My friend Randy West is a great announcer, especially for game shows. A few years ago, he authored a book on another great announcer of game shows, the legendary Johnny Olson. Randy read what I wrote about Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel and sent me a note excerpting that book…
Frank Nelson recalled in 1980, "It was not until 1933 that any transcontinental shows emanated from Hollywood. The first of these was called Hollywood on the Air. I announced the show and also worked as an actor. Sometimes when a star scheduled to appear failed to show up, I did the star's part, too. The show ran 1933 and part of 1934."
Nelson remembered that NBC's first outpost in the film capitol was only a single office on the RKO movie back lot, and that radio work was performed in the immense motion picture sound stages before NBC built any broadcasting studios on the west coast. Nelson recalled, "The first sponsored transcontinental show out of here was an original Marx Brothers show." That program was Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel, a madcap comedy set in a disreputable law firm…
Interesting to note…and there's lots more of interest in Randy's fine book, Johnny Olson: A Voice in Time. You can order a copy (and find out all about Randy) over on his website. [Warning: It makes noise when you go to it.]