Page 2 AUGUST, I949 sill %A/ lf" KC 5000 Watts e ... 1] Vol. IX No. 1 $1 per year 10c per copy Paid circulation for the month of July as of July 22. 12.388 notarized. The Dial is published the first of every month and serves radio fans in more than 100 counties in Missouri, Kansas. Arkansas and Oklahoma. as well as former Ozarkians in other states who are old friends of Radio Station KWTO. If the numbers 8-49 appear after your name on the address label at the top of page 20, your subscription expires with this issue. Address correspondence and renewals to * BABY OF THE MONTH Editor of The Dial, care of KWTO, Springfield. Missouri. The Editor will be One of the most spoiled—and admired- happy to answer your inquiries about past -juniors" in the KWTO family, is Laddie, and present KWTO personalities and fill 4-year-old toy Pinscher who is the pride your reouests for pictures you'd like to see and problem of News Chief Floyd, and in The Dial. Virginia, Sullivan. 1 .Alitt i t ilzig m i . gm * HERE'S THE MAIL THAT WELCOMED THE FIRST COPY OF THE DIAL Our birthday story on the opposite page Ralph Foster, Mrs. Gladys McKee, former will tell you how long ago this picture was KWTO secretary, and Bill Bailey, smiling taken. The beaming characters in it are happily over orders for the very first Dial. AUGUST, 1949 Pa qe 3 THE DIAL BEGINS HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! . • • ITS NINTH YEAR Comparative newcomers to the big give members of the Dial family the best KWTO Dial family of 60,000 would be possible magazine, was more firmly estab- surprised to learn how often we hear, from lished than ever. subscribers: -I've been taking The Dial Leafing through the first three or four since the very beginning and have saved copies in our files, it's interesting to inven- them all—even that first free copy!" tory the KWTO-ers who are still with us. 'We're always pleased and encouraged The turn-over in radio is tremendous, so by such loyalty, especially when another it's surprising how many old-timers are still anniversary rolls around and we look back here. Floyd Sullivan, News Chief, has upon the years of struggle and experiment been writing his Dial column under the same to make the magazine a success. title since the first issue. It also carried For the benefit of those who came in late, a picture of C. T. Patterson, the brilliant let's review the beginnings of The Dial: and kindly man who is still, as then, re- It originated, as most big KWTO ideas search director for Lipscomb. do. in a casual, feet-on-the-desk pow-wow Smokey Lohman. now on National Barn in the office of President and General Man- Dance. and Buster Fellows, a KWTO favor- ager Ralph Foster. The problem: Thou- ite still, were pictured in the first Spotlight sands of people were writing KWTO every column. And the names and pictures of year asking for information about the stars. Al and Lee Stone, Bill Bailey, Fritz Bauer Wasn't there some way of answering their and Leslie L. Kennon (then National Ad- questions without hiring a whole battalion vertising Manager) appeared that fall. of stenographers? Bill Ring was an indispensable then, as "How about a monthly newspaper?" now. Lou Black was described as -the most somebody suggested. natural, unaffected fella on the staff. - Zed And in three weeks KWTO had one— Tennis was quoted, in the second issue, as named by Ralph Nelms. introduced by Bill saying of a grinning beauty who visited the Bailey on his -What's New on the Air" studios: -She's more dental than mental!" program, authored by practically everybody George Earle, not yet a Dial columnist, in the building except the termites, and was the "Man on the Street." Slim Wilson, dated August 15, 1941. This first copy. Aunt Martha and Junior Haworth smiled offered free, was ordered by 9.000 Ozarkians from the picture accompanying a Goodwill who were invited to subscribed to the 8-page, Family story. There was news of Judy tabloid-size newspaper at 50 cents for six and Jane. who are still with us. and a pic- months. A short-term offer was considered ture of the girl who plays Flossie Herring- safest; suppose The Dial demand wasn't bone in the Ma Perkins series, which returns great enough to keep it up? to KWTO Aug. Iat 1:15 P. M. The demand was greater than anybody Jim West. the Shaffer Sisters, Boots and at KWTO expected, and The Dial grew Bobbie, Jack Baker, Hugh Aspinwall are steadily to a prominent place in the Ozarks among the ones who moved on. but the scene under the successive editorships of nucleus of the Dial family gathered to- Ralph Nelms, now head of Nelms fi Fulling- gether by Ralph Foster has remained essen- ton Advertising Agency: Wayland Fulling- tially the same. ton, now program director of WIRE. In- dianapolis: James Fuson. now managing a * OZARKOLOGY station in Tuscola. Ill., and the present edi- tor. It remained a tabloid newspaper until Shorty Thompson. a fast man with a good March, 1948, when it changed to the pres- laugh. has been beset by the housing short- ent size, and Dial friends of a year and a age ever since he returned to the Ozarks, half will recall what a disappointingly poor and hopes eventually to build on his farm cover that one was: It looked more like a near Mountain Grove. Meantime. Shorty glob of mud than a photograph! is authority for the fact that -the only man Loyal KWTO fans stuck with us, how- satisfied with his lot in life is the one who ever. and their reward came in the form of has a house on it. Seriously, - he continues, expensive but worthwhile "bonuses": An -this talk about hard times comin' on is a increase to 20 pages with the April issue; lot of nonsense. Who ever heard of a the addition of color covers and high-grade. depression in the midst of a housing short- glossy outside stock in May. The policy of age?" he asks. -There aren't enough doors losing money on The Dial on purpose, to for the wolves to be at!" Page 4 AUGUST, I949 BY THE EDITOR INSIDE AT THE STUDIO . • OF THE DIAL Chuck Bowers, George Rhodes and Buzz swallowed the worm on his hook, a two- Fellows kept the most unusual personal ap- and-a-half pound bass swallowed the perch, pearance engagement of the year at Rock- Andy hauled them both in and found the away mid-month. The square-dancers they worm in shape to toss in again! * * were to play for didn't arrive—but they got paid anyway .. Did you hear the Red Myrtie Dean Litle, sweetheart of the Star Cornfield Follies program on the after- switchboard, had the vacation thrill of her noon that Chuck and Doc Martin not only life—a trip to New York City. KWTO replaced Homer and Jethro, who were away stay-at-homes could tell what a wonder- that day, but sang the garbled H. Et J. ful time she was having from the deluge version of -Tennessee Border?" It was done of postcards with pictures of Empire State as a gag, and was as much of a surprise Building (she went to the top), St. Patrick's to emcee Bill Ring as it was to others on Cathedral across from Rockefeller Center on the show, but Homer and Jethro pretended Fifth Ave.. one of the world's biggest res- to take it seriously. "Days .. weeks .. taurants. in Brooklyn. She's been starry- years we spent perfecting that lovely num- eyed since her return . Watch next ber!" they howled. -And you come along month's Dial for the picture of Les and Ruth and steal it from us!" Kennon's delightful new home •. Accord- • * * ing to Slim Wilson: -Folks say that split- A kindly landlord (there are quite a few, ting the atom has caused a lot of trouble. really) came to the rescue of Doc, Merle But look what happened when Adam was and Mickey Martin, who found vacation- (Continued on page THIRTEEN) time upon them before they'd made plans. They spent a few days at the landlord's * COVER STORY private cottage on Lake of the Ozarks, where Doc caught some nice bass and perch. The Dial Question Column anticipates the Just one afternoon of fishing was enough query many of you will want to make after for small but independent Mickey. "I seeing our August cover: wouldn't want to sit that still for that long," Q. Are Homer and Jethro people? he said, "even in a good movie. Besides. A. We're still trying to find out. Idon't like fish!" .. The Martins rounded Whatever these face-making, phrase- out their two-week holiday with a visit to making zanies are, they're certainly famous. Kansas City . Gene Monbeck got an RCA Victor took a full page ad in Bill- answer to his "ad," in last month's Inquiring board Magazine June 25 to advertise their Reporter column, from Rhyming Rita, who recording of -Baby, It's Cold Outside," and apparently deserted Don Dailey to encour- to feature a big picture of them with June age Gene in his search for a spouse. Carter, who made the record with them. • * • The disk is selling like wildfire, and record You'll find some evidence of how the heat columns in national magazines predict it wave hit KWTO in the first and second will be the top-selling "oattune" (hillbilly pictures on page 9.