ERICMARCUM ERIC MARCUM. The U.S. Congress became concerned that one company would control too much of the media in any one town. The program lamented the German military planes flying at will over his native country and wreaking havoc with their bombs. Allin Slate: An early leader in Los Angeles sports radio from the 1940s through the 1960s. Davies, Alan. This was Radio. Many had more leisure time on their hands, but less money to spend. By the start of the 1940s, most of the best-known radio shows came from Hollywood. Famous People. These attacks that were so strong that he was sometimes called the father of hate speech. Eventually, as social workers reported, families would rather part with their icebox or other necessary appliances than with their radio. #4 of 38 on. Born Benjamin Kubelsky, comedian and musician Jack Benny became an American phenomenon. typical "household hints" programming that was de rigueur at the time for female radio personalities . Political parties made great use of radio during the 1930s, much as they did television later in the century. In reaction some countries occupied by German forces in the late 1930s surreptitiously broadcast opposing viewpoints. 122123). As would become true with television in later decades, frequently used expressions from popular programs became part of the vernacular, and people arranged their personal schedules, as they later did with television, around their favourite programs. Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball, and Bette Davis were just some of the stars that appeared on radio during the Depression. AM radio arrived in Milwaukee in the early 1920s, followed by FM radio in the early 1940s, and then HD radio and streaming audio in the early twenty-first century. Music led the way onto radio, with the broadcasting of swing and big band music in the 1920s. Lackmann, Ronald. Radio became the central communication vehicle of the Depression especially including Roosevelt's Fireside Chats. She was born in Spalding, Idaho on February 15, 1899. talks in 1938, reportingcorrectlythat Munich was a "complete victory for Hitler." At a time when many could feel isolated in their struggle against the effects of the Depression, radio provided a community of experience. The Golden Age of American radio as a creative medium lasted, at best, from 1930 to 1955, with the true peak period being the 1940s. *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. Between 1936 and 1941 Orson Welles participated in over one hundred radio drama productions as writer, actor, and director. Michael Savage. 4. The Golden Age of Radio created a new media environment. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 1998. One master of the use of radio was Father Charles Edward Coughlin. Programming turned political when Pres. (Picks up phone. This reflected the migration of black Americans from Southern rural areas to Northern industrial centers. Amos: Yeahif I hadn't been thinkin' 'bout goin' to Chicago den, I'd of got de mil in de buck a' right. His career started in vaudeville, and he debuted in 1931 on radio on the Ed Sullivan show, getting his own radio show in 1932. The studio, however, was three hundred miles from the actual game. Boston: Little, Brown, 1969. Sablan is a radio personality and the first radio producer inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. We Interrupt This Broadcast. An early investor in the network was the Columbia Phonograph Company, which insisted that the chain be called the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System. Radio Reader: Essays in the Cultural History of Radio. Other forms of paid entertainment had become prohibitively expensive in the lean times, and so Americans turned to radio. A Tower of Babel: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume I, to 1933. Despite an initial decline in radio ownership in the early part of the Depression, children and others started becoming avid radio listeners. Composer Irving Berlin complained that Americans were becoming listeners rather than singers. Many of the production companies employed correspondents who wrote back with suggestions. A refinement of this was created by another company, C.E. While classical music was important to the success of early radio, not everyone liked the side effects. Millions of American soldiers left for World War II, and with them went men and women journalists - most notably the "Murrow boys." Edward R. Murrow, made famous by World War II, began a transition from radio to television. Radio stations in nearby Morocco and the Canary Islands broadcasted in support of the rebels, and rebel resistance grew. So when Gladys Hill, who was the first "Dizzy Lizzy," left Houston, I took her place as the second "Dizzy . Already famous for his radio career in the 1940s, Murrow led news into television as well. Radio programming shifted away from drama, comedy, and variety shows to other formats including music, talk shows, and news. A band remote broadcast of Artie Shaw and his orchestra, with vocalists Helen Forrest and Tony Pastor, from the Blue Room of the Hotel Lincoln, New York City; airdate December 6, 1938. Networks competed to hire famous conductors, orchestras, and soloists. A host of stars turned out for the funeral of one of King Charles's favourite entertainers, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, who died 'unexpectedly' last month.. The Beulah Show is an American situation-comedy series that ran on CBS radio from 1945 to 1954, and on ABC television from 1950 to 1952. (February 22, 2023). 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. 1. Andy: Instead o' payin' 'tention to whut you was doin', you was sittin' here dreamin'. Father Coughlin exerted enormous influence on America during the Great Depression. Ely, Melvin Patrick. . The stock market crash and following Great Depression brought economic hard times to many Americans. Early ads promoted an institutional image in a style later common to public radios underwriting announcements. The chain was purchased by Edward J. Noble, president of the Life Savers candy company. Here They AreAmos 'n' Andy. Amos: I don' wants to git mixed up in dis. The name would be famous, but you would never be. (1942), co-starring Ray Milland and Betty Field.My Favorite Husband began on CB, Marie Wilson best known *by me* as playing Irma in My Friend Irma, created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard, was a top-rated, long-run radio situation comedy, so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated to films, television, a comic strip and a comic book, while Howard scored with another radio comedy hit, Life with Luigi. Key Facts. Decoder rings enabled listeners to decipher messages given in code language during episodes of the program. Walter Winchell (18971972). Hysterical people hid in basements, and listeners called the police to volunteer in the fight against evil invaders. In March 2012 the faculty at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, together with an Honorary Committee of alumni, selected "the 100 Outstanding Journalists in the United States in the Last 100 Years.". These well-funded productions were high quality with a great deal of planning, classic scripts, and major stars and they attracted large audiences. ." Radio, however, had a rocky start in America. London and Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1999. Biggest stars of the 1940's. Menu. Music was performed live during the early days of radio, so studios were built large enough to accommodate full orchestras. Omissions? In the November 1936 election President Roosevelt used the radio much more effectively than opponent Alf Landon, which partially contributed to Roosevelt's victory. ." In 1939 he wrote "They Fly through the Air with the Greatest of Ease" for his "Words Without Music" radio series. As his comments became increasingly political, his anti-Semitic (Jewish), pro-Hitler views became clear, and CBS dropped his program when his comments became too inflammatory. Bruccoli, Mathrew J. and Richard Layman. The formation of NBC was followed by the formation of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Golden Age of American radio, period lasting roughly from 1930 through the 1940s, when the medium of commercial broadcast radio grew into the fabric of daily life in the United States, providing news and entertainment to a country struggling with economic depression and war. Radio became so popular during the Depression that some psychologists grew concerned over the increasing amount of time and attention spent listening to radio. Ronald Reagan (served 19811989) became another president skilled at using mass media to charm the public and press while seeking to gain support for his programs. Richard Diamond began in 1949, and took off as one of the most popular private eye shows on network radio, right up there with Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Phillip Marlowe, Private Eye. 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. Like The Whistler, the program had an opening whistle theme with footsteps. Given the impacts of the Great Depression on the average citizen's entertainment budget, it seemed that everyone in America turned to radio for entertainment in the 1930s. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Winchell had been a supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anticommunism efforts, and his popularity suffered when the nation turned its back on the senator. The witness has just confessed, clearing the condemned man. Adam Carolla. Some radio performers had teams of writers preparing jokes for them. November 28, 1925, WSM-AM, Nashville. As early as 1916, Sarnoff envisioned a radio that would be as standard in homes as a piano or a phonograph. The sound of the rocket ship in "Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century" was created by placing paper over the air-conditioning vents and placing a microphone in a small spot in the middle. Goebbels and other German leaders knew it was the most effective way available to reach the greatest number of people with propaganda and other information. 3334). "Lost Horizon," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Ronald Colman; airdate November 27, 1946. Orson Welles (19151985). Regional differences further melted as national programs brought the same information and advice to everyone with a radio. She was an ink artist and wife to Walt Disney. Age: 58. Nearly 60 years ago, WJSV, a radio station located in Washington, DC, recorded their entire broadcast day. Updates? Sound effects are an important part of communicating drama and comedy over the radio. More people owned radios, were listening to radio in increasing numbers, and were listening to radios for an increasing amount of time each day. In fact lower income families were most likely to listen to it on a daily basis. The decade started off in 1921 with just 5 radio stations in the country but ended with 606 stations. I am reminded of that evening in March, four years ago, when I made my first radio report to you. American Decades: 19301939. The immediacy of information had the added impact of making the entire world feel like one's neighborhood. Marjorie Finlay was an American television personality and opera singer. The program began as Sam n Henry on Chicagos WGN station in 1926 and quickly became a national phenomenon when it made its network debut under its new name in 1929. The series was based on the novel Mr. and Mrs. Cugat (1940), written by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the Paramount Pictures feature film Are Husbands Necessary? Nevertheless, by the end of the 1920s, radio was firmly established as an advertising medium, which in turn led to air times being sold in set blocks, determined by the length of the program. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. "Stage Holdup," an episode of the western series Gunsmoke, starring William Conrad; airdate January 2, 1954. The Spanish Civil War (19361939) is considered the first radio war. Hilmes, Michele and Jason Loviglio. Music programming was the most prevalent throughout the decade, and despite the growth in news, dramas, and comedies, by 1940 music still provided 50 percent of radio programming. He bought CBS in 1929, building it from a failing network of 22 radio stations into a broadcast empire. Others, however, disappeared from the airwaves. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. The shift to television in the 1950s, however, had a major impact on radio. He hosted a celebrity gossip show during much of the Depression that became both very popular and highly criticized. The fabric of American life would be changed forever. Eighty-five percent of network daytime programming was soap operasserial dramas portraying the lives of a varied cast of characters. In 1940 President Roosevelt's radio skill helped him defeat Wendell Willkie and win an unprecedented third term as President. Radio had given a voice to Americans' fears about the coming world war. President Roosevelt in early 1934 Radio played an important role in politics during the Depression. In . New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. Age: 70. In 1937 a reporter captured his reaction to the crash of the Hindenburg. "Radio 1929-1941 With the growth of broadcast news organizations at this time, the public could be informed as never before. Top 10 1940s Radio Programs 1940-41: The Jell-O Program. Gosden and Correllboth white menappeared in black face and portrayed two Southern men forced to move to a Northern city. The husband and wife comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen became representatives of the desired everyday world in American culture. "Sam Bass," an episode of the western series Death Valley Days; airdate August 27, 1936. (Tone) (A high-pitched oscillator whine starts low behind the last call, then is brought up as the full resonance of the Hammond organ and low-frequency oscillator are added. In 1949, he wins the National Leagues Most Valuable Player Award. At the beginning of the explosion of radio in the 1930s, radio advertising increased while newspaper advertising decreased, though newspapers eventually bounced back. Programs became fixed in quarter-hour and half-hour blocks and featured a wide variety of formats. Originally employed as a print journalist, McBride hosted an extremely popular daily radio program during the late 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s. Jack Benny (18941974). A coloratura soprano, she performed opera, concert, and supper club singing. You is de one dat's got take de milk in to him. The Best Talk Show Hosts Of Daytime, Late Night, and All Time. The "Adventures of Superman" went on to both television and film success. 1940. Her first work on radio was with WOR in New York City where she hosted a show from 1934 to 1940. Another example of the growth of radio news was the presence of tabloid reporting, which emphasized sensationalized topics. June 25, 2020. The genres and stars of the 1930s became the genres and stars of television in the 1950s. Radio programs capitalized on these emotions that were heightened by the Depression. "Pride of the Marines," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring John Garfield; airdate June 15, 1946. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. The chat demonstrates Roosevelt's friendly style that many found comforting. He was introduced (with actress Verna Felton playing his mother) as a young (nineteen year old), naive boy singer a character he kept through his whole career. Many peopleespecially womenlooked to soap operas for advice on how to deal with the situations life presented to them. Warren, Donald. Early Work Actors would appear on the show to plug their movies, and sometimes would appear in brief versions of their movies on "Hollywood Hotel." Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. It's since gone on to experiment with other formats, added sports in the 1940s and adopted a personality driven, live-host music format in the '60s and '70s. The New Deal's Communications Act of 1934 survives largely intact. Men were often out of work, stressed by their situation, and maybe even on the road for long periods looking for job opportunities. In 1933 alone 3.6 million radio sets were sold. The FCC consisted of seven members appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. So you would never be famous. As radio became more sophisticated, new areas of skill and talent emerged, such as sound effects. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Most Cleveland stations began making applications over the decade. One study showed that more than 15 million Americans listened to Coughlin each month, and more than half of them approved of what he said. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 19221952. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1998. In the 1930s advertising agencies shifted their advertising dollars from newspapers to radio as public trust and interest in radio increased. 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. On November 15, 1926, NBC made its debut over 19 stations extending from the East Coast to Kansas City, Missouri. The Golden Age of American radio as a creative medium lasted, at best, from 1930 to 1955, with the true peak period being the 1940s. Brown, Robert J. Manipulating the Ether: The Power of Broadcast Radio in Thirties America. Amos: He tol' you to milk de cowhe didn't tell me to do it. Adolf Hitler in Germany used radio to further his goals. News reporters such as Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) and William Shirer (1904 . on E. 105th between Cedar and Carnegie avenues in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before landing . 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. I want to talk with you very simply about the need for present action in this crisisthe need to meet the unanswered challenge of one-third of a Nation ill-nourished, ill clad, ill-housed. His plan was to make radios affordable and to bring music into the home by way of wireless technology. The Most Famous Radio Personality; Name Birthday Nationality Bio; Art Bell: June 17, 1945: American: . Skillful sports commentators were able to imagine the details of a game and pass them along to listeners using play-by-play provided in type across the wires. Richard Rogue was a working stiff kind of a private eye, and had a quick tongue. Add languages. Former wireless operator Sarnoff rose to president of the Radio Corporation of America. By the mid-1930s two-thirds of American homes had radio sets, and by 1939 about 80 percent of Americansabout 25 million peopleowned radios. The FCC was created to regulate communication services and rates and license radio stations. "The Chevrolet Chronicles" were one of many "transcription shows"shows produced for the distribution simply of scripts to stations around the country to be performed locallyand an example of how radio programming was inseparable from its advertisers. After tackling various pursuits in his young life, including time as a vaudevillian dancer, Winchell became a famous news commentator and gossipmonger, drawing millions of listeners during the Great Depression. The Broadcast Century and Beyond: A Biography of American Broadcasting. If I'd been milin' dat cow, son, I wouldn't of wasted a drop o' milk. The condemned man's sister is a telephone operator (from Leonard Maltin. Frequency modulation (FM) was introduced in which static interference was much less. A license would be issued only if the public interest, convenience or necessity was served. Winchell had many critics of his approach of publicizing activities that many considered inappropriate for public comment. The military tried to convince the people of Spain that Robin Ophelia Quivers (born August 8, 1952) 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. 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 disc jockey became important in Chicago radio during the 1930s, well before the term "disc jockey" was coined in the 1940s. In the late 1940s, . When his career began in the 1970's he was fired from multiple radio stations because as a news commentator he was seen as too controversial. Famous Radio Personalities. Disc jockey In addition the rise of communism and fascism (dictatorships) in Europe was increasingly causing alarm in the United States. Given the hard times of the Depression they had an eager listening public. The change of one vote would have thrown all the affairs of this great Nation back into hopeless chaos. "The Maxwell House Show Boat" was a variety show that evoked nostalgia for the old-time South, making listeners forget the griminess of Depression-wracked urban America. The Radio Act of 1927 created a confusing array of federal agencies to oversee the growing industry. Four yeas ago action did not come until the eleventh hour. At Hoovers behest, most frequencies between 550 kHz and 1,350 kHz were turned over for broadcast use in May 1923. As censorship became stricter toward the end of the 1930s, the networks ruled that there could be no more jokes about nudity. Winchell made his radio debut in 1930 over WABC in New York. Even these artists were under strict supervision of the agencies, which usually had representatives present during the rehearsals and broadcast. New York: The Free Press, 1991. Radio, with its thrillers and mysteries, classical theater and musical performances, and slapstick and silliness, provided a means of escaping the dreariness of life. Broadcasting Freedom: Radio, War and the Politics of Race, 19381948. Swing represented decadent America, and jazz was seen as antithetical to the purity of the Aryan race, which was a term for the non-Jewish white population. In 1947 he becomes a player for the Dodgers. Kennedy's good looks and calm demeanor won over many supporters following a live televised debate. Many radio shows were broadcast all over the country, and served to create a community of shared experience for a diverse and widespread world. "Radio 1929-1941 View More. In 1937, she joined the CBS radio network and continued until 1941. Soap operas were another area of significant growth in radio programming during the Depression. Starring Jack Benny as himself, the laugh-out-loud sitcom is widely considered the epitome of 20th century American comedy. Date of birth: 8 August 1952. The dramas were called soap operas because manufacturers of the major brands of soap, including Proctor and Gamble and Lever Brothers, sponsored them. Born before the first commercial radio stations went on the air, Harvey fashioned a personality and career that spanned the medium's Golden Age, its postwar retreat into a pop jukebox and its later resurgence as the place for news and talk exactly what Harvey did for more than 75 years. JEFFHOAG JEFF HOAG. Comedian Bob Hope was an exceptional radio performer who went on to an extraordinary career in television and film. Children and adults followed the adventures of their favorite characters and waited for the next installment. Here is their schedule for September 21, 1939 (from Old-Time Radio. The first, delivered on March 12, 1933, only eight days after Roosevelt took office, attracted more 17 million families. The radio series was broadcast on CBS Radio from A, Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty )appeared for the first time on Jack Benny's radio show on October 8, 1939, taking the place of another famed tenor, Kenny Baker. Available from the World Wide Web at: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs/390921.html). The play takes its name from the phone number that New Yorkers could dial in the 1930s to get the accurate time. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. Some of the key provisions established by the Communications Act of 1934 are still familiar at the first of the twenty-first century. An outstanding comedic duo, the show was a huge success providing many laughs to the American audiences during the Great Depression and later made the transition to television. Physics connected with rays, radiation, or radioactivity:, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR) is a private, nonprofit corporation serving more than 640 member radio stations throughout the United States. Haile Selassie (1892 - 1975) Emperor of Ethiopia 1930 - 1974. For example candidates for public office must be treated equally and sponsors must be identified. His Fireside Chats have been considered some of the first forms of managed news. By the end of the Depression events in Europe as a whole were deteriorating. Tens of millions of people listened to his weekly radio broadcasts. The military government tried to capture the main radio stations with little success. 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. But when, almost two years later, it came before the Supreme Court its constitutionality was upheld only by a five-to-four vote. 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." . *loved them when they would guest star on the Jack Benny show!*. Isolationist beliefs, opposition to the United States entering the war, made even the mention of the possibility of war controversial, but the airing of the program resulted in a thousand favorable letters being sent to CBS. More Robin Quivers. Congress soon passed legislation that required diversity of ownership. The Adventures of Maisie (aka Maisie) was a radio comedy series starring Ann Sothern as underemployed entertainer Maisie Ravier, a spin-off of Sothern's successful 1939-1947 Maisie movie series. Amos: I wuz sittin' yere dreamin' 'bout Chicago an' 'stead o' puttin' de milk in de bucket, I put half of it on de ground. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. 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. RYLE, MARTIN Comedies took on issues of race relations, poverty, and cultural misunderstandings, providing a framework to help people make sense of their rapidly changing country and world. In 1934 four powerful stationsWOR New York, WGN Chicago, WLW Cincinnati, and WXYZ Detroitbanded together to form "The Quality Group," which later became the Mutual Broadcasting System. Fireside Politics: Radio and Political Culture in the United States, 1920-1940, by Douglas B. Craig "Remembering the LadiesA Salute to the Women of Early Radio," by Donna L. Halper, "Popular Communications," January 1999. Paley was responsible for bringing substantial entertainment to the Great Depression audience who could little afford to pursue other forms of entertainment. Jackie died on October 24, 1972 in Stanford . New York: Routledge, 2001. Having delivered such addresses to the citizens of New York as governor, he delivered 28 fireside chats to the nation during his presidency. Former radio personality Doug Allen is a jingle archivist and now maintains Jinglefreaks.com, where his growing collection of radio jingles is available online. Radio personalities are very popular and the success of a radio channel is largely dependent upon the popularity of the radio personality who host its programs. Radio provided a huge and attentive audience, but it also provided unique demands. 3. Known as an American DJ, music historian, radio personality, and actor, he was the host of several music radio countdown programs, notably "American Top 40" from 1970 until his retirement in 2009.