Larry Finley
Encyclopedia
Larry Finley was a late night broadcast
pioneer as well a leader in the audiotape and videotape
business.
Born and raised in Syracuse, New York
, Finley became a nightclub
manager
in his hometown at age 18 before moving to Los Angeles, California
in the 1930s and opening a chain of jewelry stores. In the 1940s, he became a business partner with musicians Tommy
and Jimmy Dorsey
in ownership of the Casino Gardens Ballroom in San Diego, where he also owned radio station
KSDJ. He created his own TV production company, Finley Productions, Inc., the first such operation on the West Coast
.
Finley produced and hosted radio and TV shows in Los Angeles, including The Larry Finley Show, broadcast nightly from his restaurant on the Sunset Strip
in Hollywood; as well as Strictly Informal, Dinner At Eight, and Music is My Beat, the first TV shows to be kinescope
d and aired by the Armed Forces Television Network to troops in Korea
.
In the mid 1960s, Finley became President and CEO of the International Tape Cartridge Corporation (I.T.C.C.). He acquired the audio tape rights from 57 record labels and became the largest provider of music entertainment on pre-recorded tape. In 1970, he founded the International Tape Association, which is now known as the International Recording Media Association
(IRMA), at a time when audio tape products were still finding their market.
Among the honors he received during his lifetime were: The Los Angeles City of Hope's Annual Torch Bearer Award in 1955, Time-Life Magazine
's Man of the Decade Award in 1980, induction into the Video Hall of Fame in 1984, and in 1998 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Vision Fund of America.
Finley died April 2000, in Long Island, New York at age 86.
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
pioneer as well a leader in the audiotape and videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
business.
Born and raised in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, Finley became a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
in his hometown at age 18 before moving to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in the 1930s and opening a chain of jewelry stores. In the 1940s, he became a business partner with musicians Tommy
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
and Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
in ownership of the Casino Gardens Ballroom in San Diego, where he also owned radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
KSDJ. He created his own TV production company, Finley Productions, Inc., the first such operation on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
Finley produced and hosted radio and TV shows in Los Angeles, including The Larry Finley Show, broadcast nightly from his restaurant on the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
in Hollywood; as well as Strictly Informal, Dinner At Eight, and Music is My Beat, the first TV shows to be kinescope
Kinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
d and aired by the Armed Forces Television Network to troops in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
In the mid 1960s, Finley became President and CEO of the International Tape Cartridge Corporation (I.T.C.C.). He acquired the audio tape rights from 57 record labels and became the largest provider of music entertainment on pre-recorded tape. In 1970, he founded the International Tape Association, which is now known as the International Recording Media Association
International Recording Media Association
The International Recording Media Association , previously known as the International Tape Association , is an international trade association dealing with every facet of recording, media and related industries...
(IRMA), at a time when audio tape products were still finding their market.
Among the honors he received during his lifetime were: The Los Angeles City of Hope's Annual Torch Bearer Award in 1955, Time-Life Magazine
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
's Man of the Decade Award in 1980, induction into the Video Hall of Fame in 1984, and in 1998 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Vision Fund of America.
Finley died April 2000, in Long Island, New York at age 86.