Week of April 15, 1958

President Eisenhower signs the $1.8 highway bill and aims at three major goals:

To provide new jobs…

To get the schedule for the 41,000-mile superhighway interstate network back on

the 13-year schedule set for it in 1956.

To establish a national policy of regulating billboards on the interstate system.

Russia accuses the United States of sending planes with atomic and hydrogen

bombs toward Soviet borders on alert missions and of bringing the world to

“within a hairbreadth” of war on several occasions. It demands United Nations

Security Council action to ground the flights.

Administration officials are shaping a new plan for halting nuclear tests about

January 1 by agreement with Russia. The plan is pointed toward forthcoming

allied talks and a probable summit conference later this year.

In a meeting of the Space Technology Committee, Dr.

to rocket a man 150 miles into space, but the Army

says the first man will be a Chimpanzee.

Cuba - President Fulgencio Batista and his Cabinet

approve decrees imposing drastic penalties for

criticizing or opposing the regime. At the same time,

all employees, including officials of public service

companies were incorporated into the armed forces,

subject to call for active duty.

Baseball - San Francisco’s new National

League baseball club, the Giants, are greeted

by 125,000 in a parade following their final

pre-season appearance. They’ll play the

Dodgers at Seal Stadium.

The Giants tramp the Dodgers at opening day

- 8-0 with a Seal Stadium capacity crowd of

23,448.

President Eisenhower throws out the first ball

at Washington’s Griffith Stadium and watched

the Senators defeat the Red Sox 5-2.

Week of April 15, 1958

Several days later - big league baseball makes its debut in Los Angeles as

78,672 watch the Dodgers defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-5. Earlier, around

90,000 greeted the Dodgers in their parade.

The government reports that the average family income last year was $6130 -

about 50% higher than a decade ago.

estimated at between $3-5 million. He left half his

trust to his widow, Elizabeth Taylor and the other to

his son - Michael Todd Jr.

On CBS “Face The Nation” - Israeli Prime Minister

David Ben-Gurion.

On NBC “Meet The Press” - Nelson Rockefeller.

Some best selling books -

Anatomy of a Murder - Robert Traver

The Ice Palace - Edna Ferber

The Winthrop Woman - Anya Seton

The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden

By Love Possessed - James Gould Cozzene

Masters of Deceit - J. Edgar Hoover

Inside Russia Today - John Gunther

The Great Democracies - Winston S. Churchill

Madison Avenue U.S.A. - Martin Mayer

Life Plus 99 Years - Nathan Leopold Jr.

Kids Say the Darndest Things - Art Linkletter Jr.

Emmy awards held this week -

The Comedian - best program of 1957 (written by Rod Serling)

Dinah Shore - for best musical variety

Phil Silvers Show - Best comedy

Gunsmoke - Best dramatic series with continuing characters

Omnibus - Best public service program

Edward R. Murrow - Best news commentary

Other winners - Jack Benny, Polly Bergen, Peter Ustinov, Carl Reiner.

Week of April 15, 1958

Jerry Lewis Show Tuesday Night On NBC-TV

Week of April 15, 1958

Sunday Night Television -

CBS - Twentieth Century, Lassie, Jack Benny Ed Sullivan Show, G.E. Theater,

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The $64,000 Question,

What’s My Line?

Warming, Steve Allen, Dinah Shore, Loretta Young

ABC - Maverick, Adventure At Scott Island, Sid Caesar

Invites You, Cardinal’s Program

Twentieth Century - A report on space earth satellites,

space travel and space exploration

Ed Sullivan Show - Vivian Blaine, David Wayne, Gogi

Grant.

Steve Allen - Bob Hope, Patrice Mansel, Ray Anthony.

G.E. Theater - “God Is My Judge” A friendless woman returns to a small Arizona

town and confesses to the 13-year murder of her husband. Stars Nina Foch.

What’s My Line - Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennet Cerf, Arlene

programming. The new device is called the Muzak

“Radiomatic Programming System” and provides a daily

tape recorded music show plus basic equipment for

unattended “complete controlled broadcast” including pre-

recorded announcements; news, weather and time breaks

- all are injected according to pre-set arrangements.

A major shake-up at WNEW - easily the nation’s #1 music station. Deejay Art

Ford leaves the station after 15 years and William B. Williams moves into his

“Make Believe Ballroom” show spot. Ford should end-up at WNTA radio (970)

the Newark station. At the same time, Al (Jazzbo) Collins is set to return to

WNEW in the station’s 10p-midnight slot. He left WNEW a few years ago to join

NBC. Joining WNEW is Dick Partridge from WHIM, Providence. Art Ford was

making $65K a year at WNEW.

Week of April 15, 1958

WINS New York - the nation’s top top-40 station is holding on-air auditions for its

next overnight personality. According to program director Mel Leeds - “each

candidate will be allowed to tear the town apart on radio - no holds barred.’

when the network folded most of its live musical

programming (some weeks ago) is hired by WMCA and

will do the 4-7p show Mon-Saturday. He’ll begin April 28.

Did you catch Alan Freed on NBC’s “Today” show last

week? Freed presided over a group of teenagers (via a

remote from The Ford Theater in Detroit) as part of a

week-long survey on U.S. teens by Dave Garroway. The

kids, an integrated group, danced on stage to Freed’s rock

and roll orchestra and participated in a question-and-answer session on rock and

roll. Garroway brought up the “suggestive lyrics” in the music, but sidekick Jack

Lescoulie balanced the scene by reminding Garroway of such best-sellers of the

1930’s such as “Hut Sut” and “The Three Little Fishies.’

Music news - On “The Big Record” with Patti Page this week on CBS-TV:

Lizabeth Scott, Gracie Fields, Tony and Gus Pastor, The Treniers.

the record label’s Country & Western a&r operations. (Bradley

would bring a great deal to this label including Brenda Lee).

Bradley and RCA’s Chet Akins will become Nashville’s top

producers with their brand of country and pop. He’ll also help

revitalize the career of Patsy Cline.

The record industry achieved a gross dollar volume of at least $360

million in 1957, a sharp rise over the previous 12-month period.

Stereo - all labels are talking about releasing stereo albums. It’s the

big talk in audio these days. This week, ABC-Paramount announces its will

releasing six stereo albums.

Columbia Records says it will go along with the so-called 100% stereophonic

record, which is strongly advocated by rival RCA Victor Records. The problem so

far has been no stereo record standard and this could help.

Week of April 15, 1958

Dot Records acquires a master called “Jennie Lee” by Jan and Arnie - produced

by Marty Melcher (Doris Day’s husband) for his Arwin label. They’ll distribute the

Arwin single. Also, Dot signs 13-year-old Patty McCormack - star of past

Broadway hit “The Bad Seed” and of the upcoming movie “Kathy-O.”

Looks like a new hit for a new Label - “I Wonder Why” back/with “Teen Angel” by

Dion & The Belmonts. On Laurie Records.

currently appearing at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village, will appear on

Week of April 15, 1958

a non-music TV program “Playhouse 90.” It will air on CBS-TV May 1. The group

consists of Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds. According to Frank

Werber, the group’s San Francisco-based publicist and manager - the group has

also been signed for further TV appearances on Dave Garroway’s Today Show

and others.

Week of April 15, 1958

Featured on Edward R. Murrow’s “Person To Person” next week - Dick Clark.

You’ll see his wife, Barbara, their son Richard Augustus II, their dachshund

Looie, a hi-fi rig and some 15,000 records!! Catch it on CBS-TV.

More Dick Clark - ABC-TV will cut

back “American Bandstand” from 90

to 60 minutes in a few weeks to make

way for “Pay Me,” a new giveaway

show modeled on Bingo. Dick Clark’s

show is strong in ratings, but not in

sponsors (at this time).

More Dick Clark - Like Alan Freed,

Dick Clark is getting into the rock ‘n’

roll concert package business. It’s

being kicked-off in New York and will

be called “Caravan” or “Dick Clark’s

Caravan” (later changed to Dick

Clark’s Caravan of Stars”). The

announcement is made by Milt Shaw

of the Shaw agency.

Looks like MGM will not use “Orbit” as a record label, and instead will name

“Cub” records as its rock ‘n roll outlet. Look for it to debut soon!

Some Local Bandstand-type shows hosted - they play rock n roll

and invite the audience to dance along:

Jim Lounsbury’s “Record Hop” over WBKB-TV Chicago

Buddy Deane Show - WJZ-TV Baltimore

Open House on KFRE-TV Fresno

Myles Foland’s TV Dance Party - WCPO-TV Cincinnati

Ed McKenzie’s Saturday Party - WXYZ-TV Detroit

Dick Whittinghill’s Saturday Dance - KTTV Los Angeles

Top Country & Western hits -

Oh, Lonesome Me - Don Gibson

Ballad of a Teenage Queen - Johnny Cash

Stairway Of Love - Marty Robbins

Breathless - Jerry Lee Lewis

Don’t - Elvis Presley

Curtain In The Window - Ray Price

Week of April 15, 1958

Oh-Oh I’m Falling In Love Again - Jimmie Rodgers

Wear My Ring Around Your Finger - Elvis Presley

You Name is Beautiful - Carl Smith

The Story Of My Life - Marty Robbins.

Week of April 15, 1958

Magic Moments - Perry Como

Maybe Baby - Crickets

Swinging Shepherd Blues - Ted Heath

Nairobi - Tommy Steele

A Wonderful Time Up There - Pat Boone

Tequila - The Champs

La Dee Dah - Jackie Dennis

Don’t - Elvis Presley

At the movies -

Everett Sloane, Marty Milner, Carolyn

Jones

Strasberg, Christopher Plummer

what she does best).

Week of April 15, 1958