Franklyn MacCormack

Who was Franklyn MacCormack?

Franklyn MacCormack was an American radio personality in Chicago, Illinois from the 1930s into the 1970s on his radio program, The All Night Showcase. He was also well known as the announcer of the long-running old-time radio serial Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.

For many years he was the overnight broadcaster on two of Chicago's well-known clear-channel radio stations, first on WBBM and then on WGN, and thus was heard by listeners hundreds of miles from Chicago.

In contrast to the primary sports-and-talk formats of WBBM and WGN, MacCormack read romantic and sentimental poetry and played classical, big band and Broadway music. One poem, "Why Do I Love You?" became his signature, the first line of which he would typically use to begin his program:

I love you not only for who you are, but for what I am when I am with you.

MacCormack's sotto voce style of reading these poems inspired the Bob and Ray character Charles the Poet, who can never get through one of his overly sentimental poems without breaking up into laughter.

During his tenure on WGN, MacCormack's show originated at Uphoff's Rotunda Motel and Restaurant in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin for two weeks every summer, through the courtesy of local waterski show impresario Tommy Bartlett.