Sundays With Snyder - Number 1

In 1987, Tom Snyder filled-in as occasional guest host on Larry King's Mutual Radio show. He enjoyed the work and was good at it.

In 1988, the ABC Radio Network gave Tom his own nationally syndicated call-in program. Known simply as "The Radio Show," it ran for three hours every weekday night for five years. The first hour was usually a news maker or political guest; hour two featured someone from the field of entertainment, and the third hour, the "nightside" hour, was "...you and TS, all alone on the telephone."

This wasn't confrontational radio. It wasn't partisan political radio. It was simply the world filtered through Tom Snyder's intellect. He was sympathetic to guests and callers alike, connecting on a basic, "common sense" level. When common sense seemed an impossible goal, Tom would give an exasperated "Sheesh!" Not "Sheesh, this person is ridiculous," but rather "Sheesh, how far am I going to have to go in order to have a conversation?"

It was easy-going and personal. Tom would swap stories with guests rather than formally interview them. It almost didn't matter who the guest was - listeners tuned in for Tom. Tom gave them great radio.

If these shows are archived somewhere, I haven't found them. So Sundays With Snyder will be a regular feature here on Isn't Life Terrible until our finite supply of programs saved on audiocassette runs out. Some shows will be "joined in progress," some will be incomplete, some will have static, and some will suffer from a buzzing sound generated by a nearby appliance. Others will be screwed up professionally by WICC-AM, the local affiliate, where the board op would frequently miss cues or played two feeds at once. WICC also provided long periods of dead air... but those, like commercials and newscasts, have been cut out. Commercials and newscasts are retained when there's historic or entertainment value.

Tonight: From Feb. 18th 1992: TS with guest Gloria Steinem. The country is smack dab in the middle of a recession, and it's the day of the New Hampshire primary when Tsongas beat Clinton and Bush beat Buchanan. (We do not know how provocatively TS was dressed for this show).

Listen...



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