Broadcast Pioneers

Paul Harvey (1918-2009) was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. His shorter morning news and comment was a preview of his fifteen-minute noon broadcast. Harvey's Saturday broadcasts were commentary only, capitalizing on a particular subject or society in general. For a time, a selection from the Saturday commentaries was also used on certain local television networks, often as a closing before the station's sign-off of the day. The five-minute televised segments had Harvey standing or seated in front of a studio set suggesting a den. By the mid-seventies, his famous, The Rest of the Story was launched as a separate program. Created and written by his son, Paul Harvey, Jr., it was the backstories of famous people but was written to keep one guessing until the segment's reveal at the end. "Now you know...the rest...of the story." 

Harvey was known for other catchphrases used during his programs. When breaking for a commercial, for instance, he would announce, "Page Two" and later "Page Three." The sponsor's products were seamlessly endorsed by Harvey, eventually irritating some critics and suggesting he was a carnival huckster. His news opening phrase was infinitely famous, "Hello Americans, this is Paul Harvey. Stand by for NEWS!" His closing was no less famous, "Paul Harvey (wait for it) good day." A regular catchphrase was "This day's news of most lasting significance may be this..." In a report about someone who had done something ridiculous or offensive, Harvey would say, "He would want us to mention his name," followed by silence, and then start the next item. The last item of a broadcast, often a funny story, would usually be preceded by "And now from the 'For-what-it's-worth' department...." Another phrase made famously was, "Self-government won't work without self-discipline." He also is credited with popularizing the terms Reaganomics and guesstimate.

Harvey was the last of the old-school radio broadcasters. He served an optimistic post-WW2 era and his "Walter Winchell" style was getting dated by the dawn of the twenty-first century. His "stand by for news!" was often late to the party thanks to the Internet. Having one person dominate a news program for fifteen minutes straight is a thing of the past, as well. Harvey's conservative comments about the ills of society, much of it still relevant today, would be hated by the trolls of social media. I suspect ABC News execs were somewhat relieved his contract was void upon the death of the old codger.

For nearly 60 years, Paul Harvey News and Comment is considered the most-listened-to radio broadcast. Coupled with Harvey's distinctive delivery, a daily mix of news, commentary, and human interest stories informed and entertained a worldwide radio audience. From 1951 to 2008, his programs reached as many as 24 million people per week. Paul Harvey's news was carried on 1,200 radio stations, 400 American Forces Network stations, and in 300 newspapers.