(Left to right) Bill Givens and Jack Pyle
KYW Radio Studios
1953
We have in our archive almost 6 minutes of Jack Pyle doing an Alpo Dog Food commercial. Also heard on this recording are Bill Givens and Bob Teter. Bill did the farm report on the station, KYW Radio, and also gave Pyle little tidbits of information and basically acted as Pyle's foil.
Tetter was the Sales Manager and normally would not be involved in the doings of the air personalities. Ralph "Bud" Galow, a long-time tech at KYW Radio said that there was probably some basis for Tetter getting involved. Bud thinks that the real advertising agency for Alpo (no the Canine Ad Agency mentioned on the air) probably complained about Pyle's delivery on the spot.
While the station had reel-to reel audio recorders, Bud is guessing that this particular recording was recorded on an acetate disc and thus that's why there was a lot of crackle and pops on the original source material. We have spent several hours cleaning up the recording to get it in the condition you will hear.
The recording dates from 1955. It's 8:18 am and Jack Pyle goes into doing his Alpo Dog Food spot. The entire recording lasts 5 minutes and 47 seconds long. Quite a bunch of free bonus time for a paid 60 second commercial.
From the official archives of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia
Photo and audio originally donated by Broadcast Pioneers member Skip Clayton
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