“Ladies and Gentlemen… THE BEATLES!”
On a February night in 1964, a veteran TV host and four young musicians from England changed music, broadcasting, popular culture… they changed everything.
By Mark Wainwright
In early December 1963, America was a very gloomy place. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22 brought the country to a virtual standstill for four days, and the emotional and psychological hangover lingered for weeks. The nation needed a dose of uplifting energy and fun, and the Beatles were the ideal remedy.
The Beatles were hardly newcomers. They had already been a successful act in the UK and mainland Europe (especially in Germany) for several years; oddly, they never got much traction in the United States. They had released a handful of songs in the US on smaller, independent record labels as far back as 1962, but they received little attention.
“She Loves You,” one of their early signature songs, was a failure when it was first released here in 1963. Dick Clark tried to feature it on “American Bandstand,” but the young dancers on his show didn’t know what to make of it and rated it poorly. But as the year went on, their popularity in England dramatically turned into a phenomenon that featured wildly enthusiastic crowds of screaming teenage girls. No one seems to be able to pinpoint what the catalyst was, but their already established popularity quickly grew into what became known as “Beatlemania.”
The Beatles first appeared on American TV on network news broadcasts. NBC’s “Huntley-Brinkley Report” aired a segment about the Beatles and Beatlemania in England on November 18,1963. Edwin Newman was the correspondent, and he and his colleagues were rather dismissive of the group, their music, and their young fans. Meanwhile, over at CBS, Walter Cronkite’s take was more generous. Their reporter in London, Alexander Kendrick, was pretty condescending as well, but Cronkite liked the segment when he saw it on the “CBS Morning News” on November 22 and planned to run it on his evening newscast. Sadly, what happened in Dallas hours later preempted everything.
A few weeks later, Cronkite thought his viewers could use a lift from the gloom that had descended upon the country, and he thought that segment would be a nice diversion. He ran it on his newscast on December 10, and that story really got the nation’s attention.
Young America was soon clamoring for everything Beatles. Radio stations dug up the records that hadn’t been successful and started playing them constantly. Beatles paraphernalia was heavily marketed and sold well. Capitol Records released “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in the United States on December 26 — the boys finally had a deal with a major record company in the US — and by New Year’s Eve, it was already a hit. It was the first of six Beatles’ songs that reached #1 on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart in 1964.
Meanwhile, Ed Sullivan was the host/master of ceremonies of a long-running CBS variety show that dominated the Sunday night ratings for years. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he was happy to present many of the early stars of rock-and-roll; Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Jackie Wilson were among the pioneering artists of the new music genre who got their first major television exposure on Sullivan’s program.
Sullivan heard about the Beatles, saw them receive a tumultuous reception at Heathrow Airport in London, saw the CBS news segment, and was determined to present them on his show. Whatever he thought of their music, he respected talent and knew a hot act when he saw one.
A deal was quickly arranged between Sullivan and Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ long-time manager. Sullivan would bring them to the United States for three consecutive Sunday night shows. The February 16 performance would be broadcast live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, the third appearance on February 23 would be taped in advance. But the first of the three, a live performance on the Ed Sullivan Show February 9, was the one most anticipated. The two New York shows would be presented at the studio venue now known as the “Ed Sullivan Theater.”
When word got out, the demand for tickets was insane. CBS received more than 50,000 ticket requests (the tickets were free) for a studio theater that held 728. Getting one of the tickets was largely a matter of luck. Numerous notables and VIPs called upon favors owed and contacts at CBS to get tickets for their daughters (or granddaughters). Only a few succeeded.
When the Beatles arrived in New York on a Pan Am 707, they were greeted by a near-hysterical crowd of teenage girls (this had become a routine occurrence). They needed a police escort to get into Manhattan, and they needed a phalanx of New York cops to get them in and out of their hotel. All of this, of course, was breathlessly reported in the news media.
They arrived at the theater on Saturday, February 8, for a lighting and sound check and a brief rehearsal. George Harrison was recovering from a throat infection and was still tired and feverish, so he stayed at the hotel to rest, while a member of their entourage and a CBS production assistant took turns as stand-ins for George.
The following evening, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, the “Ed Sullivan Show” went on the air, and shortly after the opening credits, Sullivan came on stage and offered a few brief remarks about the Beatles and their spectacular overnight success (“overnight” at least as far as Americans were concerned). Then… “Ladies and Gentlemen… THE BEATLES!” The theater erupted.
This moment led to one of the enduring music/broadcasting history trivia questions: What was the first song the Beatles performed live on their first “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance? No, it wasn’t “She Loves You” or “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (although they did those later in the show). Hint: while it was one of their most popular early songs, it was never officially released as a single. Okay, it was “All My Loving,” track #6 on side one of their iconic Meet the Beatles! album.
The ratings for the show were unprecedented. More than 73 million viewers – 39% of the country’s population – saw the performance. The broadcast drew a 60 share, which meant that 60% of American TV households were tuned in. Ed Sullivan always had pretty good ratings, but this was more than triple the size of his usual audience.
The Beatles were far from finishing their first American visit. Brian Epstein had managed to squeeze a couple of concert appearances into their tight schedule. One of those took place in Washington, DC two nights later, at the old Washington Coliseum. The old barn had seen some big events in its history, but nothing like this. The folks who owned and managed the building had barely heard of the group, but a concert promoter in the region convinced them to book a show. There was minimal promotion and advertising, but it wasn’t necessary. The tickets sold out in only a few hours.
It turned out to be one of the most intense and intimidating concert environments ever seen, and is still regarded as such. The Beatles performed one of their few (maybe their only?) concerts “in the round,” on a small stage at the center of the arena, placed where the boxing ring would normally be situated. The building was packed with 8,092 ticket holders, most of them (as usual) screaming teenagers, with the front rows only a few feet from the stage. Imagine the frenzy in Ed Sullivan’s studio theater, now multiplied by a factor of ten. Fortunately, nothing really serious occurred, and the band handled the situation flawlessly, even making adjustments on the fly to handle audio and microphone issues…although it’s hard to believe they could even hear themselves amidst the screaming. They returned to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall the following day, then flew to Florida to spend a few days before returning to England. They returned for a North American concert tour in late summer. That tour was much better organized and promoted, although Beatlemania had not subsided at all, and the receptions they received were just as frenzied as their earlier appearances.
Typically, in an article like this, you would see links to various sources on the web. It would be superfluous here. There are countless sources of audio, video, photographs, and text of all these events and many others relating to that weekend in 1964. They are easily accessed on YouTube and other online locations. You can use one of the popular search engines or simply type a few key words into the YouTube search bar. All sorts of material will pop up; you’ll never run out of stuff to enjoy. If you are looking for maximum available audio and video quality, there are many downloads and DVD’s available from Amazon and other merchants.
The Beatles’ first weekend in America – particularly that first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” – is widely regarded as a sort of cultural watershed that ignited Beatlemania here and opened America to other performers of the “British Invasion” era… artists like the Rolling Stones, the Dave Clark Five, Dusty Springfield, and many others. Many sociologists and cultural historians have opined that the Beatles coming to the United States was (at least in a pop culture sense) the beginning of the era that we now commonly view as “The Sixties.” Indeed, a veteran television host and four young musicians from the UK changed everything that night.
EPILOGUE
If their first “Ed Sullivan Show” performance was the “penthouse suite” of their first visit to America, the foundations of that structure were the countless radio stations around the United States that highlighted the band and played their music incessantly. There are endless stories about the big AM Top-40 stations of that era, their star disc jockeys, and their various encounters with the Beatles, both on and off the air.
I was a youngster in Baltimore at that time, and I was already hooked on radio and everything about it. I was a big fan of AM Top-40 powerhouse WCAO. The “Big 60” was the radio station for young Baltimore in that era, and their on-air staff were all celebrities in the community. Noted radio entrepreneur Kerby Confer was a WCAO disc jockey then, using the name “Kerby Scott” on the air.
1964 WCAO Promotional Material: “Kerby Scott photo
(Photo courtesy Kerby Confer)
I recently spoke with Kerby Confer (almost two hours on the phone!) and reminisced about that era and WCAO’s role in it. When the Beatles took the train from New York to their gig in Washington, one of Kerby’s colleagues, veteran WCAO newsman Frank Luber, managed to board the train when it stopped at Pennsylvania Station in Baltimore and recorded an interview with the Beatles. The tape was brought back to the station and aired.
If WCAO was already immersed in Beatlemania, that episode had the station and its staff absolutely swimming in it. Kerby Confer told me that moment influenced his life and his career in ways he didn’t fully appreciate at the time. He said he was just another guy doing pretty well on the air in Baltimore, but that moment led to him becoming Baltimore’s “Fifth Beatle.” Wait, what? Baltimore’s “Fifth Beatle?”How did that come about?
September, 1964: The Beatles and Baltimore media. “Kerby Scott” Confer is at the far right, directly behind Ringo (Photo courtesy Kerby Confer)
As it turned out, Kerby Scott soon became the host of WCAO’s “Liverpool Hour,” an evening program in conjunction with his regular on-air work at the station. The program featured the music of the Beatles and the many other artists who came out of the UK at that time.
Kerby usually wore his hair short in a buzz cut, but Paul Rodgers – his lifelong friend, WCAO colleague, and business partner later – convinced him to grow his hair out enough to solidify the “Fifth Beatle” persona. Kerby eventually sported a very restrained Beatles-style haircut to complete the image (I don’t think he kept the haircut for very long). He was an obvious choice to emcee one of the Beatles’ shows when they performed at the Baltimore Civic Center in September of 1964, and he later hosted “The Kerby Scott Show” on WBAL-TV; it was a dance party program, Baltimore’s version of Dick Clark’s show “American Bandstand,” and I believe it was eventually syndicated elsewhere. Before long, Kerby Confer moved over to the business side of radio in management and ownership. He was very successful in that endeavor, and still owns and operates many radio stations today.
So, Kerby Scott Confer and Mark Wainwright were just two more young radio guys whose lives and careers were influenced by that first Beatles weekend in the United States. It bears repeating: a veteran television host and four young musicians from England changed everything on the night of February 9,1964.
Mark Wainwright is a long-time radio personality, talk show host, and voiceover performer who has worked on the air at numerous respected radio stations around the United States. He was most recentlythe morning host at WSYR in Syracuse, New York. A Baltimore native, Mark currently resides inSaratoga County, New York. He can be reached at: markwainwright@earthlink.net
Now that every single thing is a political argument, the angry social media conversation about Taylor Swift is unsurprising. And with the Super Bowl looming, the decibel level amps-up.
Other notable findings: 1) Older Americans and women are listening to podcasts at a faster rate, with a 22% increase in listeners over the age of 55 and a 19% increase in female listeners 18+ over the past two years; 2) Top podcast genres of 2023 were News (22% of downloads), True Crime (18%), and Comedy (15%). Of True Crime podcast listeners, 67% were female, of Comedy podcast listeners 62% were male, and of News podcast listeners 58% were male; 3) The top sales networks of 2023 in the Triton U.S. Podcast Ranker were SiriusXM Podcast Network at #1, NPR at #2, and Wondery at #3. The top podcast of the year was “NPR News Now.” Triton Digital SVP measurement products & strategy Daryl Battaglia says, “2023 was another year of significant growth for the podcast industry, and with increasing female and over 55+ audiences, we can expect more content production to serve those groups in the coming year. As podcast listenership continues to rise and reach new audiences, we’ll continue to provide our customers with in-depth insights around podcast consumption and listener habits in the coming year.” 
I’m no expert, but I do have a theory.
NO ONE has done more to elevate the status and improve the working conditions of on-air talent as much as Howard Stern.
Acknowledging that this publication is fiercely non-partisan and that I – in my role as a broadcaster – am basically the same, I offer the following, not as a political opinion piece, but rather a personal observation based on experience that might shed light on the deeper nature of a large segment of the American population prone to listen to talk radio.
the report as momentum grows in Congress for legislation to ensure AM radio is accessible to the public in all vehicles. NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “When disaster strikes, AM radio has proven time and again its invaluable role as a source of factual, authoritative, up-to-the-minute information that saves lives. It is also a home to a diversity of programming that is often unavailable on other mediums and particularly important to otherwise underserved communities. It is critical that Congress address the need for AM radio capability in vehicles to ensure Americans can turn to local AM stations when they need them the most.” 
Radio Network. This is a significant step up for us, and we are ready to help more people! By airing our radio show weekly on JFRN, we will be able to help more great Americans and their loved ones.” John Fredericks comments, “Adding an informative investing and retirement planning show to our growing radio network was important to us. We want to provide important information to help people better protect and grow their hard-earned money during this difficult time in our country, politically and economically. Ford’s show is at the next level. He shares important information as a licensed financial advisor that Americans can apply to their retirement plans every week.”
The company says that the initiative will achieve these objectives with a robust schedule of climate-themed broadcasts and special programming during the next 12 months, four free community events (one per quarter), two town halls broadcast nationally from Los Angeles, and a savvy social media and marketing campaign. KBLA says its public and private partners in this initiative include: LADWP, Metro, the Port of Los Angeles, CalEndow, California Community Foundation, the Sierra Club, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and others who will join the campaign in Q2, Q3 and Q4. Chief visionary officer and nationally 
syndicated talk host Tavis Smiley says, “The harsher impacts of climate change weigh heavily on communities of color. In these underserved communities, families are less likely to have air conditioning, shade trees, bus shelters, water and energy effective appliances and other infrastructure that’s critical to mitigate a changing climate. As the most ‘trusted, credible and reliable’ media source in Southern California for African Americans and beyond, our talk station is committed to do more than just talk in these troubled times. There is a clear connection between Dr. King’s moral consistence on the notion of reverence for human life or the interconnected nature of life and the future of our world house. On this MLK holiday weekend, KBLA assigns itself the task of elevating the climate conversation by amplifying the voices of those who are most impacted by the climate catastrophes we are all witnessing in real time. In a real sense, climate is king.”
The United Nations and its specialized agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have given the radio industry all around the globe an invaluable gift. It’s called “World Radio Day 2024.” Now in its 13th installment, WRD takes place annually on February 13 with the purpose of spotlighting the accomplishments, importance, and ongoing relevance of the radio medium as it evolves deeper into the 21st century. This year’s WRD theme is “Radio: A Century Informing, Educating and Entertaining.” By officially designating the platform as worthy of its own officially sanctioned UN International Day, the august world body has recognized, spotlighted, and endorsed radio’s continuing relevance and potential for being a vital force for the betterment of humanity.
The United Nations and its specialized agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have given the radio industry all around the globe an invaluable gift. It’s called “World Radio Day 2024.” Now in its 13th installment, WRD takes place annually on February 13 with the purpose of spotlighting the accomplishments, importance, and ongoing relevance of the radio medium as it evolves deeper into the 21st century. This year’s theme is “Radio: A Century Informing, Educating and Entertaining.” By officially designating the platform as worthy of its own officially sanctioned UN International Day, the august world body has recognized, spotlighted, and endorsed radio’s continuing relevance and potential for being a vital force for the betterment of humanity.
Longtime radio personality and voiceover performer Mark Wainwright writes today in a piece for TALKERS magazine about the 1958 NFL Championship between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants – historically billed as “the Greatest Game Ever Played.” Was it, really? Wainwright says, “On the field? Maybe. In its impact on pro football and sports broadcasting? Absolutely!” While the Colts won in “sudden death” overtime, as it used to be called, it’s important to remember that in 1958 the NFL was not the juggernaut that it is today. Major League Baseball and college football were way bigger in terms of fan interest. But this game is looked at by many as the one that began the NFL’s ascendance to its current place atop the American sports media hill. 
It was one of those indelible moments in sports history: The 1958 NFL Championship, played on December 28, 1958 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants 23-17 in sudden death overtime. 65 years later, the events of that Sunday afternoon still resonate throughout pro sports and sports media.
success story and a perfect fit for this role. We look forward to watching him make America laugh on Saturday nights.” Failla comments, “‘FOX News Saturday Night’ is a show for everyone who realizes that our country doesn’t need more Republicans or more Democrats, it needs more comedy.” In addition, FOX Nation just released a one-hour special showcasing Failla’s recent standup comedy performance to a sold-out crowd on Long Island, titled, “Jimmy Failla: They’re Just Jokes.” Failla is also the latest author to be published by FOX News Books with Cancel Culture Dictionary being released on January 30. 
Books, 2022) by Dr. Murray Sabrin. The book has been an Amazon bestseller and a popular vehicle sparking conversations on political news/talk shows across America. Its author, Murray Sabrin, Ph.D. is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of NJ. Dr. Sabrin – a prolific author – is considered a “public intellectual” for writing essays about the economy in scholarly and popular publications as well as being a prolific guest and “go-to” resource on hundreds of radio and TV talk shows and podcasts. According to publisher Michael Harrison, who wrote the book’s provocative foreword, “From Immigrant to Public Intellectual is a truly American story about an immigrant child’s rise from humble beginnings to forge a stellar career as an educator, author, candidate, and media influencer. Murray Sabrin explains libertarianism in plain language using his own life story set against a half-century of changing times. Talk show hosts have been tapping into this articulate scholar’s knowledge and views for more than three decades since his impressive third-party showing as the Libertarian candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1997.” To learn more about Dr. Murray Sabrin please visit murraysabrin.com and murraysabrin.substack.com.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? A very good major market DJ murders his wife and injures her lover upon catching them in the marital bed. An 11-year-old girl was in the house – a witness. The murderer is convicted (second-degree murder/“situational crime”) sent to prison, does his time and is released after a few years for good behavior while incarcerated.
events in the Garden State drawing 250 guests including government officials, media representatives and community-minded business leaders. The gala will be held on Friday, October 4, 2024 at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Harrison says, “This is a huge honor and I’m looking forward to addressing this distinguished event with observations about the media’s position at the crossroads between politics, journalism and changing social norms.” Hurley tells TALKERS, “Our special event will be taking place four weeks before one of the most consequential national elections in American history… arguably, the most important election since the Civil War era. It deserves to have a keynote speaker as eloquent as Michael Harrison.”
turkeys and meals will be distributed by St. Francis over the holiday season, including from the 77WABC “Turkey” Trolley today (11/15) St. John’s Church in Manhattan. Red Apple Media owner John Catsimatidis says, “No one should be without a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. This is an American holiday and Americans should not go hungry, ever! We are delighted that AARP New York City has joined us in this charitable endeavor.” 
Survey says nearly half of all Americans over 13, nearly 135 million, listen to spoken word formats. The growth curve boasts an eye opening 52% jump in time spent listening at home.
Curley and Howie Carr encouraged listeners to donate and raise funds for the DAV of Massachusetts’ homeless shelter and transportation programs. iHeartMedia Boston director of operations, news, talk and sports Bill Flaherty says, “Year after year, the WRKO listeners overwhelm us with their generosity. This year, they have helped to raise $172,852 for the DAV of Massachusetts. It’s an honor to dedicate a day of programming to those who have given so much of themselves for this country.” Since 2016, the “DAV Radiothon” has raised over $1,058,000 to benefit veterans in the community.
weekly podcast listeners age 13+. The top four shows in Q3 remain unchanged in rank from Q2: “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Crime Junkie,” “The Daily,” and “This American Life.” Other radio related podcasts ranked on this chart include iHeartPodcasts’ “Something You Should Know” at #9, The Daily Wire’s “The Ben Shapiro Show” at #17, Ramsey Networks’ “The Ramsey Show” at #21, and Cumulus Podcast Networks’ “The Dan Bongino Show” at #29.