Jerry Galvin hosted Talkback, a humorous radio talk show that aired first in Cincinnati, Ohio, on WAIF, and later was aired on 66 NPR stations.
Tonally, Talkback was a parody of America's traditional call-in radio talk shows of the early 1970's. Such shows in that era were always devoted to serious topics. In 1975 Jerry Galvin began a weekly program that used what he termed a "radio scam" as the show's theme each week. Each weekly show was launched with Galvin telling a stream-of-consciousness, unscripted – often long and rambling – story about something that happened to him or about to happen to the listeners or to the world. The stories were never true. Once the phone lines were opened for comments, two distinct types of callers were heard. Those who got the joke and improvisationally advanced that night's fake story. And those upset or outraged by the story. Unlike its spiritual TV sister Fernwood 2-Night, a mostly scripted show with a crew of writers, Talkback was improvised. (Late Night with David Letterman, a real TV talk show which was finding its footing around the same time, had a similar parodical feel, but was somewhat reined in by its celebrity guest format.)
Host Galvin was a Cincinnati ad executive best known for teaming up with Jay Gilbert to create commercials promoting all Cincinnati radio stations with their imaginary Plummet Mall.
The Talkback "cast" consisted of several dozen regulars, many of whom would call weekly to play along with whatever phony topic or riff Jerry set up. After the show developed its stable of regular callers, shows would sometimes be built around the regulars themselves interacting, such as on-air wedding ceremonies between them.
Tipping his hand and hinting at the show's parodical nature, Jerry often described his clothing as "the same each day: Hush Puppy knockoffs, argyle socks, plaid Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and a pith helmet." Jerry often teased the station where his show originated by referring to WAIF as a station with a signal so weak the best reception was in the parking lot. He also described his most famous screener, Lynn Wendell as "Our Lady in Leather," wearing leather S&M gear (in contrast to most radio talk shows whose official on-air policy was not to mention the screener at all)--a reference to her toughness and tendency to hang up on anyone who didn't have a funny enough idea to keep the show moving.
In the 1980s after Talkback received a front page feature in the Wall Street Journal and was also featured on the Today Show, the program was nationally distributed to National Public Radio stations. The name of the show was changed to TalkTalk with Jerry Galvin after producers of a Los Angeles show named Talkback threatened a lawsuit.
The program underwent one more name change to "It's Those Stupid Galvins Again," when Jerry's brother Jene joined Jerry for the weekly programs that by then aired on WVXU in Cincinnati. The improvisational, scam-based format remained unchanged throughout the show's more than 30-year run.
On June 11, 2024, Jerry Galvin, himself, provided the following self-written biography.
Jerry Galvin started his post-college working career hoping to be a big radio star. Luckily, he quickly landed a beginners job at a tiny station in Cynthiana Kentucky. Management there assigned him the station’s Man-On-The-Street show, which called for him to interview people on downtown Cynthiana sidewalks. One day a friendly looking guy was standing around listening while Galvin did interviews. Galvin asked the man if he’d be interviewed. He agreed, but said it must be a knock knock joke they’d do together. “Great,” Galvin said. “You start.” MAN: Knock Knock. GALVIN: Who’s there? MAN: Argo. GALVIN: Argo who? MAN: Argo fuck yourself!
At the time, obscenities that egregious on radio were a federal crime. Galvin was tried, convicted and spent two years in a Lexington Kentucky prison. He wisely used his time there studying the history of knock knock jokes and all versions extant in the prison library. He was released at the young age of 24, and got a radio job in Paris Kentucky. He “forgot” to mention his imprisonment when he applied, reasoning that the station manager was too drunk to even care about prior experience. When the manager asked if Galvin would do the station’s Man-On-The-Street show he grabbed the opportunity. About a month later, while doing interviews, Galvin saw the same guy who almost sabotaged his radio career standing nearby. Galvin, young and cocky, asked the man for an interview. He agreed and, of course, wanted to do a knock knock joke. Being by then the world’s foremost knock knock joke expert, Galvin had no fear. MAN: Knock knock. GALVIN: Who’s there? MAN: Ipso. GALVIN: (Ipso? He asked himself. His mind, in a second, scanned all the possibly obscene Ipso knock knock jokes. He was safe.) Ipso who? MAN: Aw go fuck yourself!
After another two years in prison, Galvin put small-market radio in his rear view mirror, and opened an advertising agency in Cincinnati Ohio, where he made a comfortable living writing and producing ads and commercials. He did eventually go back to radio, but only as a hobby. What followed were decades of weekend shows on public radio telling stories that may or may not be true, then taking calls from listeners outraged by his mostly made up stories as well as calls from listeners who got his jokes and built on them. The shows were eventually carried in 66 different markets. Jerry Galvin has since sold the advertising agency he founded, quit radio, devoted another fifteen years to writing and producing ads and commercials as a consultant, and is now fully retired, no longer telling made-up stories.
References
- Paeth, Greg. "Honoring Cincinnati TV and Radio Legends". cincinattiohiousa.com (original publisher). Retrieved December 3, 2011.