Golden Age of Radio

Bill Stern —Teller of Tall Tales SOME radio performers have a way of bringing violent reactions from their listeners. An outstanding example is Bill Stern , the sports commentator. At almost regular intervals someone trots into this department screaming, “Did you hear Bill Stern last night?” Anonymous voices appear on the telephone, reporting Bill Stern ’s latest. What precipitates all this furor is Stern’s penchant for exaggeration. Stern comes on the air at 9:30 p.m. Fridays with dramatizations of what are known as feature stories in newspaper parlance. There is a little song on the show, sort of a singing commercial, and one of the lines is: “ Bill Stern has lots to say.” Stern certainly has. Not satisfied with a good feature story. Stern tries to make it better. He broadcast a story about a Wisconsin boy, who was learning to swim without hands or feet, only Stern made it “without arms or legs,” and made the boy out to be a good swimmer, which he wasn’t. Stern stra...