Radio varieties (Sept 1940-June 1941)

I MARRIED A SPORTSCASTER .^* BY HARRIET STERN, wiie of Bill Stem of NBC I am a stranger to the radio audience but my husband is probably better known by you than he is by me — you see, he never comes home. When we were first married several years ago, I realized that it was like marrying a traveling salesman who was always traveling. But I never thought that my only look at my husband would be either in the early morning or very late at night. Long ago I gave up inviting people over for dinner. You see, I soon ran out of excuses as to why Bill was late. But please do not misunderstand. I love it! It's Pdqe 26 like being on a merry-go-round and always trying for the brass ring! Bill is busy morning, noon and night, but I, at least, have one advantage over other wives. All 1 have to do is turn on the radio and I know at once where my wandering boy is tonight. Nor am I amazed any longer to find him on one coast of this grand country of ours one night, and on the air the next night from the opposite end. So much ' for the" complaint departMfent. • " You say; "Why do L stand it? Well that's easy to answer — 1 just happen to love the guy. But seriously, it's not entirely as bad as I've painted it. True, Bill does work seven days a week, fiftytwo weeks a year. But his work is so interesting that even I, who knew nothing about sports a few years back, am now all wrapped up in Joe DiMaggio, Joe Louis, etc. To me they've become real people instead of imaginary persons one might read about. Bill is always dropping in with some celebrity and casually saying: "Honey, I want you to meet Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt or Alice Marble," depending on which sport he's describing that day. I like it, and I think all women would, too. Then, too, you should hear all the gossip I hear about famous people — it's wonderful. Sometimes I think Bill makes some of it up just to amuse me — but it's still interesting and I never let on that I know the difference. Bill's average week is like sorrieone auditioning for a nervous breakdown. Each morning he's down at NBC by 9:30, getting his daily show ready; that is, Mondays through Fridays. On Saturdays he has usually a football game, track meet or something else in the afternoon. All week long he is watching to see that NBC covers the right sports event, and making plans and arrangements for his broadcasts not to mention writing his material. In the evenings all he has are two M-G-M newsreels ("News of the Day") to make a week which start at 9:00 in the evening and run through until 3:00 the next morning. They are made on Mondays and Wednesdays. Hardly a week goes by that he doesn't work with Sam Taub on the fight broadcasts and Sunday evenings are filled with the Bill Stern-Sports broadcasts. (8:45 p. m. CDST, NBC-Blue). There are two of them you know, the second one is heard out West. Sounds terrible, doesn't it? But it isn't. It's fun — fun for him or he wouldn't be doing it, and as for me — well, I guess I kind of like it, too. RADIO VARIETIES OCTOBER