"Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Discuss the historical aspects of magic, including memories, or favorite stories.
Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

"Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » September 9th, 2021, 9:29 pm

John Buescher's new book, "Radio Psychics", is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others. Actually a scholarly volume of rescued history, with his amazing research skills, John has uncovered stories on past radio mentalists, both remembered and forgotten, that were previously unknown. Seeing how they adapted a new emerging media called radio, the fortunes and controversy they generated, and how the antics of some, in part, created the (need for) the FCC, is a fascinating and in depth study of mentalist/magic/broadcasting history.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » September 9th, 2021, 9:37 pm

I helped provide information and images for his research. Some have told me in the past that I had good
research skills, but John's research work is on a whole new level...amazing and instructive, showing me how much more there
is out there, and how it can be harnessed.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=40 ... 91&__cft__[0]=AZUQRE1cSxUxY95yRAJx6QerSeaxuHeWdXiUKsqA67uJNRUXhhbKOHzL7fmXoLDQSoGW0rjDIrS_XLozvXbej_O_C_zK5Aisi0HSNUlcnNnTlNn-KSyH_fuFAFpBSqpAmBj9jYeKG4Qi8U8rcvP-eA6-&__tn__=EH-R

Tarotist
Posts: 1366
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Tarotist » September 10th, 2021, 9:28 pm

It is fairly common for psychics to appear on the radio especially in interview situations. I have personally been on the radio many, many times with listeners calling in with their questions. The hosts of these programmes are generally very supportive and in fact I only had one aggressive interviewer but as all psychics know the public never take the side of the sceptics and will always support the psychic. Nature of the beast I am afraid.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » September 11th, 2021, 4:03 pm

Most of the mentalist/psychics John writes about (1920-1940) worked the airwaves like the "Psychic Friends" infomercials of the 1990's. The psychic would effectively answer questions listeners, and have them send in their questions to be answered, if they would enclose a dollar (or other amount) to receive a printed horoscope or book, "and your question would be answered free of extra charge."

But by the mid 1930's the newly created FCC was working, (with the postal inspection service) to drive them ALL of the air. Anything to "promote belief in the supernatural" was banned, which made stations reluctant to have any kind of "mystic" on their shows.
Talk shows that had Jeanne Dixon or Uri Geller back then, would have clear disclaimers that it was done for entertainment only.

But in the wake of the Age of Aquarius, as stations were attracted by the numbers psychics generated, and the 1980's De-Regulation of the airwaves, they became a familiar presence on the airwaves, continuing today.

Tarotist
Posts: 1366
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Tarotist » September 11th, 2021, 8:15 pm

Every time I entered a new town to promote my psychic seminars in hotels I would always approach the local radio station to do an interview with me and answer questions free of charge from inbound callers. Never once did a radio station refuse.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » September 13th, 2021, 5:32 pm

Good to know of your success. As noted before, up thru the 1970's, some stations, especially TV stations, (concerned for protecting their licenses) were reluctant to have anything, "promoting the supernatural", without disclaimers, if they allowed an appearance in the first place.

As noted before, the huge interest in astrology and related pursuits, that "The Age of Aquarius" fueled, the numbers psychics could get, and deregulation all helped change that. TV stations, with much more invested, were more protective of fines/losing licenses, etc. A media booker who bought air time for preachers that emphasized divine healing, told me she could book targeted radio stations but had much more resistance from TV station managers, until the 1980's with deregulation and the proliferation of VHF, cable, satelitte stations, who were eager to take the money, made the difference.

Tarotist
Posts: 1366
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Tarotist » September 13th, 2021, 8:45 pm

I have never done radio work in America so perhaps the rules are different there. However, I have done many psychic readings on both radio and television (mostly radio) in two other countries. Even participated in psychic infomercials on network television. Sometimes to advertise my seminars but sometimes not. In fact I have recently written a book on the Tarot which describes in detail the procedure I used to harness the media (particularly radio) to promote my hotel readings. I would move from town to town to promote these events and it was pretty successful. I suspect nowadays with the internet and social media promotion it would be even more successful now than it was then.

I suspect some young hustler could do very well with the system nowadays. I don't have the energy any more so at least I have recorded the system for posterity for those with the get-go to use it.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » October 27th, 2021, 4:39 pm

Author John Buescher interviewed by Texas Standard on Radio Psychics/Mentalists/"doctors"/border radio and more:


https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/p ... -of-radio/

Tarotist
Posts: 1366
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Tarotist » October 27th, 2021, 6:09 pm

I don't understand computers so I have no idea if this will work. Assuming that it does it is a radio interview I did in Ireland many years ago. I suspect you will make out what is being said better if you lower the volume a trifle.

https://fb.watch/8VxMWkIq2y/

MagicbyAlfred
Posts: 2388
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 12:48 pm
Favorite Magician: Bill Malone
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 28th, 2021, 1:16 am

Diego wrote:...But by the mid 1930's the newly created FCC was working, (with the postal inspection service) to drive them ALL of the air. Anything to "promote belief in the supernatural" was banned, which made stations reluctant to have any kind of "mystic" on their shows....


Diego, since you refer to the "FCC" (Federal Communications Commission), I assume you're talking about what transpired in the United States. Sounds like a blatant suppression of free speech/expression, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Additionally, assuming that radio commentators and/or their guests were permitted to discuss religion, then the suppression of the psychics and mystics and discussion of psychic/mystical phenomenon would have also violated the right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment, since religion (whether monotheistic or polytheistic), almost by definition, "promotes belief in the supernatural."

It would be interesting to know if there were court challenges to the FCC's practices in those days, and how they were resolved.

Have you or John researched that aspect?

Tarotist
Posts: 1366
Joined: July 29th, 2021, 7:16 am
Favorite Magician: David Nixon

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Tarotist » October 28th, 2021, 1:07 pm

I am pretty sure there are psychics on the radio even now in the US. In fact I seem to remember having met quite a few who have their own radio shows. They probably don't ask to have money sent in to them like the old days but it is a very standard thing for psychics to go on the radio to promote their in person services.

Jack Shalom
Posts: 1368
Joined: February 7th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Brooklyn NY

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Jack Shalom » October 28th, 2021, 4:19 pm

Diego, since you refer to the "FCC" (Federal Communications Commission), I assume you're talking about what transpired in the United States. Sounds like a blatant suppression of free speech/expression, in violation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.


Free speech ain't free when it comes to radio. See the famous George Carlin Seven dirty words case. That list of words is on the wall of the master studio of the radio station I work at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_dirty_words

MagicbyAlfred
Posts: 2388
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 12:48 pm
Favorite Magician: Bill Malone
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 28th, 2021, 5:41 pm

Jack Shalom (my homie from Brooklyn) Wrote: "Free speech ain't free when it comes to radio. See the famous George Carlin Seven dirty words case. That list of words is on the wall of the master studio of the radio station I work at..."

Agree 100% Jack. A privately owned company, like the station or the network, has dictatorial power over what someone can or cannot say. There's no constitutional protection in that situation. However, it's quite a different matter when a governmental body, such as the FCC, purports to regulate the content, particularly the message of speech. That's a prior restraint, and is presumptively unconstitutional.

Of course, in order to actually vindicate the constitutional right, the FCC would need to have been challenged in federal court by some psychic who, because it "promoted belief in the supernatural," wasn't allowed to say on the air, for example, "I believe in psychic phenomenon and that we can be in contact with those who have passed on." Or a station that wasn't allowed to air him/her saying that, would, I believe, also have standing to assert a constitutional claim, because it would be a prior restraint by the government in violation of the First Amendment.

I understand that there may not be any case law precedent on the issue because perhaps no psychic or station or network actually challenged the FCC in Court. But that doesn't make the conduct Diego described any less unconstitutional. A criminal who gets away with it has nonetheless committed a crime.

That's why I asked Diego if he and/or John had done any research on the constitutional angle.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » October 28th, 2021, 6:03 pm

In the case of Dr. Harad, a magician, mentalist, casino floorman, reading his file the postal inspection service had on him, they acknowledge he isn't really doing anything wrong...not making any false claims, just giving common-sense advice, not selling anythng but his booklets,
but they note, they don't want to play around with whose OK or not, and just get them ALL off the air and be done with it.

An on-air discussion of different belief systems, besides being a ratings loser, is different from purported demonstrations with specific claims of those beliefs...especially when money is involved. The FCC was created with sharp fangs, to control the airwaves on many levels.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » October 28th, 2021, 6:35 pm

Research? YES. John Buescher and myself, at different times, spent days at The National Archives, Library of Congress, Federal & State court, and other resources...reading/copying hundreds of pages of government documents.

Prior to the creation of the more powerful FCC, the air waves were still a bit like the wild west, and needed reining in. The issue wasn't programs discussing/advocating their beliefs, but these were the forerunner of the infomercials we have today, when the sole purpose is to make money, back then via direct mail/postal system. The main problem wasn't (yet) those like Nelson, Princess Yvonne, or Doc Irving, who just wanted to pitch their horoscopes/pitchbooks, to get those dollar bills, but those adding "Dr." to their names like Norman Baker with his cancer cures, or Ralph Richards with his investment swindles, or John Brinkley with his "operations". Just reading the 100's of pages in the FCC file on "Dr." Brinkley, including memos from J. Edgar Hoover, it's clear the Feds wanted them very badly, as they regarded some of them, not as just colorful charlatons, but serial murderers.

Then and today, stations and networks still exercise disgression, (some say bias) of what and who they allow on the air, "for the general public interest", and their own profits and longevity.

Ted M
Posts: 1187
Joined: January 24th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Dani DaOrtiz
Location: Madison, WI

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Ted M » October 28th, 2021, 10:23 pm

The ACLU wasn't even formed until 1920, and at the time there were far more egregious suppressions of speech to attend to before worrying about the rights of "psychic" con artists to cheat people over the radio.

This link gives some context of the time:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ ... speech_era

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » October 28th, 2021, 11:04 pm

On a slightly different note, the stations/networks concern for protecting their licenses and avoid fines, is their main concern, which is to make money.
Years ago, I sat in a meeting with the GM of a Los Angeles TV station and a (then) well-known Healing/Prosperity Evangelist. This was before the "prosperity gospel" was as familiar as it is today. The GM told the preacher, the program was well produced but added, "...understand we like making money just as you do, but those healing testimonies scare us...but those other testimonies saying how they prospered and financially better off are safe. If you substitute more prosperity testimonies for the healing ones, well run it prime them time as you want."
The newly edited programs played in L.A. and more stations across the country...few knowing today the prosperity gospel grew out of the concern/greed of the stations who wanted the money, but not the grief. True story, I was there.

MagicbyAlfred
Posts: 2388
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 12:48 pm
Favorite Magician: Bill Malone
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 29th, 2021, 8:22 am

Ted M wrote:The ACLU wasn't even formed until 1920, and at the time there were far more egregious suppressions of speech to attend to before worrying about the rights of "psychic" con artists to cheat people over the radio.

This link gives some context of the time:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_ ... speech_era


Just to be clear, I wasn't advocating for the protection of alleged psychics who conned and cheated people, Those kinds of individuals are criminals and should be jailed. I was merely pointing out that, to the extent the FCC was casting such a broad net so as to suppress people from discussing psychic phenomenon or their beliefs in it on the air, simply because they were "promoting belief in the supernatural," or flat-out disallowing radio stations from having them as guests, was probably an unconstitutional violation of equal protection, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

Ted M
Posts: 1187
Joined: January 24th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Dani DaOrtiz
Location: Madison, WI

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Ted M » October 29th, 2021, 10:39 am

I hear you. The main point I was aiming to make was that first amendment jurisprudence wasn't very far along at the time, so the effort to mount those arguments definitely wouldn't have been expended on such a poor test case as radio psychics.

MagicbyAlfred
Posts: 2388
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 12:48 pm
Favorite Magician: Bill Malone
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 29th, 2021, 12:54 pm

Ted M wrote:I hear you. The main point I was aiming to make was that first amendment jurisprudence wasn't very far along at the time, so the effort to mount those arguments definitely wouldn't have been expended on such a poor test case as radio psychics.


Good point.

Diego
Posts: 517
Joined: June 16th, 2008, 11:29 am

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Diego » May 11th, 2022, 3:10 am

Link to article from, "Texas Highways" magazine, on early radio mentalists, references John Buescher's book
on the subject.



https://texashighways.com/travel-news/a ... -stations/

User avatar
Richard Kaufman
Posts: 27056
Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
Location: Washington DC
Contact:

Re: "Radio Psychics" by John Buescher

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 11th, 2022, 10:48 am

The July issue of Genii has a nice article by Mr. Buescher on several of these characters working in the U.K.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine


Return to “Magic History and Anecdotes”