Ted Malone
Encyclopedia
Ted Malone (born Frank Alden Russell in Colorado Springs
, Colorado
, the son of a grocer
), was an American
radio broadcaster
.
in Missouri
. He was also a champion debate
r in college
, and graduated from William Jewell College
in 1928.
as a storyteller
and reader of poetry
.
He was one of the few broadcast interpretationists recorded in the history of radio
, his radio programs
--spanning three decades on local stations and national networks—perhaps best represent both the initiation and prime of broadcast interpretation.
He acquired his pseudonym
, Ted Malone, when asked to fill in for a program by reading poetry. The positive audience response to his reading led to his radio program "Between the Bookends". An associate of Ernie Kovacs
later revealed that this program was the inspiration for his character Percy Dovetonsils
. As his popularity increased, Malone began writing for other programs, and soon became production manager, production director, and program director at his radio station
.
During World War II
, Malone ventured into other types of broadcasts, such as variety show
s and quiz shows
, and even went overseas to broadcast as a war correspondent
, providing human interest soldier stories
for the listeners back home. Malone's growth as a reporter-writer-interpretationist continued to expand between 1950 and 1956, and by 1957, he had established "Ted Malone Productions" as an independent operation to consult, write, record, and produce audio-visual presentations and educational material for radio, television, and films.
Malone worked for all the major networks in his lifetime. Whatever the task, Malone continually relied on oral interpretation and strove to communicate with his listeners conversationally and convincingly through his readings—always the broadcaster, always the interpretationist. Ted Malone partially retired in the 1970s, and died in 1989 after contributing more than 60 years to broadcasting and its development.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, the son of a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
), was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio broadcaster
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...
.
Childhood
Ted Malone became interested in oral performance when he attended high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He was also a champion debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
r in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, and graduated from William Jewell College
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
in 1928.
Career
Malone had a long career in radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
as a storyteller
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
and reader of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
.
He was one of the few broadcast interpretationists recorded in the history of radio
History of radio
The early history of radio is the history of technology that produced radio instruments that use radio waves. Within the timeline of radio, many people contributed theory and inventions in what became radio. Radio development began as "wireless telegraphy"...
, his radio programs
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
--spanning three decades on local stations and national networks—perhaps best represent both the initiation and prime of broadcast interpretation.
He acquired his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, Ted Malone, when asked to fill in for a program by reading poetry. The positive audience response to his reading led to his radio program "Between the Bookends". An associate of Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs was a Hungarian American comedian and actor.Kovacs' uninhibited, often ad-libbed, and visually experimental comedic style came to influence numerous television comedy programs for years after his death in an automobile accident...
later revealed that this program was the inspiration for his character Percy Dovetonsils
Percy Dovetonsils
Percy Dovetonsils is a fictional character created and played by television comedian Ernie Kovacs. It is probably the best remembered of Kovacs' many TV incarnations...
. As his popularity increased, Malone began writing for other programs, and soon became production manager, production director, and program director at his 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...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Malone ventured into other types of broadcasts, such as variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s and quiz shows
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
, and even went overseas to broadcast as a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
, providing human interest soldier stories
Human interest story
A human interest story is a feature story that discusses a person or people in an emotional way. It presents people and their problems, concerns, or achievements in a way that brings about interest or sympathy in the reader or viewer....
for the listeners back home. Malone's growth as a reporter-writer-interpretationist continued to expand between 1950 and 1956, and by 1957, he had established "Ted Malone Productions" as an independent operation to consult, write, record, and produce audio-visual presentations and educational material for radio, television, and films.
Malone worked for all the major networks in his lifetime. Whatever the task, Malone continually relied on oral interpretation and strove to communicate with his listeners conversationally and convincingly through his readings—always the broadcaster, always the interpretationist. Ted Malone partially retired in the 1970s, and died in 1989 after contributing more than 60 years to broadcasting and its development.
Works
His works include:- The American album of poetry, (January 1, 1938)
- A Listener's Aid to Pilgrimage of Poetry: Ted Malone's Album of Poetic Shrines (NBC) by Ted Malone (January 1, 1939)
- Ted Malone's Mansions of imagination album: A listener's aid to "American pilgrimage" (1940)
- Ted Malone's Scrapbook: Favorite Selections From Between the Bookends (1941)
- American pilgrimage, (January 1, 1942)
- Between the Bookends with Ted Malone Volume Five (Hardcover - 1942)
- Pack up your troubles: A collection of verse (January 1, 1942)
- Yankee doodles: A book of American verse, (January 1, 1943)
- The Pocket Book of Popular Verse (1945)
- Ted Malone's Adventures in Poetry (1946)
- The All-American book of verse;: Yankee doodles (January 1, 1948)
- Ted Malone's Favorite Stories (1950)