Mike Olszewski

It was the golden age of children's television in Cleveland. Let's go behind the plywood sets, costumes, and greasepaint for a close-up look at some remarkable personalities ... Children's TV once sprang from the creative minds of actors who made it up as they went. Despite their low-budget productions, those classic shows and hosts of the 1950s-1970s formed lasting bonds with generations of Northeast Ohio kids. Gene Carroll created Cleveland TV's first kids' show, "Uncle Jake's House," in 1947 with a menagerie of animals (Clarence the cat and Phillip the parrot were an uneasy pair ) and child stars. Linn Sheldon wanted to be known as a serious actor but became such a hit as an elf--Barnaby--that he could never shake the character. Woodrow the Woodsman lived in a fantasy forest--but when Clay Conroy lost his Woodrow wig, the story made real newspaper headlines. Captain Penny (Ron Penfound) introduced Cleveland kids to the Three Stooges--annoying parents and TV critics alike. At least he reminded young viewers to behave themselves: "... you can't fool mom." "Miss Barbara" Plummer of Cleveland's "Romper Room" (a franchise produced locally) catered to the kindergarten crowd live on set while all dressed up in full skirts. ("At all times, one had to be a lady.") Marty Sullivan alternated between straight-laced station announcer and goofy Superhost, sometimes broadcasting news while still wearing Supe's blue longjohns (behind the announcer's desk). Sideman "Jungle Larry" Tetzlaff parlayed a childhood love of snakes into a regular on-air gig ... Jim Breslin of Ashtabula transformed weekdays at 5:15 p.m. into cowpoke Texas Jim for "Prairie Palace" ... Plus other intriguing Cleveland children's TV trailblazers

Go backstage at Cleveland's legendary rock and roll landmarks as club owners, talent bookers, performers, promoters, and concertgoers share stories from the 1950s through 1990s about ... Where it all began: the Cleveland Arena, site of the first-ever rock concert, anywhere.The hugely influential Agora, where Springsteen and so many other acts burst onto the sceneThe Coliseum at Richfield, erected in the middle of nowhere just in time for the arrival of arena rock.Monster concerts at Cleveland Municipal Stadium--including the epic, multi-year World Series of Rock.Groundbreaking R&B clubs Gleason's and Leo's Casino.Staid, classical Public Auditorium, where the Beatles incited a riot and Led Zeppelin grabbed a teenage audience volunteer to fill in on bassMusicarnival, the circular big-top tent that alternated summer-stock with hard-rock (to the dismay of suburban neighbors).Bars and clubs like the Euclid Tavern, Variety Theater, and Empire Concert Club that rocked the '80s and '90s with punk, thrash, electronica--whatever it took.The renowned Swingos' celebrity hotel on Euclid Avenue, where bands remembered checking in and checking out--but nothing in-between And other classic venues well worth remembering.

Remember when Cleveland radio was filled with larger-than-life characters? Let's go behind the microphone to meet dozens of intriguing and innovative local radio personalities, including ... "Count" John Manolesco, the talk show host, astrologer, and former vampire who performed an exorcism live on-air A daytime host who raised eyebrows and gained headlines when he did his entire show in the nude Inventive Wayne Mack, whose make-believe big band concerts seemed so real that listeners drove around for hours in search of his fictional "Waltz Palace" ballroom Loudmouth Gary Dee, who scored big ratings interviewing strippers and once knocked a fellow DJ out cold Media mogul Milton Maltz, a "square" who teamed up with hippies to transform WMMS into a rock and roll giant Young Jack Paar, who nearly lost his first radio job while saving Cleveland from a Martian invasion The undaunted DJs of WABQ who broke FCC rules to stay on the air during the Glenville riots in 1968 Teenage amateurs whose pirate radio stations drew loyal local listeners--and angry visits from the Feds Plus stories of live remotes gone wrong, unruly in-studio guests, management scuffles, the river of booze that fueled radio ... and more strange but true tales

More behind-the-screen stories from the golden age of local Cleveland television Let's warm up the old family TV set, step through the screen, and see what was going on behind the scenes with some of our favorite Cleveland television personalities of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, including ... The rise of glamorous news anchors (including more than one Miss America contestant) with perfect smiles, perky noses, and really big hair Late-night horror-movie hosts battling to take over the legacy of the legendary Ghoulardi The strange, sad saga of the former daytime host who shot himself after a bizarre sex scandal A weatherman who was a lightning rod for coworkers' endless practical jokes The investigative reporters whose sting operations caught wrongdoers with their pants down--sometimes literally The gutsy reporter who interviewed Danny Greene hours before the mobster was blown up in his car The Cleveland mayor who co-hosted a children's show with a ventriloquist's dummy and many other true tales.

Remember when TV was just three channels and the biggest celebrities in Cleveland were an outrageous movie host named Ghoulardi, a gentle elf named Barnaby, and a tough-as-nails newswoman named Dorothy Fuldheim? These pioneering entertainers invented television programming before our very eyes while we watched from our living rooms. Revisit the early days of local TV in these fun and fact-filled stories featuring ... Paige Palmer, the fitness host who smoked four packs a day Smooth-voiced Captain Penny, who reminded us, "You can't fool mom" Volatile talk show host Alan Douglas, who pushed guests' hot buttons--sometimes until they punched back Gene Carroll, longtime king of the amateur hour Woodrow, the Woodsman Romper Room's Miss Barbara Jungle Larry ... and many other local favorites.

The story of one of Cleveland’s most popular and influential radio stationsBefore FM radio and the commanding album rock stations of the 1970s, there was WIXY 1260, a tiny Northeast Ohio AM radio station that became an entertainment powerhouse. Three visionaries assembled a legendary staff of on-air personalities and, with savvy programming and groundbreaking promotions, created WIXY 1260—a station that would become synonymous with 1960s pop culture. A Midwest juggernaut, WIXY aired everything from surf and Motown to country and the British Invasion. Crossing cultural and generational lines in one of the hottest radio markets in the country, it regularly took in more than fifty percent of the Greater Cleveland audience.Bob Weiss, Norman Wain, and Joe Zingale knew the kind of radio Cleveland wanted to hear. They also knew how to market that sound to make it a lifestyle. They bought a small station with a weak signal and renamed it WIXY, and it wasn’t long before their competition fell by the wayside. Mike Olszewski and Richard Berg spin a lively tale of popular culture that will appeal to everyone from baby boomers to media scholars and cultural historians.“Through extensive interviews with insiders, the authors chronicle WIXY’s relatively brief yet exciting run and how the station came to dominate the airwaves in the ’60s and ’70s with a winning combination of tastemaking playlists, unforgettable on-air personalities, and outlandish promotions. It’s a fun story, recounted with ample humor.” —John Soeder, Music Critic, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Essentially the story of WMMS, Radio Daze captures the radio scene during the '70s and '80s, chronicling how this small FM rock station became the top-rated station in Northeast Ohio and made Cleveland one of the most important radio markets in the world. Mike Olszewski obtained exclusive interviews with many radio legends, revealing how insidious and destructive the battle for radio dominance became. Among other things, he exposes the story behind the reports of ballot box stuffing by WMMS to win the prestigious Rolling Stone magazine Readers' Poll for best radio station in the country and some of the dirty tricks played by radio stations to get the edge on their competitors.