Remembering Angel Harvey The First Lady of Radio

Lynne Harvey died at her River Forest (IL) home early Saturday morning after
a yearlong battle with leukemia.

Lynne, whom husband Paul called "Angel," recognized throughout her industry
as "The First Lady of Radio," was one of the great broadcasting figures of
the past century and the first producer ever inducted into the Radio Hall of
Fame.

A director, writer and editor, she was the creative and administrative
heartbeat behind the number-one-rated Paul Harvey News and Comment, which
reaches tens of millions of listeners. Her guidance and ingenuity helped
shape many radio and television formats widely used today, such as the
concept of news features within hard-news broadcasts and the humorous
"kicker," which became a Paul Harvey trademark. In the late 1940s, Lynne
suggested that her husband's news program be broadcast at 10 p.m. to take
better advantage of adults' leisure time and thus gain a larger audience.
That time slot soon became the national broadcasting standard for radio and
television news programs.

Lynne also developed and edited Harvey's best-known feature "The Rest of the
Story." A pioneer in women's broadcasting, Lynne created and produced
"Dilemma," a television program that became a prototype for today's
talk-show genre, and also a groundbreaking syndicated television news
feature that ran five days a week for 20 consecutive years.

The Harveys met in St. Louis, Lynne's hometown, at KXOK, where Paul worked
as special-events director and Lynne, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of
Washington University, began her radio career reporting on educational
topics. After their marriage in 1940, they began their professional
partnership, with Paul in the broadcast booth and Lynne handling
behind-the-scenes responsibilities.

During World War II, Paul volunteered for the Army Air Force's Air Cadets
and Lynne moved to Tulsa, her husband's hometown. Working at a CBS
affiliate, she became one of the nation's first women to run an entire
broadcast, from 4 p.m. to midnight, five days a week, doing everything from
announcing state and local news to playing records.

After the war, the Harveys moved to Chicago and radio station WENR, where
their Paul Harvey News quickly grabbed the number one Chicago news rating
slot. In 1951 ABC carried the program nationally, beginning its long run as
America's favorite radio news program.

It was in 1968 that Lynne decided to create a television version of Paul
Harvey Comments, which she syndicated on 100 stations around the country.
The TV program aired from 1968 to 1988.

Besides her considerable role in broadcasting, Lynne Harvey was active in
community and philanthropic endeavors, serving on numerous charitable
boards, including the Infant Welfare Society, Prevent Child Abuse America,
the USO, the Illinois Mental Health Association, the Illinois Charitable
Trusts and Advisory Committee, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Children's Home
and Aid Society. She was also an enthusiastic contributor to various animal
welfare groups.

A dedicated alumna, Lynne was also a life member of Washington University's
William Greenleaf Eliot Society and was involved with the development of the
University's American Culture Studies program in Arts and Sciences.

She is survived by her husband Paul Harvey and their son Paul Jr., who has
become an integral part of their broadcasts.