Tonight's topic: 

"Is There Anything Wrong with Motorcycling?"

To date there are one million motorcyclists in the USA.
During the past week 15,000 motorcyclists converged on the town of Laconia New Hampshire for the 46th annual New England motorcycle rally and race. A riot ensued and police and The National Guard were called to stop the riot. 

To discuss this topic are guests Harold Knowlton Police Chief of Laconia, Michael Sumner, journalist covering the story at the scene for Sports Illustrated magazine, and Bob Trapp President of the CCMC motorcycle club. He was in Laconia at the time of the rally. Nipsey Russell and Les Crane add their own points of view. 


LES CRANE TV  Late Night Talk Show Host.

The debut of Les Crane on WABC television in New York  was September 16, 1963. For the first month, the title of the telecast was NIGHTLINE...LES CRANE. Beginning on October 18, 1963, the title was changed to THE LES CRANE SHOW. 

These late-night LIVE broadcasts were aired Monday thru Friday. on local station WABC New York. Beginning December 6, 1963, late-night broadcasts aired Tuesday thru Saturday. Also, another time slot opened for Crane with a similar format airing on WABC in the afternoon...a one hour version broadcast from 1:30-2:30 pm, five days a week, and again returning to late-night broadcasting usually 1 am to 2:00 am after the WABC late movie, THE BEST OF BROADWAY. This TALK SHOW / PHONE IN version of The Les Crane Show concluded its final broadcast on July 31, 1964.

On August 3, 4, 5, 6, & 8, 1964 THE NEW LES CRANE SHOW premiered...a five program trial rivaling Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW.  It was Nationally televised and it is considered the FIRST network talk show program to compete with THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON. On November 9, 1964, THE LES CRANE SHOW premiered and aired regularly weeknights on the ABC network, opposite Johnny Carson's TONIGHT SHOW.
After 14 weeks, and low ratings, this series ended with its last telecast airing on February 26, 1965. Les Crane's late-night network career was over, and never to be resumed Nationally.

ABC renamed their late-night time slot NIGHTLIFE, premiering on February 29, 1965. This one hour forty-five-minute weekly late-night talk series showcased guest hosts. This series run lasted four months, the last broadcast airing on June 25, 1965. Guest hosts included: Shelley Berman, Pat Boone, Jack Carter, Allan Sherman, Dave Garraway, Bill Cullen, William B. Williams (announcer of this series run), Eddy Arnold, Dale Robertson, Dick Shawn, Louis Nye, & Jan Murray. 

Form June 28 to October 22, 1965 Les Crane returned to this time slot...the series title remaining, NIGHTLIFE. Les Crane no longer was a solo host. He co-hosted with Dave Garroway, and Nipsey Russell.

Two years later, Les Crane returned to local late night television appearing for eight months on WNEW channel 5 in New York 11:15pm - 12:15am from January 15, 1968 changing time slots on July 8, 1968, 11:45pm - 12:45pm. Final show aired on September 6, 1968, and it was the last time Les Crane would host a late night television talk show.   

NOTE: A two hour radio broadcast profiling Les Crane, including TV Audio Air Check Crane highlights from the ATA archive can be listened to in its entirety. It appears on the ATA website under the link TV CONFIDENTIAL. The segment (SOUNDS OF LOST TELEVISION) was recorded in Pasadena California and aired in 2014 with host Ed Robertson, and guest Phil Gries. 

NOTE: Most all of Les Crane's cumulative 26 months of broadcasting as a talk show host is today non-existent. Tapes were destroyed, erased and whereabouts unknown. The 25 television air checks archived in the Archival Television Audio, Inc. library is the most known Les Crane broadcast records to exist in the country.
 
Extant examples existing elsewhere include two broadcast kinescopes archived by The Paley Center for Media (one from 1967, and the other, a broadcast from January 31, 1968 titled "Rich Jews." There is archived at UCLA FILM & TV ARCHIVE four extant examples related to Les Crane, including a 45 minute compilation demo/presentation reel with clips from the New Les Crane Show trial run (Aug. 1964).

NOTE: The Les Crane Show  late night talk program on ABC during the 1964-65 television season pioneered a format of television later embraced by icon Phil Donahue, Crane fell to NBC’s The Tonight Show, a national brand with a decade of broadcasting tenure, proved its dominance.  Donahue began his legendary career in Dayton in 1967, evolving into a daytime programming staple for nearly 30 years.

Les Crane’s daughter Caprice points out that her father used journalism to cover topics and people that others feared to explore.  “He created the shotgun mike,” says Crane of her dad, who passed away in 2008.  “He had guests who did not provide the typical fluff, for example, Malcolm X, Bob Dylan, and the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald.  He had the first publicly gay man on his show.  He was also an amazing listener who helped create a new television format that demanded more information for the listener.  
The Les Crane Show didn’t last long because the person who tries the new thing always gets penalized.  People are afraid of the unknown until it becomes mainstream.”

A renaissance media man for the second half of the 20th century, Crane held interests and influences beyond journalism.  “My dad gave The Mamas and the Papas group its name,” reminds Caprice Crane.  “Casey Kasem credited him with inventing the Top 40 radio format at KRLA.  He also got into the computer business before it was big.  His company was Software Tool Works, which produced the Chess Master computer program.  He was always before his time.”

Crane’s innovative format allowed one of baseball’s biggest heroes, Jackie Robinson, to debate one of conservatism’s biggest allies, William F. Buckley. Nowhere on television in the mid-1960s could audiences see this type of television fodder.  Unfortunately, The Les Crane Show fell victim to a common policy of television networks destroying tapes because of the shortsighted view that future generations would not be interested in. How wrong they were.                                                                                                                                                       

Adlai Stevenson dies in London, various reports, and a comment by President Johnson and Dwight Eisenhower who twice opposed Stevenson for the presidency in 1952 and 1956.             

The third night of Watts looting and rioting, fourteen dead, National Guard sent in.             

Billy Rose comments on New York's World's Fair Fiasco.            

June 28th 1965-October 22nd, 1965 (ABC)

Guest: David Susskind.                                  

  Les Crane with David Susskind who tells a joke.                                                                           

Andy Williams Show promo with Phyllis Diller.             

Promo for Bonanza.          

June 28th 1965-October 22nd, 1965 (ABC)

Guest: Oscar Levant. 

                                               

  Les Crane interviews Oscar Levant.                                                                           

Commentary on avoiding the draft.            

Worldwide denunciation against the US involvement in Vietnam.           

Anti-war draft protest in New York City. strong comments by people involved. Pro and anti reporting. Liz Potter and Howard Tuckne report.                          

The World's Fair comes to a close in New York City, comments about success or failure, more anti-Vietnam protests, the arrest of a draft-card burner.              

Six candidates, all running for the office of New York City mayor, meet in a TV debate.   
Major candidates include Congressman John V. Lindsay, city comptroller Abraham D. Beame, and journalist William F. Buckley, Jr.                      

Two men burn draft cards in New York City, their comments, comment from Barry Goldwater, a Ku Klux Klan member kills himself due to Jewish background.             

Live coverage of the Northeast power blackout on Tuesday, November 9th, 1965, crippling the eastern portion of the United States and parts of Ontario Canada, leaving thirty million people without power. Power did not return until thirteen hours later at approximately 8AM Eastern time. 

The aftermath of the Northeast power blackout. Comments by people involved. Pacifist sets himself afire outside the UN.                         

The Viet Cong will release two US prisoners, possible atrocities by US soldiers on Viet Cong in retaliation for anti-Viet comments in DC, comments by draftees, and others on war protesters.              

War against the war. A survey of anti-war protesters in the US including groups against fascism and SDS. 

Gerald Grey reports.          

Ku Klux Klan leader attacks Jews and Catholics in US post office.            

The latest from NBC News.            

Ku Klux Klan leader Wally Butterworth attacks Jews, the Post Office, and Catholics.             

KKK leader Wally Butterworth verbally attacks the US Postal Service, Negroes, Jews, Catholics, etc.           

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians usher in the year 1966 with guest Howard Cosell. Cosell is in Times Square for the dropping of the ball ushering in the year 1966.                                                   

Transit strike begins in New York City. Green Bay Packers defeat Cleveland Browns 23-12 to win NFL championship game.         

New York City transit strike. Green Bay Packers defeat Cleveland Browns 23-12 to win NFL championship.           

A report on TWU President Michael Quill.             

The New York City Transit Strike, including Mike Quill outbursts.            

Live coverage of the New York City transit strike. Interview with the new Mayor of New York City, John Vliet Lindsay.          

New York City Mayor-Elect John V. Lindsay addresses the transit strike.             

A cancer label warning is put on cigarette packs, the movie "That Darn Cat" draws a six block-long line waiting for tickets to see it at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, an estimated 5,000 people. a report on deaths in 1965, President Johnson has gall bladder surgery, Ted Koppel on civil rights Selma to Montgomery.                          

TWU President Michael Quill is dead, Vietnam report, Nixon comments on Vietnam and his future in politics.            

Senator Wayne Morse in a debate on the Vietnam question, to be put before the UN, Britain in economic retaliation against Rhodesia.             

A report on the escalation of the Vietnam war.             

Report on the escalation of the war in Vietnam.             

The latest news from ABC radio.            

Promos of four new NBC shows. 

Includes commercials.                     

News events of the day.            

The latest news.        

The latest news from WNEW-TV. 

An announcement of the death of actor William Frawley. News on taxes and stock exchange reforms. 

Tom Gregory reports.             

NBC News. Frank McGee reporting.            

NBC Monitor radio news.            

The latest news.             

NBC's live coverage of the docking of the Gemini 8 space flight with astronaut Neil Armstrong aboard            

The latest news, sports, and weather from radio station WGY in Schenectady, New York.             

Celebrities test their trivia knowledge.

WNEW-TV Channel 5 in New York City. 

Host Henry Morgan.                       

Maria Callas to renounce US citizenship for possible marriage to Aristotle Onassis.