Between 1941 and 1945, Americans tuned in to listen to breaking news from Europe, hearing about major battles and the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii just moments after the actual events. *I <3 Allens Alley* His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it was only part of his appeal; radio historian John Dunning (in On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio) wrote that Allen was radio's most admired comedian and most frequently censored. In 1937 a reporter captured his reaction to the crash of the Hindenburg. What Did People Do for Entertainment in the 1940s? - Reference.com These famous radio personalities were the stars of their time, and their shows were appointment listening for millions of Americans. Radio was the best buy for escape and information during hard times. Radio stars have had their place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ever since its inception, right alongside recording artists, screen legends and television icons. The success of this show established Hollywood as a major centre of radio production. Originally broadcast as "Sam 'n' Henry" in 1926, the show was renamed when it changed networks. Eventually, as social workers reported, families would rather part with their icebox or other necessary appliances than with their radio. "The Seventh Victim," an episode of the science-fiction series X Minus One, based on a short story by Robert Sheckley; airdate March 6, 1957. In 1933 Edwin Howard Armstrong produced the first FM transmitter and receiver, although it was six years before an FM station would air. The era of television influence came forward in the 1960 presidential campaign between future presidents John F. Kennedy (served 19611963) and Richard Nixon (served 19691974). Quiz Kids, a popular radio and TV series of the 1940s and 1950s, was created by Chicago public relations and advertising man Louis G. Cowan. Politicians and critics used the media to comment as well as to convince. Radio stations consolidated during the Depression, as smaller stations went out of business. His Fireside Chats have been considered some of the first forms of managed news. His company, RCAthe Radio Corporation of Americagrew from $11 million in sales the first year to $60 million three years later. Given the hard times of the Depression they had an eager listening public. In the 1930s music was the foundation of radio and America's favorite escape from the Depression. Kaltenborn, Edward R. Murrow, William L. Shirer, and Eric Severeid. As radio came into its own, it discovered the major issues that would continue to challenge it into the future. Encyclopedia.com. "Apache Peak," an episode of the western series Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrea; airdate July 22, 1950. KSTP in St. Paul Minnesota covered a wedding in a hot air balloon for its listeners. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941, pp. I got a idea. During World War I, most private U.S. radio stations were either shut down or taken over by the government under order of President Woodrow Wilson, and it was illegal for U.S. citizens to possess an operational transmitter or receiver. (Virtually all broadcasts during radios peak years were in AM, or amplitude modulation.). These concerns were later mirrored by similar concerns expressed over the effects television and personal computers posed on child development. From Needletime to the Peel Sessions Many of the 1930s programs would set the standard for programming in all media for the rest of the century. They could also employ elaborate sound effects and various other techniques that would play on the listeners' imaginations. Isolationism seemed less tenable. Broadcasting Freedom: Radio, War and the Politics of Race, 19381948. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). They feared that the exchange of ideas and clash of opinions essential to democracy would be compromised. Charles Coughlin was a Canadian-American Catholic priest and populist leader who promoted antisemitic and pro-fascist views. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. It wasn't until 1920 that radio stations were regularly making commercial broadcasts, beginning with KDKA of Pittsburgh and WWJ of Detroit. In 1938 Welless radio adaptation of H.G. The network had 19 stations by the end of 1935; by the mid-1940s Mutual had more than 300 stations, more affiliates than either of its rivals. Amos: Well, whut you goin' do 'bout it? "It probably was in 1970 or '71 when a radio station in Manistee started playing Rock and Roll," Kittleson says. famous radio personalities 1940s - isgho-sup.com In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. The chat demonstrates Roosevelt's friendly style that many found comforting. The performers would have a set of gagsjokesthat they could perform night after night in venues all over the world. "On the Planet Mongo," an episode of the children's science-fiction series Flash Gordon; airdate April 27, 1935. National laws are needed to complete that program. 6:00 Sunriseincluding technical problems, 2:00 President Roosevelt's Address To Congress, 4:00 Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Washington Senators, 10:45 Repeat of President Roosevelt's Address to Congress, 11:00 Livingston's Orchestra (joined in progress at 11:20). A Tower of Babel: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume I, to 1933. The complex drama was both criticized for its racial insensitivity and lauded for showing a humanistic portrait of a particular subset of society (from Charles J. Correll and Freeman F. Gosden. The Depression listening public followed the exploits of "Babe" Ruth, Lou Gehrig ("The Iron Horse"), the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame football players, female track star Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, the boxer Joe Louis ("The Brown Bomber"), and others. Johnny Otis Collection (SC 106) Over 800 radio programs of black popular music (live and prerecorded), hosted by Johnny Otis, and featuring live interviews with blues and rhythm & blues artists from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. In the past this approach had been successfulthe military had been able to convince the people that the rebellion was local and that it was futile to fight against the military, thereby discouraging action. Women on the Radio - American Women: Resources from the Recorded Sound "The First Radio War: Broadcasting in the Spanish Civil War, 19361939." New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. The program changed names over the years as it was sponsored by different products, but Benny remained a household name as the protagonist of the show. During American radio's Golden Age, much of the programming heard by listeners was controlled by advertising agencies . Many radio shows were broadcast all over the country, and served to create a community of shared experience for a diverse and widespread world. The future president Ronald Reagan, a sports announcer at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa during much of the Depression, called play-by-play for the Chicago Cubs. The public found these programs a welcomed escape from worries of the Depression and the demand grew for more. This was particularly true of the white unemployed who believed jobs, including those created by New Deal work relief programs, should first go to whites before black Americans. Dat's goin' make Mister Hopkins mad if he ever find dat out. "Lost Horizon," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Ronald Colman; airdate November 27, 1946. Nationally known radio stars began to exist after the advent of the networks. Others, however, disappeared from the airwaves. The amount of listening leisure time during the Depression and popularity of radios in this pre-television period provided a golden opportunity for many programs to capture America's imagination. The plugger would sell songs, to which the publisher held the recording rights, to popular musicians who would hopefully make the songs famous, which would increase a song's sales and the publisher's profit. Murrow provided regular reports on the bombing of London in his "London After Dark" series broadcast by shortwave radio. Here Are The Top 50 Streamed Talk Show Hosts - Radio Ink ." You ain't got no bizness shootin' de milk on de ground. Popular bandleaders including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey and their jazz bands became nationally famous through their radio performances, and a host of other jazz musicians flourished as radio made the genre nationally popular (Wald . This also represented the golden age of sportscasters who eloquently described the sporting events and created colorful images of the sports stars. Millions of radio listeners believed the report of the invasion, which was actually an adaptation of H.G. View More. The Best Talk Show Hosts Of Daytime, Late Night, and All Time. Father Coughlin exerted enormous influence on America during the Great Depression. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001. New York still had a bustling radio community, but the Chicago shows began moving to one coast or the other. Winchell is sometimes considered the father of tabloid reporting. The number of programs and types of programming for radio grew astonishingly quickly. Comic strips were transformed into popular radio programs with the debut of shows based on "Little Orphan Annie," "Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century," "Flash Gordon," and "Dick Tracy." Music publishing companies hired song pluggers to "place" their songs with singers and musicians. Mark Levin. 5) Petey Greene. When war between Germany and the United Kingdom was declared, Murrow reported firsthand. In 1939 he wrote "They Fly through the Air with the Greatest of Ease" for his "Words Without Music" radio series. 1. Radio-info.com has a chat board for aircheck collectors. We ain't for no bizness puttin' water in de milk. More Robin Quivers. Early ads promoted an institutional image in a style later common to public radios underwriting announcements. HYLAND: Good lord! Han' me dat bucket. "The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour" became the first radio variety show. American women considered how their favorite characters dealt with the challenges of life. Today we are only part-way through that programand recovery is speeding up to a point where the dangers of 1929 are gain becoming possible, not this week or month perhaps, but within a year or two. In 1936 the Republican Party's radio dramatization, "Liberty at the Crossroads," played an important role in the campaign. However, the record company soon sold its shares to a group of financiers that included Leon Levy, whose father-in-law was cigar magnate Sam Paley; before long, Paleys son William decided to invest his own million-dollar fortune in the new network. (Tone: Phone drops to floor). There were several great radio theater companies during the 1930s including Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre on the Air, the Lux Radio Theatre, Screen Guide Theatre, and Studio One, later known as the Ford Theater. The explosion of radio was both exhilarating and exhausting. October 2nd, 1924, the day WCCO Radio came to the airwaves of Minnesota. Roosevelt believed he needed to keep close contact with the American people given the severe hardships many were suffering through the Great Depression and ensuring as much support as possible for his New Deal programs. Arch Oboler produced "Lights Out" on NBC, and "Air Raid" by Archibald MacLeish and "War of the Worlds" by writer and performer Orson Welles, which depicted the growing fear of war. Later in the 1930s as Spain descended into civil war, radio became pivotal in rallying the forces opposing the military government. Music was performed live during the early days of radio, so studios were built large enough to accommodate full orchestras. Coughlin was highly popular in the early 1930s with his radio program attracting an estimated 30 to 45 million listeners each week. Warren, Donald. The term "DJ" emerged in the 1950s with the popularity of rock and roll. Now the mass produced goods could be promoted through the mass media for mass consumption. The husband and wife comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen became representatives of the desired everyday world in American culture. Radio Stars of the 40's and 50's - Pinterest Music full, then down and out). OPERATOR: (Distant at first, as if coming though receiver on floor) When you hear the signal the time will be eleven fifty-nine and one quarter. In the November 1936 election President Roosevelt used the radio much more effectively than opponent Alf Landon, which partially contributed to Roosevelt's victory. If I'd been milin' dat cow, son, I wouldn't of wasted a drop o' milk. Writer-producer-director Norman Corwin, one of radios brightest talents, ruefully made the point that radios most creative era was the shortest golden age in history. During its brief heyday, however, dramatic radio thrived and was a vital part of American culture. Comedian Bob Hope was an exceptional radio performer who went on to an extraordinary career in television and film. At the beginning of the explosion of radio in the 1930s, radio advertising increased while newspaper advertising decreased, though newspapers eventually bounced back. Radio was an inexpensive way to keep up with news events of the Great Depression and farming news, and provided a ready means for escape from the economic hard times through sports broadcasts and entertainment programs. By the time the infant son of national hero Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and murdered, the role of communication in radio had become so important that the 1935 verdict in the Lindbergh kidnapping trial was broadcast over radio. 25 memorable DJs and radio personalities from Philadelphia's past A fundamental shift in American broadcasting came with the realization by the late 1920s that individual stations could easily share the cost of providing programs as a part of a broader network service with national appeal. In this way radio was an excellent form of escapism during the particularly tough period when the public was greatly affected by the Great Depression. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age. Four yeas ago action did not come until the eleventh hour. In 1940 President Roosevelt's radio skill helped him defeat Wendell Willkie and win an unprecedented third term as President. Theater emerged as a popular genre on radio. Individual or local or state effort alone cannot protect us in 1937 any better than ten years ago. Many Philadelphia DJs became celebrities, actively engaged and influential in . New York: Crown Publishing Croup, 2000. This act provided basic assumptions that have continued to underpin broadcasting policy in the United States to this day. Not only news shows, but also entertainment shows, frequently provided perspective and gentle criticism, helping to break down barriers between communities. Born Nathan Birnbaum, comedian George Burns and his wife and comedic partner Gracie Allen, starred in the Burns and Allen Show on radio beginning in 1933. The U.S. Congress became concerned that one company would control too much of the media in any one town. Please be aware, presenters aren't ranked in order. In addition the rise of communism and fascism (dictatorships) in Europe was increasingly causing alarm in the United States. The 1920s saw a steady growth in radio ownership and programming, and radios were becoming increasingly popular. Haile Selassie (1892 - 1975) Emperor of Ethiopia 1930 - 1974. Early efforts to regulate the radio industry were not very effective. 35. Artists interviewed include Little Esther Phillips, Al Frazier, Mary Wells, Zola Taylor, the Coasters, Horace Silver . New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Eventually, the Radio Guild protested the actors appearing on "Hollywood Hotel" without pay and in 1938 the show was cancelled. Similarly Father Coughlin promoted anti-Semitic and pro-Hitler positions on the radio. Radio was how America got its news and how it was entertained. During the '50s the program was retooled into the Lux Video Theater for TV. Her first work on radio was with WOR in New York City where she hosted a show from 1934 to 1940. A license would be issued only if the public interest, convenience or necessity was served. *loved them when they would guest star on the Jack Benny show!*. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. June 25, 2020. It was on the roof of the original Riechman-Crosby Building at Beale and Front Street. Encyclopedia.com. "Too Many Problems," an episode of the situation comedy series Father Knows Best, starring Robert Young; airdate November 2, 1950. is an American radio personality, author, and actress, best known for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Other once-influential radio personalities, such as Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976), are not as well known today. The world was suddenly smaller and as a result, more frightening for many Americans. This reflected the migration of black Americans from Southern rural areas to Northern industrial centers. National Radio Day: Black Stations, DJs, Pioneers Who Shaped - NewsOne The A&P Gypsies, an orchestra conducted by Harry Horlick, was sponsored by A&P grocery stores. Indeed, many objected to the commercialization of radio, among them Herbert Hoover, who said in 1924, I believe the quickest way to kill broadcasting would be to use it for direct advertising. Strong arguments were made opposing the invasion of peoples homes with commerce (although newspapers and magazines had done so for more than a century) on the grounds that it would lead to entertainment programs pitched to the mass audience, thereby limiting radios potential educational and social benefits. The radio industry wrestled with the government over issues of diversifying ownership and over licensing of AM and FM frequencies. For example, during Bing Crosbys tenure as host of The Kraft Music Hall, the talent and staff were hired by the Kraft food companys advertising firm, the J. Walter Thompson agency. Thank Goodness for Cleveland Radio! - moderncleveland.com Rush Limbaugh. Prime-Time: The Life of Edward R. Murrow. London and Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. He was known for his rhyming wordplay . Radio news had reached its maturity. Sale of advertising time was not widely practiced at early radio stations in the United States. HYLAND: My God, we've got it! Sometimes the days' news events were dramatized over the radio, with actors playing the roles of major participants. RM2HJCMA2 - Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) sketching Clifton Fadiman (1904-1999) as the Cat in the Hat. The FCC was created to regulate communication services and rates and license radio stations. In the 1930s, Father Coughlin was one of the most influential public figures in the United States. Czechoslovakia didn't seem so far away, and the invasion of Poland didn't seem so insignificant to the United States. The growing war in Europe produced some of the most creative and thoughtful programming on radio. Here are 100 popular actresses who were very famous at some point during the golden era of Hollywood, the 1930's through the 1940's. They are not listed in any particular order. Paul Harvey: The End of the Story - TIME 1. Radio, with its thrillers and mysteries, classical theater and musical performances, and slapstick and silliness, provided a means of escaping the dreariness of life. The "public interest" will determine whether the FCC should provide a license to broadcast. In response the Communications Act of 1934, one of the regulatory foundations of Roosevelt's New Deal, which was a group of policies focused on relief and reform, provided for the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Dissolve next speech from filter to clear) When you hear the signal the time will be eleven fifty-nine and one half. I know whut I'se doin'. Decoder rings enabled listeners to decipher messages given in code language during episodes of the program. Andy: Come on over yere wid me. Date of birth: 8 August 1952. During American radios Golden Age, much of the programming heard by listeners was controlled by advertising agencies, which conceived the shows, hired the talent and staff (sometimes drawing performers directly from the old vaudeville theatre circuit), and leased airtime and studio facilities from the radio networks.