Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is a federally recognized, state chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the Philadelphia Broadcast Community since January of 1962.

March Afternoon Luncheon The Bala Golf Club, Philadelphia Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Meet and Greet at 12 noon! Lunch served at 12:30 pm Ratecard: $28 per person

Please reserve now! Call (856) 365-5600 rsvp@broadcastpioneers.com

Another Third Wednesday Luncheon! Wednesday, March 21st, 2018! Good Food - Great Programs - Wonderful Times Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay! Lunch is only $28 per person! RESERVE NOW! rsvp@broadcastpioneers.com (856) 365-5600

DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

Hit After Hit, Smash After Smash, Blockbuster After Blockbuster... Here's another "monster" lunch where the "stars" don't wait to come out at night. They're there at lunchtime! Our next Broadcast Pioneers luncheon is another "Rock & Roll Special!" It will be held at the Bala Golf Club, 2200 Belmont Avenue in Philadelphia. Meet and greet at 12 noon. Lunch will be served at 12:30 pm. Our MC for the afternoon will be Cool Bobby B. His Doo-Wop oldies show can be heard on Sirius XM Radio. For the initiated, Cool Bobby B is Broadcast Pioneers member Bob Backman, who was General Manager of Channel 61 here in Philadelphia for 5 years. Bob is currently president of WRDE-TV in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Scheduled to appear (in alphabetical order): Paul Big Bear, local well-loved area performer and singer  Sandee Bengel, regional singer and much loved entertainer Mike Bove, one of the original members of "The Tridels" Stephen Caldwell, original male vocal lead of "The Orlons" Billy Carlucci of the group, "Billy and the Essentials" Danny and the Juniors (featuring Joe Terry & Frank Maffei) Stevie Doo Wop, a local Delaware Valley nightclub performer  Johnny B. Hall and Art Wilson (sometimes called "The Boys")  Meagan Hill, Actress, Singer and voice-over announcer Kenny Jeremiah, formerly of the group "The Soul Survivors" The Rip Chords, Top Ten rock & roll artists from the sixties Corky Warren, locally known video and radio disc jockey RESERVE NOW! rsvp@broadcastpioneers.com (856) 365-5600 This takes place at the beautiful and historic Bala Golf Club, 2200 Belmont Avenue (across the street from the state police) in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia. Only minutes away from Channels 6, 10 and 17 and the radio stations in Bala Cynwyd. Call now for reservations. (856) 365-5600! Don't miss this one! Plenty of FREE parking. Our luncheons are open to all our members, their guests and any person in the industry or associated fields, whether active or retired. You do NOT have to be a member to attend. There is no reserved seating at our luncheons. Feel free to sit anywhere. Well, okay--the three people on the camera crew sit near the cameras, but that's in the back of the room. The cost is only a donation of $28 (or more) per person! In order to speed up check-in at the luncheon, it would help if you had exact change or your check already written. Checks can be made payable to the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. If you would like to add a few dollars extra, we would appreciate it. It would help us with all the important work we are doing. Thanks!

WE WANNA SEE YOUR FACE IN THAT PLACE!

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NEW MEMBERS TO BROADCAST PIONEERS:

FULL MEMBERS:

Rick Williams, the Executive Producer of the evening Action Newscasts has joined. He has been in the business since 1977 and came to Philadelphia and WPVI-TV (Channel 6) in 1982. He's been here for over 35 years now. Not to be confused with Rick Williams, the station's mid-day news anchor, Rick sometimes refers to himself as "The Other Rick Williams." He was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers' Hall of Fame last year.

Phillip Silverstone has been in the business since 1991. He grew up in London on the famed Abbey Road. He has been in Philly since 1977. His wine, food, lifestyle features were heard daily on WRTI for two decades. He wrote & hosted the Emmy nominated PBS series, "One on Wine." He's been seen on CNN, the Food Network and on the BBC. His "Time Out" satellite radio program is heard by 80 million listeners worldwide.

Jennifer Lynn has been in our industry for almost a third of a century. She's currently the morning host and producer for WHYY-FM's (90.9) Morning Edition (arriving in 2001) and is an award awarding journalist. She's from Delaware and was educated in New England at Boston University. She started in broadcasting in 1986 at WPNH` in New Hamphire and then moved on to WKXE in Vermont. Then onto WILM and Kiss 100.

Joann Colameco has worked in our wonderful business for a quarter of a century. She's another member from WHYY. Colameco started out at the television station as an Associate Producer and then moved into their engineering operations. Today, she's a broadcast technician and operations video editor. She also doubles as a studio camera operator.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:

Ryan Haase is a new Associate Member of Broadcast Pioneers. He's still a student at Temple University and is the host of "The Phifth Quarter" Podcast on Wildfire Sports Radio. The program covers all of the Philadelphia Sports Scene.

We are thrilled to have over 500 Members. More than ever. We hope to see as many of our members as possible at our March luncheon. Get your tickets now!

DIGITAL ARCHIVAL PROJECT NEWS:

A LITTLE BIT OF BROADCAST HISTORY!

(Left to right) Members Ed Hurst, Tom Lamaine and Dean Tyler
Broadcast Pioneers Luncheon
Bala Golf Club, Philadelphia
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Our special thanks go to TUTV - Temple University Television and The Kal & Lucille Rudman Media Production Center. They have again underwritten a grant to be used to fund an entire year of all our newsletters for calendar year 2018. We thank them so much for their continued support!

MORE DIGITAL ARCHIVAL PROJECT NEWS:

VIDEO:

AUDIO:

It's Sunday, December 16, 1956. The broadcast of "The Children's Hour" is a simulcast on both WCAU-TV and radio. Air time is 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Our excerpt picks up shortly before noon.

During the last couple of years of the program, the first half of the show was sponsored by their long time advertiser, Horn & Hardarts. The second part of the broadcast was brought to the audience by the local Plymouth dealers.

Please be advised that even though the commercials state that "It's the 1960 New Plymouth", it is only 1956 and the cars they are talking about are really the 1957 Plymouths. Why?

In a Plymouth promotional brochure, it said: Cars you might have expected in 1960…here now! ...Plymouth! Suddenly it's 1960. 3 years ahead…the only car that dares break the time barrier. Decades ago, it took 5 years to go from the drawing board to the end of the production line. The 1960 models (which came out in 1959) were on the drawing boards as early as 1954. The parent company, Chrysler, completely scrapped three years of Plymouth design work that had been spent on the entire line and, instead, went right to designs that were said to be planned for the 1960 model year. Thus the marketing line, "Suddenly, it's 1960!"

In December of 2009, we remastered our audio file of this program. Why? Because technology has progressed and now we can present to you more of the program because of modern technological noise removal techniques.

Listen in Real Audio!
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Julie Andrews with Broadcast Pioneers member Ed Harvey 
WCAU Radio Studios
Wednesday, October 19, 1964

Because of the placement of the door into the sound lock and the window frame that looks out into the hallway you can just see behind Ed plus the type of soundproofing on the wall I'd would say this is the new Studio "A."

While originally radio studios "A', "B" and "C" were at the rear of the building and Master Control, Studio "D", the Recording Room and Announce Booth were at the front of the building in the interim period while I worked for WFIL (1960-1965) the MCR, Studio "D", Recording Room and Announce Booth were relocated to the rear of the building. I think about 1963 this occurred. In the new setup there was no Announce Booth.

Television took over all the area formerly occupied by radio as a result of CBS breaking everything into separate divisions such as CBS Radio, CBS News, CBS-TV Network, CBS Radio Network, CBS TV Stations, etc. Dumb, because all the money still went into the same coffers. Another damned bean counter decision.

Julie Andrews with Broadcast Pioneers member Ed Harvey 
WCAU Radio Studios
Wednesday, October 19, 1964

We have in our audio archive an interview that Ed did on Wednesday, October 19, 1964. Actress Julie Andrews appeared on "The Talk of Philadelphia" program on WCAU Radio. The show was hosted by Broadcast Pioneers member Ed Harvey and the interview told place during the 1 to 2 p.m. hour of the broadcast. This is from a reel to reel tape recorded at WCAU Radio. Ed always asked the engineer to stop the tape during the commercials. Because of this, we have prepared this priceless show as one complete interview with no stopping for spots. This program hasn't been heard anywhere for more than 45 years (unless you lived in Ed Harvey's house).

Julie was in town for the opening of the Walt disney movie "Mary Poppins." Within a few months of this interview, "The Sound of Music" was released.

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Remember, History is ONLY What Gets Saved!
(If there were no portraits of George Washington, how would we know what he looked like?)

A LITTLE BIT OF BROADCAST HISTORY!

WE REMEMBER:

Member Mel Klawansky tells us that Carol Harris passed away last month. He said: "Carol Harris was the Office Manager and the heart and soul of the WFIL office for decades. She came to all the WFIL Family Reunions, up to and including 2011. After that her health wouldn't permit it. After WFIL went through some format and personnel changes, Carol worked at a few other local radio stations. Sunny 104.5, Power 99 and Philly 103.9 come to mind. Carol was at WFIL in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s."

Meachie Lewis passed away mid-month in February in South Carolina. His given name was Demetrious and he was an actor and stunt person. He was also one of the first African Americans to run camera here in Philly. After school, he worked for KYW-TV in their mail room and later became a camera operator. He ran camera on the Mike Douglas Show. He later became involved in theater. He then went on to work for the Disney Studios, Universal and television networks.

Member Kathy Tarras Earley passed away on Friday. Kathy started out in Lancaster at WGAL-TV and eventually made her way to Philadelphia. She was a well know television personality and weather girl. Kathy worked at many local TV stations. She was the first woman to have her own local talk show, “The 5 O’Clock Show with Kathy Tarras” and she was also the first woman to get her AFTRA card. She was married to member Joe Earley who passed away in 2009. Joe was TV's Mr. Rivets and Philadelphia sidekick for Ernie Kovacs.

Long-time radio broadcaster Roger LeBrecht, better known as “Don” has passed away. He was involved in radio management at several well known stations including CHFI-FM (Toronto), WPAT AM & FM (New York) and WDVR (now More FM) here in Philadelphia. He was the Executive Director of the Broadcast Industry Council and worked with the NAB. His wife, Thelma, worked for nearly a quarter of a century for the AP.

JUST AT PRESS TIME: We just received late word that member Frank X. Feller has passed away. No other details are available. Board member Bill Wright tells us that he visited Frank on Saturday. As we all know, both Bill and Frank were WIBBAGE Good Guys during the golden days of Radio 99. He was 91. Frank was president of Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia in 1981 and 1982 and then became our Chairman of the Board for a year.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES:

Sue Marella Friedberg on WFIL Radio!

Sue Marella
1946

Warm Receptions, Fond Reflections
Sue Marella Friedberg Remembers WFIL Days

written by her daughter, Linda Penney

In 1942 when Uncle Sam called on the Bell Telephone Company to recruit switchboard operators for highly classified jobs at the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard, 18-year-old Sue Marella answered. After the F.B.I. interviewed Sue, her family, and even her neighbors in South Philly. Her station for the duration of the war was mysterious Building 83, where no one entered without a security clearance.

“Everyone was always on high alert and we carried our ID cards everywhere,” recalls Sue Marella Friedberg, now 89 (in 2013). “It was a very exciting, very high energy time, with mobs and mobs of people. You really felt like you were doing something important,” she says. When her job at the Navy Yard was eliminated with the reduction in force after the war (along with her weekly paycheck of $14.62), Sue went from a secured station in Building 83 to a very different kind of station in The Widener Building at 13th and Chestnut Streets. That station was WFIL, now WPVI-TV.

“I think I answered an ad in the paper,” she says. “Irene (Rene) Smith was in charge of the switchboard and reception desk and she did the hiring. She interviewed me and I guess she liked me because she told me I could start the following week.”

From 1947 to 1951, Sue Marella’s was the face that welcomed visitors, guests and talent to the WFIL offices and studios. Among them were publisher Walter Annenberg, the owner of station who became U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1969, and up-and-comers such as Dick Clark, Bobby Rydell, and Eddie Fisher. Local programming featured Paul Whiteman’s TV Teen Club, a forerunner of “American Bandstand,” and personalities Skipper Dawes and The Magic Lady.

“It was fun to see young talent coming in for auditions. Eddie Fisher was just a shy, skinny kid then and he kept his head down all the time,” Sue says. Sally Starr was another one who was just getting started,” she remembers. Sue appeared in some early TV commercials and recalls doing a remote spot for F.W. Woolworth, which was right across the street from the station. “I strolled through the store twirling an umbrella,” she says.

The smart, attractive brunette with an eye for fashion was in the right place at the right time to pursue a career of her own in broadcasting had she wanted to, but Sue declined additional opportunities to appear in front of the camera. “I never had the slightest interest in being on TV or performing, except when I was little and took tap dancing lessons because I wanted to dance like Eleanor Powell. She was my idol,” she says.

Among Sue’s fondest memories of her WFIL days are the annual staff outings in Medford Lakes, NJ, cocktail parties and holiday gatherings next door in bandleader Howard Lanin’s offices, and going to McGillin’s Old Ale House every day for lunch with her best friend, Grace Kenny. Grace then worked in the promotions department writing copy. Thirty years later she retired as head of WPVI’s traffic department. Sue and Grace have been lifelong friends and Grace is godmother to Sue’s son David.

In 1949, after working late one evening at the station, Sue and a girlfriend stopped at The Click, a restaurant and theater at 18th and Walnut Streets, to see a young singer named Tony Bennett perform. “Back in those days, we weren’t afraid to go out at night, it was safe, and we used public transportation,” she says. Her future husband Elmer sat down next to them and asked where they worked. “I must have given him my phone number and then didn’t think too much about it, but he called.”

When Sue left WFIL in 1951 to get married, the station gave her a farewell party and a complete set of Orrefors crystal as a wedding present. She still has it. “Roger Clipp, the general manager, gave me a beautiful handwritten letter wishing me well and telling me how much I’d be missed,” she remembers. “It was such a wonderful place to be and I was really sorry to leave all the friends I’d made.”

Sue moved to Pottstown, PA where the Camden, NJ born Elmer had opened his optometry practice. The slower pace of a small town was challenging for the city girl. “I had to get used to it. I didn’t like it at first,” she says. “I kept going back home to my parents’ every weekend.” Working in her husband’s office in the early years of their marriage helped Sue adjust. She became active in charitable and civic organizations, serving for many years as a volunteer for the American Red Cross and as a hospital aide at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. In addition, she spent nearly 20 years on the board of the Pottstown Symphony Orchestra, contributing her time and creative talents to planning the annual Pops Concert held at the legendary Sunnybrook Ballroom. Along the way, she has made many, many friends. “All in all, I think Pottstown has been good to me,” she says.

Sue and Elmer raised three children: David (1953), Deborah (1955), and Linda (1959). Following Elmer’s retirement in the mid-1980s, the couple enjoyed traveling and spending time with grandchildren Alison, George, Bogart, and Jocelyn. When Elmer was no longer able to travel, Sue continued her travels with a close relative, visiting Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, and touring California, Vancouver, and British Columbia, Canada. Sue and Elmer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001. In 2009, Elmer died at the age of 92.

In the early 2000s, Sue had both knees replaced. In 2007, as the result of a fall, she had a total right hip replacement, then total revision surgery six months later due to complications. “Someone said that getting old isn’t for sissies. Well, they’re right,” she jokes. Today, she walks with the help of a cane or walker, but it doesn’t stop her from getting out to go shopping at T.J. Maxx when she feels up to it or attending Metropolitan Opera simulcasts with daughter Deb.

Since 2010, Sue has spent winters with Deb and husband Ely in their Bradenton, Florida home, enjoying the warmth, the shopping, and attending screenings at the annual Sarasota Film Festival. Each spring, she returns to her comfortable and graciously appointed home of 55 years in Pottstown. An avid reader, Sue is never without her Kindle and can still complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle – in ink.

Sue Marella Friedberg is too modest to call herself a broadcast pioneer, but she is one indeed and there are pictures to prove it – lots of them. For over 60 years, the snapshots have slept in a green scrapbook that looks decidedly different from Sue’s other albums of family photos. She has contributed these photographs from her WFIL days to the Broadcast Pioneers photo archive to help preserve the rich heritage of Philadelphia broadcasting for future generations -- a legacy of airtime for all time.

Linda Penney is Sue’s youngest daughter, a copywriter and creative director with Philly ad agencies and independently for nearly 30 years.

The WCAU Remote Truck!

Technician Ray Stahl
WCAU Remote Truck
circa 1933

WCAU Radio had a remote broadcast truck. It was used to originate live radio broadcasts during the thirties. It was a Model AA Ford Remote Truck and we see it here in this photo along the East River Drive (now called Kelly Drive) broadcasting the scull races along the Schuylkill River in the 1930's. At the very bottom of the original photo (not visible above) it says, "location: Falls of the Schuylkill." That is a section of Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River near City Avenue. This is a staged photo. Note the CBS sign laying against the tire. Long-time WCAU technician Charlie Higgins donated this and other photos to our archival project.

A word about sculling. With the Schuyllkill River being what it is, a wide, calm river that is deep, it is perfect for this sport which was a popular betting one in the 1800s. Sculling uses oarson both sides of the craft, to move the boat through the water. Kelly Drive is named after the Kelly family.

John Sr. was a bricklayer and owned a company that did that kind of work. He became very wealthy. Philadelphians might love John Jr. because he was a member of City Council, but the truth is that both father and son were well-known rowers. Senior was a three time gold medallist from the Olympics. His son, John, Jr. was the first American to ever win a European Singles event. Grace Kelly of Monaco (previously a movie actress) was daughter of John Sr.

Anyhow, back to our photo. Technician Ray Stahl is seen operating the remote amplifier sitting on the running board. Note the name on the side of the truck is WCAU Broadcasting & Amplifying Company. Ray came to WCAU from the Bell Telephone Company. He started in February of 1930, and retired in November of 1962. He passed away eight years later.

Longtime tech at WCAU Radio Charlie Higgins said, "During my tenure there, Ray was the Audio Maintenance Supervisor. He had been in the Air Corps in WWI but I do not know in what capacity he served."

We have no idea the time frame of this shot, but we do know that it was in the thirties. In fact, it was at least 1932, because in that year, the corporation changed its name from Universal Broadcasting to WCAU Broadcasting. So it's after that date. Since the truck is a 1930 model, we also assume that the truck was bought new and had been repainted in 1932 when the company name changed. By 1934, several pieces of WCAU material in our archives show the corporate name being WCAU Broadcasting Company, Inc. So, we'll call the date of this photo as being 1933 since the truck looks freshly painted.

Former long-time tech at WCAU, Charlie Higgins writes...

Also, if I didn't mention it, the Model AA Ford Remote Truck shown in one of the pix I sent you is a 1930 model. How do I know? Because I own a 1930 Model A Ford Tudor Sedan. I learned to drive in it, took my driver's test in it, and when I first went to work at WCAU that is what I drove. It was originally my father's car.

An e-mail from Ray Stahl, the technician's son, said:

I just came on your photo of the old WCAU Blue Truck. I remember the truck being parked in our back yard...in North Hills, PA. I believe that Dad was going with it to the Sleepy Hollow Ranch in Milford Township for a remote broadcast.... I remember many photos that my mother kept in scrapbooks for Dad.... There were quite a number of photos of the F.D.R. Inauguration in Washington D.C. I remember many happy days visiting with my Dad at 1622 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.

Bill Dyer!

Bill Dyer
WCAU Radio
1936

Bill Dyer was a sportscaster on WCAU Radio and also did play-by-play on both the Phillies and A's baseball games. Back in his day, he was sort of a superstar.

On the Phils broadcasts, he was teamed up with Dolly Stark in 1936 and Taylor Grant in 1937. He had a strange habit of walking around his chair before broadcasting a game. He told people that it was for Good Luck!

In the forties, Dyer managed the Baltimore Bullets basketball team. At that time, he was also doing Orioles games on WITH Radio. He's was what fans might call a "homer." That is, he rooted for the Orioles (a Triple A team at the time) with phrases like, "We could really use a home run now." CBS Newsman Charles Osgood said that as a nine year old child, he would walk down the street and all the houses had their windows open. Many houses had the Orioles game on and you could walk from place to place and continue to listen to the game. At that time, Osgood said that broadcasting is what he wanted to do with his life.

Robert Himmer, a visitor to our website e-mailed:

I recently went through some letters sent to my father (a sailor in the Pacific) during the Second World War. One sent in late October 1944 by one of my aunts (who happened to work at WITH radio in Baltimore) said, "We sure had an exciting time here last week. They [the triple A Orioles] carried huge crowds and must say a lot of credit is due Bill Dyer, the announcer for he sure built that club up with his enthusiasm." I don't have any personal memories of Bill Dyer. By the time I was old enough to follow the Orioles (still the Triple A version) on the radio, he was gone, and the Chuck Thompson-Bailey Goss era had begun.

Joe D'Adamo, a visitor to our website e-mailed:

I worked with Bill Dyer as statistician on Orioles games from 1942-1946 and later refereed preliminary basketball games prior to the Bullet games. I was in high school when I worked on the baseball games. I have often wondered what happened to Bill after he left Baltimore. I know he went to California and that's the last I heard of him. I'm 77, so he must be in his 90's if he's still alive.

The bio on Bill says he was manager of the Bullets. Actually, he was general manager. He signed Paul Hoffman, who was an All-American from Purdue. On day, I visited W-I-T-H during the off-season and Dyer was interviewing Hoffman for his afternoon sports broadcast, He told me that he and Hoffman were going to Atlantic City for a Bullet exhibition game against the Philadelphia Warriors and asked if I would like to go along.

Before the game, he introduced me to a tall young man. "Joe, shake hands with Chuck Thompson," he said, "He's going to come to Baltimore next year to do the Oriole games." Dyer was a real "homer." He rooted on the air, walking around the red chair, etc. I think he was responsible for Baltimore getting back into the big-leagues. He was responsible for 50,000 fans going to Memorial Stadium for a Little World Series game when that same day, the Cards and Browns played before 30,000 on the "big" World Series. The website says something about Bill working in Philly before coming to Baltimore. I always thought he worked with Byrum Saam in Philly.... He was responsible for my getting into the sports business. I worked for The Baltimore Evening Sun for 42 years and was Baltimore Correspondent for Sports Illustrated for 25 years.

According to the Philadelphia Phillies, Bill Dyer and By Saam did do play-by-play on the Phils baseball broadcasts. Only thing, it wasn't at the same time. Bill Dyer did the 1936 and 1937 years. By didn't start until 1939.

Doug Stark, a visitor to our website e-mailed:

I am working on a project about the Philadelphia SPHAS (South Philadelphia Hebrew Association), which was a Jewish basketball team from 1918 through 1959. The heyday for the team was in the 1930s and the team played its home games at the Broadwood Hotel. I discovered that the games were broadcast on WCAU radio and Bill Dyer was the radio announcer. ...The team used to have dances after the games and Kitty Kallen won a contest on "The Children's Hour" and then sang at the dances.

Stanley Slome, a visitor to our website e-mailed:

I can tell you exactly what Bill Dyer was doing circa 1962-63. Here's the story: I was on unemployment in Los Angeles, having been laid off in PR by Dan Lundberg, the oil marketing survey guru who had decided to stick wholly to that instead of other projects. I answered a help wanted ad in the LA Times for someone who could write job resumes. The interviewer identified himself as Bill Dyer. Although I hadn't heard that voice in more than 20 years, I recognized it instantly. I asked him politely if he wasn't the Bill Dyer who used to broadcast the Phillies and A's games on the first base side at Shibe Park, opposite Byrum Saam on the third base side, for Mobil Oil and describe a double play as "Mobil Gas to Mobil Oil to Bugaboo" and a home run as a "Flying Red Horse?" He was startled, that's certain, saying in effect, " How in the world can you remember that?" ...Mobil, I remember, in 1940 used to provide baseball scorecards with Bill Dyer's face on the cover.

A LITTLE BIT OF BROADCAST HISTORY!

A FINAL THOUGHT....

Member Marlin Taylor has a new book coming out later this month entitled, "Radio - My Love, My Passion." Here's a little excerpt from the hardback.

Earlier I mentioned the station (WRFM) being located at 485 Madison Avenue, the former headquarters for CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. One day, while standing in the lobby waiting for someone, I looked up at the building’s directory. Suddenly, a very familiar name jumped out at me, as having an office in Room 1300: Mad Magazine’s one-and-only Alfred E. Neuman!

Keep in mind, this was an old building, and old buildings never had a 13th floor. Of course, Room 1300 would be on the 13th floor of the building. It was a clever bit of humor foisted upon visitors by the magazine, which at the time had its offices in the building… but not on the 13th floor.

Marlin Taylor
excerpt from his soon to be published book
"Radio - My Love, My Passion"

FYI... We;ll be running excerpts of the book in our April and May issues of this newsletter. Remember, if you're going to order a copy of the book, do it through Amazon. Sign in under smile.amazon.com and select Broadcast Pioneers as your favorite charity and Amazon will donate .5% of the price to us.

Please contact us by e-mail at pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com or by mail to: Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, PO Box 2886, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004. Your stories are important, to you, to us, and your colleagues. Contact us today and we’ll include your story in the next newsletter!

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For luncheon reservations call (856) 365-5600 or e-mail us at: rsvp@broadcastpioneers.com