Jeff Roteman's ABC News Page

Jeff Roteman's ABC News Website
Click for no pop-ups http://ABCNews.andmuchmore.com

ABC Radio's Jim Nettleton

Jim Nettleton hosted ABC Radio's Retro Rock in the late 1970's and early 1980's on the American Contemporary Radio Network. Jim came to ABC Radio by way of WABC in New York. He joined WABC for weekends in October 1969 from WFIL in Philadelphia. Jim Nettleton passed away after battling lung cancer at the age of 69 on October 4, 2009,

(thanks to Musicradio77.com for the photo of Jim Nettleton from his WABC days)

Jim Nettleton
April 26, 1940 - October 4, 2009

ABC News Paul Harvey

Long Time ABC Newsman & Radio Legend Paul Harvey has passed away at the age of 90. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he made his own radio sets while still a boy. While in high school, he frequented KVOO radio until the manager finally hired him. The ABC Networks have been bringing Paul to national radio audiences for over 50 years on over 1000 radio stations. Among his incredible list of honors he is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, bestowed upon him in 2005 by President George W. Bush. Paul Harvey was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990.

Paul Harvey
Sept. 14, 1918 - Feb. 28, 2009

Former ABC News Anchor Murphy Martin

Former ABC News Anchor Murphy Martin passed away on July 3, 2008 just hours before his 83rd birthday of complications of heart disease at UT Southwestern University Hospital. His broadcasting career began in Lufkin, Texas in the early 1940's. He joined WFAA-AM in Dallas in 1961 and joined ABC-TV in February 1963 to anchor the network's late night news program. He also spent time in the 1960's as an anchor for ABC Radio. Murphy Martin spent time as the late Bill Beautel's co-anchor of the 11:00 news on WABC-TV in New York and later anchored WABC Radio's Newscope before returning to Texas in 1967. Murphy Martin was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall Of Fame in 2006.

Murphy Martin

Former ABC News Anchor Keeve Berman

Former ABC Contemporary News Anchor Keeve Berman passed away on May 18, 2008 at a nursing home in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was 71. He was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer about a year ago. He died as a result of a bllod clot traveling to his brain. He was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. His career included stops at KQV, WEDO and WTAE in Pittsburgh, as well as WOR New York and ABC Radio News.

Keeve Berman in 1966

WABC, KABC, KQV & WLS were just 4 of the many great radio stations that were part of the ABC Radio Network ! For many years ABC owned & operated stations carried many ABC Network programs. Don McNeil's Breakfast Club aired every weekday morning. Paul Harvey news and commentary also was a part of the ABC Radio line-up.

The history of ABC goes back to 1942, when the NBC Blue Network was reincorporated as The Blue Network, Inc. by RCA. In 1943, The Blue Network, Inc, was sold to Edward Noble for about $8 million.

In 1945, Noble bought the rights to the name American Broadcasting Company in 1945 from George Storer. (see Barry Mishkind's ABC Network section of The Broadcast Archive at www.oldradio.com.)

On June 15, 1945, a newspaper article heralded a change in radio news that would affect all of us who listened to radio news ... "Something NEW will happen in radio ... Tonight radio history will be made ... Today, we change our name from the Blue Network to one that we feel more truly expresses the reason for our existence. From this day forward, your radio will say "This is the AMERICAN Broadcasting Company." (thanks to Terry Morgan)

December 31, 1967, Don Baker anchored the last regular ABC Radio Newscast. Audio from the final newscast is on the ABC Split page. See the menu on the left.

January 1, 1968, ABC Radio split it's stations into 4 demographic networks ... American Contemporary Radio, American Entertainment Radio, American Information Radio, and ABC FM Radio were created with their own news staffs and special features.

KABC became part of the new American Information Radio Network. The ABC Information Network provided the heaviest diet of news, with blocks of 10-minute, five-minute, and three and a half minutes of news and sports each day.

WABC, KQV and WLS became part of the American Contemporary Radio Network. Gone were the long newscasts in the early evening. ABC Reports, Retro-Rock, Sneak Preview and others were created for a young top 40 audience. Newscasts were at :55 on American Contemporary Radio. Howard Cosell's 'Speaking of Sports' was also a staple in both morning and afternoon drive hours.

Click on the icons below to hear the news sounder from the various ABC Radio Networks.

Thanks to David Winner for providing these classic sounders.

David also provided the inspiration to start this addition to my sites.

Many thanks go out for those who have been kind enough to help provide me with names, pictures and sounds for this tribute to ABC News. What started out as an add-on to the KQV - WLS web pages and ABC Contemporary Radio has grown into a tribute to ABC as a network. Thanks to Bob Gibson , Mike Ludlum , Henry Cotterill Jr , John Meagher , Vince Santarelli , Allan Sniffen , Dave Biondi , Larry Hart , Tim Brown , Scott Levison , Bill Diehl , Greg Pattenaude , David Alpert , Gary Nunn , Bob Ring , Jim Guthrie , Irv Chapman and many others. It is always rewarding to know that we can still touch people's memories with this labor of love. ... Jeff



ABC Radio Network News Pre-1968 Sounder	American Contemporary Radio Network Sounder	American Entertainment Radio Network Sounder	American Information Radio Network Sounder	American FM Radio Network Sounder

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This is news from American Contemporary Radio ...

Hear news of the hour on the hour around the clock from
American Information Radio ...

Here's the latest worldwide news from the Entertainment Network ...

From all over the world, East, West, North and South, News for FM from the
American FM Radio Network ...

Here's top News in Brief from the American Contemporary Radio ...

. . . A Service of ABC News

DID YOU KNOW ?

On January 4th 1982,
ABC added the 5th and 6th Networks ?
ABC Direction with 57 stations

and ABC Rock with 40 stations !

A new ABC FM news service debuted in July, 2006
1 Minute Drive Time Newscasts, internet delivered.

Thanks for all of the nice comments.

This site is a tribute to ABC Radio News
and is not affilliated or authorized by
ABC Radio, Disney or Citadel Broadcasting.

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updated July 6, 2008