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Leland (Lee) Hansen, (born on March 26, 1944, in Spokane, Washington) is an American radio personality and voice actor best known for creating the
popular Alien Worlds radio
drama in the late 1970s.
Lee Hansen Background
Lee Hansen began his entertainment career as a ventriloquist in eastern Washington
near Spokane. He later began his radio career in the early 60's at KCLX radio in
Colfax, Washington while still attending High School in Tekoa, Washington. After
graduation he joined the Army and was assigned to radio operations school at Ft. Gordon,
Georgia. He was among the first troop deployment under President Kennedy to Vietnam and
assigned to the 119th Aviation Company in Pleiku, Vietnam as a radio
operator. At the time American Forces Radio (AFRS) was just beginning and
they were in need of a morning DJ. Lee sent an air-check of his on-air work to the
commanding officer at the station, Air Force Lieutenant Donald Kirtley. His commanding
officer in Pleiku, Army Major Donald Smith however, refused to grant Lee's
request for transfer to Saigon three times. It was finally through the efforts of AFRS
commanders and a high ranking general that facilitated (at that time in Vietnam) the first
third Army inter-theater transfer of its kind. As a result, Hansen became a founding
member of Armed Forces Radio Saigon (AFRS) in the spring of 1963. The radio network would
eventually spread and serve over 500,000 GI's, and Hansen hosted the station's very first
morning show in Saigon, "The Dawnbuster." This program was the predecessor to The movie "Good
Morning Vietnam" and countless other radio personalities followed in his footsteps
throughout the Vietnam war. Ironically, Major Donald Smith from Pleiku (who earlier
refused Lee's initial transfer request 3 times) later called upon Lee to help arrange to
get musical instruments and entertainment for the first anniversary of the 119th
Aviation Company. Earlier efforts by the Major to do so had failed. Lee answered
the call and arranged not only the musical instruments, but the musicians to play them.
He then secured a C-140 Air Force Transport to fly himself, the instruments, musicians and
Lee's morning news man Bob Andresen, from Saigon north to Pleiku.
Lee MC'd the show and performed a ventriloquist act and carried on comical
banter with Bob Andresen. The resounding successful USO show for all the troops
was followed by an accommodation letter to Lee from Major Smith regarding
the event in October 1963. Click to view
Hansen returned to Ft. Benning from Vietnam and worked part time as the morning DJ
at WGBA in Columbus, Georgia. Following an honorable discharge from the Army in
1965, he worked as a disc jockey for major Top 40 radio stations around the country and
was later invited to join Mel Blanc Audio Media in Hollywood. Lee was thrilled to
work with Mel Blanc, and served as Creative Director and Studio Operations Manager and
as a voice-over director. A year later he was appointed Director of The Mel Blanc
School of Voice and Commercials which trained many top talent in the industry.
He later was invited by Tom Rounds to join Watermark Studios working as a co-director
and recording engineer for the newly created nationally syndicated "American Top Forty" with Casey
Kasem. Soon Hansen was appointed studio manager and worked as a producer and
co-producer for several syndicated radio shows including "American Country Countdown" with Bob
Kingsley; The "Special of The Week" with Robert W. Morgan; "Soundtrack of The Sixties"
with Gary Owens; "The Elvis Presley Story" with Wink Martindale and other special
features. While at Watermark, in 1977 he became best known for creating, producing,
and directing the popular dramatic radio series "Alien Worlds – On The Threshold of The Unknown."
The stories were written by Hansen and Ron Thompson with a variety of other co-writers
including providing the debut of the first scripts ever written by writer J. Michael Stracynski who
went on to write "Murder She Wrote", "Babylon 5" and "The Changeling." The hit science fiction
drama, syndicated by Watermark, was eventually picked up by more than 1500 radio stations
worldwide, including 600 top rated FM stations in the US. It most recently re-aired on Sirius
XM Satellite Radio.
Later career
Following Alien Worlds, Hansen went on to UCLA Film School. He later gained
prominence with his production company “GDE” as a writer, producer and director for film and
TV features centered around the US Space Program and Aerospace Industry. Hansen is currently
the CEO of Addlink, LLC, a Hollywood production firm for radio and TV commercial
production.
Radio work As a DJ
• KCLX Colfax, Washington
• AFRS Saigon, Vietnam (Founding member)
• WGBA Columbus, Georgia
• WQXI Atlanta, Georgia
• KJRB Spokane, Washington
• KASH Eugene, Oregon
• KENO/KLUC-FM Las Vegas, Nevada
• KORK AM Las Vegas, Nevada
• KUTE FM Los Angeles, California
As a Producer
• American Top 40 with Casey Kasem
• American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley
• The Robert W. Morgan Special of The Week
• The Elvis Presley Story
• Murray The K Mysteries
• Soul Train With Don Cornellius
• Soundtrack of the '60s with Gary Owens
• Alien Worlds with Linda Gary
Further reading
• Straczynski, J. Michael. "The Complete Book of Scriptwriting." Writers Digest
Books, 1996. ISBN 0-89879-512-5.
• "Who's Who In Entertainment." Marquis Who's Who, 1990. ISBN 0-8379-1850-2.
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Hansen at AFRS In Saigon, Vietnam
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ARMED FORCES RADIO STATION's popular LEE HANSEN, host
of the lively DAWN BUSTERS morning show, is snapped going over his program schedule with
HEDSUPPACT Special Sevices Recreation Director, MISS ROSALIE LENAHAN, of W. Palm Beach,
Florida. LEE HANSEN brings to AFRS considerable professional civilian experience in radio
broadcasting. MISS LENAHAN tapes radio spots of Special Services activities for dissemination
to US troops over AFRS.
ARMED FORCES RADIO STATION, located on the ground floor of the BRINK
BOQ, operates 18 hours per day from 0600 to 2400 daily, presenting a variety of programs from top
United States Radio Networks as well as complete local music and news programming. Visiting hours
are not standard, but the station will take small groups through the studios if prior arrangements
are made with the station manager, Navy Chief BRYANT ARBUCKLE.
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