George Arthur Richards (March 9, 1889 – May 28, 1951) was an American radio executive who owned stations
WJR in
Detroit,
KMPC in
Los Angeles, and
WGAR in
Cleveland. From 1934 to 1940, he also owned the
Detroit Lions of the
National Football League. He played a major role in sponsoring the nationwide radio program of the politicized Catholic priest
Charles Coughlin.
Early life
Richards was born on March 9, 1889, in
Crete, Illinois. At the age of fourteen he moved to
Chicago and worked as an elevator operator. He held a variety of jobs until 1911, when he became a tire salesman for the
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. In 1912 he became the manager of the Firestone's
Columbus, Ohio, branch. He was the youngest branch manager in company history.[1] In 1917 he joined Firestone's sales department in Detroit.[3] Richards married Frances Stevenson on February 22, 1922, having met as the result of a
horseback riding accident.[4]
Automotive dealer
Richards left Firestone in 1921 to form the Cunningham-Richards Co., which was one of the highest selling
Cunningham dealerships in the country. In 1924 he became the
Oakland dealer for
Metro Detroit.[5] He sold Oaklands and
Pontiacs until 1929, when he gave up his dealership to focus on radio.[1]
Radio
Richards first became involved in radio through advertising. His dealership was one of the first businesses in Detroit to advertise on radio.[1] On December 25, 1926, Richards took over operations of Detroit station WJR[6] (which officially operated as "WJR-WCX", a consolidated license where Richards owned "WJR" while the Detroit Free Press owned "WCX"[7]). The takeover happened when founding owner Jewett Radio & Phonographic Co. was forced to put the station into bankruptcy; Richards was credited for helping the station successfully turn a profit.[4]General Order 40, a major reorganization of radio frequencies by the
Federal Radio Commission (FRC) implemented later in the year, allowed WJR-WCX to be designated a
clear-channel station.[2] Richards moved "WJR" to new studios in the
Fisher Building in December 1929, while WCX remained at the
Free Press Building.[8] By April 1929, Richards purchased WCX from the Free Press and WJR-WCX dropped the "WCX" call letters.[7] WJR was upgraded to 50,000
watts in 1935.[4]
In September 1930, Richards, along with WJR associates Leo J. Fitzpatrick and P. M. Thomas,[9] purchased the assets of two stations—WCSO in
Springfield, Ohio,[10] and WFJC in
Akron, Ohio,[11] both operating on the same frequency under a time-share agreement[12]—and consolidated them to form
WGAR in
Cleveland, Ohio, bearing his initials.[13][14] WGAR signed on as the first
NBC Blue affiliate in Cleveland.[15][16] By September 1937, WGAR switched from NBC Blue to
CBS.[17] It was as a CBS affiliate that WGAR began producing multiple influential programs, including Wings Over Jordan[18][19] and
Cleveland Orchestra broadcasts[20] over the network, and became a starting point for comedian
Jack Paar's career.[21] Originally operating under facilities much weaker than WJR by comparison,[22] a series of upgrades followed, including a frequency switch to 1220kHz in June 1944[23] and a power increase to 50,000 watts in July 1947.[24] In both cases, WGAR fought extensively in court with Akron CBS affiliate
WADC, which twice petitioned the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take over WGAR's facilities.[25][26]
After acquiring an
option to purchase
Los Angeles station
KNX, only to relinquish it to CBS,[4] Richards purchased crosstown
KMPC on May 5, 1937.[27] The purchase came as Richards began suffering varied health ailments, including a
coronary thrombosis in 1938 that left him unable to do much heavy exercise, and necessitated his taking up a second residence in
Beverly Hills.[4][28]
When Richards acquired WJR in Detroit in 1929, he encouraged Frather
Charles Coughlin to continue his weekly broadcasts and to focus on politics instead of religious topics.[29] He became the chief financial backer and confidant for many years.[30] In 1931, with backing by Richards, Coughlin established his own independently financed radio network for the Golden Hour of the Shrine of the Little Flower, with
flagship WJR and
WGAR in
Cleveland, Ohio as core stations. Coughlin was reaching a weekly audience between 16 million and 30 million listeners, and every day he received 10,000 letters.[29] Throughout the 1930s, Coughlin's views changed as his audience grew. Eventually he was "openly antidemocratic", according to
Steven Levitsky and
Daniel Ziblatt, "calling for the abolition of political parties and questioning the value of elections".[31] His views were seen as mirroring those of Richards himself, who had held
reactionaryconservative beliefs.[29] Leo Fitzpatrick, who had given Coughlin his initial airtime over WJR in 1926 and was retained as a part-owner when Richards purchased the station,[32] continued to serve as a confidant and advisor to Coughlin.[33]
Detroit Lions
In 1934, Richards purchased the
Portsmouth Spartans for approximately $15,000 and moved the team to Detroit.[34] He used his connections to have NBC broadcast Lions Thanksgiving Day games on its Blue Network. The game set a team attendance record and gave the fledgling league vital national exposure.[35] In 1940, Richards, then living in Beverly Hills and in poor health, sold the team to
Fred L. Mandel Jr. on the advice of his physician.[34]
Investigation into bias
Richards would be ensnared in 1948 by allegations of news policies instituted at KMPC under his name that encouraged manipulation and
bias. The March 6, 1948, issue of Billboard[36] contained memos attributed to Richards heavily implying
antisemitism and
anti-communism, repeatedly insisting that
Jews were "all
Communists" and insisted news personnel "keep hammering away at the Jews".[37] Former KMPC newscaster
Clete Roberts, accused Richards of firing him on
insubordination grounds after refusing to omit unflattering details on a profile of
Gen. Douglas MacArthur.[38] Roberts also stated Richards encouraged favorable reports on MacArthur and unfavorable coverage towards members of the
Roosevelt family,
Henry A. Wallace, the
Truman administration and the
New Deal, along with any stories on
Palestine to be
spiked so as not to "give aid and comfort to Jews and Communists".[36] Maurie Starrels, another former KMPC staffer, charged that Richards demanded multiple news figures, including
Bugsy Siegel, have their Jewish backgrounds heavily emphasized, and ordered the
fabrication of a story regarding
Edwin W. Pauley pursuing a Truman cabinet post.[39]
Multiple
members of Congress,[40] the
American Jewish Congress (AJC), the
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) and the Radio News Club of Hollywood (RNC), along with
James Roosevelt, all called on the FCC to investigate.[41] The AJC's petition stated that Richards "fomented hate among minorities" by blatantly flouting the Mayflower doctrine.[42][43] The RNC's petition, based on the Billboard evidence, was taken up by the FCC, which ordered an initial examination of all three stations on March 25, 1948.[44] The commission then ordered a public investigation for the stations[45] on November 16, amid questions over Richards's qualifications as a license holder.[46] This investigation was delayed throughout 1949 as Richards proposed transferring all three stations to three
trustees,[47] and advised for a personal appearance before the FCC given his health condition; his physicians insisted any hearing could potentially kill Richards given his heart condition.[48][49] The proposal was criticized by the
National Community Relations Advisory Council (NCRAC) as neither of the three trustees were residents of Cleveland, Detroit or Los Angeles, while two of the trustees were known to espouse deeply conservative viewpoints.[50]
Hearings commenced in Los Angeles on March 13, 1950, with FCC chief counsel
Frederick W. Ford's
opening statement accusing Richards of "slanting" and distorting news on his stations to "substantiate his personal dislikes".[51][52] Clete Roberts testified Richards asked him to minimize coverage of President
Harry S. Truman's speeches and present Republicans editorials during newscasts without labeling them as editorials, and link prominent Democrats to Communism.[53] Roberts stated Richards insisted at a KMPC news staff meeting that there was "a plot afoot, a Jewish plot" involving CBS's
William S. Paley, NBC's
David Sarnoff and ABC's
Robert E. Kintner, with Richards firing him after his news story about Gen. MacArthur denoted
graying hair and a quivering hand.[54] A third former KMPC newscaster claimed Richards insisted "the
CIO,
Negroes, Jews, the Roosevelt family, and the New Deal never be presented in a favorable light".[55] Another announcer testified Richards ordered the removal of
be-bop recordings, viewing them as having "communistic influence".[56] (Jack Paar later corroborated a ban on "
swing music" by Richards existed in his
memoir, detailing a directive for WGAR to temporarily drop out of CBS programming whenever they played any selections.[57])
Sen. Styles Bridges demanded on the
Senate floor for the FCC to be investigated over their FCC's investigation into Richards, considering it a punishment exerted by the agency for his political views.[58] Representatives
Anthony F. Tauriello and
Harry J. Davenport denounced Roberts on the House floor based on prior comments made by Roberts about
southern Italians,[59] while
Rep. Stephen M. Young considered the hearings an overreach of the commission's authority.[60] Richards' attorney Hugh Fulton accused the FCC of attempting to censor Richards because he did not support the Truman administration.[61]
Presiding examiner J. Frederick Johnson Jr. died after recessing the hearings, which were restarted by James D. Cunningham on June 15.[62] The FCC requested 7,000 news scripts from KMPC, and indicated the same request would be made for WJR and WGAR.[63] A
subpoena for Richards was issued at the insistence of Benedict Cottone[62] but his health again became an issue when he did not obey the order.[64] KMPC manager Robert O. Reynolds—who was on the
witness stand for over a month—stated Richards' prior thrombosis left him physically unable to walk or climb steps,[28] which was countered by an
x-ray specialist who saw little evidence existed of an
abnormal enlargement on his heart.[65] The FCC completed their
prosecution at the end of August 1950, which saw 34
witnesses give 2,000,000 words on 8,000
pages of transcript during the course of 13 weeks.[66] Richards' defense included
Los Angeles mayorFletcher Bowron praising Richards for KMPC's wartime public service record[67] while his legal counsel cited coverage in People's World and The Nation[68] as evidence that the hearings were inspired by the
Communist Party.[69] The
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) condemned the investigation as an invasion of Richards' free speech right and privacy, prompting NCRAC to issue a reply criticizing the NAB's "misunderstanding of the necessary and natural functions" of the FCC.[70] The hearings ended in mid-December 1950 with Richards' legal team withdrawing the trusteeship proposal and propose advisory councils for all three stations; Examiner Cunningham deemed the hearings for WGAR as unnecessary.[71]
Death and dispersals
On May 15, 1951, FCC chief counsel Benedict Cottone recommended the agency shut down Richards' stations as they had been put to partisan use,[72] repeatedly violated FCC policy and failed to serve the public interest.[73][74] Cottone also assailed the "contempt" Richards held for the agency.[73] 13 days after the ruling, and before en bancoral arguments could take place,[75] Richards died of an
abdominal aortic aneurysm at age 62.[76][77] Fr. Coughlin was among the attendees at his funeral,[4] while
Rev. James W. Fifield Jr.—who delivered the
eulogy—condemned the FCC investigation, saying Richards had been "murdered ... by those who sought to destroy freedom".[78][2] All proceedings were dismissed as moot on June 14, 1951;[75] the legal fight ultimately cost Richards $2 million.[79]
Widow Frances S. Richards was
bequeathed all three stations[80][81] and assured the FCC that they would adhere to a code eschewing bias in news reporting.[79] The FCC renewed all three licenses and approved the ownership transfers to her name on November 28, 1951.[82]
Early in 1952, Goodwill filed applications for multiple TV stations, including
UHF signals in Cleveland and Detroit and
VHF signals in
Toledo, Ohio,
Bay City, Michigan, and
Flint, in hopes of establishing a regional television network.[83] The June 30, 1952, issue of Broadcasting, however, reported NBC had been "negotiating intermittently" with Richards and his estate "for years" on a purchase of KMPC, with NBC recently selling off
their Denver radio station to make it possible.[84] KMPC was sold that November, but to a group headed by
Gene Autry for $800,000 (equivalent to $9.18 million in 2023).[85] WGAR and
WGAR-FM were purchased by
Peoples Broadcasting Corp. (a
subsidiary of Farm Bureau Mutual, forerunner to
Nationwide Insurance) on December 4, 1953, for $1.75 million (equivalent to $19.9 million in 2023),[86] the largest purchase price for a radio station at that time.[87]
WJR continued to operate under the Richards estate and "Goodwill" name, signing on Flint station
WJRT-TV in 1958[88] and purchasing
WSAZ-AM-
TV in 1961.[89] The Goodwill Stations were sold to
Capital Cities Broadcasting in 1964 in a $21 million group deal.[90] Richards's son-in-law, F. Sibley Moore, became a WJR executive in the early 1950s and became vice president of Capital Cities, a role he held until his death in June 1967.[91]
References
^
abcdThe National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. J.T. White. 1958. p. 238.
^
abcdef"George Arthur Richards: 1889–1951"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 40, no. 23. June 4, 1951. pp. 25, 91.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"WJR Back of New Radio Studio Here". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. September 26, 1930. p. 11.
^"Radio Station WCSO Stops Broadcasting". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. October 31, 1930. p. 25.
Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Alterations and Corrections". Radio Service Bulletin. No. 147. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce. June 29, 1929. p. 17.
Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022 – via HathiTrust.
^"See Sale Of WFJC As Network Move". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. September 20, 1930. p. 3.
Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"WGAR Goes On the Air Without a Hitch". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. December 16, 1930. p. 8.
^"Cleveland Switch to Occur Sept. 26"(PDF). Broadcasting-Broadcast Advertising. Vol. 13, no. 6. September 15, 1937. p. 15.
Archived(PDF) from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"WGAR to resume Symphony Series"(PDF). Broadcasting-Broadcast Advertising. Vol. 24, no. 11. September 14, 1942. p. 55.
Archived(PDF) from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022 – via World Radio History.
^Feran, Tom (May 6, 1997). "Master of Monologue: Jack Paar". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 9E.
Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2021 – via NewsBank.
^"WGAR Makes a Move"(PDF). Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising. Vol. 26, no. 23. June 5, 1944. p. 20.
Archived(PDF) from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"WGAR's Power Output Is Boosted to 50 KW"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 33, no. 1. Broadcasting. July 7, 1947. p. 17.
Archived(PDF) from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
^Doran, Dorothy (February 11, 1942).
"WADC Petitions FCC For Fifty Kilowatt Power". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. 20.
Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Harper, James (May 5, 1937).
"FCC Okays KMPC Sale To Richards". Daily News. Los Angeles, California. p. 35.
Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"KMPC Probe: FCC Takes Formal Action"(PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. Vol. 34, no. 13. March 29, 1948.
Archived(PDF) from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^Offineer, Bee (February 24, 1949).
"Cartoon Suggests TV Idea". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. p. 10.
Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Public Hearing Called On KMPC Newscasting". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. November 16, 1948. p. 9.
Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Richards' Plan: Trusteeship Outlined"(PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. Vol. 36, no. 17. April 25, 1949. pp. 30, 40.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"Richards: Health, Trusteeship Win FCC Delay"(PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. Vol. 36, no. 12. March 21, 1949. pp. 26, 63.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"F.C.C. Charges Bias in News Inflection". The New York Times. March 14, 1950.
^"Newscaster Tells of Order to 'Slant'". The New York Times. March 15, 1950.
^"Anti-Semitism Charge Made at FCC Hearing". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. Associated Press. March 15, 1950. p. 26.
Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
^"Ex-KMPC Employee Says He Ignored Richards". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. March 25, 1950. p. 8.
Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Rap Roberts, FCC Witness In Congress". Pasadena Independent. Pasadena, California. International News Service. May 5, 1950. p. 1-Section 2.
Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Laud Richards: 'Hill' Defenders Rally"(PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. Vol. 38, no. 24. June 12, 1950. p. 89.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"Radio Owner Says F.C.C. is Capricious". The New York Times. June 9, 1950.
^"Bowron Snaps at FCC Man in KMPC Hearing". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. September 6, 1950. p. 7-II.
Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^Morse, Arthur D. (February 12, 1949). "Poison on the Air?". The Nation. Vol. 168, no. 7. pp. 182–185.
EBSCOhost13463926 – via EBSCOhost.
^"Richards Probe: To Drop Trustee Plan"(PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. Vol. 39, no. 26. December 25, 1950. p. 34.
Archived(PDF) from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^
abFrancis, Warren B. (May 16, 1951).
"Ban Urged on Richards Radio Chain". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. I-17.
Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Richards Case: Examiner Proposes Dismissal"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 40, no. 25. June 18, 1951. p. 26.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"G.A. Richards, Owner of 3 Radio Stations". The New York Times. May 28, 1951.
^"Owner Of Radio Stations Dies". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. United Press. May 28, 1951. p. 25.
Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
^"Pastor Calls G. A. Richards Death 'Murder'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. United Press. May 31, 1951. p. I-9.
Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^
ab"Richards's Renewals: FCC Ends Lang Case"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 41, no. 23. December 3, 1951. pp. 23, 104.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"Goodwill Stations: Ask Immediate Renewal"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 41, no. 1. July 2, 1951. pp. 29, 38.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"Trust Fund Created In G. A. Richards Will"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 40, no. 24. June 11, 1951.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^Francis, Lorania K. (November 29, 1951).
"Licenses Given Three Richards Radio Stations". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. I-25.
Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Goodwill Plans"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 42, no. 18. May 5, 1952. p. 66.
Archived(PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2020 – via World Radio History.
^"NBC's KOA Sale; Now Seeks L.A. Outlet"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 42, no. 26. June 30, 1952. p. 27.
Archived(PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"KMPC Sale Okayed: FCC Also Grants KSWB"(PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. Vol. 44, no. 1. January 5, 1953. pp. 25, 32.
Archived(PDF) from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via World Radio History.
^"Insurance Firm Buys Station". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. Associated Press. December 6, 1953. p. SECOND-18.
Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.