Cat Whiskers and Talking Furniture - A Memoir of Radio and Television Broadcasting (Paperback)

A long-time broadcaster, John Rayburn has covered major news and sporting events for over 60 years on popular radio and television programs. Having been in the business for nearly two-thirds of official broadcasting history, Rayburn relies on his extensive experience to give this unique, first-hand account of several historic events and developments in broadcasting history.The story begins in the early days of radio, when most listeners relied on a primitive crystal-and-wire "cat whisker" radio and most broadcasters relied on cumbersome shellac transcription discs to record their programs. From there, Rayburn gives a unique account of the next seven decades in broadcasting history, fondly recalling Edward R. Murrow's live broadcasts from London in World War II, the heyday of Little Orphan Annie and her secret decoder badges, and his own participation in the early days of full-time color television news broadcasts, among many other landmark broadcast events. Along with his personal memoir, the author includes conversations and interviews with many noted individuals, including Bill Stern, Ronald Reagan, Rin Tin Tin, Burl Ives, Milton Berle, and Jimmy Carter.