Joe Tait:It's been a Real Ball

Cover of Joe Tait's Biography, "It's Been a Real Ball" co-authored with Terry Pluto..Gray and Company Publishers


Terry Pluto at one time has covered both the Indians and the Cavaliers in a long newspaper career..Currently a Sports and Faith Columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and frequent guest on "More Sports and Les Levine"..aired Monday-Friday at 6PM with an 11PM repeat on Time Warner Cable Northeast Ohio Network (NEON). He has also authored over 20 sports books, many of them classics..

Here on the blog we have written twice about Joe Tait..The time of his 3,000th NBA game and at his retirement in April 2011..It's no secret I am a Tait fan as from 1971-72 I have listened to Tait call Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball action (as well as the Indians)

It has always been hoped that Tait would someday write a book. According to all indications, he never thought he was that interesting..And never wanted to go through the process..It was a surprise that Tait was the one to ask Terry Pluto, "Well, what about that book?"..So The process was begun this spring..The result is a smorgasbord of Joe Tait Stories, many never made public before..His Illinois upbringing, with a stern Father Figure..Joe's lifelong love for trains, his early Radio work..A friendship with Bill Fitch that would lead to the big leagues as he became the Cavaliers Radio announcer in 1970. The Early Cavaliers years, where there was some doubt the franchise would survive..The Miracle Of Richfield..The Stepien years..His Indians work from 1973-87..Back to the Cavs after a couple of years away..The Lebron years..Some of the people mentioned include Indians announcer Bob Neal, who had a fairly large ego..Frank Robinson, who blamed Tait for getting him fired as Indians Manager in 1977, Ted Stepien, worst owner ever in pro sports..Pete Franklin..and many others..

Much of the book is also taken up with memories of Joe from fans, players and broadcasters, some who worked with Joe and others who looked up to Joe as a Mentor in other broadcasting jobs..Joe Tait, from his earliest jobs in broadcasting, always worked hard and went the extra mile..He also went the extra mile for fans whether it be writing a letter, impromptu invitation to sit with Joe at dinner, an autograph or just taking time to say hello..Joe "Got it" from a fan's standpoint..

As a whole, the book is just a delight. While it covers much of Joe's life biographically it is just as much a book of Cleveland Sports History from 1970-2011 as anything else..I guarantee you will not be able to put it down..

Link to Gray and Company:

http://www.grayco.com/cleveland/books/51070/index.shtml

Coming up in the next few weeks..

February 1957:Ad for the upcoming "Twin Hearts Ball" Sponsored by KYW-TV, at the Cleveland Arena



Saturday February 2, 1957:WJW Movie "The Farmers Daughter"

Hello:
Just wanted to update everybody on plans for the blog in the coming weeks:

Two books to review by Joe Tait/Terry Pluto and Dan Coughlin..and a possible third book to review..

Special Thanksgiving post..

Our traditional Christmas postings, which should all be new this season..

The end of March 2012 will be the 5th anniversary of the blog..

I might change up some things with the new year..Not sure how as yet..Stay tuned..Have a good weekend..

Ozzie and Harriet on DVD-The Complete Series a possibility..

January 29, 1958:Cleveland TV Guide Ad for "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" aired Wednesdays at 9 on Cleveland's WEWS Channel 5 and WKST-Channel 45 in New Castle Pa. (Youngstown, Ohio Market)

1953-54:TV Guide Ad for Ozzie and Harriet's second season on Cleveland's ABC-TV Affiliate. WXEL-TV 8

 Note about an intriguing possibility in Classic TV:

Sam Nelson, son of the late Rick Nelson.has upon the death of his Uncle David Nelson, acquired the Nelson Family Archives. Included in these archives are the 35 mm original Masters of all 435 episodes of the TV series Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet, along with much other memorabilia..He has launched a campaign to try to digitize all the Ozzie and Harriet episodes to save them and make them available on DVD for future generations..There have numerous DVD collections in Public Domain as well as a few Nelson Family authorized Mill Creek Collections, but these would be official authorized collections of the complete series, which no one thought would be possible till now..Here's hoping Sam Nelson is successful here as I am for saving any Classic tv series to DVD if it can be possibly done..

Ozzie and Harriet:Reviving an American Treasure


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2100802854/ozzie-and-harriet-reviving-an-american-treasure




Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Episode 1

Update (October 22, 2023) As of October 10, 2023 MPI Home Video has released all 14 seasons (435 Episodes) to DVD. A Complete Series Collection is due to be released December 19, 2023.

Link to Amazon Complete Series Listing:

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Ozzie-Harriet-Complete/dp/B0CLFMN22B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AJREPJT8A4T1&keywords=the+adventures+of+ozzie+and+harriet+complete+series+dvd&qid=1698028157&sprefix=adventures+of+ozzie+and+harriet+dvd+compl%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1

Announcing:New Messageboard

WJW-TV 8 Drama Shows from December 1956


Partridge Family Reruns on WKBN-TV, October 1975:The show ran on ABC 1970-74.


WEWS-TV 5 Movie:October 1975


WYTV-33 Sitcom Lineup-June 1976

Hello everybody:
As I said before, when we started Cleveland Classic Media, I didnt know how well we'd be received..Though there have been slow times in recent months, I am very pleased and honored that people seem to like what we do..We've extended the reach of C-C-M to a YouTube Page and several Facebook Pages, which have been well received, and I thank you all for that..

Today I want to announce what will be probably our last extension, as far as I know..I have toyed with the idea of an HTML message board for some time now just a few days ago decided to take the plunge..Going through the Boardhost.com free service, I've created the Cleveland Classic Media Message Board..While There will be some room for discussion of current broadcast topics, I've made separate Boards for each full-power station in Cleveland and Youngstown, a board for former TV stations, and a General TV/Radio Board, which will contain current discussion, and National Classic TV Clips, along with perhaps Radio memories as well..I might expand to a new radio section should board action warrant it, but we'll see how things go..We've had 3 members thus far..

Link:
http://clevelandmedia.boardhost.com/index.php


To eliminate possible spam from the outset, all new members will have to be approved by me first..Would love to see some of the regular readers come aboard..

Lawson Deming-50 years in Broadcasting

WKYC 50 years clip with a segment on Woodrow


Hello All:
I was looking through the Plain Dealer Archives, as I pretty much do every day trying to find articles, etc. of interest..As I did so today I fould a couple of outstanding articles on the late Lawson Deming, who was famed as Detroit's Sir Graves Ghastly from 1967-Late 1982..Before this, however, he had been at WTAM Radio and WNBK/KYW/WKYC Cleveland from 1947-66..His biggest fame in Cleveland was Woodrow's (Clay Conroy) assistant who provided voices for Woodrow's Puppet friends..Even before WNBK, he had been in radio since 1932..

What follows are two separate profiles in the Cleveland Plain Dealer..The first from January 29, 1965 in TV Week where James Flanagan discusses Deming's career to 1965..

The second article is from August 12, 1982..Columnist William Hickey catches up with Deming on his 50th anniversary in broadcasting..At the end of 1982 Sir Graves has begun to be preempted by Sports on WJBK-2 in Detroit..So the show wasnt officially canceled till 1983..Deming continued to make appearances as Sir Graves into the 1990's before passing away April 24, 2007..

Big Chuck and Lil John-Back Where They Belong..

Part One of a lengthy Plain Dealer article by Richard C. Widman..Attending a taping..Discussing why The Show works..

Part 2:About The Supporting Players in The Skits and The Show's History to 1986..

Part 3:General Thoughts from Chuck and John..Mentioning that the Show's 20th Anniversay is coming up..

Big Chuck and Lil John Hosting a Movie on The Channel 8 set..

With the recent annuncement That Big Chuck and Lil John have returned to WJW-Fox 8 in a new Skit Show Saturday Mornings (11AM) as of September 10, 2011, I thought it would be a good time to give them a plug..The Show has a slightly new opening, with Chuck and John Introducing many of the skits..Some on the first show I hadnt seen before..A lot to look forward to in the coming weeks..

I found this lengthy article on The Big Chuck And Lil John Show during their peak..This was published in the Plain Dealer Friday, August 22, 1986. Written by Richard C. Widman, the article goes to a BC&LJ taping, and talks in depth to the hosts about the history and legacy of the series to that point..And mentions the fact that their show's 20th anniversary is coming up in December 1986. I want to thank the Cleveland Public Library and The Plain Dealer for the opportunity to be able to access the PD archives from home..Has been such a blessing and a help to me with the blog..NOTE:You can click each page to read the print a little better. While The Print came out small, it did come out clear..You might still have to zoom it in a bit..



Oldies Night 1983

Big Chuck Retirement-Story-2007

February 16, 1966:Johnny Cash Show in Canton:From WHOF 1060

The above advertisement is from the February 11, 1966 Dover (Ohio) Reporter. WHOF Radio 1060 sponsored The Johnny Cash Road Show at Canton Memorial Auditorium..Notice the ticket prices:$3.00 reserved seats and $2.00 General Admission..

Worth noting the Statler Brothers were part of the show by this time..Their first show with Cash was 2 years earlier (March 1964) also at Memorial Auditorium..

The 1060 frequency has had a long and colorful history in Canton: Begun as WCMW in 1946, the call letters were changed to WHOF in 1961 and aired Top 40 music before changing to country in 1965.

WHOF would become WOIO in early 1967 doing talk as "2-way radio" until the early 1970's..Cleveland Sportstalk Icon Pete Franklin worked at WOIO in 1967 briefly before landing at WERE-1300 Cleveland, then WWWE 1100 by 1973..

WOIO then became "Q10" as WQIO 1060 doing Top 40, then country again through much of the 70's, changing again to WRCW,"Adult Radio".

June 23, 1962 WHOF "Top 60" Survey-From Airheads Radio Survey Archive

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=3539&lidx=0&lttl=1&lcnt=20&srt1=chartweek&srt2=tsc_psv

Link to 1962 WHOF survey page..

WOIO Bumper Sticker from the 1970's..


WHOF's call letters are now on 101.7 FM (Formerly WJER-FM Dover and earlier, WFAH-FM Alliance)..1060 is now WILB Catholic Radio..