[BC] Host of WLW variety show heard on WINS in the '40s

[Jeff Johnson]

>Yesterday, I wrote about the woman who had written "Here Comes Santa Claus"
>and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." She hosted a variety show that originated
>at WLW in the '40s and was heard on (then, co-owned) WINS. I'm pretty sure
>that her name was Ruth Lyons. (My short-term memory may be going, but some
>of the long-term stuff hasn't disappeared yet.) I haven't tried Googling the
>name; she most likely has been dead for several decades, but as composer of
>two seasonal songs (ditties is probably a better word) that are still heard
>on the radio for a couple of weeks each year, she might be the subject of a
>Web reference of two.
>
>Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg at att.net
>eFax 707-215-6367

Ruth Lyons is famous in Cincinnati for her 50-50 Club TV program that ran 
through the fifties and sixties. She was an originator of the talk show 
format, complete with couch, chat, music, and variety. Her program was an 
early pioneer of network syndication.

WVXU/X-Star Radio Network for whom I worked until it was sold this summer 
did numerous historical retrospective compilations. One was on Ruth Lyons. 
Another was D-Day+50 which won a Peabody. The historical thrust and 
interest evaporated with the sale.

She retired in the early '70's, as I recall, and her show was taken over by 
Bob Braun, also a Cincinnati legend. His son Rob Braun is a local TV anchor 
presently. There is a great deal of broadcast history in Cincinnati, and it 
is ongoing.

I spoke today with George Zahn, WVXU's former ops director and editor of 
the Ruth Lyons work. Ruth did not write "Here comes Santa Claus" nor "Peter 
Cottontail". WLW founder Powell Crosley, Jr., also founded WSAI.

WVXU's two-disk historical opus "WLW, the Nation's Station", was researched 
and created by Mark Magistrelli and Mike Martini. It was edited by George 
Zahn. None of those three were hired by the new owners because it would 
have rendered the new version of the station "too WVXU".

Barry Mishkind, I believe, has a copy of the Ruth Lyons disk. I have one 
also. There is an interview with David letterman who remembers seeing her 
in her hey-day on TV in Indianapolis, one of the syndicated cities.

The Lyons disk was previously a pledge premium that could be, in the past, 
purchased from the WVXU website.

Jeff.Johnson at goodnews.net