In searching through the archives of Team & Trail, we came across what may be the first mention of a weekly radio program about the sport.
Here is the direct text from the October 1975 issue (Vol. 12 no. 10 ) writen by Dick Pennington:
The Musher’s Radio Program
A writer gets some crazy ideas at times, just ask any editor about any writer on their staff. Once the screaming and foaming at the mouth has ceased, the editor will reach for a bottle of pills and pop six or ten in their mouth.
In a few minutes they will be reasonably tranquil enough to tell you about some of those ideas that never saw newsprint. Cindy Molburg, on the other hand, is the sort of editor that thrives on “off the wall” ideas so it was easy to approach her with mine.
It was one of the nice last days of summer when I motor cycled it up to “Team and Trail”. A slight chill was in the air but not nearly as cool as the one I thought might greet my idea to promote the sport of sled dog racing. Tire offices of “Team and Trail” are located in one of the most beautiful Fall Foliage areas in all the world. The offices on the other hand, remind you of something out of Edgar Allan Poe. But you can always be assured of a hot cup of coffee and an ink smeared ear to listen to your latest idea.
Cindy looked at me with a leary eye as though to say, “What in hell has he got up his sleeve this time?” The idea was about a radio program that would be heard weekly on radio stations in all the areas where sled dog racing was popular. It would run in both half hour and fifteen minute lengths, depending on the availability of time on the stations that would be interested in running the show. Each weekly show would be different and would not only be of interest to mushers but to fans of the sport as well who would like to learn more about the sport and the people involved in it — both in front and behind the scenes.
The show would also contain interviews with top drivers, sled builders, race officials and anyone we feel would make it an interesting program. Racing events would be mentioned as well as on the spot interviews with winning drivers immediately after a race.
Cindy was all for the idea. The full cooperation of “Team and Trail” was pledged and we immediately began planning what course of action to take in order to get the radio station to air each weekly show starting sometime in late November. Here’s where the magazine’s readers come into the picture.
If you can talk to the station managers of your local radio stations about running the program, it would be of great help to the sport. It will not only open up a much wider, and needed, out let for the sport, it will also get new blood into the field. New drivers and fans are, of course, needed to build the sport into a far greater event in communities where the sport is already running. It is quite possible that other communities might get involved in the sport if enough coverage were given it in the radio media, somthing that has not been done up to this time.
If the readers of “Team and Trail” will get behind this pro gram and let the radio stations know they want it, perhaps we can get much more coverage on races from television and sport magazines, not to mention other radio stations. If you can help, we would like to know about it — and quickly.
In a few weeks, the first taped program will be available to stations that would like to preview it, either to themselves or to their listeners. Any station desiring information, and a preview tape, can write to Team & Trail. It doesn’t matter where you live. If there is any interest at all toward the sport, we ask you to help increase its popularity. Radio is a number one means to accomplish this goal. Of course, your feelings about this program are of extreme importance to the popularity of this program so do not hesitate to send your comments to us, either pro or con.
From Mushing Magazine: As you know we have been hosting a podcast since January 2010. It has undergone some name chnages over the years including Mush You Huskies!, Mushing Radio, and now just Mushing. It has been hosted by Robert Forto since the beginning and to our knowledge it is the longest and continous running podcast about the sport anywhere in the world.
Finding and preservig gems like this article is one of the main reasons why we purchased both Mushing Magazine and Team & Trail in 2023.
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