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sure if I come back. Yeah. Sonoma County, a diverse county of over one million acres, is famed for its agriculture, industry and recreation, boasting a booming economy and a unique lifestyle for its citizens. Described by the same Luther Burbank as the

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chosen spot of all the Earth, Sonoma County is the place to live, work and play as we move into the 21st century. Led by the forward looking philosophy of its governing bodies, Cinema Counties, 340,000 residents are, Ah, harmonious, successful blend of ethnic and economic backgrounds. We

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invite you to take a closer look at Sonoma County in the nineties with your host, Rich McGlinchy. How you doing? Everybody? Welcome to another edition of the normal kind in the nineties, another episode of broadcast legends. Recently, we had a program with Tech, Castleman and moral

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Ross who are legends in the radio field. Certainly. And today we're having to more gentlemen who are also broadcast legends on the left. Your screen is Let's see. That's Rod Sherry, you remembered. Yes, that is right. In the middle of screen is very fall hybrids. These

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gentlemen in broadcast legend two. Ladies and gentlemen, they They go back many, many years, like Ideo and they spent many of years and radio have earned joined me and Republicans mentioned later on, but we're gonna talk about their time and radio run. Um, you're probably a

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familiar face to a lot of people that might be tuning in if they have good memories. Rich not that long ago. Well, I mean, what the hell? 19 9 Uh, Rod, why don't you first of all, just give us a brief rundown of your how you

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got into radio and television and where you went from there? Well, uh, down that, that could be brief because it covers such a span of years. Almost 1/2 century. You these 92nd? Well, OK. Well, uh, my first radio experience was actually during my high school years

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in ah, in Buffalo, New York. And what happened was in the drama class. A friend of mine heard about some auditions that were being held at one of the local radio stations, and he needed a little moral courage and said What? I go with it. And

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so we both went down auditioned. Unfortunately, they didn't call him back, but they called me back. And so, for I guess it was almost two years in high school. I did radio drama and the writer of that syriza, although we did several theories, but the one

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I was hired for. The writer of that Siri's, um, later became famous as the writer of the Lone Ranger France striker when it was syndicated on the Green Hornet and so on. It's over and those were fun and was an invaluable training ground because very often

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we didn't know what happened to our characters in the script because often they weren't finished when we went on the air and we would be brought pages on the old onion skin paper that didn't rattle. And then we would know what happened to us s. Oh,

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it was great sight reading, which stood me Well, in later years. Um, then I had to ah, leave the college and I got a job with a new independent radio station in Buffalo. It was run by a former newspaper man who had secured backing, and, uh,

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I was the only non newspaper person on the staff. And, uh, that's where I began to learn my craft. Yeah, working for these hard bitten, trying to think of a kind word to call the state because they were crusty newspaper man, believe me, and and so

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they were they would write, heard on you for a misplaced middle initial or are something of that nature. So that's that's where it was owned. In essence, I had all the experience of a copyboy because I did everything they wanted me to do. I could write

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a bit at that point, and so that's the way it started. I worked. Then when I got more experience, I worked to other radio stations in the In the city, one on NBC Blue Network Station. This was when NBC at the two Nets Red and Blue,

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and I worked at the blue station for, ah, a couple of years. Then it came back to the first station as program director and head newscaster, And, uh, those were interesting days because, as program director, he could afford to work me horrendous hours. I went in

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at noon and worked until midnight every day, and ah, then I went to the CBS affiliate in Buffalo until such time as I went into the service. After that came back, worked for a while. Then television was there. I was waiting in the wings. But there

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was only one station in town because of the NBC freeze FCC freeze, I should say. And so I wanted TV. So that's when I came to California. I worked ah at KNX in Hollywood KNX radio as vacation relief. One of my big thrills at that point

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was to introduce Chet Huntley at night and that, Oh, I was in hog heaven doing that. And ah, then there was a station TV station going on the air in San Diego, right, Channel 10. I went down there with news anchor down there for 11 years

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than Westinghouse was meeting at the Loya Beach and Tennis Club, the program directors and top executives of Westinghouse from their stations around the country. And they were meeting at the tennis club in La Hoya and they watched me for two nights and called me after the

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second night and said, Would you like to come to San Francisco? I played it coy, of course, shaking in my boots all the time and said I'd consider it. I'd like to talk to my wife so I couldn't wait to go home, Doctor. My wife about

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it. So I came up to San Francisco and I worked there for eight years from tired in, uh, 1972 moved to Santa Rosa. And then, uh, when Channel 50 went on the air, they hired me, and I started out just working weekends for him, cause that's

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all I want to do, then took over the anchor spot at 10 o'clock and then became news director and retired again in 1981. Well, you know, one of the things I told the audience in our program recently is it one of things that I'm very impressed

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with the broadcast legends four years? That each and every one of them does a lot for the community of it? Most of us, most of them and us are retired general, from our from our, you know, usual method of livelihood. But I know you have worked

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with literate people, people helping out as the adult literally lean over. And I know it has all kinds of of community things because he and his wife north, um, you and Martha had their cutlery shop your way. Is that called the cookery crockery shop. Look, I

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did. I thought Children would remember it. And if you get Children remembering something, you've got the best sales with. The host has kind of a nursery rhyme lilt to it. Cookery, luxury, the crocodile shop Not not crooked. And a lot of people started out that way.

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But it's something that Children will remember on. I learned that from the radio or a TV station in San Diego where I worked. It has since changed its call letters. After I left, they wanted a new image I get anyway. It used to be Ko Geo

00:09:33.210 - 00:09:52.890

TV Kogo. They wanted us to use Kogo, and, uh, they picked those letters because it formed a word, not a word that anybody knew but a distinctive word and had a station symbol, kangaroo like character that we called the co guru that went out the supermarket

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openings and stuff like that and Children's race. So that's where I got the idea of of a catchy name. Yeah, we'll burn. Let's jump over you. Limit you, uh, first touch on your radio years. You began radio. You were from Indiana's. All right? Well, both my

00:10:10.740 - 00:10:25.990

wife Reynard are natives of Chicago. Okay, although, really, we're not proud of it. I will say that were considered more Hoosier from Indiana after the war. Well, I should say, Even before the war, I always wanted to get into broadcasting, always. And as a kid, I

00:10:25.990 - 00:10:43.410

was a very ardent come fan, and my mother and I used to go to the Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field, and I got to know some of the sports announcers there. How topten Bob Elson, Pat Flanagan on my chest, and I wanted to get into

00:10:43.420 - 00:11:01.430

sports, which I never did anyway. After the war, I got an old broadcasting annual and roll over 100 letters to broadcast stations all through the Midwest. Finally got a good response from the station in been sends Indiana Red Skeletons Hometown, and I got my first job

00:11:01.440 - 00:11:14.840

there and hardly knew what a microphone waas. But I got paid $32 a week and Bo I thought I was living in heaven and we got married and I stayed and been sends. Indiana worked up to be program director of W. A. O. V. That was

00:11:14.850 - 00:11:37.150

Alice of old, of incense on and have some very wonderful days there. The Freedom Train came through. Vince sends back around 1947 46 we broadcast from there, covered very incidence of kidnappings and playing Rex you like. And then in 48 I moved up to a station

00:11:37.150 - 00:11:54.920

new station in Evansville, Indiana W. J P s when I was a staff announcer there and worked up through the ranks as program director. Sales, etcetera. And finally, when I left in 1961 I was general manager and vice president of the station. Uh, Then when I

00:11:54.930 - 00:12:14.970

went to Washington for a National Association of Broadcasters convention in 60 the man who was the head of our national sales representative, George Bowling, asked if I would come out to California to manage a station that he was a majority owner in San Bernadino, California And

00:12:14.970 - 00:12:35.760

I accepted the offer only to realize, after my, uh, some early investigation of the station was under financed on the brink of bankruptcy and, uh left in 1961 62 then came up to Santa Rosa after I would searching for some sort of a job as the

00:12:35.770 - 00:12:50.110

public affairs officer for at that time the Office of Civil Defense over the old naval auxiliary station. And that's where you and I met. I believe back around that time, and I was the regional public affairs officer for then the Office of Civil Defense, followed by

00:12:50.110 - 00:13:08.070

the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, followed by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Healthy alphabet, a new actor or every 10 years, Or do we needed or not? Very. In 1979 when the agencies were consolidated into FEMA. Then I commuted from Santa Rosa to San Francisco until

00:13:08.070 - 00:13:28.140

I retired in 1990. But my broadcast years in Indiana and in San Bernardino are probably the most memorable ones. Well, and you had some very, very fascinating experiences meeting some wonderful people, and I can remember those very, very vividly. Well, I was gonna add to your

00:13:28.800 - 00:13:46.350

resume there by saying Burn also did, uh, appeared on radio on a period on television quite a lot during the 20 years or so that he was with FEMA or its acronyms. Before that, Uh, any person involved in emergency agencies where you're dealing with earthquakes, that

00:13:46.350 - 00:14:05.070

sort of thing is going to be in the news media and on the air all the time. He was a spokesperson for the sexy, particularly in emergencies. Because I know I have heard you and I, uh I love to hear this because it remind me I

00:14:05.080 - 00:14:18.090

was like, the same thing. I I don't know about high school. I was took dramatics for a couple years, but when I got out of the service, went to several junior college and they had radio program out. There was a pretty really small radio program. But

00:14:18.090 - 00:14:35.880

what we did was do every Sunday night, we did an hour long drama on chaos I wrote, and that was one of the actors. And I remember my most memorable role was that of a cat. And I had to me out in an understandable language for

00:14:35.880 - 00:14:53.620

the whole hour. When I got through, I didn't speak for three days, but, uh, gave you nine lives. Yes, I used him. All right, then, uh, and said what remind me of something else. I was of sports and was I was a sports writer at one

00:14:53.620 - 00:15:11.550

time or newspapers, but I do remember that my only opportunity to be a sports reporter was little station called K H U M that was here in Santa Rosa And get a lawyer somebody over, uh, with the DeGolyer family owned invitation. But anyway, I had a

00:15:11.550 - 00:15:27.760

five minute today spot, fourth round up and a 15 day minutes Saturday show. Well, 15 minutes Saturday show here, it was to me, was monumental. So I found out that a guy an email Davis had just become the coach of the Raiders. So I went out

00:15:27.770 - 00:15:42.820

to talk to him, You know, a real gruff group. I said, what I really wanted to know is, would you come down and talk to me in the station? That be my guest? Anybody else know? Okay, so he did it for six solid weeks. He came

00:15:42.980 - 00:15:55.010

every Saturday. He was my guest in our game and all that. Quite a cool. I mean, how has got a lot of enemies around the place, but to me, he was certainly needed rest to be paid for it. So, uh, he didn't ask to be paid

00:15:55.020 - 00:16:15.920

for. No, no, no. I know that too. You're not going to pay us? Hey, you accept your checks. Oh, well, we're glorifying our contract run pause. And ladies and gentlemen, Rod Sherry, burnt point and I will be back. Just him over to more broadcast legend. We'll

00:16:15.920 - 00:16:53.150

talk about the broadcast legends a little more to first, just like moons. And like sons with the certainty of tides. Just like hopes bringing still I rise, bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave. I am the hope and the dream off the slaves. And so I

00:16:53.160 - 00:17:14.450

rise. I right, I've had the same friends since I was a little kid. But this year, some of them started playing with these other kids. But they were like us. There were, you know, different. And I heard my big brother saying some pretty bad stuff about

00:17:14.460 - 00:17:41.850

people like them, but they seem pretty cool. Way had a pretty good time, so Well, maybe my brother doesn't know everything. You don't be afraid. Welcome back to this edition of the new Mechanic United. The second of our programs are broadcast legends. And as I said,

00:17:41.850 - 00:17:57.880

last recall Repeat. Now, these programs are a real ball for me. I sincerely hope that you're enjoying meeting listening to these broadcast legend because I know they were part of my past and I guess they're gonna be part of my future To were all together in

00:17:57.920 - 00:18:13.600

a broadcast legend deal. But before we go any further, right? I know you had an illustrious career in television. That really has been, uh, what I say about the folk Ladies, gentlemen, I'm not being facetious. I really have great respect for I'm gonna show much pictures

00:18:13.600 - 00:18:31.760

here. I want you to tell me what they are, briefly and what was taking place and where. Okay, well, that the first picture is a picture. When I was able to secure an exclusive interview in San Diego with the former President Eisenhower and one of the

00:18:31.980 - 00:18:48.610

hooks upon which I hung, it was to agree to work with them on a public service announcement he was making for United Way or something. Something like that. So I even held his cue cards, anything to get the interview for that interview. I could see it.

00:18:49.040 - 00:19:08.980

Uh, that is with then Vice President Hubert Humphrey. I was moderating a program called Newsmakers at Channel five in San Francisco, and he was our guest of the week. We all had to be cleared by the Secret Service. And so on before we could do the

00:19:08.980 - 00:19:29.860

interview. The next picture is, uh, a meeting of news men. John Chancellor, who was then with NBC, was in San Diego. I was working there at the time and he was in town for the 1960 presidential campaign. I want a bigger part. No, sneak this one

00:19:29.860 - 00:19:51.680

in that you'll find on most any post off while you were supposed to do that. McGlinchey uh, now, Yeah, This one, this one really dates me. Goes back to San Diego, and that gentleman sitting there with me is good. One night, who was then governor of

00:19:51.680 - 00:20:06.920

California? We did a Siri's every Sunday night called Ask Your One Night One. Sunday night it was the governor. The next night, it was the mayor of San Diego, the next Sunday night, a congressman and then a newsmaker of some sort. But he was certainly a

00:20:06.920 - 00:20:25.960

newsmaker. And you worked with you about this fast. I brought that as a gag and didn't intend it to be shown. But those were three staff members. That was the six and 11 oclock. News eyes the anchor, Rohan Karl. Not Carl Roland. That's the commentator in

00:20:25.960 - 00:20:47.460

Washington. I can't even think of his name. It's 35 years ago, but Alka pay on the end was our sports enough force announcer and somebody looked at that picture after it was printed and said, Good heavens, Mount Rushmore. You know, one of the things is most

00:20:47.630 - 00:21:01.600

evident when you talk to these folks would spend time with him is the great sense of humor they all have and how they're able to laugh at themselves because anybody who's been in broadcasting I've had some time radio sometimes really here with them. My program in

00:21:01.600 - 00:21:16.720

Sedalia program just celebrating his 24th anniversary. But, uh, anyone who's been in for very long knows that you made lots and lots and lots of mistakes Riel, bloopers. And if you can't laugh about him, you're in the wrong business. Gentlemen, I want to get off of

00:21:16.720 - 00:21:36.730

this now. A little bit in the next few minutes. Broadcast legends you to cloud to save myself a friend. Check Castleman, Noel Richardson, Bill Hillmann and those Roberts right now. Robinson. Yeah, I always wonder. Call him Richard. I'm not awful on 10 Anchorman Bill Helming The

00:21:36.740 - 00:21:51.530

fellas that were our core group with broadcast legend. Now, I'll ask you folks, How did this come about? Well, I think I could probably tell something about that Rich. You and I had lunch together after we both retired once a month or something like that. And

00:21:51.530 - 00:22:08.040

then we invited Rod. We invited, checked, and we invited nobles who moved to Sonoma. And then it was jet suggestion. Why don't we invite Ken Ackerman from KCBS? Could be. And I think that's really how we started our broadcast legends about a knoll, about five or

00:22:08.040 - 00:22:23.720

six of us that we invited Bill Hillmann to join us. And also John Holmgren, who is the former editor of Motor Land magazine who lives in the East Bay. And I think this was the group, the core group that originated the broadcast legends. Then we decided

00:22:23.720 - 00:22:43.820

that because we had free parking down at the Presidio Officers Club and John Holmgren is a member. We had somewhat of an in road getting in there, and I think we had 14 14 on October the 28th 1992 which was our initial broadcast legend lunch at

00:22:43.820 - 00:22:59.160

the Presidio. Uh, who are the members of the broadcast legend just uh, I want to mention a few or something like that. Well, first of all, who wanted the how did they become one? Well, any person who has been in broadcasting for a reasonable number of

00:22:59.160 - 00:23:15.980

years, I think we've spoken about being 20 years, but that isn't necessarily very rigid or has been semi retired or retired for broadcasting eyes invited to join. And there's no dues or anything like that. All we ask is they be a no host guest for the

00:23:15.980 - 00:23:32.930

luncheon Down of the Presidio, and we put out a newsletter which Chet and I and ALS Robertson and Rod put together every quarter. We have quarterly luncheons at the Presidio, and our next one is December the 13th and we are going to make a great big,

00:23:32.940 - 00:23:51.910

wonderful Christmas lunch. And out of that in September, when we had the golden days of KSFO, we had 111 intending are lunch and down there. So the group has grown and we expect it to grow some further. But it's a great group because fun is what

00:23:52.100 - 00:24:08.650

this is all about. One and memories fun and mental. Exactly. Rod. Yes, broadcasting was fun. It was. This is what we talked about. Their days were broadcasting was fun and it was It was fun and it was real ball. One other thing I might mention is

00:24:08.760 - 00:24:27.400

our treasurer for the group. We do have to keep the doors locked safe sitting here with us tonight, and that is one strange thing about it to date. He refused to give us a Treasury thinking, planning to go to the island that's in my in my

00:24:27.400 - 00:24:45.740

future, in your job description to Yeah, OK, we've got about five minutes left to us. And one thing I'd like to talk about riches. How we for Pima County Press Club when I form that back around 1976 and the reason I think we formed at that

00:24:45.750 - 00:25:01.440

time I was working out of the old Naval auxiliary station. You were working County as the public affairs officer, and as I can recall, there was a lot of flak between the government P Iose in the Post Office Department and the Post Office, which was on

00:25:01.440 - 00:25:17.650

Second Street, was going to move or just being established. And Pete, Goaless of the Time, who's now the editorial director for the press Democrat. He was a reporter, and he got some very bad, unsettled information from the government from the public affairs from the post office.

00:25:18.060 - 00:25:31.960

And the idea of occurred in your office where we said, Why don't we get a group of journalists, media, people, agency people, and at least get together? So at least we can respect each other. And we did form that. We had a lot of help from

00:25:31.960 - 00:25:52.540

the press. Democrat Art Voelker's John Riley. Uh, Dan Bowerman. Uh, Bob Skeptical. Yeah, Yeah. Gail John LeBaron. That is you. And that's how we formed. And we're now what in our 20th year coming up? Not quite. 76. I believe we formed. So I guess we're about

00:25:52.540 - 00:26:11.640

18 years old. Okay, about 18. We're down to about two minutes and want to get a couple of other things. How can someone join the broadcast legends? Well, the broadcast legends is open to any broadcaster in management engineering program directing sales on the air and news.

00:26:11.650 - 00:26:32.430

Janitorial? Yeah, any faster, broad challenge. And they can contact check Castleman, or they can contact me or Rod. And we'd be happy to make them available if they want to attend our broadcast luncheon at the Presidio at any time, which is quarterly. There's an invitation waiting

00:26:32.430 - 00:26:49.360

for them. Okay. And I'm going, but we kind of have to rush a little bit here. Uh, I want to mention also that Bill Hillman, who is a member of our core group, is compiling a history on on broadcasting in the Bay area he's been putting

00:26:49.360 - 00:27:08.360

together. He's put together a lot of fabulist material already. I'm quite sure that he would welcome material from anybody. Oh, yes. If anyone has any old photographs or audiotapes videotapes. Ah, 12 or 16 inch audio discs, anything like that to get in touch with you, I'd

00:27:08.360 - 00:27:24.110

say, since your anchor here. Yeah, and we'll get him to build. All right, But Bill was formally on Channel five. Yes, as a newsperson. Okay. You know, saying this then if anybody would want to really that information through me, call on leave message here at Post

00:27:24.110 - 00:27:40.910

Newsweek cable. That's five for 50 100 by four. Or 50 100. And just give us the information. Got about a minute here, and I just want to say a couple of things on my own. First of all, one of the most enjoyable groups I belong to

00:27:40.910 - 00:27:57.600

in my 72 years is the broadcast legend. I think that's because, like all the rest of us, I've been in love with radio and television ever since I told them days. Yeah, and entertaining and that sort of thing. And this gives me an opportunity to see

00:27:57.600 - 00:28:16.920

a lot of the folks that haven't seen for years. Just lawn cemeteries, um, and to mingle with people like sincerely, consider broadcast legends people that religions in her own time, two of whom were sitting right here. Well, you're certainly fit. The bill absolutely would say three.

00:28:17.330 - 00:28:31.050

All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're just about out of time. This is the second of our programs are broadcast legends. I hope that you've enjoyed both of them. A zay said earlier. If you have information about anyone who was in broadcasting that we don't know about

00:28:31.140 - 00:28:49.190

or you have any pictures, have any tapes? Have any records that you might want this group to have to put in their archives? You can contact the post injury cable. You can call 5440 100 and just leave a message and you leave the material leaving matching

00:28:49.430 - 00:29:02.300

for me, you know, get in touch with you. My name is Richman, 19. The program is to know McCann in the nineties. I'll be back with you next week. But are there interesting memories of the Sonoma County family until in tonight? Good luck. Good health that.