Sheplives

Last Summary Update: 10-06-2026

Shep As A Radio Station Santa
Airdate: Monday - December 18, 1972 (Airdate Confirmed)

WOR Show

(Redated from: 12/14/1972)

audio

(NOTE ABOUT TIME REFERENCES: Since there are many different copies of shows out there from different sources, all time references are from the beginning of one single recorded copy, since various copies, depending on when the recordee started recording, had news at the beginning or shortened themes. The times would vary from copy to copy.)

First Spoken Line After Theme Ends

The big man is here, the big man is here, hit it. . .

Show Description

Shep's in a Christmas mood

[ Courtesy: GROK Summary - - ]   
  About a week before Christmas. The host riffs with engineer George while the studio gear hums and fails, then runs commercials and a news cut-in.

He opens by mocking a chicken "singing" Jingle Bells, then reads a TV Guide-style item about Santa suits for dogs and spins it into bad-taste jokes (Santa on four legs, the Christmas tree, Easter-bunny and Uncle Sam costumes). He talks about the childhood "transitional phase" when kids half-doubt Santa but won't risk it.

A plug for the WOR Children's Christmas Fund (Box 710, Times Square Station) leads into a fast Mama Leone's spot (239 W. 48th St.). He recalls his first day in New York in the army: at the USO he and "Gasser" chose Toffenetti over Mama Leone's, then watched friends wheeled out of Leone's after a feast while they went back for donuts.

A General Tire dual-steel radial commercial (Freeport: J. Miles Rubber) and a Gramercy Park Clothes stretch-suit ad follow, then a Triple-A holiday party note about not pushing drinks on drivers and closing the bar with dessert and coffee ("one belt for the road - the seat belt").

The centerpiece is his story of playing radio Santa at 17 for program director Sam Weller, a "retired gargoyle." Sworn to secrecy so kids wouldn't learn a high-school kid was Santa, he did a half-hour sponsored by Friduss Furniture. The ancient announcer who sounded like Santa never got the job. Weller held up signs for "more laughs" and endless commercials; the sponsor kept calling for more spots. By the last day before Christmas he read no letters at all�only pitches for rubber ducks, musical yo-yos, and a game called "Hit the Daddy." Moral: the advertiser is insatiable.

He briefly plays a New York Giants Jingle Bells (Fran Tarkenton era), complains about plastic Christmas junk and TV-sold gadgets filling attics (a friend's wife hiding electric knives and toasters), and jokes that chemical companies should make self-destruct plastic gifts.

WOR ID

Time	Station ID (All times approximate)
15:23	This is WOR New York, by George, it certainly is. . . .

Commercials (All times approximate)

Time	Sponsor	Notes
09:20	WOR Christmas Fund
10:13	Mama Leone's
15:34	General Tire
16:35	Gramercy Park Clothes
17:23	AAA

Music (All times approximate)

Time	Music Title	Notes
02:05	Jingle Bells (1)