The First Step

There are certainly worse places to start this whole journey into the ownership of the Lone Ranger than with this May 1946 article from what was then called The Billboard. For those who don't feel like reading the image above, which was found via Google's amazing (and sadly stifled) Google News Archive, I've typed up the relevant notice:

Detroit, May 4 – Disclosure of the sale of WXYZ to ABC proved a surprise even to staff members here, altho negotiations, closely guarded, had been underway for about six months. Price was set high, and the deal was not expected to go thru for this reason. Expectation here now is that another is that another network, unnamed, may make a big for the station before the deal is finally okayed by the FCC.

 Plans of George W. Trendle, originally head of the present United Detroit Theaters Circuit before he switched 100 per cent to radio, are to operate as a production agency after the deal is finally okayed. He is retaining the rights to Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Challenge of the Yukon, and Ned Jordan, Secret Agent – the last named not now in production – and would continue to produce these shows, presumably using the facilities of WXYZ for both the direct origination and the Coast rebroadcast.

H. Allen Campbell, general manager of WXYZ, is slated to leave with Trendle, while James G. Riddell, assistant commercial manager, is expected to be upped to the post of general manager. Merritt Schoenfeld, who has been with the local ABC office for some months, is expected to take over in a supervisory. Also slated to go with the new Trendle agency are Earl Moore, formerly station supervisor, who is currently handling television research, together with the entire staff of the Lone Ranger group, including Fran Striker, principal writer.

So much info there, huh? Most important of all is the fact that this was the moment where Trendle officially turned the Ranger from a production asset of a radio station and into what we now call "an intellectual property." Of course, there's also the fact that the company was already looking into TV production a full six years before they got the deal inked. And last but certainly not least is Sriker's mention as an asset to the creation of the characters even then. Me thinks there's a lot for me to discover about the relationship between Trendle and Striker and indeed Trendle and his whole staff.

Also: check the bonus in the left column where we see future Ranger owner Tom McDermott get his own write-up in the very same issue!