broadcast six nights a week to an audience that, at the peak of the Cold War, was estimated to be 30 million regular listeners in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union — and as many as 100 million worldwide. Conover, who had heard the One O'Clock Lab Band several times, including as judge at the 1960 Notre Dame Jazz Festival (when Leonard Bernstein was on the festival's board), asked Leon Breeden, in 1967, for recordings of certain numbers. Later that year, Conover featured the One O'Clock Lab Band in an hour broadcast to an estimated audience of 40 million. Every year thereafter, the One O'Clock supplied a professional quality studio engineered album to Conover. Major tours, festivals, concerts Under the direction of Gene Hall 1952 – Awarded Fifth Place in a nationwide contest for the best college dance band Spring 1956 – "The Five Front Combo," an 8-member group (directed by Gene Hall) from the Lab Bands, appeared on NBC's Steve Allen The Tonight Show broadcast from Fort Worth Nov 23, 1958, 7 to 7:30 PM – Under the direction of Gene Hall performed the region's first live stereo broadcast (from Fort Worth), using two microphones, one to KFJZ-TV (Channel 11) and one to KFJZ radio 1270 AM. The producers instructed listeners to turn on both their radio and TV and place them eight feet apart. The band performed seven arrangements (stage manager, Jack Harris; broadcast producer, Buddy Turner) 1959 – Awarded Third Place in a contest among 183 bands for Best New Dance Band of 1959 sponsored by the American Federation of Musicians and the National Ballroom Operators Association, reaching the finals on May 11, 1959, at Roseland Dance City in New York City. It was the only college band of the final field of four. A Los Angeles group – the Claude Gordon Orchestra (with North Texas ex-student Cecil Hill in the saxophone section) – won First Place. Under the direction of Leon Breeden Summer 1960 – Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival; the Lab Band was Awarded Finest Jazz Group and Best Big Band and Marv Stamm was awarded best instrumentalist and trumpet player. Aug 14-28, 1960 – The Lab Band was the demonstration band at the Stan Kenton National Band Camp at Indiana University Summer 1961 – Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival; the Lab Band was Awarded Finest Jazz Group and Best Big Band; Morgan Powell