BW - EP143—006: September 1957—Howard Miller And Steve Allen

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

At 10:45 AM central time on the morning of September 11th, 1957, Howard Miller signed on from WBBM with fifteen minutes of music, and an interview with Steve Allen. Howard Miller was born on December 7th, 1912 in Chicago. From 1945 through 1949 he was WIND’s program director before beginning an eighteen year run as the Windy City’s top-rated morning DJ. In between he acted in Jamboree!, Senior Prom, and The Big Beat. In September of 1957 Steve Allen was coming off starring in The Benny Goodman Story. He left The Tonight Show in January after three successful years when NBC asked Allen to focus on his Sunday prime time Steve Allen Show. By then Allen was famous as a humorist, musician, emcee, and actor. He was promoting his new song, “Gotta Have Something in the Bank, Frank” when he spoke to Miller.