George Putnam signs out
George Putnam signs out
Date: Monday, September 15, 2008 5:42 AM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1916 -- 9/15/2008 >>>>>
George Putnam, at the age of 94, died last Friday. Putnam was a key figure in
the movement to reform our insane open border policies and many of us
considered him a sage and a prophet.
Please allow me indulge to in a George Putnam story of my own. It's about 3:30
a.m. but I know I won't get to sleep unless I send this out and get it off my
back. I apologize for the numerous grammatical errors it likely contains.
Several years ago the "George Putnam Show" left a message on my phone machine
to invite me to be a guest on his radio show. I considered not returning the
phone call because I had no idea who Putnam was and why I should be on his
show (silly me!). Fortunately I asked a few people in California who George
Putnam was, and it didn't take long to find out that he was a legend. Norm
Matloff sent me an email that convinced me that Putnam was somebody worth
checking out:
When I was a kid, my dad used to watch the Putnam
TV show religiously.
"Up to the minute, that's ALL the news!"
was his closing statement every night, delivered
in that incredible voice.
Throughout the years I have heard many similar stories from people, some who
haven't lived in California for 20 or 30 years but still remember watching
Putnam's news shows.
Since my first appearance on Putnam in 2005 I was invited back many times.
I never considered myself worthy of being on the Putnam show, but he did, and
that's all that mattered to me. I never turned Putnam down when his producers
called me because being a guest on his radio show was an awesome experience
and an honor. Sometimes an hour on his show seemed like just a few minutes
because George made it so much fun. Perhaps the toughest part of being on his
show was keeping in mind that he was less than a decade short of a centennial
-- he had such incredible command of facts along with the ability to analyze
what the news really meant he didn't seem to fit the stereotype of an old guy.
My biggest regret is that I never got the privilege of meeting him in person.
George Putnam didn't just do TV and radio -- he was a very good writer and
journalist. Check out this one from 2003 where he mentioned H-1B:
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/10/24/131009.shtml
One Reporter's Opinion: 'Will We Still Be a Nation?'
My first appearance on his show was probably initiated when I published a
story about CAFTA. He quoted me here:
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/4/28/200411.shtml
One Reporter's Opinion -- 'NADA' to CAFTA
***** Tributes etc. *****
There is a tribute to Putnam but right now the link to the podcast doesn't
work. By the time you read this newsletter the problem will probably be
fixed:
http://www.crni.net/podcasts/putnam/putnam_rss.xml
The show's producer, Chuck Wilder, will do the "best of" Putnam all week.
Tune in here:
http://www.crni.net
or here:
http://www.crntalk.com/
If you can't listen to the live show, I'm sure it will be available as a
podcast.
On Sunday, Terry Anderson did a superb memorial to Putnam. A lot of people
might not realize that Putnam is the one who got Terry Anderson started in
radio. It's a true story, folks, so now you know who to blame!
Consider this link to Anderson's show a "must listen" if you want to hear some
great Putnam stories.
http://tiny.cc/TerryonPutnam
If that link doesn't work for you follow these steps:
1) Go to this page:
http://www.republicbroadcasting.org/index.php?cmd=archives
2) click this link: THE TERRY ANDERSON SHOW W/ TERRY ANDERSON
3) click 2008 and September
4) Listen to September 14th
Some of the Putnam shows I participated in are posted on the JobDestruction
website. The Putnam clips have consistently been one of the top downloads on
the website and most of them come from Google searches. Unfortunately as the
years passed I slacked off on posting additional clips. Like many of us, I
started to believe that Putnam would be around forever (or at least another
decade or two), so I didn't rush to get more clips online. I still have most
of the raw sound files so expect more to be posted.
Go here to listen and download the Putnam clips:
http://www.jobdestruction.info/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm#George_Putnam_Radio_Archives
Putnam's sense of humor and his old-fashioned way of articulating serious
stories is probably a lost art. He did a version of my own life's story (see
the clip dated 9/29/2005) that is so typical of George Putnam's dramatic
theatrical style.
In addition to the LA Times article below, be sure to check these out to find
out more:
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75310
The real end of an era
http://www.vdare.com/letters/tl_091408.htm
A Life Long George Putnam Fan Says Good-Bye
http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2008/09/12/george-putnam-1914-2008-r-i-p/
George Putnam, (1914-2008) R. I. P.
In closing, I feel comfortable in saying that George Putnam was a true
American hero and one of the most important persons ever in broadcast news.
At one time Putnam even earned a higher salary than Walter Cronkite! I doubt
Putnam will get the tribute he deserves because the liberal media
establishment despises his views on immigration and globalism. Hopefully my
prediction will be wrong and the media will surprise me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-me-putnam13-2008sep13,0,1447667.story?page=1
From the Los Angeles Times
OBITUARY
George Putnam, longtime L.A. newsman, dies at 94 The anchorman and commentator
known for his opinion segments had been suffering from a kidney ailment.
By Dennis McLellan
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 13, 2008
George Putnam, the pioneer television news anchorman and conservative
commentator whose distinctive stentorian voice was a mainstay of Southern
California broadcasting for decades, has died. He was 94.
Putnam, who had been suffering from a kidney ailment since December, died
early Friday morning at Chino Valley Medical Center, said Chuck Wilder,
Putnam's cohost, producer and announcer.
Beginning at KTTV Channel 11 in the early 1950s, Putnam quickly became a
dominant and influential force in Los Angeles TV news. The winner of three
Emmy Awards, he reportedly at one time was the highest-rated and highest-paid
TV news anchor in Los Angeles.
"George Putnam established the template, the prototype of the local news
anchorman that everyone came to accept -- the deep voice, the carefully
groomed hair, the friendly I'm-talking-directly-to-you-and-no-one-else
presentation," Joe Saltzman, a USC journalism professor, said Friday via e-
mail.
"He became a friend ('George') to thousands of viewers, and his 'One
Reporter's Opinion' was one friend talking directly to another and explaining
how he felt about the issues he spoke about on the news," said Saltzman.
Putnam began his broadcast career on a Minneapolis radio station in 1934.
More than 70 years later, he was still at the microphone with his weekday,
noon to 2 p.m. "Talk Back With George Putnam" syndicated radio program.
Distinguished career
Putnam did his last regular broadcast May 8 but returned July 14 for a one-
hour broadcast marking his 94th birthday, during which he fielded phone calls
from well-wishers, including actress Doris Day.
When Putnam was working for NBC in New York City in the early 1940s,
influential newspaper columnist Walter Winchell declared that "George Putnam's
voice is the greatest in radio."
But it was on television in Los Angeles a decade later that the tall, wavy-
haired broadcaster with the rich baritone voice made his biggest mark.
"George was the great communicator, before that title was ever applied to
anyone," veteran KTLA-TV reporter Stan Chambers wrote in his 1994 book "News
at Ten: Fifty Years With Stan Chambers."
"His vibrant enthusiasm, commanding appearance and booming voice blended to
make him a major force in television news," Chambers wrote. "He not only
delivered the news, he cared about it and got involved in his stories."
In addition to his three Emmy wins, Putnam was the recipient of six California
Associated Press Television and Radio Assn. awards and more than 300 other
honors and citations.
On KTTV in the 1950s and early '60s, Putnam would conclude his early evening
news broadcast with his signature theatrical flair.
"And that's the up-to-the-minute news, up to the minute, that's all the news,"
he would say, then add: "Back at 10, see you then!"
Blurred roles
Putnam was criticized by some for stepping beyond the bounds of his role as a
reporter and into that of a commentator.
When L.A. County Dist. Atty. William B. McKesson, who had been appointed after
Dist. Atty. Ernest Roll's death in 1956, sought election, Putnam said during
his news broadcast: "Many of you have asked where I stand in the race for Los
Angeles district attorney. I stand for Los Angeles Dist. Atty.
William B. McKesson." He then listed his reasons for endorsing the candidate.
Former President Nixon, speaking on videotape during a 1984 roast of Putnam
given by KTTV to celebrate his 50th anniversary in broadcasting, said of the
outspoken newscaster: "Some people didn't like what he said; some people liked
what he said. But everybody listened to George Putnam. That is why he has been
one of the most influential commentators of our times."
Despite his reputation as a staunch conservative, Putnam said in a 1994
interview with The Times that he "never thought of myself as a conservative."
"I detest labels," he said. "I've been called many things in my career:
right-wing extremist, super-patriot, goose-stepping nationalist, jingoistic
SOB. And those are some of the nice things!
"But those people have never bothered to determine my background:
Farmer-Labor Party, Socialist Party, lifelong member of the NAACP, member of
the Urban League. I went through the Depression, and my father was reduced to
selling peanuts door-to-door. Then, because of that, I fell in love with
Franklin D. Roosevelt. I've been a lifelong Democrat. I'm a conservative
Democrat."
Decades as a broadcaster
Born in Breckenridge, Minn., on July 14, 1914, Putnam landed his first
broadcasting job at age 20 on WDGY radio, a 1,000-watt station in Minneapolis.
He began by answering the phone and spinning records.
By the late 1930s, he had moved to New York City, where his professional stock
rose considerably after columnist Winchell praised the sound of his voice.
"Winchell made my career," Putnam told The Times. "I went from $190 a month at
NBC to better than $200,000 a year."
During World War II, Putnam was drafted into the Army and then commissioned in
the Marine Corps, where he was involved with the Armed Forces Radio Service.
In the late 1940s, he was hired by the DuMont television network to write and
deliver six commentaries a week on a news show broadcast from New York.
He added to his professional prestige by sharing the role as the voice of Fox
Movietone News with legendary broadcaster Lowell Thomas.
In late 1951, he was hired at KTTV, the independent station then owned by
Times-Mirror Co., which also owned the Los Angeles Times, which is now owned
by Tribune Co.
TV news at the time, Putnam said in a 1983 Times interview, "was pretty damn
elementary," with 15 people at most working on the newscasts, compared with 80
or 90 three decades later. And covering a story in the field was a challenge
unto itself, he said. "In those days, it was like moving a house to get the
equipment set up."
TV news crews shot with 16-millimeter movie cameras at the time and, Putnam
recalled, all the stations would rush to the same processing lab in the
afternoon to get the film developed in time for the evening newscasts.
"If you got there late, you'd have to stand in line," Putnam said. "I remember
times when someone would run into the studio and yell, 'Hey, the film will be
here in 10 minutes. Ad-lib some stuff!' You had to be ready for almost
anything."
Putnam was said to have been an inspiration for Ted Baxter, Ted Knight's
blustery newscaster character on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."
In the mid-1960s, Putnam moved to KTLA-TV Channel 5. He returned to KTTV after
about two years and then moved back to KTLA in the early 1970s. Brief stints
at KHJ-TV Channel 9 and KCOP-TV Channel 13 followed, including cohosting "Both
Sides Now," a short-lived talk show with comedian Mort Sahl.
By the early 1980s, most of Putnam's professional life was devoted to his
daily current-events radio talk show, which he launched on KIEV-AM (870) in
1976 and where he remained a fixture for nearly three decades.
Since 2004, CRN Digital Talk Radio has syndicated Putnam's "Talk Back"
program to a national audience on cable TV, radio stations and the Internet.
Putnam broadcast the show from a studio at his ranch in Chino, where he and
his companion of 52 years, Sallilee Conlon, bred thoroughbred horses and
provided a home for abandoned animals.
For more than 45 years, Putnam rode a silver-saddled palomino in the Rose
Parade.
He also made cameo appearances as a newscaster in a number of movies over the
years, including "I Want to Live!," "Helter Skelter" and "Independence Day."
In addition to Conlon, Putnam is survived by his estranged wife, Virginia; two
daughters, Jan and Jill; his brother, Robert; and three grandchildren.
A public memorial service is pending.
dennis.mclellan@latimes.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75310
Monday, September 15, 2008
THE BABE IN THE BUNKER
The real end of an era
Exclusive: Barbara Simpson honors fearless journalist for lifetime of
achievements
Posted: September 15, 2008
1:00 am Eastern
By Barbara Simpson
It's ironic that just as this country prepared to honor the dead of 9/11 for
the seventh time -- albeit in a subdued, politically correct way -- we learned
of the loss of a man who loved his country and never hid his patriotism and
despite that, had become a media giant in radio and television news.
He was that and a true pioneer -- having been in the business for 74 years!
His name was George Putnam.
He died quietly a week ago at a Southern California medical center of a kidney
ailment. He'd been ill only since December and kept working almost to the end.
He did his last regular radio program on May 8, but then did a special program
on July 14 to honor his birthday.
He was 94!
If you're lucky, you know who he was and you know his work, especially if you
lived in Southern California where he worked in news for more than 50 years.
You'd never forget Putnam even if you disagreed with him.
But if you don't recognize the name, you'd recognize the voice -- deep,
thundering when necessary, full of dramatic pauses but all the while with
excellent diction and grammar.
It's said that the bombastic TV newsman Ted Baxter on the "Mary Tyler Moore
Show" was patterned after Putnam. It was lovingly done and good for a laugh.
George was a good target for parody, but for his viewers he represented
honesty and truth and the spirit of America.
Consider that when George did the news, there was an American flag next to his
anchor desk, on the set. It was not a little pin on his lapel, but a real,
large Old Glory on a flagpole!
Anchors today would have apoplexy over that!
If you ever watched the Tournament of Roses Parade you probably saw George.
For more than 45 years he was a regular participant, riding his beautiful
palomino. George loved horses -- raising thoroughbreds on his ranch outside of
L.A. But he also had a soft spot in his heart for homeless animals.
I didn't know George was sick, so when I learned of his death, I felt a real
loss. Although I haven't seen him in years, George was one of those people who
"always was there" and always "would be."
But that's not how life is. Death intrudes.
George Putnam died quietly, away from the headlines. But given the length of
his life and the scope of his work, he deserves headlines and his
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