April Newsletter April 2006 Issue 8 April Meeting Reception 11:45 a.m. Bala Golf Club Lunch 12:15 p.m. April 19, 2006 Ratecard $25.00 Reservations 856-365-5600 or [email protected] April brings us portents of sum- getting the last laugh. She ma- Don’t miss it. Inside this issue: mer’s coming with flowers jored in religious studies at the blooming, birds chirping and at University of Virginia, and More Happenings 2 Bala Golf Club, on the 19th of came to Philadelphia in the April, Pioneers get to meet with promotion department. In 2004 old friends from radio and tele- she got her present position And More 2 vision. which includes executive pro- This month we’ll get to know a ducing all non-news local spe- And….. 2 little better Caroline Foy cials, including Boscov’s Welch, who was teased as a Thanksgiving Day Parade. child because she read TV Again, it’s $25 for lunch, we Guide cover-to-cover. Now will meet at 11:45, lunch at that she is Vice President of 12:15. Make reservations by Programming at 6 ABC, she’s calling 856-365-5600 or email [email protected]. Happenings “I don’t want to achieve immortality through my In addition to hearing the re- Fame, Bill Baldini of WCAU, Nominees for Broadcast Pio- work. I want to achieve doubtable Ms. Welch at the Monica Malpass of WPVI-TV neers’ officers for the upcom- immortality through not April meeting, you will also and Larry Mendte of KYW- ing term: dying.” meet the winners of this year’s TV are the selected, along with Pres. Gerry Wilkinson Woody Allen scholarships. The communica- Alan Stone who labored for VP Barry Reismam tions majors who will receive many years doing the news at VP Jerry Klein the $1,500 scholarships are WFIL during Phil Sheridan’s Sec. Shirley Morris from LaSalle University, morning show. Treas. Pat Delsi Rowan, Temple, University of Delaware and Cabrini College. One new member will be added Congratulations to them all. Wonderful meeting last month to the Board of Directors; with many members enjoying Carol W. Leebron, of the Please send items They had to beat a record num- for the newsletter to ber of applicants. the fellowship and food and Greater Philadelphia Radio hearing Larry Kane. Larry Group. Paul Norton, 205 was very generous with his Ocean View Blvd., Congratulations to the nomi- Lewes, DE 19958, or The Person of the Year and time talking over an hour to the nees and to Dorie Lenz and her Hall of Fame inductees for the group about his views on politi- call 1-302-645-8910, committee for their work in or year have been picked. Bill cal subjects and recounting his getting this together. Webber, our Chairman of the current activities. Make sure Email Board, the peripatetic Wee you don’t miss the next meet- Willie, has been chosen as Per- ing the details of which we [email protected] son of the Year. For Hall of have above, as it will include our scholarship winners. More Happenings VP Gerry Wilkinson advises that our web- Philadelphia from Channel 3’s studio in the up on Frank Ford who is site is over 1 gig in size (1000 megs). Architect’s Building. Later helped produce coming along great from his That’s a lot of material, for us non- Florence Hanford’s TV Kitchen, a first in stroke in September. He technical people. The average business or Philadelphia, and maybe in the country. expects to discard his walker shortly, and is organization has 47 megs. We’re over 20 Florence, incidentally, is still alive and now in therapy only twice a week. Ed says times as large, which means all luncheon well. Bob was, at $100 a week, the first that Shelly Gross has a few physical ail- speakers, and Hall of Fame / Person of the TV salesman in the market. He sold the ments, but plays chess on the computer Year banquets have been archived on the first TV commercial shortly after starting at with people all over the world. Shelly and site (audio or video) for the last 6 years. Channel 3. It was a 4 slide 20 second spot Joanie attend opera and symphonies regu- 5,000,000 visitors have checked the site. for his dad’s Jawer Auto Supply and aired larly, and have just completed a course in Friday at 10:00 pm preceding the Gillette psychology at Florida Atlantic University. fights. He thinks he got 200 bucks com- Ed, of course, continues his writing for the Last month we chronicled Ray mission. Would you believe? Advertising / Communications Times. Rosenberg’s, Yardis Corporation, firsts, so Here we have three Pioneers from the very this month we’ll check Bob Jawer’s firsts. early days of TV and radio in Philadelphia. Produced the first TV beauty contest in Our friend Ed Harvey has been checking And More Frank Jelinek has died at 86. He used to Thanks to Mel Klawansky who points out bers family and friends. Walt Jr’s email is attend our meetings regularly with his wife. that Merrill Reese’s radio station, WBCB, [email protected]. He was host of “Dining Around” for more where Irv Homer works, is in Levittown, than three decades on WWDB, WCAU not Doylestown. Seems to me we made (AM) and WPEN. The program originated this mistake before. from over 220 locations which may have been a record for this type of program. It is scarcely possible to Walt Erickson, Jr. visited our website and Frank was taught cooking by James Beard. content the French, because The Jelinek’s flew on the Concorde to saw his dad’s photo, and loved reading their self-appreciation knows Europe, sailed on dozens of cruises, trav- about people who were part of his life no reasonable limits.” eled by hot air balloon, sailboat, private when he was a kid growing up in Philly. Prince Bismarck 6/11/1890 yacht, and by camel. More details on our Walt Sr. is near 90 years old, and he and website. Frank will be missed by his many Betty, married 56 years, live in Williston, friends in and out of Pioneers. VT. He has Alzheimer’s but still remem- And….. Traffic and weather maven John Brown at Adirondack Community College in New Gene Crane and his wife, up from Mexico, will be out for six weeks while he has knee York and taught there for 4 years, then and Pat and Jack Whittaker in the desert. replacement surgery May 2 at Bryn Mawr. produced travel and tourism for New York He hopes to be back in six weeks. John’s State 1976 to 2005. Now, he has been thinking about selling his place in the Po- elected Mayor of the City of Glens Falls, Member Jonathon P. Casey of WSNJ cono’s after enjoying Key West recently. NY. He sends greetings to John Roberts, 1240 / WMVB 1440 continues doing his He has also grown his hair long, well below Paul Norton and others he knew during his Legends programs which will be added to the shoulders, to donate to locks of love time at WFIL. the Pioneers Museum at Rowan University. which will make a fine wig for someone. Jon, who recently underwent lung surgery, is back at work sounding great. He’s doing Jane Norman (aka Pixanne) has just re- his part to keep memories alive of about 20 Some of you may remember Roy Atkins. turned to Palm Springs, CA from doing a Legends from Dick Clark to Al Alberts. He was an engineer for WFIL radio (1964- very successful show in Las Vegas. She He does a one hour on-air interview with 71). Roy left WFIL to teach broadcasting and husband Frank Beazley met with each of the Legends and then gives a copy to the Museum. Page 2 April .