Randall Astro tie clip with Orlando provenance

[samg]

I recently purchased this Randall Astro tie clip in an eBay auction. It came from the Orlando area. After I received it, I inquired about the history, if known, about it from the seller.
Following was the sellers response. It demonstrates that it's important to ask questions sometimes. This note adds just another little piece of the Randall history for us.





The sellers response:

"Hi Sam,
My father Bill Berry, received the clip directly from Mr. Randall Sr. when he was a guest on my dad's tv program "Digest" on WDBO TV in the early 1960's. That CBS station is now WCPX Orlando. My dad covered all the space shots and his weekly program was a public interest interview program. He died in 1979. He was a pioneer in radio and tv in Central Flor##a and the first tv weatherman here! It's a real keepsake so enjoy it!
Regards, Helen"

This seems to illustrate Bo used the tie clips for PR and advertising in the Orlando area. WDBO was probably the largest media outlet in the area at the time.


Here is info that I found on Mr Berry from the WDBO radio station website. http://cflradio.net/580_wdbo_am_2.htm

Mr Berry's Obituary:

1979
J. L. "Bill" Berry
Daytona Beach Morning Journal
Feb. 4, 1979

Orlando-James Lawrence "Bill" Berry, 61, co-host of the "Sunrise Jubilee" program, on WFTV, Channel 9, died Saturday. Berry joined WFTV in 1978 and had conducted more than 400 interviews with agribusiness guests from Central Flor##a. Berry was credited with being the areas first television weatherman and hosted the first Cerebral Palsy Telethon. The Seneca, S.C., native began his broadcasting career when he left the Army in 1945. He first worked for a Sarasota radio station and moved to Orlando two years later when he was part of the staff, which put WHOO Radio on the air in 1947. In 1949 Berry joined WDBO Radio ands television (channel 6) where he worked for 22 years. Berry resigned in 1971 to form his own advertising agency, Bill Berry Associates. During his long broadcasting career, Berry received more than 100 community service awards and citations a WFTV spokesman sa##.

[Ta2bill]

Great job Sam!

[samg]

Thanks Bill. It's good to be lucky occasionally! Of course this will lead to finding out if there is a copy of that interview out there.
Good stuff.

Sam

[samg]

For those who are interested in central Flor##a history, here is a YouTube link to a WDBO special that mentions Bill Berry's Digest show at the 9 minute mark.

https://youtu.be/K7jx0y2qbWQ