R.I.P. Paul Harvey

[Sir_Winston54]

Though largely conservative in his viewpoint, he had a certain honesty and openness that made him a central part of the day for millions of Americans, including me, since the 1950s. The addition of a sly, dry sense of humor that often spiced his commentary made me smile, even at some times when I didn't always agree with his politics. He'll be missed.

Radio commentator Paul Harvey dead at 90
Broadcasting pioneer best known for ‘The Rest of the Story’ program

CHICAGO - Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where Harvey worked for more than 50 years. No cause of death was immediately available.​

Much more in the MSNBC story, linked in the headline above.

ABC News, through whom he broadcast for more than half a century, has a similar but much longer story here.

 

[WriterDom]

I never framed him in political terms. Of course it was usually by chance that I heard him at all. Driving at the right time. But I always listened. Was sad to see it.

He's irreplaceable. Sort of like Larry Munson was to Georgia. Larry is still alive but he finally retired.

 

[Hooper_X]

In his honor, I'm going to buy a bag of Miracle Gro potting mix from True Value hardware. It's 8 quarts for $2.69. And, that is true value!

 

[JMohegan]

In his honor, I'm going to buy a bag of Miracle Gro potting mix from True Value hardware. It's 8 quarts for $2.69. And, that is true value!

Ohh, this is awesome.

A fitting tribute to the Huckster Extraordinaire.

 

[Yasashii_Kaze]

I grew up listening to Paul Harvey every day on my parents' old eight track record player. I'll miss him.

 

[WriterDom]

Tough crowd for Paul. Maybe we're just too old SW.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

I'm kind of surprised that people here apparently aren't much familiar with him. He's been the iconic American newscaster for so long.

Over the years, Harvey won nearly every honor or accolade imaginable. He was named Salesman of the Year, Commentator of the Year, Person of the Year, Father of the Year, and American of the Year. He was elected to the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Hall of Fame and appeared on the Gallup poll list of America's most admired men.

In addition he has received 11 Freedom Foundation Awards as well as the Horatio Alger Award. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' most prestigious civilian award, by President George W. Bush.

At the age of 82, when most broadcasters have long been off the air, Paul Harvey signed a 10-year contract with ABC Radio in 2000. An executive with another network, who had hoped to sign Harvey to a deal, said "Call me when the contract's over so I can try again."

Traug Keller, then president of ABC Radio Networks, explained the rationale behind the 10-year deal.

"Paul Harvey is, without question, one of the most influential Americans of our time," Keller said. "In fact, political adviser and communications specialist Frank Mankiewicz noted that Paul Harvey's name appears most often in lists of the 10 most influential opinion-shapers of each decade since the 1930s."​

 

[BiBunny]

I even know who he is, LOL. I remember lots of "The Rest of the Stories" while riding in the car with my mother when I was younger. They came on every afternoon on the radio station she almost always listened to.

I'm sad to hear of his passing. Even now, I still occasionally hear him on the radio.

 

[CutieMouse]

I'm kind of surprised that people here apparently aren't much familiar with him. He's been the iconic American newscaster for so long.

I know "dreading" is a rather melodramatic word, but I've been dreading this news for a while... Ron Chapman and Paul Harvey Jr. have been doing his newscasts more and more frequently since Angel passed away lat spring, so I suspected he wasn't doing well.

Radio just won't be the same without him.

 

[JMohegan]

Tough crowd for Paul. Maybe we're just too old SW.

From Winston's ABC link: "This devoted following made him an advertiser's dream: He could as effortlessly weave a pitch into his program as he could capture images in words that lingered in his listeners' minds."

From Bloomberg: "His conservative views and sincerity made him popular with advertisers. Highly selective, Harvey required one-year commitments from program sponsors and only promoted products he and his wife used. He wrote the ad copy and read it with conviction. Bankers Life & Casualty was a sponsor for 30 years; Bose Corp. was another favorite."



Quotes from Paul Harvey himself:

"The ratings, I love to read. But the things that mean the most to me are when a sponsor calls and says, 'You increased our share 2 percent last month. Because this says to me, not only are people listening, but they're paying attention, and that's infinitely more significant."

"I can't look down on the commercial sponsors of these broadcasts. Too often they have very, very important messages to put across. Without advertising in this country, my goodness, we'd still be in this country what Russia mostly still is: a nation of bearded bicyclists with b.o."

"These people are putting their money where my mouth is. And if I were to turn my back on them and say someone else has to do that commercial, I wouldn't do it. This is a dreadful affront. Some days, the best news in the broadcast is the commercial. You can keep your natural teeth all your natural life! There is a glove that doesn't wear out! There is a car battery that keeps its promises! That's good news! And I would use those things on the air if they were not in the body of the commercial."

- source for the Harvey quotes.



Huckster Extraordinaire - and proud of it. Why shouldn't he be? That was his job.

 

[Hooper_X]

Ohh, this is awesome.

A fitting tribute to the Huckster Extraordinaire.

I don't think that very many people got the reference.