so our household was full of arthur godfrey productions. i can just remember being fascinated by when they would open the television portion of the simulcast, they would be the earphones. they were there to suggest where arthur would place his head. there was something about the microphone and the earphones and the equipment that i found fascinating. i just thought there's something cool about this. >> this is september 1st, 1969. i saved this magazine for 43 years. this is the first year three networks went with talk show hosts late at night. this is merv just starting out. >> this is merv right there. >> this is merv. >> joey bishop. >> and johnny in 1962. now, what were you doing in 1969? were you still in school? >> 1969? >> yeah. >> yeah. i was just graduating from college. >> did you have an eye for the show business at that point? >> it's a silly story, but where better to tell a silly story than here with you. i was like you. i was sort of lost. in school. and i had a bunch of friends and as the grades progressed, i realized how imp

arthur godfrey, an old washington hand, described it. >> and now just-- just coming past the treasury see the horses drawing the caisson. >> pelley: the project was the brainchild of cbs news producer fred friendly. when a musician strike left columbia records in need of material, he went through 500 hours of radio broadicate caste to create what he called a scrapbook of the ear. >> the forces of germany have surrendered to the united stateses nations. the flags of freedom fly all over europe. >> pelley: colombia released the five-disk set in 1948. it was an immediate hit. in just six weeks it sold 125,000 copies now a video recording that made some history today when a stunt man in england dove from a helicopter. gary connery did not use a parachute but his custom-made jumpsuit did have wings. he had a choppy ride of speeds up to 80 miles per hour, but connery landed cleanly on a pile of card board boxes and walked away without a scratch. daredevils of a different kind of are lining up to scale mount everest days after four climbers died. that's next. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but