Award winning journalist John Rayburn covered major news and sporting events for more than 60 years on radio and television. He offers here a witty and warm-hearted account of historic developments in seven decades of broadcasting, including recollections of Edward R. Murrow’s live broadcasts from London in World War II, the heyday of Little Orphan Annie and her secret decoder badges, and the early days of live (and sometimes flub-filled) television broadcasts.
Using an extensive on-air career as a centerpiece, the 115,000 word story digs into behind the scenes broadcast activities that never reach the public eye or ear. The early days of broadcasting were often on a sort of catch-as-catch-can basis but improvements were introduced that broadened the scope of the industry. The so-called “Golden Age of Radio” would have been shortened by the advent of television but introduction of the visual medium was put on hold by the need for more metals and electronics in World War II.
His list of interviews included the likes of Ronald Reagan (then SAG President), then-Senator John F. Kennedy, a special occasion with Presidents Nixon and Truman, plus numerous other well-known politicians. His sports interviews and conversations included Stan Musial, Bob Feller, Bill Veeck, John Elway, Johnny Unitas, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey and numerous others with the stories included in this book. The author’s often humorous encounters with such individuals as Jane Russell, Debbie Reynolds, Bill Stern, Alex Trebek, Red Buttons, Burl Ives, Milton Berle and Jimmy Carter are an added bonus. The stories wrap up with details of a hilarious live collapse of a television show set with the author pinned underneath. Many photographs are included.