famous radio personalities 1940s

Barnouw, Erik. 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). Even during the Depression, major radio stations turned a profit. Radio in the 1930s established the framework for broadcasting for the rest of the twentieth century. One master of the use of radio was Father Charles Edward Coughlin. In 1932 NBC posted a profit of $1 million and CBS posted a profit of $1.6 million. Amos: I got tell him though 'cause he known I ought to have mo' milk dan dis. "Too Many Problems," an episode of the situation comedy series Father Knows Best, starring Robert Young; airdate November 2, 1950. Murrow's broadcasts during the Battle of Britain were often accompanied by air raid sirens or bomb explosions. The radio also became a forum for discussionand promotionof all aspects of the policy changes. Lillian Disney at Schiphol Airport in 1951 by Carel L. de Vogel from Wikimedia Commons. Jack Benny was one of the foremost radio stars of The Golden Age of Radio. By 1933, 25 percent of the workforce, or over 12 million people, were out of work. 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. While in London Murrow brought together several exceptionally talented newsmen, known as "Murrow's Boys.". By the end of the Depression events in Europe as a whole were deteriorating. In the late 1930s the Federal Communications Commission (created by the Communications Act of 1934) investigated the potential for a monopoly on broadcasting, and in 1941 it recommended that no single company own more than one network. LEXICARTER LEXI CARTER. The development of networks and production centres. As the world moved closer to world war, Kaltenborn reported on the invasion of Austria and Czechoslovakia. Radio was a primary vehicle for the exchange of information and news during the Depression. Radio-info.com has a chat board for aircheck collectors. Although the characters on the show seem insultingly stereotypical by todays standards, the show was hugely popular with both white and black radio audiences of the time, with theatres often having to interrupt movie showings and push a radio on to the stage for the evening broadcast. Critics complained that the use of radio deterred thoughtful analysis of political issues. The failure of the government to suppress the rebel broadcasts appeared to signal the collapse of the military government. As at the start of the twenty-first century advertising paid for most radio programming. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Programming turned political when Pres. The networks merely provided the airtime and studio facilities. Artists interviewed include Little Esther Phillips, Al Frazier, Mary Wells, Zola Taylor, the Coasters, Horace Silver . Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Similarly crime dramas were also popular, with shows like "Sherlock Holmes" and "The Green Hornet.". "Death Crosses the River," an episode of the western series Hopalong Cassidy, starring William Boyd; airdate April 14, 1951. Actors would appear on the show to plug their movies, and sometimes would appear in brief versions of their movies on "Hollywood Hotel." His broadcasts helped lead a shift in public concern away from Great Depression economic problems to foreign policy issues. Bruccoli, Mathrew J. and Richard Layman. In 1937 a reporter captured his reaction to the crash of the Hindenburg. Arthur Bernard Leaner was a professional radio DJ and record label owner that broke significant ground for Black music in Chicago between 1940 . In reaction some countries occupied by German forces in the late 1930s surreptitiously broadcast opposing viewpoints. Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953) Leader of Soviet Union 1924 - 1953. Sponsored by Eversharp, the first series ran on CBS Radio from July 5, 1945 to March 28, 1947. The 1920s saw a steady growth in radio ownership and programming, and radios were becoming increasingly popular. Freeman Fisher Gosden and Charles James Correll created and starred in the popular radio show "Amos 'n' Andy." Radio producers experimented with different ways to deliver the news. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co., 1993. 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? (Tone) (Her voice starts to break) When you hear the tone the time will be eleven fifty-nine and three-quarters. All over the world the potential of radio was quickly realized. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. Butterfly McQueen's first role would become her most identifiable as Prissy, the young maid in Gone with the Wind, uttering the famous words: "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!" William S. Paley became president of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) on September 25, 1928, two days before his 27th birthday, and he would lead the network for more than 60 years. The fireside chats were crucial to unifying the country during a difficult time and set a standard for communications by future presidents. Below, a lawyer has beaten up a witness who lied, thereby convicting a man who is scheduled to die at midnight. 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. Disc jockey President Roosevelt used the radio for regular "fireside chats" with the American people, explaining the major events of the time and his response to them in a calm and reassuring voice. In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. Regional differences further melted as national programs brought the same information and advice to everyone with a radio. These American-born fascists included . I got a idea. Children would mail in a label and a modest amount of money for the ring. The Great Depression had established a fertile bed for radical politics as many were disillusioned with the capitalist economic system of the United States. Most Cleveland stations began making applications over the decade. Haile Selassie (1892 - 1975) Emperor of Ethiopia 1930 - 1974. Watkins, T.H. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) brought advertising to American radio when their New York City radio station, WEAF, began selling time for toll broadcasting. Its first radio commercial, broadcast on August 22, 1922, was a 15-minute real-estate ad offering apartments in Jackson Heights, Queens. His critics charged that he was able to use his unique position and access to mass media to support his views. The formation of NBC was followed by the formation of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). The play takes its name from the phone number that New Yorkers could dial in the 1930s to get the accurate time. Introduction. Since most radio soap operas were only fifteen minutes long, many could run in one day. His successor Harry Truman suffered from his abrupt Midwest behavior before the microphone, which contrasted sharply with Roosevelt's warm wit and charm. The program lasted an hour and starred famous Hollywood personalities who performed an hour-long version of a movie. The U.S. Congress became concerned that one company would control too much of the media in any one town. As for WLS and WCFL and their deejays, Kittleson sums it up simply by saying, "Good stuff. The price was a steep, but often worthwhile, investment for families that were foregoing most other forms of paid entertainment. A Tower of Babel: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume I, to 1933. Advertisers were creative in positioning products. While much of his message regarded a type of economic populism, which emphasized the common person, he regularly attacked prominent Jewish people. In the beginning of the 1930s most Americansincluding President Rooseveltshared the view that the conflict was someone else's. We then began a program of remedying those abuses and inequalitiesto give balance and stability to our economic systemto make it bomb-proof against the causes of 1929. Jackie died on October 24, 1972 in Stanford . 1. Born Benjamin Kubelsky, comedian and musician Jack Benny became an American phenomenon. As the world faced changes and challenges, radio was an integral part not only in reporting and commenting on the changes, but in some cases, in instigating them. Studies showed that Americans were listening to radio for an average of five hours a day. Music was performed live during the early days of radio, so studios were built large enough to accommodate full orchestras. 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. Bolino, August C. From Depression to War: American Society in Transition1939. Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll (18991982). Following the stock market crash in 1929 life in America changed dramatically. Other news events also came into the homes of many Americans. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941, pp. Many Philadelphia DJs became celebrities, actively engaged and influential in . The name would be famous, but you would never be. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. His company, RCAthe Radio Corporation of Americagrew from $11 million in sales the first year to $60 million three years later. Listeners couldn't get enough of it, and innovation flourished. As a result, NBC decided to sell its Blue network in 1943. Mutual did not own any of its affiliated stations, however, whereas NBC and CBS each owned and operated several stations. As in the United States with Roosevelt's Fireside Chats, other governments in the 1930s clearly recognized the power and potential of radio. 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. The Great Depression. 5) Petey Greene. Alienation from American traditions was minimized and a foundation for a later boon in such interests following World War II was established. Add languages. With the consolidation of radios into networks, the configuration of the radio industry began to look like the major television networks of the late twentieth century. Mr. Riechman was the distributor for Majestic Radios and felt the future was in selling radios rather than in broadcasting. Starring Jack Benny as himself, the laugh-out-loud sitcom is widely considered the epitome of 20th century American comedy. Writer Archibald MacLeish produced "The Fall of the City," which symbolically represented the growing threat of war in 1937. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. on E. 105th between Cedar and Carnegie avenues in the late 1940s and early 1950s, before landing . Hysterical people hid in basements, and listeners called the police to volunteer in the fight against evil invaders. The New Deal's Communications Act of 1934 survives largely intact. In . So you would never be famous. Advertisement, now nationwide with the networks, brought in much more money to support program development, improve production facilities, (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. Amos: : Wait a minuteyou can't do dat wid de stuff. 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. 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. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. 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. 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. I am reminded of that evening in March, four years ago, when I made my first radio report to you. How was radio used to try to change Americans view of the conflict? Radio, with its thrillers and mysteries, classical theater and musical performances, and slapstick and silliness, provided a means of escaping the dreariness of life. So when Gladys Hill, who was the first "Dizzy Lizzy," left Houston, I took her place as the second "Dizzy . "Bacon Sandwiches," an episode of the situation comedy series Vic and Sade; airdate August 14, 1940. 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. Tommie!' Radio provided a shared national experience of entertainment and information. Men were often out of work, stressed by their situation, and maybe even on the road for long periods looking for job opportunities. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. In the earliest years of network radios heyday, most of the evening programs were produced and broadcast from New York City. 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. 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 . New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Rush Limbaugh is one of the most prominent conservative voices in the U.S. and has been for quite some time. In the 1930s advertising agencies shifted their advertising dollars from newspapers to radio as public trust and interest in radio increased. Songwriters were under incredible pressure to produce new material, and many collapsed as a result. The Best Talk Show Hosts Of Daytime, Late Night, and All Time. The Shadow, a crime drama, also had a loyal following. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, Inc. 1995. His character was particularly appealing to the Great Depression audience that was coping with economic hard times. Many of the 1930s programs would set the standard for programming in all media for the rest of the century. A new Federal Radio Commission established by the law would define what the public interest meant, though broadcasters would be held responsible for the content they provided. 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. Broadcasting had become a profession in the 1930s and was experiencing the growing pains of becoming an established and accepted part of society. One of the most popular radio personalities of the 1950s was 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. "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. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1997. Like The Whistler, the program had an opening whistle theme with footsteps. Hilmes, Michele and Jason Loviglio. Read; Edit; View history . The most popular early network series by far was NBCs Amos n Andy, a daily 15-minute situation comedy in which two white men (Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll) acted the parts of two black operators of a taxicab company in Chicago. Carpenter, Ronald H. Father Charles E. Coughlin: Surrogate Spokesman for the Disaffected. As the Great Depression deepened in the United States and around the world in the early 1930s, reliance on radio increased. She was an ink artist and wife to Walt Disney. 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. In 1936 she donned her soon-to-be-famous sarong for her debut at Paramount, The Jungle Princess (1936), and . The fireside chats allowed Americans to feel an intimacy with their president that few had felt beforePresident Roosevelt was in their living room, expressing his concerns, empathizing with their situation. Variety shows included a range of entertainment including music, singing, dancing, and comedy. We also became convinced that the only way to avoid a repetition of those dark days was to have a government with power to prevent and to cure the abuses and the inequalities which had thrown that system out of joint. Radio provided a huge and attentive audience, but it also provided unique demands. Its premiere was lauded as exceptional, bold radio. His Fireside Chats have been considered some of the first forms of managed news. Early in 1927, a competing network called United Independent Broadcasters was formed. The character he created was complex and his characterization was well known and funny. New York: Crown Publishing Croup, 2000. The performers would have a set of gagsjokesthat they could perform night after night in venues all over the world. Andy: Instead o' payin' 'tention to whut you was doin', you was sittin' here dreamin'. Winchell had many critics of his approach of publicizing activities that many considered inappropriate for public comment. Famous People. NEIL: But you said it what quarter to twelve the last time I asked. It builds to a crescendo as she screams: 'Tommie! New York: The Free Press, 1991. 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. Amos: I don' wants to git mixed up in dis. The screenwriter, performer and composer was . I ain't goin' do it. Jean Colbert (?1995). Discuss how radio changed America's response to the war in Europethe war that would eventually become World War II. We'll fill dat up wid water. In addition newspapers owned many early radio stations including WGN (named after the "World's Greatest Newspaper," the Chicago Tribune). The deepening Depression impacted every aspect of American life and Americans looked for new avenues to escape the dreariness of unemployment, homelessness, and hunger. . ." 2 Rush Limbaugh. Updates? Marie Wilson portrayed the title character, Irma Peterson, on radio, in two films and a television series. He was known for his rhyming wordplay . Jack Benny (18941974). Nearly 60 years ago, WJSV, a radio station located in Washington, DC, recorded their entire broadcast day. Sale of advertising time was not widely practiced at early radio stations in the United States. The chats were highly popular and pioneered a means for future presidents to communicate directly with the public outside the normal news channels. The Spanish Civil War (19361939) is considered the first radio war. Some of the leading voices from radio's golden age, in the 1930s and '40s, may have gone on to even greater fame elsewhere, such as Bob Hope and Gene Autry. On radios musical front, the National Broadcasting Company established its own symphony orchestra, led by Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 19221952. Amos: He tol' you to milk de cowhe didn't tell me to do it. The Halls of Ivy is an NBC radio sitcom that ran from 1950-1952. Amos: When I tell Mister Hopkins dat I lost half de milk, he goin' git mad wid me. The list was selected from more than 300 nominees plus write-ins and was announced at a reception in honor of . Dat's goin' make Mister Hopkins mad if he ever find dat out. We ain't for no bizness puttin' water in de milk. Such fads were a good buy for entertainment during the Depression when budgets were tight. Andy: Wait a minute, yere, son. WSM Radio - Air Personalities. (Picks up phone. . Comedian Bob Hope was an exceptional radio performer who went on to an extraordinary career in television and film. Kaltenborn also covered the Munich appeasement The growth in radio provided a large audience for various voices in cultural and political criticism. Westport, CT and London: Praeger, 1998. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. (b. Brighton, Sussex, United Kingdom, 27 September 1918; d. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, 14 October 1984), ra, radio- comb. 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 addition of two more frequencies, 619 kHz in December 1921 and 750 kHz in August 1922, helped somewhat, but most larger cities had far more than three stations and thus continued to use shared-time arrangements. The Most Famous Radio Personality; Name Birthday Nationality Bio; Art Bell: June 17, 1945: American: . Amos: Where you goin'? Radio technology was still evolving as the country entered the Depression. Radio comedies, however, were limited to minstrel-style shows performed by white artists. The Great Depression especially brought new and troubling problems. "Radio 1929-1941 It was the golden age of comic books. "The First Radio War: Broadcasting in the Spanish Civil War, 19361939." Nationally distributed magazines had been the key medium before the rise of radio and national broadcasting networks. This reflected the migration of black Americans from Southern rural areas to Northern industrial centers. Michael Savage. "Lost Horizon," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Ronald Colman; airdate November 27, 1946. 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. List of old-time American radio people. Children listened to the adventure series Little Orphan Annie and the science-fiction show Flash Gordon. Other once-influential radio personalities, such as Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976), are not as well known today. Such creativity by non-whites and non-Protestants did not mesh well with the racist doctrines of the Nazis who preached the dominance of white society. 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. But when, almost two years later, it came before the Supreme Court its constitutionality was upheld only by a five-to-four vote. Wells's novel The War of the Worlds by Orson 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. What time is it? Andy: Yere's de well right yere. 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. Arthur "Al Benson" Bernard Leaner - WGES. The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1937 Volume. Paley developed and ran the CBS radio and television networks. KSTP in St. Paul Minnesota covered a wedding in a hot air balloon for its listeners. 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. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). De man don' want no water in his milk.". There was so much competition for listeners that children's shows offered premiums such as decoder rings and badges to lure their young audience. Roosevelt's Fireside Chats set the standard for future presidents to not only use radio to communicate with the public, but the growing mass media of television in the future as well. Tens of millions of people listened to his weekly radio broadcasts. . Hilmes, Michele. 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. It wasn't until 1920 that radio stations were regularly making commercial broadcasts, beginning with KDKA of Pittsburgh and WWJ of Detroit. 3. Add links. In effect, four Justices ruled that the right under a private contract to exact a pound of flesh was more sacred than the main objectives of the Constitution to establish an enduring Nation. 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. 1. 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. ERICMARCUM ERIC MARCUM. The most famous radio show was the Lux Radio Theater, which was performed live on stage in front of a studio audience. Initially a supporter of President Roosevelt and his New Deal programs, Coughlin became disillusioned and turned into a fierce critic. "Radio 1929-1941 In 1939 he wrote "They Fly through the Air with the Greatest of Ease" for his "Words Without Music" radio series. Between 1936 and 1941 Orson Welles participated in over one hundred radio drama productions as writer, actor, and director. Listeners waited impatiently for each new episode to discover what troubles would befall the mishap-prone twosome. Considerable interference resulted as operators shifted station frequency (and sometimes the transmitter location, by mounting it in a truck) in an attempt to obtain a clear signal. Others, however, disappeared from the airwaves. By 1948, his program received higher ratings than Fred Allen or Jack Benny. Sports played a major role in the escapism from the Great Depression. 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." "The Presidential Election," an episode of the comedy series Amos 'n' Andy, starring Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll; airdate July 17, 1928. 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. Networks used telephone lines to transmit their signals to affiliates, and because they were designed to be broadcast from the East Coast to the West, AT&T charged $1,000 an hour to reverse the circuits.

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famous radio personalities 1940s