Glenn Ryle
Encyclopedia
Glenn Ryle Schnitker was a long-time television personality, announcer and children's show host in Cincinnati, Ohio
.
in Cincinnati during World War II
. He left high school at age 17 to enter military service with the United States Marines
. At one point in his service career he briefly participated in a War Bond
drive with war hero Pappy Boyington
http://www.cetconnect.org/broadcastpioneers/personalities.asp?idv=102.
Following his discharge, Ryle was a civilian advisor for the Israeli military in the Middle East during the time when this territory was being created. On June 25, 1950 Ryle was recalled to active duty with the start of hostilities in the Korean War
. He served in Korea slightly longer than a year.
radio in Hamilton
. His inexperience, and also his potential, caught the attention of Cecil Hale of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
, who took Ryle under his wing, improving his skills. Ryle was later hired briefly by WLWT
; his first on-camera commercial was on Midwestern Hayride
plugging B.C. Headache Powders. His stint at WLWT was very short-lived, and he continued at WMOH until he auditioned for and won a staff announcer position at WCPO-TV
, where he performed additional duties including hosting a short-lived kids show (on this show he was a localized version of Captain Midnight
); he also hosted a late night movie show, cleaned pianos, and even ran a boom microphone on Paul Dixon's pantomime show. Ryle was released from WCPO after a year and a half, and soon went to work as a writer/producer for the Ralph Jones Advertising Agency. In the fall of 1954 Ryle received a phone call from Paul Shoemaker at WKRC-TV
offering Ryle another television job, which he immediately accepted.
At WKRC Ryle reprised most of the duties he had at WCPO—staff announcing and hosting a movie matinee show. A year after hiring on at WKRC he co-created and hosted The Skipper Ryle Show and in the 70s hosted the local weeknight version of Bowling for Dollars
. Early in his career Ryle was one of six staff announcers at Channel 12, but ultimately it was Ryle's voice that became synonymous with WKRC, especially its Station IDs and promos; Ryle remained at WKRC for 35 years.
, turned out to be a perfect fit. Then someone suggested the nickname "Skipper", which Ryle liked, and thus the name of the show was changed.
The Skipper Ryle Show became an unexpected hit and ultimately enjoyed a seventeen-year run on WKRC. Initially an hour-long Saturday morning show, it later moved to Sundays for two hours, and later still became a weekday series. At its peak the show was second only to WCPO's Uncle Al Show in popularity among kids. Its immediate success came as a surprise to WKRC management and even Ryle himself. But like Uncle Al, Ryle never treated his success as accidental.
Part of the show's wider appeal was that Ryle never played to just the children. A major facet of the show's success was that Ryle was never condescending in his talks with the kids who appeared on the show. Despite the fact that his own personal primary demographic was kids who had felt they had outgrown Uncle Al, Ryle tried to, as he once put it, "open the whole thing up to everybody", young and old alike. Colleague Nick Clooney
and other local critics once regarded Skipper Ryle as the most civilized children's show on television.
In the show's earlier years, Ryle donned a Naval peacoat and matching peaked cap
with a gray wig and bushy mustache, adopting an "old man of the sea" motif, but the wig and mustache were soon abandoned; by 1960 Ryle had grown a real mustache of his own. Ryle later incorporated as the show's theme the rousing seafaring song "Blow High, Blow Low" from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel
.
Skipper Ryle became so popular that he made in-person appearances at local amusement parks like Coney Island, LeSourdsville Lake
, and even at the Cincinnati Zoo; thousands of kids and their families would come to see Skipper Ryle in person. In a 1990 interview Ryle related that he was informed of an estimated 26,000 people who had shown up to see him perform a 1965 show at the Cincinnati Zoo. Concession stands were rapidly running out of food and traffic around the zoo was badly jammed with people still trying to get in; eventually radio stations went on the air asking people to avoid the area around the zoo.
In the early 70s, Ryle, in an attempt to compete with rival WXIX's Sunday morning powerhouse Wonderama
, hosted a limited-run weekend series called the Skipper Ryle Special, featuring a live audience, games and guest stars; over the years Ryle gave away countless prizes from Cincinnati-based Kenner
Toys.
By 1973, though the show was still very popular, WKRC executives, citing increasing expense, decided to cancel production of the show.
at WCET
in the fall of 1990. He died in 1993.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
Early life
Ryle attended Western Hills High SchoolWestern Hills High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Western Hills High School is a high school located in the Western Hills area of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Cincinnati Public Schools district. The school was the location used to film Airborne, a movie filmed in the Cincinnati area....
in Cincinnati during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He left high school at age 17 to enter military service with the United States Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. At one point in his service career he briefly participated in a War Bond
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
drive with war hero Pappy Boyington
Pappy Boyington
Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was a United States Marine Corps officer who was an American fighter ace during World War II. For his heroic actions, he was awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. Boyington flew initially with the American Volunteer Group in the Republic of China Air Force...
http://www.cetconnect.org/broadcastpioneers/personalities.asp?idv=102.
Following his discharge, Ryle was a civilian advisor for the Israeli military in the Middle East during the time when this territory was being created. On June 25, 1950 Ryle was recalled to active duty with the start of hostilities in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He served in Korea slightly longer than a year.
Radio & Television Career
On advice from a friend in Huntington, WV, Ryle, against his own better judgment and with no prior experience or training, became involved in broadcasting and joined WMOHWMOH
WMOH is a radio station broadcasting a talk format. Licensed to Hamilton, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Cincinnati area. The station is currently owned by Vernon R. Baldwin, Inc...
radio in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
. His inexperience, and also his potential, caught the attention of Cecil Hale of the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
The University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music is the performing arts college of the University of Cincinnati and is one of the nation's leading music conservatories. In its most recent rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cincinnati sixth nationally among university programs...
, who took Ryle under his wing, improving his skills. Ryle was later hired briefly by WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
; his first on-camera commercial was on Midwestern Hayride
Midwestern Hayride
Midwestern Hayride, sometimes known as Midwest Hayride, was an American country music show originating in the 1930s from WLW-AM and later from WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the 1950s it was carried nationally by NBC and then ABC television...
plugging B.C. Headache Powders. His stint at WLWT was very short-lived, and he continued at WMOH until he auditioned for and won a staff announcer position at WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV, virtual channel 9 , is an ABC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. WCPO's studio is located in the Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, just outside of Eden Park. Its transmitter is located along Symmes Street, just south of East McMillan Street in Cincinnati.The station...
, where he performed additional duties including hosting a short-lived kids show (on this show he was a localized version of Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight is a U.S. adventure franchise first broadcast as a radio serial from 1938 to 1949. Sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, the radio program was the creation of radio scripters Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M...
); he also hosted a late night movie show, cleaned pianos, and even ran a boom microphone on Paul Dixon's pantomime show. Ryle was released from WCPO after a year and a half, and soon went to work as a writer/producer for the Ralph Jones Advertising Agency. In the fall of 1954 Ryle received a phone call from Paul Shoemaker at WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
offering Ryle another television job, which he immediately accepted.
At WKRC Ryle reprised most of the duties he had at WCPO—staff announcing and hosting a movie matinee show. A year after hiring on at WKRC he co-created and hosted The Skipper Ryle Show and in the 70s hosted the local weeknight version of Bowling for Dollars
Bowling for Dollars
Bowling for Dollars is a television game show on which people could play the sport of bowling to win cash and sometimes prizes based on how well they bowled....
. Early in his career Ryle was one of six staff announcers at Channel 12, but ultimately it was Ryle's voice that became synonymous with WKRC, especially its Station IDs and promos; Ryle remained at WKRC for 35 years.
Skipper Ryle
In the late winter-early spring of 1956, Ryle was selected by WKRC executives Len Goorian and David Taft to host a children's show consisting mostly of cartoons. Ryle initially declined, but with Daylight Savings Time leaving an empty hour on the station's schedule, Ryle was given the option of either hosting the show or being released. Ryle changed his mind and agreed to host the show, which was initially going to be called Hi, Kids!, but when Ryle's military experience began kicking in, and when he started adding messages about river and boat safety, Ryle and others involved in production of the show decided to go with a riverboat setting for the show itself which, with Cincinnati being right on the Ohio RiverOhio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, turned out to be a perfect fit. Then someone suggested the nickname "Skipper", which Ryle liked, and thus the name of the show was changed.
The Skipper Ryle Show became an unexpected hit and ultimately enjoyed a seventeen-year run on WKRC. Initially an hour-long Saturday morning show, it later moved to Sundays for two hours, and later still became a weekday series. At its peak the show was second only to WCPO's Uncle Al Show in popularity among kids. Its immediate success came as a surprise to WKRC management and even Ryle himself. But like Uncle Al, Ryle never treated his success as accidental.
Part of the show's wider appeal was that Ryle never played to just the children. A major facet of the show's success was that Ryle was never condescending in his talks with the kids who appeared on the show. Despite the fact that his own personal primary demographic was kids who had felt they had outgrown Uncle Al, Ryle tried to, as he once put it, "open the whole thing up to everybody", young and old alike. Colleague Nick Clooney
Nick Clooney
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Clooney is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, and father of actor and film director George Clooney.-Early life:...
and other local critics once regarded Skipper Ryle as the most civilized children's show on television.
In the show's earlier years, Ryle donned a Naval peacoat and matching peaked cap
Peaked cap
A peaked cap, forage cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies...
with a gray wig and bushy mustache, adopting an "old man of the sea" motif, but the wig and mustache were soon abandoned; by 1960 Ryle had grown a real mustache of his own. Ryle later incorporated as the show's theme the rousing seafaring song "Blow High, Blow Low" from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
.
Skipper Ryle became so popular that he made in-person appearances at local amusement parks like Coney Island, LeSourdsville Lake
Americana/Lesourdesville Lake Amusement Park
Americana/LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Monroe, Ohio, USA. This park is currently closed with no immediate plans to be reopened. When the park opened in 1922 it was named LeSourdesville Lake. The name was changed after the 1977 season to Americana Amusement...
, and even at the Cincinnati Zoo; thousands of kids and their families would come to see Skipper Ryle in person. In a 1990 interview Ryle related that he was informed of an estimated 26,000 people who had shown up to see him perform a 1965 show at the Cincinnati Zoo. Concession stands were rapidly running out of food and traffic around the zoo was badly jammed with people still trying to get in; eventually radio stations went on the air asking people to avoid the area around the zoo.
In the early 70s, Ryle, in an attempt to compete with rival WXIX's Sunday morning powerhouse Wonderama
Wonderama
Wonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
, hosted a limited-run weekend series called the Skipper Ryle Special, featuring a live audience, games and guest stars; over the years Ryle gave away countless prizes from Cincinnati-based Kenner
Kenner
Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
Toys.
By 1973, though the show was still very popular, WKRC executives, citing increasing expense, decided to cancel production of the show.
Personal life
Ryle's wife, Jacqueline, was a Cincinnati native; they had two children, Steve and Cheri. Ryle maintained a low profile after his retirement in the late 80s. His final public appearance was an interview by colleague and long-time friend Nick ClooneyNick Clooney
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Clooney is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, and father of actor and film director George Clooney.-Early life:...
at WCET
WCET (TV)
WCET is the PBS member public television station serving Cincinnati, Ohio. It broadcasts digitally on channel 34 but is displayed on-screen as channel 48, its former analog and present virtual channel, via the PSIP protocol. Its signal is multiplexed, broadcasting one high-definition channel, CET...
in the fall of 1990. He died in 1993.