I read that the Santa Tracker actually started in the '50's. Of course we didn't have internet back then. According to the article I read Sears ran an add in a Colorado paper with a phone number kids could call to chat with Santa during his ride. But when the add was run, it had the wrong number. It was actually the number for NORAD. The colonel on duty took the calls with good humor and pretended to be Santa. Then called a radio station and said they had Santa on radar.