Radio HOF
Meet our Radio Hall of Fame
This is a stub article for the Radio Hall of Fame.
After there are other articles out there, it should be unpublished.
Radio Articles
Mary Lee Taylor
It’s seldom that an amateur who turns to the professional ranks succeeds on the first attempt—unless the amateur is as gifted as Mary Lee Taylor.
In 1933 a young St. Louis housewife named Mrs. Susan Cost, noted for her original recipes, started broadcasting her own tempting table treats. Other housewives who followed her recipes acclaimed her instant success and the Mary Lee Taylor show has been on the air ever since.
But Mary Lee Taylor’s work does not stop with her recipes for better meals. Equally important is her “recipe for happiness,” designed to aid young couples in understanding the problems of married life. Based on her own experiences of a happy marriage, which, nonetheless, had its problems, she tries to aid married young people to face the trials which arise in every marriage.
A dramatization each week of the lives of a young, typical American married couple, Jim and Sally Carter, helps to illustrate her philosophy and make her advice more real to the young people who need it.
Off the air, as Mrs. Susan Cost, she is a patron of the St. Louis Symphony and of the Little Theater in that city – a group which offers help to aspiring actors. Her main hobby, aside from her recipes, is collecting tea cups. She already has several hundred cups, many of them museum pieces.
(Originally published in Radio Television Mirror, June 1951).
Radio Articles
Newsome Knows ’em All
Slated by his parents to be a Baptist minister, Gil Newsome, after a year’s study in that direction, switched his course to a career that was one day to bring him the greatest tribute ever paid to any disc jockey in America. That tribute, given to Gil on his fifth anniversary with Station KWK, St. Louis, in May of 1950, brought Gil such honors as a loving cup presented on behalf of St. Louis’ 100,000 teenagers, a cake huge enough to feed the 200 studio guests present, a special citation from the Mayor, and congratulations from sixty-five great names in the music business.
Such giving has not been one-sided, however. Every night, Monday through Saturday at 6:00. Gil brings to his audience the five top-selling tunes of the day in the St. Louis area. The First Five has earned a higher Hooper rating than any other disc jockey show in any other major city. Besides being able to hear a capsule hit parade each day, Gil’s numerous fans tune to the First Five to hear Gil and his “in-the-know” comments about the featured artists as well.
If ever a man knew what he was talking about when he introduces a recording, Newsome does. One of the highlights in Gil’s career was his selection by Glenn Miller himself to announce the Glenn Miller show. This was followed by a four-year contract to do the Spotlight Bands program. As a result, among Gil’s closest friends are such entertainers as Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Spivak, Tony Pastor, Skitch Henderson, and Sammy Kaye.
Gil came to St. Louis in October, 1945, after two and one-half years in the service. Immediately his presence was felt as he began the first of over a thousand appearances in teen-age clubs and high schools. This interest in the city’s “younger set” made Gil ideal for the popular High School Revue (Sun. 6:30 P.M.) programs which feature the talent of high schools in the greater St. Louis area.
Gil’s appeal, however, is not limited to any particular age group. His daily two-hour morning show, Bandstand Revue at 9:30 in the morning is a favorite with St. Louis housewives, who enjoy his easy music, his interesting comments on world events and personalities, and the “relax-full” mood Gil always creates.
The basis for that limitless appeal is Gil’s own brand of sophistication. He’s the radio counterpart of the gallant man-about-town, who knows the right thing to say, and the right time to say it.
(Originally published in Radio Television Mirror June 1951)
Radio Articles
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Has Broadcast for Over Three Years and Maintained Uniformly High Standard of Service
One of the first large broadcasting stations to be established in the west was KSD of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which went on the air June 26, 1922, (sic) and since that time has built up and maintained an unusually high reputation among listeners in all sections of the United States.
The chief announcer and director of programs is Miss V.A.L. Jones, who has a wide circle of friends among the radio fans and artists.
The log of this station covering the first three years of operation furnish (sic) statistics that show the wonderful educational and entertainment possibilities of radio as a means of universal communication.
For instance, during the three years, a total of 1,434 programs were given with a total of 1,383 individuals taking part in these programs.
Of these programs, 771 were given at the Post-Dispatch studio, while 641 were broadcasted from outside of the studio and twenty-two were from out-of-town.
From an historical standpoint, the outstanding broadcasting event of the first year was the address of the late President Harding at the St. Louis Coliseum, June 21, 1923, which was the first time that the voice of a President of the United States was sent out by radio (not confirmed – ed.), thus making KSD a pioneer in this field.
Since that time many important political addresses have been broadcasted by KSD, as well as the proceedings last year of both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
As an indication of the comprehensive service being rendered by these large broadcasting stations, it is interesting to note that during the 3 years operation of KSD, the radio public have been able to enjoy entertainment from 370 pianists, 310 vocalists, 5 cellists, 41 readers, 422 speakers, 101 violinists, 71 children and 54 miscellaneous, also 30 bands, 39 choirs and choral clubs, 60 orchestras, 23 instrumental and vocal quartettes and 3 trios.
Surely, with such a splendid record the St. Louis Post-Dispatch deserves hearty commendation for public-spirited service in its community as well as being an active factor in the growth and development of the radio industry.
(Originally published in Mid-West Radio Magazine 11/1925).
You must be logged in to post a comment.