January 1 Hansen from Copenhagen, a custom tailor, begins a long-term sponsorship of TWTD.
February 12 TWTD runs overtime and the broadcast ends at 4:25 p.m.
February 19 TWTD runs overtime again and the program concludes at 4:45 p.m.
March 25 Program Number 100 for Those Were The Days. Chuck announces that he will host The Hall Closet, a second weekly program of old time radio shows on WLTD, beginning on April 9.
April 1 Paterno Foremost Liquors begins long-term sponsorship of TWTD. April 9 Hall Closet I premieres on WLTD, Sunday, 1-4 p.m.
April 15 A “Cassette of the Month” is offered to listeners for the first time. First tape: Amos ‘n’ Andy & Lum and Abner.
April 16 TV appearance: The Collectors WMAQ-TV Channel 5, Chicago. Host Bonnie Remsberg presents a special program featuring Chuck Schaden and other collectors who talk about their unique collections.
April 29 TWTD begins third year on the air.
May 1 American Airlines premieres The Week That Was, an in-flight audio presentation of old-time radio clips, produced and narrated by Chuck Schaden. (Date is approximate.)
May 10 Chuck records an interview with orchestra leader John Scott Trotter at a private residence in downtown Chicago.
May 13, 1972 – Memory Club Movies begin.
May 13 “Memory Club” movies begin as TWTD screens vintage films every Saturday evening in the Community Room at North West Federal Savings, Chicago. Opening night picture is “Dancing Lady” (1933) starring Joan Crawford.
June 3 Jack Benny is the subject of an entire TWTD program for the first time.
July 1 Cummings Communications replaces Buddy Black as General Manager of WLTD. Floyd “Bud” Beaston, from the corporate office, takes over the position.
July 7 Hall Closet I final broadcast after 13 Sunday afternoon programs.
July 8 Those Were The Days “officially” extends to four full hours, broadcasting from 1 to 5 p.m. on a permanent basis.
July 8 Memory Club movie is “Hollywood Revue of 1929” starring Jack Benny. This is the first of many Memory Club movies to feature programs and the stars of the Golden Age of Radio.
August 1 TWTD Program Guide becomes a regular listing in Directions, a monthly North West Federal Savings publication.
September 16 Hall Closet II premieres on WLTD, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
September 17 TWTD moves to Sunday during the 11-week Northwestern football season on WLTD.
September 24 First “remote” broadcast for TWTD, from the Wilmette (Illinois) Centennial Fair.
November 1 Chicago Daily News columnist Robert J. Herguth writes:
Can Howard Miller and Wally Phillips compete with Jack Benny and One Man’s Family? Tune in Nov. 27 when Chicago’s nostalgia King, Chuck Schaden, starts running old radio tapes on WLTD in the 7-10 a.m. weekday rush hours.
November 25 Hall Closet II final broadcast after 11 weekly Saturday programs.
November 27 Hall Closet III premieres on WLTD weekday mornings, Monday thru Friday, 7-10. In addition to old time radio shows, Chuck presents popular records, comedy recordings, news and weather reports and time checks.
November 27 Paul Meyer Shoe Store becomes a long-term sponsor.
December 2 Chicago Daily News columnist Norman Mark writes:
In his own way, Chuck Schaden made local broadcasting history this Monday when he began serving as host of the 7-10 a.m. timeslot at WLTD. In so doing, Schaden then took a big step toward completely taking over a local radio station. Never before, in fact, have one man and his ideas so dominated a single radio outlet in Chicago.
December 2 Radio for Kids premieres on WLTD, Saturday 10-11 a.m. “Uncle” Chuck offers OTR kids’ shows, messages with a “secret decoder” and interviews a weekly school-age guest who assists on the air. Among his young guests are Brad Saul of Chicago and Bob Epstein of Morton Grove.
December 4 Chicago today columnist Joanna Steinmetz writes:
It is an odd sensation to wake up yesterday. The first thing you hear might be Jack Benny spinning out a gag, or the gloomy promise “The Shadow knows”‘ Or the voice of Fibber McGee or a commercial for Turns at 10 cents a pack. You have your radio set for WLTD, which last week began a morning drive-time show devoted to old-time radio.
The Hall Closet is a fresh change from the circumscribed formats of the big stations. Three years ago a young man named Chuck Schaden began using his growing collection of old radio tapes to put together a weekend afternoon on WLTD called Those Were The Days. Recently the station scheduled a separate Saturday morning program for children and now it has allowed the format full rein in the morning market.
Experience has brought a marked improvement in the host’s broadcast style. Schaden, who last year sounded like the loosest tongue and emptiest brain east of Sioux City, now lets the antique tapes do most of the performing while he confines himself to weather, time and traffic reports plus an occasional aside.
December 28 Chuck and Ellen Schaden lead an eight-day TWTD listener trip to Oahu, Hawaii for much sight-seeing, a luau on the beach, a firecracker-laden celebration of New Year’s Eve on the streets of Honolulu and a New Year’s morning brunch on a lanai overlooking the Pacific Ocean. WLTD announcer Robert Elenz subs for Chuck while he’s away.
