiving 1947 Breakfast with the Couples Prepping With the Soaps The Answer Man Takes to the Air The Annual Elgin Thanksgiving Special Juvenile Adventure At Dusk Settling Into Prime Time George Burns: French Crooner Casey Gets His Turkey Home is Where the Heart Is Eddie Cantor Has Been Kidnapped Late Night and Looking Ahead —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: Frank and Anne Hummert’s Radio Factory - By Jim Cox On the Air - By John Dunning Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — by Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from: Broadcasting Magazine: January 20th, 1947; October 27th, 1947; December 1st, 1947 —————————— On the interview front: Jackson Beck, Hans Conried, Staats Cotsworth, John Gibson, Tony Marvin, and Jan Miner were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. These interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. Chuck Schaden interviewed Ken Carpenter and Les Tremayne. Hear their full chats at SpeakingofRadio.com. While SPERDVAC was with Betty Lou Gerson and Jack Johnstone. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com. And Barbara Walters interviewed George Burns for 20/20. —————————— Selected Music featured in today’s episode was: “Over the River and Through The Woods” — by the US Airforce Band “Holiday On Skis” - by Al Caiola & Riz Ortolani “Joy” - by George Winston and “Star of Bethlehem” - by John Williams —————————— Special thanks to our sponsors! The Fireside Mystery Theater https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com/ Twelve Chimes, It's Midnight https://www.twelvechimesradio.com/ The Fireside Mystery Theater will be taping their next podcast on Sunday November 17th at the Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street in New York City. The theme is: Holiday Haunts. Doors open at 4:30PM and yours truly will be a member of the cast. Come out and support great, new audio drama. I’d also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. By the way, SPERDVAC - The Society To Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy will be having their next convention this coming November 7th through 10th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 3131 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com —————————— A Special Thank you to: Tony Adams Ryan Kramer Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Terry Wallace —————————— WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com
In Breaking Walls Episode 96, we laugh, scream, and cry while we join radio’s best as they celebrate Halloween on the air. —————————— Highlights: • The Birth of the Great Gildersleeve • Sam Spade has a Halloween adventure • Ernest Chappell says, “Don’t Tell Me About Halloween” • Spike Jones and His City Slickers Celebrate • Sherlock Holmes and the Laughing Lemur • The Story Behind Bing Crosby’s Departure from NBC and move to ABC • Ozzie, Harriet, David, and Ricky • Jack Benny goes Trick-Or-Treating • John Guedel, Art Linkletter, and People Are Funny • Looking Ahead to the Holiday Season —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: • On The Air — By John Dunning • Terror On The Air!, Horror Radio in America — By Richard J. Hand • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — by Jim Ramsburg As well as articles by: • TUNE IN Magazine - September 1946 • Broadcasting Magazine - April 14th, July14th, and September 15th, 1947 —————————— On the interview front: • Chuck Schaden interviewed Jack Benny, Ken Carpenter, John Guedel, Shirley Mitchell, Arch Oboler, Hal Peary, Lurene Tuttle, and Mike Wallace. Hear their full chats at SpeakingofRadio.com. • Howard Duff, June Havoc, and Bill Spier were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. These interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. • John Gassman of SPERDVAC was with Art Linkletter in 1991. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com. • Jack Kruschen and Shirley Mitchell were with Jim Bohannon on September 12th, 1987. • Chuck Cecil interviewed Ozzie Nelson. • Johnny Hayes, David Nelson, and Jack Wagner were interviewed by KRLA • Johnny Carson interviewed Orson Welles, Ozzie, Harriet, and Ricky Nelson for The Tonight Show, while David Hartman interviewed David, Harriet, and Ricky for Good Morning America. • Frank Bresee interviewed Bing Crosby, John Scott Trotter • And Dick Joy was with John Dunning for 71KNUS. —————————— Selected Music featured in today’s episode was: • A Wicked Thought - By John Zacharely • Ghost Bus Tours - By George Fenton for High Spirits and • Travelin Man - By Ricky Nelson —————————— Special thanks to our Sponsors: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/series/themorls/ The Fireside Mystery Theater https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com/ Quietly Yours https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/quietly-yours/id1372389345 I’d also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. By the way, SPERDVAC - The Society To Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy will be having their next convention this coming November 7th through 10th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 3131 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com A Special Thank you to: Tony Adams Ryan Kramer Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Terry Wallace —————————— WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com
In Breaking Walls Episode 95, we go back to school with radio’s teacher’s pets, class clowns, and perhaps the most iconic “Miss” in radio history. —————————— Highlights: • How William Paley used The Columbia Workshop to launch shows and careers. • Suspense Moves to Hollywood and Gets Sponsorship • The Radio Rise of Eve Arden and the Launch of Our Miss Brooks • The NBC University Theater dramatizes a Washington Irving Classic • The New Mr. and Mrs. Ronald and Benita Colman Show • Johnny Dollar Investigates a Suspicious Schoolhouse Fire • Theater Five saves a Nursery • All Hallow’s Eve —————————— The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers —————————— The reading material used in today’s episode was: • The Who Is Johnny Dollar Matter — by John C. Abbott • On The Air — By John Dunning • Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 — by Jim Ramsburg As well as articles from: • Broadcasting Magazine - April 27th, September 14th, and November 30th 1964, as well as January 4th, January 11th, and June 28th, 1965. • Radio Daily - September 30th, 1949 • Sponsor Magazine - September 2nd, 1952 —————————— On the interview front: • SPERDVAC was with Jack Johnstone, Al Lewis, Jeanette Nolan and Elliott Reid—For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com. • Chuck Schaden interviewed Eve Arden, Parley Baer, Ken Carpenter, Norman Corwin, Gale Gordon, Jack Haley, Agnes Moorehead, Russell Thorson, and Willard Waterman. Hear their full chats at SpeakingofRadio.com. • Hans Conried, William N. Robson, and William Spier were with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. These interviews can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. • Eve Arden, Roberta Goodwin Bailey, and E. Jack Neuman were with John Dunning for 71KNUS. • Elliott Reid was with Frank Bresee and Walden Hughes on October 14th, 2002 and Don Quinn was interviewed by Owen Cunningham in 1951. —————————— Selected Music featured in today’s episode was: •I Wonder Why - by Dion and the Belmonts • Pyramid of the Sun - by Les Baxter • Moon - by George Winston • The Look of Love - by Billy May and his Orchestra • Young at Heart - by Frank Sinatra • I’ll be Seeing You - by the Harry James Band • Spooky - by Dusty Springfield —————————— Special Thanks to our sponsors: • Radio Drama Revival https://www.radiodramarevival.com/ • The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/series/themorls/ There are three other gentlemen who deserve my thanks: Jerry Haendiges, Ted Davenport, and Goodmond Danielson, who’s high quality audio recordings are available for purchase. Goodmond also has a facebook group and corresponding podcast. It’s called “The Radio Show Collector’s Group” and his most recent podcast features Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. I’d also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. By the way, SPERDVAC - The Society To Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy will be having their next convention this coming November 7th through 10th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 3131 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, please go to SPERDVAC.com A Special Thank you to: Tony Adams Ryan Kramer Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Terry Wallace —————————— WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com
In Breaking Walls episode 94 we visit the malt shops, drug stores, and soda counters in America’s heartland and spend time with radio’s best dramatic actors and actresses. Highlights • Norman Corwin, Margaret Sullavan, and Byron Kane’s Big Break • The Pharmacist Goes to War—and Saves a Life • Inner Sanctum and Santos Ortega • Dennis Day: Soda Jerk • The Rise of Jack Webb • Dragnet Is Born and Radio Changes Forever • Tales of the Texas Rangers and the Wheaties Big Parade • The End of Fibber McGee and Molly • Back to School The WallBreakers: http://thewallbreakers.com Subscribe to Breaking Walls everywhere you get your podcasts. To support the show: http://patreon.com/TheWallBreakers The reading material used in today’s episode was: On The Air - By John Dunning Network Radio Ratings, 1932-53 - by Jim Ramsburg Forecast: Is there a Sponsor in the House - by Martin Grams Jr. Just the Facts, Ma'am : The Authorized Biography of Jack Webb - by Eugene Alvarez & Daniel Moyer And articles from Radio Life, January 1949. On the interview front: • SPERDVAC was with Harry Bartel, Ralph Bell, Himan Brown, Lilian Buyeff, Lawrence Dobkin, Herb Ellis, Virginia Gregg, Byron Kane, Jeanette Nolan, Herb Vigran, and Peggy Webber—For more info, please go to SPERDVAC..com • Chuck Schaden interviewed Eve Arden, Himan Brown, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Jim Jordan, Lurene Tuttle, and Herb Vigran. Hear their full chats at SpeakingofRadio.com. • Joel McCrea was with educator Al Greenberg. For more information please go to OrcoDevelopment— That’s O R C O Development (dot) org. • Jim Jordan was with Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran for WTIC’s The Golden Age of Radio. This interview can be heard at GoldenAge-WTIC.org. • While Dennis Day and E. Jack Neuman were with John Dunning for 71KNUS and Vic Perrin was with Neil Ross for KMPC. Selected music featured in today’s episode was: • Sleep Walk — By Santo & Johnny • Go Slow — By Julie London • The Klezmer's Wedding — By André Moisan • Living Without You — By George Winston • See you in September — By The Happenings Special thanks to our Sponsors: The Fireside Mystery Theater - https://www.firesidemysterytheatre.com/ Radio Drama Revival - https://www.radiodramarevival.com/ I’d also like to thank Walden Hughes and John and Larry Gassman of SPERDVAC. Listen to their shows on the Yesterday USA radio network. A Special Thank you to: Ryan Kramer Barry Nadler Christian Neuhaus Aimee Pavy Terry Wallace WallBreakers Links: Patreon - patreon.com/thewallbreakers Social Media - @TheWallBreakers URL - thewallbreakers.com
Writer and radio broadcaster Steve Darnall joins us to talk about his past works in comics. Steve worked in the fringe genres as the comics market struggled to survive after the speculation era went bust. You'll hear about his collaboration with Alex Ross on the 2 part UNCLE SAM prestige series , to his parody of classic romance comics for Slave Labor Graphics and his own companmy Funny Valentine.We also talk about Steve's current job hosting 2 radio shows which present classic Old Time Radio programs Those Were The Days and Yesterday USA, where he puts a historical context while presenting dramas comedies and documentaries made from the 1930s-1950s. As opposed to a nostalgic "Remember When" angle that older hosts use for a geritatric audience, Steve's show is one of discovery for a younger generation who come to these programs with a fresh perspective.Then we talk about the radio superheroes some of which predate the 1938 debut of Superman. Darnall talks about the origins of The Lone Ranger and Green Hornet, created by Detroit radio station WXYZ owner Geoge W Trendle and writer Fran Striker. We also look at the 1940 Superman radio serial. You'll learn how many of the common phrases and plot points of the comics originated on radio like Jimmy Olson, kryptonite, and the infamous lines from Metropolis citizens "Look, up in the sky ..." .
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