While viewing the Dayton Broadcasters Hall of Fame website, I noticed there was no mention of Dayton’s WSMK Radio...Why is that?
Not only did WSMK offer the listening audience the well-regarded "Children’s Home Hour", but it did so at a time when our country was struggling just as it is today. The Home Hour was so well regarded that it was featured in the Dayton Daily News under the column “Kiddies Kilocycle Kolumn” by Uncle Jim. I would also like to mention the column “Radio Highlights by Jim Proud” with offered newsy tidbits about WSMK.
Stanley M Krohn was general manager and Jack “Toots” to you” Wymer was the announcer and let’s not forget Sidney Ten Eyck, another WSMK announcer. Also, I would like to mention Tommy Dunkelberger, band leader at WSMK, to paraphrase an article about him “...He joined WSMK in May, 1933, but has appeared as band leader and guest artist on stations WLW, WSAI, WKRC and WKZO." Allow me to also include Helene Blue, WSMK program directress and also “The Voice of Indigo” on Monday nights. During this time period, WSMK was referred to as “The Journal-Herald station”.
Although short-lived, WSMK and The Children’s Home Hour offered an exciting and accessible platform for the Dayton area’s talented children who entertained both the adults and fellow students and friends of the performers. The Children’s Home Hour gave a brief respite from the troubles of our Nation at unrest with Germany and the economy failing at a rapid pace.
My mother, Carolyn Ruth Penrod, began performing on the Children’s Home Hour at the age of 3 years or 1932 and did so through, I believe, 1937. She, along with many other fellow performers, entertained in a variety of formats and at locations all over the Dayton area and set a positive and wholesome example for other children, her age and older, which I’m sure was not soon forgotten.
My mother passed away March 23, 2009 at the age of 79 years. She was the mother of seven children. She taught us all that she knew and learned herself as a result of being on the Children’s Home Hour. We were well educated in virtually all of the arts.
For you to omit such an important time in Dayton’s radio history saddens me. There are no more wholesome child performers to look up to after this time period. Television took the place of Radio and with it took away the imagination of the world. We no longer have anything to offer our youth in any way like we did back then. There are no local avenues to pursue, no desire to promote any of the arts or talents of our young people. Radio has gone “Sports” and music...it offers nothing to the community but charitable and sports functions. Not to say that those two functions are not commendable but what do they offer our youngest of citizens? What participation do our youngest of citizens have in those functions? None. It appears to have become an adult community with our children getting left behind, ignored and forgotten.
As I write this, I wonder...how many of the Children’s Home Hour entertainers are still living? Wouldn’t it be fun to find out? A reunion perhaps? Ah, the stories these youngsters, now adults, could tell us about radio!
So, please...honor Dayton Radio first, not for what it is but for what it was and what it offered and what it stood for...then honor the people...all of them.
With the hope that Radio may yet turn itself around, I am
Sincerely yours,
Linda C Wiley
A daughter of Carolyn Ruth Penrod
Not only did WSMK offer the listening audience the well-regarded "Children’s Home Hour", but it did so at a time when our country was struggling just as it is today. The Home Hour was so well regarded that it was featured in the Dayton Daily News under the column “Kiddies Kilocycle Kolumn” by Uncle Jim. I would also like to mention the column “Radio Highlights by Jim Proud” with offered newsy tidbits about WSMK.
Stanley M Krohn was general manager and Jack “Toots” to you” Wymer was the announcer and let’s not forget Sidney Ten Eyck, another WSMK announcer. Also, I would like to mention Tommy Dunkelberger, band leader at WSMK, to paraphrase an article about him “...He joined WSMK in May, 1933, but has appeared as band leader and guest artist on stations WLW, WSAI, WKRC and WKZO." Allow me to also include Helene Blue, WSMK program directress and also “The Voice of Indigo” on Monday nights. During this time period, WSMK was referred to as “The Journal-Herald station”.
Although short-lived, WSMK and The Children’s Home Hour offered an exciting and accessible platform for the Dayton area’s talented children who entertained both the adults and fellow students and friends of the performers. The Children’s Home Hour gave a brief respite from the troubles of our Nation at unrest with Germany and the economy failing at a rapid pace.
My mother, Carolyn Ruth Penrod, began performing on the Children’s Home Hour at the age of 3 years or 1932 and did so through, I believe, 1937. She, along with many other fellow performers, entertained in a variety of formats and at locations all over the Dayton area and set a positive and wholesome example for other children, her age and older, which I’m sure was not soon forgotten.
My mother passed away March 23, 2009 at the age of 79 years. She was the mother of seven children. She taught us all that she knew and learned herself as a result of being on the Children’s Home Hour. We were well educated in virtually all of the arts.
For you to omit such an important time in Dayton’s radio history saddens me. There are no more wholesome child performers to look up to after this time period. Television took the place of Radio and with it took away the imagination of the world. We no longer have anything to offer our youth in any way like we did back then. There are no local avenues to pursue, no desire to promote any of the arts or talents of our young people. Radio has gone “Sports” and music...it offers nothing to the community but charitable and sports functions. Not to say that those two functions are not commendable but what do they offer our youngest of citizens? What participation do our youngest of citizens have in those functions? None. It appears to have become an adult community with our children getting left behind, ignored and forgotten.
As I write this, I wonder...how many of the Children’s Home Hour entertainers are still living? Wouldn’t it be fun to find out? A reunion perhaps? Ah, the stories these youngsters, now adults, could tell us about radio!
So, please...honor Dayton Radio first, not for what it is but for what it was and what it offered and what it stood for...then honor the people...all of them.
With the hope that Radio may yet turn itself around, I am
Sincerely yours,
Linda C Wiley
A daughter of Carolyn Ruth Penrod