April 1 TWTD presents an April Fool’s Day program with a special foolish opening and special voices throughout the broadcast provided by announcer Ken Alexander.
APRIL 23, 1995 Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Those Were The Days is, from left, my brother Ken and his wife Margaret, our daughter Sue, my wife Ellen, and our daughter Patty. The cake was from the Steinmetz High School Alumni Association and the Jarosch Bakery.
April 23 Special Event at Chicago’s Swissotel celebrating the 25th anniversary of Those Were The Days. It’s a Museum of Broadcast Communications benefit with many special guests including radio’s Orphan Annie, Shirley Bell Cole; Lone Ranger announcer, Fred Foy, and Vic and Sade’s Rush, Bill Idelson. Honors for Chuck and special material by Ken Alexander.
April 27 Chicago Sun–Times columnist Robert Feder writes:
Twenty-five years ago, Chuck Schaden leased a few hours of airtime one Saturday afternoon on a tiny radio station in Evanston to play tapes of old-time radio shows he collected as a hobby. With that modest debut, the former community newspaper editor and marketing executive launched Those Were the Days, a weekly celebration of radio’s golden era. And what began as Schaden’s hobby soon became his life’s work. Schaden marked the 25th anniversary … at a celebration … at the Swissotel. More than 500 of Schaden’s fans packed the hotel’s grand ballroom for the event. Schaden said he hopes to continue turning Saturday afternoons into a radio time machine for years to come.
April 29 Those Were The Days Twenty-fifth Anniversary broadcast featuring highlights of the event held a week earlier at Chicago’s Swissotel.
May 6 As TWTD begins its 26th year of programming, it has been on the air longer than a number of long-running classic shows from radio’s Golden Age: Lux Radio Theatre (21 years); Fibber McGee and Molly (22 years); Gangbusters, Jack Benny (23 years each); Bing Crosby (25 years).
June 8 TV appearance. “Chicago: Passport to the World” WCIU-TV, Chicago. Host Tom Gobby presents “Old Time Radio” with guest Chuck Schaden as they talk about and listen to many scenes from vintage programs.
July 8 TWTD presents a special broadcast honoring the 40th anniversary of radio station WNIB. Guests include many current WNIB staff members and many alumni, including Bill Gershon, Dick Buckley, Marty Robinson, Ron Ray, Carl Grapentine, and Ken Alexander. They reminisce and share stories of their time at the station founded in 1955 by William Florian.
August 23 TV appearance: “Lifestyle” Continental Cablevision. Host Pat Cheffer with guest Chuck Schaden, who talks about the 1994 old time radio party presented in honor of the 61st anniversary of Jack Benny’s 39th birthday, a benefit for the Museum of Broadcast Communications held at the Chicago Cultural Center.
September 2 TWTD concludes its four-year, 50th anniversary coverage of “Radio and World War II.” Final episode includes the historic broadcast of the formal Japanese Surrender Ceremony from the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
September 9 TWTD marks its 20th anniversary on station WNIB since September 6, 1975.
October 2 Chicago Sun–Times columnist Robert Feder writes
Chuck Schaden is calling it quits after 10 years as host of Old Time Radio Classics on WBBM-AM. Citing a desire to cut back on his workload and concentrate on other projects, Schaden will sign off on December 1. His one -hour show, which airs at midnight daily on WBBM, is the top-rated program in its time period, according to the latest Arbitron quarterly survey. Chris Berry, news and program director at WBBM, praised Schaden as an “excellent broadcaster” and added: “It’s been a privilege to work with Chuck and have his program on our air.”
November 19 Chuck has the honor and pleasure of inducting the long-running Carlton E. Morse radio series, One Man’s Family, into the Radio Hall of Fame.
December 1 Final program for Old Time Radio Classics. Chuck takes a few early-retirement steps by closing his decade-long series of vintage broadcasts on station WBBM, Chicago.
