March Newsletter

March 2001

Issue 7

March Meeting Reception 12:00 noon Lunch 12:30 p.m. Bala Golf Club Ratecard $16.00 March 14, 2001 Phone 215-563-1310 or 856-365-5600 Inside this issue: MARCH COMES IN people in broadcasting which WITH A COUPLE OF LI- didn’t get on the air. Between More Happenings 2 them, Howard and Norton have ONS! And More 2 a hundred years in broadcast- We return to old haunts for the ing, and they’ll discuss people Wednesday, March 14 meeting. An even more 2 who were their most interesting Please note that we are back at interviews, their most unusual BALA GOLF CLUB for the incidents on the air, people’s get-together. The Program will continuing fascination with Jim be Marc Howard and Paul O’Brien and so on. Norton. For many years Marc, host, and Paul, producer, had The usual stipulations apply.

Thursday afternoon sessions Don’t fail to call 215-563-1310 putting together questions for or 856-365-5600 to make reser- the program ‘Inside Story with vations. Again, for this meet- Marc Howard’ (10:30 a.m. ing we are at Bala Golf Club. Sunday - Channel 6). These sessions produced controversial Please mark your calendars: questions of abortion, politics, In April our speaker will be gun control, etc. which the Sun- Al Meltzer, in May, the schol- day morning panel would con- arships, and in June we’ll DYNAMIC DUO APPEARING sider. It also produced many hear from Gene Crane. ON MARCH 14 AT BALA! hours of conversation regarding Please don’t forget if you don’t send information Happenings you can’t be in the news- letter. We missed ‘Wee Willie’ Bill the needed surgery. He is now Tallulah Bankhead, in May a Webber at the January meeting on the mend and anticipates no London-based “Inquirer” piece Please address to: Paul and it’s because Bill had a sur- further problems, and he about the TV song and dance Norton, 205 Ocean View prise awakening which ended sounds great on his regular debut of the late Sir John Giel- Blvd., Lewes, DE 19958, with him in the ICU at Jeffer- Saturday stint on WPEN. gud, one of the four Sirs he met or call 1-302-645-8910, or e-mail nan- son Hospital with what was Harry Harris, who used to do abroad. diagnosed as a bleeding duode- [email protected], or fax to 1- interviews for the “Bulletin” John and Anna Mae Butter- 302-644-9036. nal ulcer in his abdomen. Bill and the “Inquirer” is reminisc- worth recently returned to Can- says the people in the ICU were ing about some of them in his cun for their second trip this wonderful. His doctor, Dr. “Funtime” column for the year. They love it. Buyski, the Chief of Surgery at monthly “Vintage.” In March Jeff came in at 3 am to perform Member Bill Russell and his he recalls “Bulletin” chat with bride recently celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss. More Happenings

Former Person-of-the-Year, Hall-of-Fame, Jane could indulge extensive trips. In addition to John’s work on the scholar- and international globetrotter, George John Roberts reports that applications ship committee for the club he stays busy Koehler, reports he is not doing much have been sent to 32 colleges and universi- as Treasurer of the Plymouth Township now—just a couple of local trips. He went ties in the tri-state area. Three $2,000 Senior Citizens group. John and Agnes to Williamsburg for the Grand Illumination scholarships will be awarded to sophomore recently made a trip to New York for “Kiss and a trip by car around North Jersey, Up- and junior students who have displayed Me, Kate” in revival on Broadway, and in per New York State, Pennsylvania, seeing aptitude in communications studies at our November, plan a Mississippi riverboat the sights and winding up at the Air Force meeting in May. Last year’s winners were: trip. Museum again. A little over a year ago the Lauren Bercarich of Villanova, Michele Di Condolences to Ed Elias on the recent Koehlers went to Peru for three weeks Veterano of Temple and Michelle Mahan loss of his mother. She was 100 years where he realized a longtime dream of see- of LaSalle. Many schools had wonderful old. ing Machu Picchu and to Cuzco at 11- applicants for the awards, including the 12,000 feet. He says it’s a good idea to University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg “I went to a fight the other night, and a ‘watch your back’ while there. George is and Rowan. Hockey Game broke out.” glad that they got their travel in while wife Rodney Daggerfield And more…..

A lot of the WWDB crew are landing on broadcasting Sundays 1 to 3 pm with the reluctant Eskin “If you don’t take it, I’ll their feet after the local station told their “Dining Around,” while daughter Chris- kick your, er, tail.” longtime talk show hosts that they are go- tine and son-in law Ken Norris will do Joe Piscopo came up to him recently at a ing to an all music format. Sid Mark was “Travel and Dine” features Monday Gary Maddox affair and said “Hiya, How- immediately hired by WPHT for his week- through Friday at a time TBA. ard.” Howard said “Where do I know you end Sinatra shows. Howard Eskin has a tough life. He goes from?” Piscopo said he had seen him on And Irv Homer, who is still on contract to the Super Bowl and all the All Star “George Michael’s Sports Machine” which is with the station, is pursuing charitable games to talk to players and coaches so he seen on 145 stations around the country in- (Sunshine Foundation), and voice-over knows what’s going on. He began his ca- cluding the top 15 markets. Howard used to work. Irv says that in June the Foundation reer in Atlantic City for $1.60 an hour, and spin records for Michael who was a disc will have 35 progenies children from now makes a lot more than that working 3 jockey at WFIL in the sixties, and Howard around the world in at the to 7 on WIP, and doing sports for WCAU- his engineer. Adams Mark. They recently took 110 chil- TV 10. Howard thinks he has been on the dren to Florida. Irv who still appears on air continuously longer in Philadelphia than “Inside Story with Marc Howard” will be any other anchor. He began in 1976, prior “When you're as great as I able to attend more meetings now that he is to Jim Gardner, he thinks. Do you know? am, it’s hard to be hum- not on the daily 12 noon to 3 pm grind. He says Jim O’Brien was the most influen- ble.” The Jelinek’s, Mary and Frank, report tial person in his career. When KYW-TV 3 Mohammed Ali they will be on WPEN for their 27th year in offered him a job in 1982 O’Brien said to

And even more…. While Irv Ross had a recent visit to Lankenau they visited Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona of Government, University of Pennsylvania Hospital to fight a staph infection, he says he where they saw the Biosphere, an experiment for which an official opening will be coming is feeling fine and enjoys retirement. He to see how people do in an enclosed environ- up. The school will be a resource for research spent fifteen months as a consultant but ment. work. stopped that in July of 2000 and now indulges Former President Dave Abramson is keep- Dave also collects antique TV sets of which in various ventures with a group of friends ing, very, very busy with his new large Mac he says he has a houseful. Three are pre- that includes his passion for flying. computer into which he puts video for his WWII sets, and Dave is always looking for If you’ve missed Alan Tripp at meetings, it various projects, and edits them there. he more, if you know of any. He recently rebuilt is because he now spends six months (guess then downloads the product to his lap-top and an old RCA TK11 camera (the ones with the which six) at sunny LaJolla, California. He carries it to clients for viewing and editing, if lenses on the turret), which he now has in his attends lectures, but perhaps more impor- need be, right there. dining room. He’s looking for old WFIL tantly, near the Torrey Pines Golf course He has been doing some work for the Jerry decals, if anyone knows where such can be where they practice their golf. In February Lee Center of Criminology at the Fels Center found.

Page 2 March Newsletter