And now ... the rest of the story

There`s a story behind "The Rest of the Story," the captivating ABC Radio Networks feature currently observing its 25th anniversary.

The series of four-minute historical and human-interest short stories heard daily in many parts of the world began as a line - "And now you know the rest of the story" - veteran radio commentator Paul Harvey used to say at the end of in-depth stories.

"He started using that during or before the Second World War," said 53-year-old Paul Harvey Jr., who is creator, producer and writer of "The Rest of the Story."

"As early as 1956, my mother (Lynne), who produces `Paul Harvey News and Comment,` was exploring ways to express `The Rest of the Story` as a separate feature, but for one reason or another, the series didn`t begin until 1976," said Harvey Jr., who often fills in on the air for his 82-year-old father, who is recovering from a virus that has affected his voice.

Re-runs of "The Rest of the Story" delivered by Harvey Sr. also have been airing lately.

Over the years, the elder Harvey has lured listeners into his vignettes by making them suspenseful.

"Hello Americans," Harvey Sr. says in his signature high-pitched register. "You know what the news is. In a minute, you`re going to hear the REST of the story."

Key information is intentionally withheld until the end of each story when the identity of the person being profiled - such as Albert Einstein, Amelia Earhart, Kate Smith, Julie Andrews and Ronald Reagan - is disclosed.

ABC Radio Network officials say "The Rest of the Story" is heard by a worldwide audience of 15 million weekly.

Harvey Jr. said "The Rest of the Story" reflects his perspective on history and current events, which he added "has always been a little inside out, a little contrary to convention."

Unlike "Paul Harvey News and Comment" that often has a politically conservative edge to it, "The Rest of the Story" generally is impartial to its subject.

ABC officials say Harvey`s 25 years of writing "The Rest of the Story" is a record for any radio show or feature. Last year, the writing won him an Edward R. Murrow Award from the Washington-based Radio-Television News Directors Association.

Since "The Rest of the Story" made its debut, Harvey Jr. has produced more than 4,000 stories and has loved them all.

"I can`t think of one that I rather would not have done," he said.

The yarns are taped Monday through Wednesday in Chicago, where the Harveys make their home. Production moves to Phoenix when the family leaves the Windy City for the winter. If a prominent individual dies early in a week, Harvey will re-run a story - if it exists in the archives - with an update by Friday.

Harvey Jr. said the radio segment keeps him busy year-round.

"I can`t remember the last real vacation we had," he said.

In a world of telephones, fax machines and e-mail, "The Rest of the Story" gets almost no negative feedback, Harvey Jr. said. The most commonly heard complaint deals with listeners who, through their own fault, missed a story, or didn`t hear the conclusion.

One time "The Rest of the Story" had to send a schoolteacher proof Adolf Hitler attempted suicide before World War II after she failed a student who was asked to list three things Hitler did before the war. The student had heard about the attempt while listening to "The Rest of the Story."

"We buried that teacher under mountains of documents," Harvey Jr. said. "After that, we got a letter from the student telling us she ended up getting an A on her exam," Harvey Jr. said.

So far, "The Rest of the Story" has not chronicled its star commentator/radio legend.

"But there is one story I`m saving I will have to broadcast," Harvey Jr. said, hinting it is about his father. "There`s no way he will, he could broadcast it. There`s some additional research I`ll have to do before I write it, but it`s a very good one."

(c) Copley News Service

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Preston Turegano