January 6, 1985
Perhaps it’s the beginning of a cycle. Four years ago, there were nearly a dozen places to tune for occasional golden-age radio series.
Then there were none.
Sunday, KPLU, 88.5 mHz, reintroduces two comedy series, “Fibber McGee and Molly,” at 7 p.m., and “You Bet Your Life,” with Groucho Marx, at 7:30.
The characater of Fibber McGee and Molly were created in 1935 by Jim and Marian Jordan. The program was an NBC Tuesday-night mainstay until 1952 and introduced at least one everlasting image into audio lexicons: Fibber McGee’s closet, with a sequence of sound effects that ends in a tinkling little bell.
The program introduced two characters who moved into their own radio series – the original spinoffs: “Gildersleeve” and “Beulah.”
Marian Jordan died in 1961. Jim Jordan still lives in California.
While “You Bet Your Life” is most remembered as a TV series, sound tracks from the TV show were fed weekly to NBC Radio’s magazine-type national weekend series, “Monitor.”
The vintage tapes come from Nostalgia Corp., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Gene Kellenberger, of Nostalgia Corp., said the tapes had been donated to the Library of Congress but released to his firm, which holds licensing rights for several NBC series.
Twisting the dial
J Michael Kenyon returns to the air, in Tacoma, co-hosting a 7-to-9 p.m. “Sports Central” talk show with Dave Heaverlo, former Seattle Mariner pitcher and ex-Tacoma Tigers pitching coach, Mondays only on KAMT, 1360 kHz…Answering a plea for more jazz, KEZX, 98.9 mHz, introduces “The Jazz Show,” nightly two-hour feature, beginning 10 p.m. Monday. The selections will be compatible with selections regularly integrated into KEZX’s format…KARR, 1460 kHz, Kirkland, has signed on (replacing KGAA) with a syndicated format called “Music of Your Life,” most noted for its big-band music, but also with a blend of contemporary tunes…the Tacoma talk station KPMA signed off for good at year’s end. Originally known as KTNT-AM, under new owners the station soon hit rough times and entered bankruptcy. Don Atkinson, KPMA’s principal owner, said he has filed for Federal Communications Commission permission to move the frequency to Silverdale, Kitsap County, where he thinks an expanding economy will help out the station.
Former radio columnist for the Seattle Times (1964-1989).
— View other articles by Victor Stredicke
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