The Life And Times of Paul Harvey

May 15, 2009
The Life And Times of Paul Harvey
Earlier this year the radio industry lost a true icon when Paul Harvey
bid his final “Good Day” to this world at the age of 90. The news
came to researcher, author and longtime Harvey
admirer Paul Batura just as he’d completed the
final pages of a biography he’d already written
about Harvey’s life, originally scheduled to be
released next September on the occasion of the
venerable broadcaster’s 91st birthday. In the wake
of Harvey’s death, Batura’s new book Good Day:
The Paul Harvey Story (Regnery Publishing) hits
PAUL BATURA
bookstores next Monday (5/18). I recently spoke
with Batura -- who also serves as a special assistant to another
legendary broadcaster, Focus On The Family founder Dr. James
Dobson -- about the book he wrote as a tribute to a man that he
clearly respected and admired greatly.
What prompted you to write the book?
When you grow up listening to someone your whole life I
think there’s an inevitable curiosity about the man behind the
microphone. As a writer and a lover of radio, frankly I was shocked
when I discovered that Paul Harvey had never been a biographical
subject. There were certainly many stories, feature articles and
tributes written about the man, but no one had ever sat down and
put all the pieces of his life together in one book. I wanted to write
it as my own personal way to honor him.
Issue 97
Isn’t it ironic that probably one of the greatest wordsmiths
of our time had never penned his biography?
Anyone who knows Paul Harvey knows that he was always
somewhat uncomfortable looking back and that he never wanted
the attention to be focused on him. He always said he found
others to be so much more interesting than himself, which is
amazing to me because I found him to be such an incredibly
fascinating subject.
How did you go about researching the book?
I basically began at every library in every single town where Paul
lived. I spoke to local people who knew him and to the affiliate
where Paul’s programs ran. Plus, there were some providential
meetings. On an icy day in Paul’s hometown of Tulsa I found
the library closed. So I walked over to his first church - the First
Presbyterian Church of Tulsa -- but found it was locked up, too.
While peering in a window a voice behind me said, “Can I help
you?” It turned out to be the church historian who put me in
touch with a number of people including Dr. Ben Henneke, the
former University of Tulsa President. He told me a story I’d never
heard before about Paul’s first audition at KVOO in which Paul,
in essence, basically muffed his first on-air opportunity. So the
research came from a combination of providential meetings like
that, some good old-fashioned reporting and from talking to
many people who all expressed a universal appreciation for Mr.
Harvey. I never found anyone who had a single negative thing
to say about him.
(continued on page 3)
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May 15, 2009
NTS MediaOnline Weekly
PERSON-T0-PERSON
Niecy Nash, a.k.a. “Officer Raineesha Williams” on the Comedy
Central hit show Reno 911, will host the 2009 AWRT Gracie Awards
on June 3rd in New York. As previously announced CBS News
correspondent Nancy Giles will host the Gracie Awards Luncheon in
NYC on June 4th … Newsman Bob Hendricks exits at Clear Channel
News/Talker KNRS/Salt Lake City … Dustin Rhoades joins CBS
Radio Sports/Talk WSCR (“The Score”)/Chicago as Executive
Producer of the station’s morning show hosted by Mike Mulligan and
Brian Hanley … WAXY/Miami midday host Jorge Sedano moves to
wake-ups on the Lincoln Financial Media Sports/Talker where he’s
joined by former FOX Sports Radio personality Krystal Fernandez
… Get well wishes to veteran St. Louis talk host Paul Harris who’s
recovering at home following hospitalization for a gall bladder infection.
Cheer him up at [email protected].
Page 2
EMERGING TALK MEDIA
Mobile audio provider Foneshow inks with the Performance Racing
Network to deliver the PRN Monday Morning Race Recap hosted by
Doug Rice. NASCAR fans can get the short-form feature delivered free,
on-demand to their cell phone … wsRadio.com adds nine new shows to
the Internet Talk radio website’s lineup, including The Big Biz Show with
Bob “Sully” Sullivan and veteran San Diego radio personality Russ T.
Nailz, and Twitter Talk Radio hosted by Angie Swartz. Check out the
new offerings at www.wsRadio.com … The NHL Pittsburgh Penguins
launch a fulltime HD Radio channel in conjunction with Alternative
rocker WXDX/Pittsburgh to offer Steel City hockey fans “all Penguins,
all the time.”
SPEAK NO EVIL
NETWORK /SYNDICATION NOTES
Citadel Media’s Curtis Sliwa Show adds a fourth hour that will air on
WABC/New York, WMAL/Washington and KABC/Los Angeles …
Talk Shows USA-distributed The Money Pit with Tom Kraeutler and
Leslie Segrete adds three new affiliates, KWQW-FM/Des Moines,
KTBB-FM/Tyler, TX and KSSZ-FM/Columbia, MO … Talk Radio
Network’s Watchdog On Wall Street, hosted by Chris Markowski,
adds WPLZ-FM/Chattanooga and KZTK-FM/Tyler, TX … WSBAM/Atlanta-based Day 1 Radio (formerly The Protestant Hour)
marks the 200 affiliates milestone … Danielle Patacky joins Compass
Media Networks as Director/Marketing and Affiliate Sales … ESPN
Deportes adds KTRO/Portland and KVXX/Salem, OR … Greater
Media’s syndicated Bob & Sheri Show hits affiliate number 60 with the
addition of WERZ/Portsmouth, NH … Envision Radio Network’s
The Final Verdict expands to a seven-day-a-week feature.
GIG ALERTS
WGN/Chicago needs an experienced on-air News Director. More
details and application info at www.WGNRadio.com …Desert
Radio Group Sports/Talker KXPS/Palm Springs seeks a Sales
Manager for the market’s only 24/7 sports outlet. Email resume to
[email protected] … Veteran radio programming, sales
and management pro Alan Furst is a free agent seeking his next
challenge. Reach him at [email protected] … Got a gig open?
Looking for a new challenge? Email details and contact info to
[email protected] and we’ll post it here as a free service to Talk
media industry professionals.
On the road to promote his new book Censorship: The Threat To
Silence Talk Radio, author and veteran Talk radio exec Brian Jennings
(center) dropped in for this “censored” moment with Rick Burgess and
Bill “Bubba” Bussey, hosts of Syndicated Solutions’ Rick & Bubba
Show.
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May 15, 2009
NTS MediaOnline Weekly
(continued from page 1)
Did your research confirm the seemingly perfect romance he
shared with his wife, Angel?
Oh, absolutely. There was nothing about their marriage that was
put on. It was, by all accounts, truly one of the great romances that
anyone has ever seen. Where it really struck home for me was at
Paul’s funeral where his son, Paul Jr., reiterated a story about his
dad sitting at Angel’s bedside just before her death and saying to
her, “I wish I were Peter Pan and I could come to your window
and take you to Neverland.” That says so much about the love they
shared, and without her he was never quite the same.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
I hope people will realize that we were all very fortunate to live
in the era of Paul Harvey. I think the industry and our country
could really benefit today from Paul’s perspective on life. I hope
people will take away his seasoned perspective and appreciate his
long life and the lessons he brought us. Paul used to say that time
proceeds in circles and that everything old becomes new again.
I think the story of Paul Harvey is an optimistic one and that his
is a good story for these troubled times. He was truly one of the
greats.
You share a close association with another legendary
broadcaster, Dr. James Dobson. Did you find any similarities
between the two broadcasters who represent what most would
say is a bygone era in our industry?
Well, both take the long view of life and rather than get caught up in
small victories or defeats, they stay focused on the end game. While
they’re certainly different individuals, both are very confident in
their perspectives on life and of the positions they take on various
issues. Both come from that school that says you can have a strong
and consistent opinion, but as long as you aren’t nasty about it, you
can almost always engage the other side in dialogue.
Did writing the book leave you feeling optimistic about our
industry’s future, or mournful for an era that will never
return?
Everything about the Paul Harvey story leaves me optimistic.
Again, his view that time doesn’t run in a straight line, but in a
circle, gives reason for optimism. As he famously said, “In times
like these, it’s important to remember that there have always been
times like these.” I believe Talk radio is needed now more than
ever. Like many, I’m concerned that when it’s needed most, there
are some who want to silence those that don’t fall into line. I think
as an industry we should gird ourselves for the battles ahead, and
looking to someone like Paul Harvey for inspiration is probably a
pretty good place to start.
To interview Paul Batura email him at [email protected]
CONTACT NTS MEDIAONLINE
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858-486-7559
[email protected]
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512-218-8228
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