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| South African Old-Time Radio Pumamouse Pieces Of The Puzzle The History Of The South African OTR Section |
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| It seems that many guests of The Pumamouse Website have been wondering, how did it come to be? Particular interest has been expressed regarding the South African Old-Time Radio section. Upon learning that two persons, separated by many miles, are associated towards a common goal of preserving South African OTR, some visitors are also asking, how did this joint venture begin? At the risk of boring those who could not care less about these matters, I will attempt to offer an answer to both of these questions, as well as a few others, in the following essay. As you might know by now, my name is MaryAnne, also known as The Pumamouse. I am the sole owner, and also the webmaster...or rather, the "Webmoustress" of The Pumamouse Website, which means that, in addition to owning the domain name and webspace, I design and create and maintain all of the webpages which you view at this website, using my own knowledge, essays, photos, sound files, etc, and also those which are provided to me for inclusion in the South African OTR section by Frans Erasmus, and by various radio enthusiasts and website guests. While the idea of two or more people contributing to a section of a website might seem simple enough, and perhaps even common in today's hi-tech world, there is more to the story than first meets the eye. Granted, the Internet allows information to be shared worldwide, which is an invaluable aid in a case where those contributing parties are separated by a considerable physical distance. What makes this situation rather unique is the nature of the subject matter which the section of the website includes, (in this case, South African OTR references)...given those distances and other differences between those parties. The fact is, although Frans was born in South Africa and remains there to this day, and his interest in SA OTR might seem completely logical, I was born and raised, and I continue to reside, in the USA. Yes, you read that right...The Pumamouse is an American by birth and by residence...and I am very proud of it, too. My tail…I mean, my tale begins with a very unique friendship. I have long been a fan of mystery and detective stories…particularly those featuring perhaps the most famous fictitious character in the world, Sherlock Holmes. Although some diehard Rathbone fans might argue with me, I believe the actor who gave the most accurate portrayal of this character on film to date was the late Jeremy Brett. It was my search for this actor’s lesser-known films/television appearances that first led me to South Africa, owing to a suggestion made by a fellow “JB” enthusiast and friend who lives in Sweden. Frans Erasmus of Johannesburg, South Africa, (The Pumamouse Website’s #1 Springbok Radio Authority), has been working towards archiving whatever has survived of South African OTR, and in particular, Springbok Radio productions, for as long as the station has been off the air and even before then…at least 17 years now. Since the powers that be were clearly not going to do the job, he took it upon himself to step up to the plate. Over the years, he has accumulated a wealth of memorabilia, and of course whatever recordings he could unearth through the various means at his disposal on that side of the ocean. Much of this material, he thought to eventually feature on an official Springbok Radio website, so that there would be an easily accessible archive, in addition to contributing his finds to an official sound archive within South Africa. Aside from his interest in radio, Frans has a passion for films. Although I knew next to nothing of OTR prior to 2000, (save what I had been told of it by my parents), I contacted Frans regarding the rare videos which I had been trying to locate for over a decade. He kindly assisted me in finding these rarities, and this is actually how our friendship began. It seemed to me that I would never be able to repay his extraordinary kindness. Meanwhile, he had begun telling me about his efforts towards South African OTR preservation. My better understanding of the basic difficulty of his noble goal, given the general neglect that it had been shown prior to his efforts, both intrigued and angered me. And so, despite his assumption that nothing of South African OTR would possibly be found in the USA, I began my search on this side of the ocean, mainly on his behalf. As previously noted, I knew something of American Old-Time Radio productions due to my parents’ extremely fond recollections. I am happy to state that at least a fraction of American OTR has survived to this day. Knowing what an impact these productions made on past generations, both in the USA and worldwide, I welcomed the opportunity to learn about another country’s radio productions. Radio drama was extremely popular in the USA prior to the invention of television, just as it was in South Africa. The only real difference I can see is that video killed the radio star in the USA in the early 1950’s, and it waited until the mid 1980’s to do so in South Africa. Personally, I find it fascinating that South Africans as young as age 30 can recall listening to radio dramas as clearly and fondly as Americans over the age of 70 can recall doing it. Ironically, while the average South African might feel that I was lucky to have been born in the USA at a time when television was a standard means of entertainment in many homes, I envy his/her experience of having been able to listen to radio drama and use their own imagination to create the pictures which were almost too easily accessible to me, without need of such intense concentration. It is my firm belief that no million-dollar video production could ever match in excellence the mind movies that one may self-produce while listening to OTR, and doing so on a regular basis promotes a fertile and creative mind. Please forgive me for digressing into these personal observations. The more Frans told me about Springbok Radio, the more I wanted to learn, and the more determined I became to find something to contribute towards his efforts. My desire only increased due to the difficulty of the task. To be completely honest, I enjoy the hunt for anything that is hard to locate…a telltale sign of any collector, regardless of the nature of the collection! And, as I mentioned above, I love to solve a good mystery. The Pumamouse was on the prowl. With all due respect to the Master Sleuthhound, my detective work rivaled that of Sherlock Holmes. Needless to say, Frans was adequately surprised when I played a snippet of “Squad Cars” for him to hear. Hearing his reaction was a bittersweet moment for me. As much as I was relieved that I had finally found a small way in which to thank him, I could not help but wonder how many other South Africans shared his sentiments, which ranged the full gamut, from the sorrow one normally associates with the loss of a dearly departed friend, to the joy of discovery that something produced by that friend had survived despite the odds. Thus began our joint venture. So, why should an American get involved? The simple answer is, I wanted to do something for a special friend, and for any South Africans who miss hearing Springbok Radio as much as he does. I deeply regret that South Africans lost so many of their OTR recordings to road construction, and so, I decided to do whatever little I could in my own very small way to locate whatever remains of South African OTR on this side of the ocean, and return those precious programs back to South Africa, from whence they originated. Through our combined efforts, quite a noteworthy collection quickly amassed. Of course, the sound quality of what recordings I was finding in the USA could not always compare with what Frans was digging up in South Africa, because much of the material I found available was copies of copies of copies of copies... However, he was most grateful for my efforts because most of the series I located were unique to those which he had already archived. Things really began to happen. Frans secured a sponsor and proposed an official Springbok Radio website through the proper channels. Unfortunately, no great interest was expressed. It was a most disappointing experience for all parties concerned. So much progress had been made, only to hit this snare. For example, through sheer determination and the kind assistance of both professional and personal contacts, Frans arranged for a Johannesburg community radio station to broadcast a half-hour segment of the South African OTR programs which I had found and returned to South Africa for that purpose, every Friday night during the months of October 2001 through January 2002. (If you were lucky enough to hear this weekly transmission via Radio Today 1485AM during that period, you now know who it was working behind the scenes in the USA to locate and supply the programs that you enjoyed, and who it was working behind the scenes in South Africa to return them to the South African airwaves. You also now know why I very respectfully refer to Frans as "The High Mucky-Muck Of South African OTR Preservation".) While this weekly broadcast was airing, every effort was being made to launch an official Springbok Radio website, all to no avail. Frans was getting frustrated…a very dangerous situation, indeed. He began investigating what it would cost to create an unofficial Springbok Radio website, without sponsorship. Apparently, owning and operating a personal website is a more expensive undertaking in South Africa than it is in the USA, mainly because, in the USA, there are usually no minute-by-minute charges for the local calls which one must make to connect to the Internet via one's ISP (Internet Service Provider). Realizing this fact, I suggested to Frans that, if things did not work as he had hoped over there regarding his proposal for an official website by the New Year, (2002), I might create a personal website and devote a portion of it to our South African OTR preservation efforts. Although it would not include any selling of the material, it might be useful a means by which to tell the world something about Springbok Radio, and perhaps a platform to trade for additional material to be archived. Frans was grateful for my offer, but I do not believe he realized its sincerity. Indeed, he was obviously unaware of just how seriously devoted I had come to feel towards this cause. Meanwhile, being my usual patient self, (those who know me are probably laughing themselves silly as they read those words), I gathered and designed and catalogued everything which we might need to create a personal website, just in case Frans decided we should do it. Frans already had most of the photos and some sound files and his essays ready, due to his efforts towards an official Springbok Radio website. And, truth be told, I had been keeping detailed records of the material which we had located and archived all along, as well as a list of program descriptions, simply for my own knowledge, so the “CATALOGUE” and “PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS” information was already compiled. What can I say? I like to be prepared, whenever possible. And, such written records of our progress were necessary, especially as I began to find better sources for South African OTR material within the USA. Finding the best possible recording (earliest generation duplication) of any given program was no easy task, and I felt that all the end results should be referenced for anyone who might desire that information in the future. Furthermore, I genuinely believed that what Frans and I were attempting was worth doing, and therefore should be properly documented, if for no other reason than to avoid making the same mistakes twice. By December 2001, I decided that I would create a website, even if only as a place to post my other hobbies and interests, such as my original manuscripts and musical compositions. (For those of you who have ventured no further than this South African OTR section, I would like to personally invite you to browse through the rest of The Pumamouse Website, beginning with the Homepage located at www.pumamouse.com. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you might wish to offer regarding any of my original works.) I took the plunge and registered my domain name (Pumamouse) as a Christmas present to myself. I informed Frans of my initiative, but there was nothing to show for it, save a Homepage which simply stated that a new website was under construction. Although totally unimpressive to behold, I viewed this webpage as one might view a blank canvas. Granted, I am an amateur at website design, but where there is a will, there is a way. I enjoy learning new things, and I was quickly fascinated by what a computer novice could do with a little bit of knowledge and a lot of determination. After approximately a week of creating webpages devoted to my other interests, I showed my work to Frans, and I assured him that my genuine offer to add a South African OTR section still stood. He immediately withdrew his proposal for an official website, and he gave me the go ahead, which I felt (and still feel) was quite an enormous compliment to my amateur efforts. Thus, The Pumamouse Website was born. Its development actually began on 1 January 2002. Thanks to Frans’ instigation, it was due to be announced on or about 19 January 2002 via the same Johannesburg community radio station which was, at that time, still airing a weekly spot of the South African OTR which we had archived, (Radio Today 1485AM). However, a deliciously naughty South African radio personality by the name David Batzofin got wind of it, and he announced it to South Africa and the world on 15 January 2002, via a radio station possessing a greater range of transmission and Internet broadcast capabilities, Radio 702…even before I had a chance to tell some of the members of my immediate family! Ready or not, The Pumamouse Website was being visited and viewed. Subsequently, The Pumamouse Website was submitted for inclusion on the Ananzi.com and Google.com search engines. It was announced via Radio Today 1485AM by Frans during a live-broadcast conversation with Bob Courtney as part of a general nostalgia program. It was also announced via the airwaves/Internet by other very kind and thoughtful individuals…namely, Lisa Chait, of 567 Capetalk, and Stella Hayer, of SAfm 104-107FM. As The Pumamouse Website’s Webmoustress, I have spent nearly every waking hour since mid January trying to construct the entire website, using all of the information, sound files, photos, etc, which I have thus far received from Frans, and from various radio enthusiasts and website guests, and what I have thus far found in the USA, to create the South African OTR section. Your kind interest to date and continued patience are very much appreciated, as are your comments, suggestions, and requests. Now, dear reader, you know the whole story behind The Pumamouse Website’s South African OTR section, and in fact, the entire history of The Pumamouse Website. In retrospect, I think it rather fitting that a unique friendship has lead to a website that features a section dedicated to fond recollections of a radio station which was considered by many more as a close personal friend. Springbok Radio bridged the miles between listeners before, and remarkably, it continues to bring people closer to this day. If there is a better legacy of achievement that an organization devoted to entertainment can claim, I certainly do not know of it. Dankie, Springbok Radio. And, thank you for your interest. The Pumamouse (MaryAnne) February 2002 Colorado, USA Revised December 2004 |
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| A WORD OF GRATITUDE I would like to offer my sincere personal thanks to David Batzofin, Lisa Chait, Stella Hayer, and all of the other very kind radio personalities and interested individuals who have been spreading the news of this website's existence and promoting general awareness of the efforts being made to preserve surviving South African OTR. Thank You! |
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