Week of August 15, 1958

A Dutch airline with 99 persons aboard crashes mysteriously into the Atlantic -

the worst disaster ever involving a single commercial plane.

Months of secret preparation reach a climax as America’s moon

probe rocket appears ready for blast off on an unprecedented

220,000-mile journey through space.

But wait, America’s first moon rocket explodes 77 seconds after

blast off from Cape Canaveral. One British newspaper featured a

beaming man on the moon with the caption: “Missed me! - by

222,190 miles 2800 feet.”

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a District Court

judge and orders resumption of racial integration at Central High

School in Little Rock. The decision comes just 16 days before the

scheduled re-opening of the school where integration was troop-

enforced last year. Later, President Eisenhower said he would enforce the new

integration order.

The Navy launches atomic powered

submarine Triton at Groton. It’s the

mightiest submarine ever built. The Navy

says the sub will roam “the distant

corners of the earth.” She will be “a

nuclear propelled, invisible, electronic

brain hundreds o miles in advance of our

atomic strike fleet always ready to guide

and direct its atomic delivery forces.”

Television news - Groucho sidekick/announcer George

Fenneman now hosts “Anybody Can Play” - which follows

Maverick on ABC-TV Sunday nights. The show may or

may not get picked-up, but it sure proves Fenneman can

hold his own as emcee.

“Dotto” - both daytime and nighttime versions - is

cancelled by CBS and NBC. No one really knows why, but

some trades are reporting that it is related to a disgruntled,

losing contestant who made charges about the procedure

in the contest. (Note: this is the beginning of the end for 1950’s quiz shows.

Other findings about other quiz shows are about to hit the fan).

Week of August 15, 1958

Starting this week, Betsy Palmer joins Frank Blair and Jack Lescoulie on NBC-

TV’s “Today Show.” Pictured: Blair, Ms. Palmer & Lescoulie.

Friday night television -

CBS - Destiny, Phil Silvers, Schlitz Playhouse, Undercurent

NBC - Boxing, Jefferson Drum, Life of Riley, M Squad, the Thin Man, Juke Box

Jury, Jack Paar Show

ABC - John Daly News, Rin Tin Tin, Jim Bowie, Kit Carson, Tales of ESP,

Damon Runyon Theater, The Whistler.

Phil Silvers - Bilko is ordered to rid Ft. Baxter of carrier pigeons.

Jefferson Drum - While hauling a new printing

press to Jubilee, Drum is attacked by three

bandits, one a gorgeous woman. Stars Jeff

Richards

Life of Riley - When Riley plans a fishing trip -

only a hurricane can stop him, and it does.

Week of August 15, 1958

Advertising - Pepsi Cola campaign “Be

Sociable, have a Pepsi ” (radio commercial)

is heard on all four major radio networks -

NBC, CBS, MBS and ABC - the first for any

company. The ad will run for 14 weeks.

Music news - RCA Victor says it is breaking

into the stereo-singles market with records

by Perry Como and Henri Rene. The stereo

singles will be priced at $1.15 while mono

45’s are about 98cents. Last week, MGM

moved into the stereo-single with a Joni

James record.

Radio news - DJ Joe Yocam of KFWB’s

new Color Radio top-40 format says “Color

Radio is a bright, brisk, moving, living

presentation of the most popular music of

the day, whatever it may be, by a disc jockey who spends as much time

preparing his show as he spends on the air. The result is, the listener gets more

entertainment per hour listened and the DJ is really doing the show instead of

being the ‘old-fashioned type’ record announcer.”

Yocam says the music played on KFWB is the most popular in

Los Angeles, and that may include rock ‘n’ roll, but that doesn’t

mean “Color Radio” is a rock ‘n’ roll format. “We are proud of

our Fabulous 40, a survey taken weekly of actual records sales

in Southern California. A survey that enables KFWB to deliver

exactly the type of music the majority wants to hear.”

KFWB is making all kinds of ratings inroads since “Color Radio”

began in January.

Week of August 15, 1958

Jumpers for the girls

Pop music this week in 1958 -

PATRICIA - Perez Prado & Orch

NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU

(Volare) - Domenico Modugno

POOR LITTLE FOOL - Ricky

Nelson

LITTLE STAR - Elegants

WHEN - Kalin Twins

FEVER - Peggy Lee

EVERYBODY LOVES A LOVER -

Doris Day

JUST A DREAM - Jimmy Clanton

SPLISH SPLASH - Bobby Darin

REBEL-’ROUSER - Duane Eddy

Week of August 15, 1958

ONE SUMMER NIGHT - Danleers

HARD HEADED WOMAN - Elvis Presley

MY TRUE LOVE - Jack Scott

IF DREAMS CAME TRUE - Pat Boone

YAKETY YAK - Coasters

WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE - Johnny Otis Show

LEFT RIGHT OUT OF YOUR HEART (Hi Lee Hi Lo Hi Lup Up Up)- Patti Page

BORN TOO LATE - Poni-Tails

WESTERN MOVIES - Olympics

GINGER BREAD - Frankie Avalon

ENCHANTED ISLAND - Four Lads

BIRD DOG - Everly Brothers

ARE YOU REALLY MINE - Jimmie

Rodgers

A CERTAIN SMILE - Johnny

Mathis

COME CLOSER TO ME (Acercate

Mas) - Nat “King” Cole

STUPID CUPID - Connie Francis

EARLY IN THE MORNING - Rinky-

Dinks

DEVOTED TO YOU - Everly

Brothers

MOON TALK - Perry Como

At the movies -

The Naked and the Dead - Aldo ray, Cliff Robertson, Raymond Massey

The Fiends Who Walked The West - Hugh O’Brien, Robert Evans, Dolores

Michaels, Linda Cristal, Stephen McNally

(If you enjoyed Old Yeller, you’ll love) The Littlest Hobo