Top 10 1940s Radio Programs 1940-41: The Jell-O Program. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. We Interrupt This Broadcast. He was the radio quiz show host of 'Information Please!', chief editor at Simon & Schuster, and literary editor of The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s and 1940s, among other employments. Composer Irving Berlin complained that Americans were becoming listeners rather than singers. Beginning in the 1930s and continuing for more than two decades, a majority of prime-time network programs were actually created by advertising agencies employed by sponsors. The failure of the government to suppress the rebel broadcasts appeared to signal the collapse of the military government. The chats were highly popular and pioneered a means for future presidents to communicate directly with the public outside the normal news channels. Matt "Money" Smith: Initially the "sports guy" on KROQ, he rose to his own sports-talk show and . Radio writers often wrote their sound requirements into the script, as did Irving Reis in his radio play "Meridian 7-1212." Actors would appear on the show to plug their movies, and sometimes would appear in brief versions of their movies on "Hollywood Hotel." In 1949, he wins the National Leagues Most Valuable Player Award. Tonight, sitting at my desk in the White House, I make my first radio report to the people in my second term of office. For artists radio opened up a whole new medium to pursue their craft. One bright spot was the exciting explosion of radio programming. Andy: Come on over yere wid me. "Too Many Problems," an episode of the situation comedy series Father Knows Best, starring Robert Young; airdate November 2, 1950. There is also a DMOZ directory. Andy: Yere's de well right yere. Many advertisers made themselves known by eventually adopting the practice of combining their name with the name of the star or the title of the program, as with Camel Caravan, sponsored by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, or A&P Gypsies, sponsored by the largest American grocery-store chain at the time. Writer-producer-director Norman Corwin, one of radio's brightest talents, ruefully made the point that radio's most creative era was "the shortest golden age in history." During its brief heyday, however, dramatic radio thrived and was a vital part of . As at the start of the twenty-first century advertising paid for most radio programming. Eventually, as social workers reported, families would rather part with their icebox or other necessary appliances than with their radio. In September of 1895, Guglielmo Marconi, a young Italian inventor, pioneered wireless telegraphy when he transmitted a message to his brother, who wa, Grote Reber A radio personality is a person who hosts a radio talk show and interacts with the audience via telephone or email. Use of the radio for political purposes by presidents continued into the twenty-first century as President George W. Bush conducted weekly Saturday radio addresses, both in English and Spanish. Nothing seemed too far away, and other cultures that once seemed exotic and strange were more familiar. New York: Richard R. Smith, Inc., 1931). The amazing growth of radio programming during the Depression established all of the major genres in television: dramas, comedies, variety shows, soap operas, talk shows, news commentary, and more. By the start of the 1940s, most of the best-known radio shows came from Hollywood. Comic strips had long provided a shared form of entertainment in America. View More. Smaller regionally based networks also existed during the 1930s and 40s, such as the Boston-based Yankee Network, which ultimately became a pioneer in FM, or frequency-modulation, broadcasting. In radios earliest days, Hollywood did not provide network programming, with rare exceptions. The conventional, amplitude modulation (AM) form of radio signal proved limiting in broadcasting, producing much static at times. "Amos 'n' Andy" creators Freeman Gosden and Charles Corell developed a complex world for their characterstwo black, Southern men newly transplanted to a Northern city. . Douglas, Susan Jeanne. Shirer reported on the dramatic surrender of France to Germany at Compaigne. It wasn't until 1920 that radio stations were regularly making commercial broadcasts, beginning with KDKA of Pittsburgh and WWJ of Detroit. The Shadow, a crime drama, also had a loyal following. At the beginning of the explosion of radio in the 1930s, radio advertising increased while newspaper advertising decreased, though newspapers eventually bounced back. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Others, however, disappeared from the airwaves. These famous radio personalities were the stars of their time, and their shows were appointment listening for millions of Americans. and by a large number of people in other areas of the Western world. In 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first black to play Major League Baseball. Bolino, August C. From Depression to War: American Society in Transition1939. So you would never be famous. . During the '50s the program was retooled into the Lux Video Theater for TV. 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. Jack Benny (18941974). Murrow set the standard for American journalism providing descriptive reports of many of the 1930s and 1940s important events. At the time it was said that so many households listened to Jack Benny that you could walk the streets of small towns and not miss a word, as the sound of the program drifted through the open windows of each house. The public found these programs a welcomed escape from worries of the Depression and the demand grew for more. But acceptance of radio advertising was slow, as broadcasters did not want to offend listeners. In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. In February of 1936 the Popular Front, a left wing group, opposed by the military, had been elected. The world seemed to be a smaller place. As the reporter broke into the performance several times over the next few minutes, he described strange flying vehicles landing in various parts of the United States and strange creatures emerging from them. Other once-influential radio personalities, such as Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976), are not as well known today. Americans expected to learn about events quickly, and as television gained momentum later in the century, this expectation was carried into television broadcasting: viewers expected to see events virtually as they happened. 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. Theater emerged as a popular genre on radio. Coughlin was highly popular in the early 1930s with his radio program attracting an estimated 30 to 45 million listeners each week. As the country came increasingly close to war, his diocese, in Detroit, chose to review his statements prior to broadcast. As early as 1916, Sarnoff envisioned a radio that would be as standard in homes as a piano or a phonograph. In 1933 you and I knew that we must never let our economic system get completely out of joint againthat we could not afford to take the risk of another great depression. 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. Listeners couldn't get enough of it, and innovation flourished. BILLCOY BILLCODY BILL CODY. 2. An episode of The Bob Hope Show, starring Bob Hope and featuring Les Brown and His Band of Renown; recorded at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, January 9, 1951. 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.". As radio blossomed during the 1930s, network censorship did too. About $75 could buy a Marconi console, a common reference to a popular type of radio in a wooden cabinet and named after the inventor of radio, Guglielmo Marconi of Italy, who remained active until his death in 1937. Sometimes the days' news events were dramatized over the radio, with actors playing the roles of major participants. Charles Coughlin was a Canadian-American Catholic priest and populist leader who promoted antisemitic and pro-fascist views. ." ), OPERATOR: (On filter) When you hear the signal the time will be eleven fifty-nine. Vaudeville performers had a challenge in translating their talent to radio. Hilmes, Michele. Some of the more creative radio talents functioned as their own producers, receiving a budget from the agency out of which they paid the supporting actors and crew. Jackie Robinson. It was created by Fibber McGee & Molly co-creator/writer Don Quinn before being adapted into a CBS television comedy (1954-55) produced by ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America. Many of Hollywood's most glamorous stars appeared on radio. There were also concerns during the 1930s, and later, that radioand indeed all mass mediawould be misused. Father Charles Edward Coughlin (18911979). In 1937, she joined the CBS radio network and continued until 1941. Boston: Little, Brown, 1969. 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. In 1936, however, radio transmitters reached most of the population of Spain. Radio programs capitalized on these emotions that were heightened by the Depression. Corrections? 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. . The studio, however, was three hundred miles from the actual game. Later when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the tragedy of the attack and the President's response to it was quickly broadcast to Americans around the country. Isolationism seemed less tenable. American women considered how their favorite characters dealt with the challenges of life. They reflected national and local musical trends, exposed audiences to new music, and in some cases produced records and managed artists. Adolf Hitler in Germany used radio to further his goals. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. WCCO Radio began broadcasting in Minneapolis in 1922 a from a hotel near Loring Park. One master of the use of radio was Father Charles Edward Coughlin. Such fads were a good buy for entertainment during the Depression when budgets were tight. Age: 70. The specialists had to be very creative to discover ways to communicate and support the actionthe sound of walking, breaking glass, a door closing, a train whistling. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Andy: Dat's whut you git fur not tendin' to yore bizness. Age: 70 . Very quickly programs became fairly sophisticated in these techniques. Attendance at the movie theaters remained strong through the first few years of the Depression, but that also would eventually decline substantially. Originally employed as a print journalist, McBride hosted an extremely popular daily radio program during the late 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s. Age: 58. Millions of Americans listened to his weekly radio broadcast. We were then in the midst of the great banking crisis. 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. She was an ink artist and wife to Walt Disney. The power of radio was being exploited in the international arena, also. That is some serious growth! Coughlin was extraordinarily popular, with millions of listeners each Sunday. Choosing just the top 10 radio presenters of all time was hard enough, so take the following with a pinch of salt. 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. So when Gladys Hill, who was the first "Dizzy Lizzy," left Houston, I took her place as the second "Dizzy . The U.S. Congress became concerned that one company would control too much of the media in any one town. Our story begins in the 1920s, when networks began to sponsor a few hours of weekly programming for Black audiences, including live musical and theatrical performances. The screenwriter, performer and composer was . Radio-info.com has a chat board for aircheck collectors. Listening in: Radio and the American Imagination: From Amos 'n' Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. The formation of NBC was followed by the formation of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). The stock market crash and following Great Depression brought economic hard times to many Americans. The character he created was complex and his characterization was well known and funny. Songwriters were under incredible pressure to produce new material, and many collapsed as a result. Tens of millions of people listened to his weekly radio broadcasts. By 1944 it had been renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Regional differences further melted as national programs brought the same information and advice to everyone with a radio. Discuss how radio changed America's response to the war in Europethe war that would eventually become World War II. The networks merely provided the airtime and studio facilities. The Golden Age of Radio created a new media environment. The less expensive radio model made radios a household item. Richar Diamond starring Dick Powell.First came Rogue's Gallery *where I know him from originally*in 1945-46. The growth in radio provided a large audience for various voices in cultural and political criticism. The 50 Most Influential and Most Listened-To Streaming Talk Show Hosts. A Tower of Babel: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume I, to 1933. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. JEFFHOAG JEFF HOAG. RM2HJCMA2 - Dr. Seuss (1904-1991) sketching Clifton Fadiman (1904-1999) as the Cat in the Hat. Rather than performing on stage in vaudeville or nightclubs requiring steady travel, they could reach the entire nation from a small studio, week after week. He built the first radio te, Ryle, Martin Father Coughlin exerted enormous influence on America during the Great Depression. Kaltenborn also covered the Munich appeasement The Nickel and Dime Decade: American Popular Culture During the 1930s. In the late 1940s, . In 1930 the Association of National Advertisers, along with the Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting, devised a ratings system called the Crossley Report, for which several thousand people were polled by telephone and asked to recall the programs to which they had been listening. Block programming defined much of radio before TV challenged radio to become the top form of media in the 1950s. Some of the key provisions established by the Communications Act of 1934 are still familiar at the first of the twenty-first century. These American-born fascists included . He began as a supporter of President Roosevelt and the New Deal social and economic programs, but he eventually changed into a harsh critic. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Group photograph of Eddie Anderson, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mary Livingstone, Jack Benny, Don Wilson, and Mel Blanc. 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. "Apache Peak," an episode of the western series Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrea; airdate July 22, 1950. The Saint .The longest-running radio incarnation was with Vincent Price, who played the character in a series between 1947 and 1951 on three networks: CBS, Mutual and NBC. the insurgency was under control, but was soon countered by broadcasts calling for a general strike. Radio played an important role in politics during the Depression. then cuts suddenly into a body fall. NEIL: We'll have to move fast. Two types of music were banned when Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933: swing and jazz. Early Years, 1920s-1940s. Radios were in almost every house and some Americans even had radios in their cars. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Radio and film star George Burns claimed that radio was an easier medium than others since the performers could read their lines rather than having to memorize them. CBS sent Murrow to London in the 1930s and it was from there that he began a series of memorable broadcasts. Women and Radio: Airing Differences, edited by Caroline Mitchell. 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. Many Philadelphia DJs became celebrities, actively engaged and influential in . Even during the Depression, major radio stations turned a profit. Her first work on radio was with WOR in New York City where she hosted a show from 1934 to 1940. 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. Many of the major newscasters of the century got their start in radio during the Depressionincluding H.V. ERICMARCUM ERIC MARCUM. New York: Great American Audio Corporation, 2000. This is Jocko" was one of Doug "Jocko" Henderson's signature phrases on the radio when he worked for WDAS in Philadelphia back in the 1950s-70s. He hosted a celebrity gossip show during much of the Depression that became both very popular and highly criticized. After the initial expense of purchasing a radio, it was rather cheap to enjoy the programs. 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 am reminded of that evening in March, four years ago, when I made my first radio report to you. Winchell had many critics of his approach of publicizing activities that many considered inappropriate for public comment. Certainly one factor was the loss of jobs and search for new employment opportunities that led to a great deal of population shifts and movement. Dat's goin' make Mister Hopkins mad if he ever find dat out. 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. Sean Hannity. Following the stock market crash in 1929 life in America changed dramatically. Millions of radio listeners believed the report of the invasion, which was actually an adaptation of H.G. 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. We ought to tell him. Selected discography The open discussions with the public had a major impact on Roosevelt's presidency, building a high level of trust. Please be aware, presenters aren't ranked in order. People in the cities, farms, and suburbs listened to the same programs at the same time. Frequency modulation (FM) was introduced in which static interference was much less. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Politicians and critics used the media to comment as well as to convince. As CBS News Vice President and Director of Public Affairs, Murrow remained uncomfortable as an executive and returned to reporting in 1951. As radio developed, daytime shows such as soap operas and childrens programs generally ran 15 minutes. (Tone) (Her voice starts to break) When you hear the tone the time will be eleven fifty-nine and three-quarters. The 1940s were a decade of tension and transition. CBS would soon become a major force in radio, although it would take years before it would challenge NBCs supremacy. There were moves towards self-regulation in the 1930s also. Sports commentary was popular on radio and play-by-play commentary on baseball and other games was popular, though not always what it seemed. Writer Archibald MacLeish produced "The Fall of the City," which symbolically represented the growing threat of war in 1937. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Golden-Age-of-American-radio, Long Wharf Theatre - The Golden Age of Radio, Public Broadcasting Service - Radio In The 1930s, Digital Public Library of America - Golden Age of Radio in the US, Audio Engineering Society - Golden Age of Radio. A few cities or states operated stations as government services. Douglas, Susan J. In . Richard Rogue was a working stiff kind of a private eye, and had a quick tongue. Radio producers experimented with different ways to deliver the news. As the Great Depression deepened in the United States and around the world in the early 1930s, reliance on radio increased. Daily soap operas, mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy programs were performed alongside radio productions of classic plays and live musical performances. form 1. denoting radio waves or broadcasting: radio-controlled radiogram. Children and adults followed the adventures of their favorite characters and waited for the next installment. Nachmann, Gerald. . In Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television. LEXICARTER LEXI CARTER. 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. Nevertheless, the end of World War II in 1945 roughly coincided with the arrival of commercial television, and this new mediumwhich added the visual element to radios tried-and-true formula of sound and immediacysoon drew creative talent, listener loyalty, and advertising revenue away from radio. On paper tape, a stylus would scratch a signal showing which station a radio was tuned to during every moment that it was in use. The National Association of Broadcasters created standards of performance and objectivity that spawned discussion and that evolved throughout the rest of the twentieth century. Through four decades,, Radio Address Roosevelt's Defense of the New Deal, Radio Broadcasting, Station Programming and, http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs/390921.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/radio-1929-1941, Compare the growth in and uses of radio during the 1930s with the growth and use of. His Fireside Chats have been considered some of the first forms of managed news. Soon the reports made clear that the entire world had been invaded by Martians who planned on taking over the planet. The condemned man's sister is a telephone operator (from Leonard Maltin. 5) Petey Greene. 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. Radio companies fought with ASCAP over blanket recording agreementsbasically they wanted to be able to play a recording whenever they wanted for a set price. We'll fill dat up wid water. 22 Feb. 2023
. 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. The New Deal's Communications Act of 1934 survives largely intact. Almost one-fourth of the nation normally listened to his fireside chats. In 1933 alone 3.6 million radio sets were sold.
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