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LA Radio Programming from the 40's

davideduardo

davideduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
If you like seeing what the LA stations were doing in the past, I just acquired an extensive collection of the Los Angeles publication called Radio Life. Over 100 issues spanning 1943 to 1946 are now available to view on the web. This Los Angeles radio program weekly contains both the daily programming of LA stations and articles about stations and personalities. And there are plenty of ads for the stations and their programs. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Radio_Life_Guide.htm

I will be adding issues from 1947 and 1948 this week. I'm looking for more issues, particularly the ones from the 1930's.
 
Jim Hilliker also has a huge collection of Radio Life magazines. Occasionally some issues turn up on EBay. Thank you, David, for making your copies available online. And, speaking of Jim Hilliker, here is a story he wrote detailing how KFI and KHJ covered the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. Live broadcasts were forbidden. Go figure!

http://jeff560.tripod.com/olympics.html
 
Thank you for these posts. I grew up in Orange County and have many fond memories of LA Radio. My Mother moved to Buena Park in 1929 and used to tell me about the radio world or the 30's & 40's. Enjoyed the article on Spade Cooley very much.

Jim Shannon
 
Gadzooks! Spade Cooley! My German-born grandmother used to watch Cooley's Saturday-night program on KTLA-Channel 5 in the early 1950s. He was fired, presumably because of his drinking, and resurfaced on KTTV-Channel 11. When KLAC adopted a country music format in 1970, they played a few Spade Cooley songs, including Fidoodlin'. They also played Stuart Hamblen, Molly Bee, Doye O'Dell and Gene Autry---but those artists did not remain on the playlist for very long. They were replaced by John Denver, Billy Swan, Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John. *Sigh*
 
LARadioRewind said:
Gadzooks! Spade Cooley! My German-born grandmother used to watch Cooley's Saturday-night program on KTLA-Channel 5 in the early 1950s. He was fired, presumably because of his drinking, and resurfaced on KTTV-Channel 11. When KLAC adopted a country music format in 1970, they played a few Spade Cooley songs, including Fidoodlin'. They also played Stuart Hamblen, Molly Bee, Doye O'Dell and Gene Autry---but those artists did not remain on the playlist for very long. They were replaced by John Denver, Billy Swan, Anne Murray and Olivia Newton-John. *Sigh*
Click to expand...

Spade Cooley had quite an inglorious end to his life. He went further downhill after he decided to retire with his much younger wife and live a hermit's existence in the upper desert, with occasional appearances. He suspected that his wife was cheating on him, so he murdered her. He did time in Vacaville State Prison and died while doing a benefit concert he was allowed to do while still serving time.
 
That's right...gadzooks! Spade Cooley had a 15 min. live show, M-Fri on I think Ch. 11. I do remember something about him getting fired.

My Mom told me she used to listen to the Grand Ole Opry on KFI in the 30's.

Jim Shannon
 
Spade Cooley was a talent who in his day "had it all" in Los Angeles. Unfortunately a combination of changing music tastes, anger issues, booze and philandering led to his being eclipsed. The story of his being fired by KTLA is true. He "retired" a few years later with a nest egg estimated at $10 million - truly a lot of money at the time. But then he became a certified alcoholic and became paranoid about his wife, who died from a savage beating at her hands. He was tried and went to prison.

Years later, sober, contrite and presumably rehabilitated he applied for parole with the support of then Governor Ronald Reagan. It was granted but Cooley died shortly before it was to take effect while on special release to do a benefit program.

Here is a detailed account of his life:

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/celebrity/spade_cooley/index.html
 
So Spade Cooley killed his wife.

In 1971, Humble Harve was working evenings at KHJ. He lost his job after he shot and killed his wife. I listened to KHJ for several hours right after the news broke. The murder was mentioned on only one newscast and Harve was referred to as simply "Los Angeles disc jockey Harvey Miller."

Are there other Los Angeles DJs who killed a spouse? Or maybe I don't really want to know...
 
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