Frank Harden Signs Off
From the show’s inception in March 1960 until Weaver’s death in 1992, Harden and Weaver took gentle cracks at the news and newsmakers of the day, made lost pet announcements, did time checks, and performed live-read commercials, always with Weaver using one of his familiar character voices and Harden playing the reliable straight man. The team took great pride in its ability to work without a script. As Weaver told Washingtonian magazine in 1982, “Give us a fact sheet, and we’ll sell the ass off your product.”
After Weaver’s death in 1992, Harden (above, center) remained as co-host of WMAL’s morning show, along with Tim Brant and Andy Parks, through 1997, retiring shortly after his 50th anniversary at WMAL. Harden is survived by his wife, Berit, of Chevy Chase, MD and Stockholm, Sweden, and their extended families. [Thanks to Jeffrey Yorke and special thanks to John Matthews, who wrote a great remembrance of Frank Harden]