Posted by Bud on November 09, 2009 at 11:50:47:
$6 million worth of good news for the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
At Saturday night's Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Chicago - Museum Founder/President/CEO Bruce DuMont announced the Illinois House and Senate have (finally) included a $6 million line-item for the Museum to get construction going again on the stalled downtown-Chicago building at State and Kinzie Streets. The institution lost its earlier home and then got snagged in the Rod Blagojevich broken-promise machine. DuMont said construction could begin soon on the energy-efficient museum, and he even gave a shout-out to the contractor who was in the audience. Now the solons in Springfield, plus Governor Pat Quinn, need to actually appropriate the six mil and cut the check. While it waited in frustration, the museum has continued its work in preserving the history of broadcast communications and promoting its future - particularly using its website.
A lot of firsts, a lot of fun at Saturday night's National Radio Hall of Fame Awards.
The first Hispanic and first Puerto Rican was inducted. The first congenitally blind person was honored (along the cow bell he used to ring with old pal Willard Scott). One of the first African-American women to be voted in showed why she's the Queen of All Media. And probably the first guy to prank his radio station with tarantulas made it (see the upcoming story about Neal Boortz). The jokes came fast and furious, especially from revved-up presenters like Rush Limbaugh. Rush - wearing the intentionally over-the-top jacket you see in my snapshot here - was quickly made the butt of a joke from comedian/talkshow host Dennis Miller, who said something like "Rush had to go return that coat to Ecuador... they need it for their shield."
Blind jock Ed Walker tells Willard Scott "my only handicap was working with you."
Ed met Willard at Washington, D.C.'s American University 50 years ago and they soon formed the act they called "The Joy Boys", first on WRC and later WMAL. The affection that "Today Show" legend Willard Scott has for Ed was evident from the moment he stepped onto the podium during the live broadcast. Willard recalled the time the local Jaycees contacted Ed and asked if he'd like to judge a beauty contest. (Willard joked, "any young lady here tonight like to get judged in Braille?") Ed Walker told how he used to handle delivering a five-minute newscast by listening to a rival station that subscribed to the same news service and memorizing it - but he got crossed up one day when the station threw on a religious program instead. Ed's still heard on the radio in D.C., at the American University station, and the contingent of WAMU folks Saturday night included his GM Caryn Mathes. Speaking of support in the room -
Cox turned out to support favorite son Neal Boortz.
Not only was the National Radio Hall of Fame show cablecast on some Cox systems Saturday - Cox Communications CEO Jimmy Hayes was there in the ballroom. Neal's based at Cox-owned WSB, Atlanta (750) and syndicated from there by Dial Global (which was represented by folks like David Landau and talk-format exec Amy Bolton). Rush Limbaugh's high-spirited introduction for Neal included a yarn about his getting some advice from Boortz ahead of a tryout 20 years ago on Chicago's WLS. (It centered on the confusion about women drivers "fardeing" in the car - applying makeup - versus a common bodily function. It got Rush in a little trouble.) Rush joked that 17 years ago, he agreed to induct Neal into the hall of fame, "knowing it would never happen." And here's the "tarantula" tale, which came to me via email from Bryan-College Station GM Ben Downs. Years ago at WTAW, young Texas A&M student "Randy Neal" was the sign-off guy when he got an idea. "Self-assured with his ideas even then", says Ben, "Neal went out back and filled a shoebox with 30 of the tarantulas that would migrate through our area in the fall. He turned them loose in the studio and locked up for the night. When the morning jock arrived at 5:30, made coffee and turned on the transmitter, it was a horror movie nightmare made real - tarantulas were on the turntables, sitting on the record racks, everywhere." Boortz came back to help "squish and chase the spiders, and that was his last experience at WTAW - but given the Radio Hall of Fame award, everything seems to have worked out okay."
Congrats to the National Radio Hall of Fame class of 2009.
In order of their recognition Saturday night - Neal Boortz, with encomiums from Rush Limbaugh. "Dr. Demento" Barrett Hansen, who got a very original and funny tribute by Chicago's own "Johnny B" Jonathan Brandmeier, who wrapped up by saying "The Doctor is in…the hall of fame" - then dropped to one knee in homage. Westwood One founder Norm Pattiz, lauded by his pal Dennis Miller. (Norm thanked his longtime wife and L.A. radio legend Mary Turner, and remarked that "she oughta be in this joint, too"). Puerto Rico's legendary man of 200-character voices "Don Cholito" Jose Miguel Agrelot, who held the Guinness record for the longest solo radio show, and who was warmly inducted by Chicago TV personality Ana Belaval. Baseball Hall of Fame 2002 inductee and signature NFL Films voice Harry Kalas, who called the Phillies' first game at Veteran's Stadium in 1971, the last one there in 2003, the team's first game at the Citizen's Bank Park, and last year's World Series championship before dying this Spring. Chicago radio interviewer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel, who died just this year at age 96. Former "Joy Boy" Ed Walker. And "Queen of All Media" Wendy Williams, who struggled with a balky microphone mount but plainly enjoyed her triumph. Congrats to them all, and to the Radio Hall of Fame effort led by President/CEO Bruce DuMont, his aide-de-camp Gina Loizzo, a dedicated board (which includes Radio-Info.com principal Rick Fleming), and supporters such as State Farm, which sponsored the live broadcast, and underwriters Premiere and American Airlines. Kudos also to awards show host George Noory of Premiere's Coast to Coast AM (who had some good UFO jokes) and unflappable "Announcer" pro Jim Bohannon. Even the banquet food was pretty decent, including a Radio Hall of Fame dessert.