famous radio personalities 1940s
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 Radio - The Golden Age of American radio | Britannica It was during the Great Depression that America became a more unified nation and regional differences significantly declined. 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. 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. In the United States, active broadcasting preceded firm government policy. Disc jockeys"DJs" who play music on the radiohave had a key role in shaping Philadelphia musical tastes since the 1950s. 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. afford more talented writers and performers, and develop more compelling stories and programs. famous radio personalities 1940s - isgho-sup.com 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. They felt that if a single company owned all of the radio stations and newspapers in one town, they would not express a variety of views. They reflected national and local musical trends, exposed audiences to new music, and in some cases produced records and managed artists. Paley was responsible for bringing substantial entertainment to the Great Depression audience who could little afford to pursue other forms of entertainment. Broadcasting Magazine, July 1, 1934 A few cities or states operated stations as government services. The formation of NBC was followed by the formation of CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System). Ranking the most iconic sportscasters in Los Angeles history JEFFHOAG JEFF HOAG. Congress soon passed legislation that required diversity of ownership. Radios provided an avenue for information that supplemented local newspaper. Radio DJs - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia (Sock. 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. official reviewing the program material and determining what might be morally or politically objectionable to the public. Music was performed live during the early days of radio, so studios were built large enough to accommodate full orchestras. The development of networks and production centres. Variety shows included a range of entertainment including music, singing, dancing, and comedy. The war years clearly raised the profile of radios role in society. For example candidates for public office must be treated equally and sponsors must be identified. Powerful gossip columnist Louella Parsonswhose show, Hollywood Hotel, debuted on CBS in October 1934surmounted this fee by inducing top film stars to appear on her program for free. The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1937 Volume. What time is it? Radio in the 1930s established the framework for broadcasting for the rest of the twentieth century. Below, a lawyer has beaten up a witness who lied, thereby convicting a man who is scheduled to die at midnight. The Department of Commerce, however, lacked the discretion to reject license applications or to enforce frequency assignments. The Adventures of Amos 'n Andy: A Social History of an American Phenomenon. In 1940 President Roosevelt's radio skill helped him defeat Wendell Willkie and win an unprecedented third term as President. 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. Advertisers also found a new medium for promoting their goods nationwide. (February 22, 2023). Walter Winchell (18971972). The former vaudevillian actor mastered the unique art of radio and created a variety show of immense popularity. 2. The witness has just confessed, clearing the condemned man. Walter Winchell specialized in publishing gossip and other information that some critics deemed inappropriate. 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. We ain't for no bizness puttin' water in de milk. The Golden Web: A History of Broadcasting in the United States, Volume II, 1933 to 1953. talks in 1938, reportingcorrectlythat Munich was a "complete victory for Hitler." The military tried to convince the people of Spain that The 1940s were a decade of tension and transition. Previously, Simmons was a radio and television personality for Indianapolis' WHHH-FM. The 1920s saw a steady growth in radio ownership and programming, and radios were becoming increasingly popular. Tonight, sitting at my desk in the White House, I make my first radio report to the people in my second term of office. Kaltenborn (18781965). "Against the Storm," "Brighter Day," "City Hospital," "Tale of Today," and "We Love and Learn" were all popular soap operas. The less expensive radio model made radios a household item. She was an ink artist and wife to Walt Disney. Many peopleespecially womenlooked to soap operas for advice on how to deal with the situations life presented to them. (Tone) (Her voice starts to break) When you hear the tone the time will be eleven fifty-nine and three-quarters. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Those who answered were then asked to name the radio program to which they were currently listening, if any. Known as one of the original shock-jocks, Greene was a trailblazer of talk radio; and his influence was such that he has been credited with quashing the riots in Washington, D.C . "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. 7.4 Radio's Impact on Culture - Understanding Media and Culture Americans were buying radios at a rate of 28 per minute. 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. Regional differences further melted as national programs brought the same information and advice to everyone with a radio. Very quickly programs became fairly sophisticated in these techniques. Men were often out of work, stressed by their situation, and maybe even on the road for long periods looking for job opportunities. 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. As censorship became stricter toward the end of the 1930s, the networks ruled that there could be no more jokes about nudity. ." Early efforts to regulate the radio industry were not very effective. Alienation from American traditions was minimized and a foundation for a later boon in such interests following World War II was established. Westport, CT and London: Praeger, 1993. The show, which began slowly and calmly at first, steadily built to a frantic pace, giving the impression of hours passing in minutes. Jack Benny (18941974). November 28, 1925, WSM-AM, Nashville. Stunt broadcasts were a regular part of programming. *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. Two types of music were banned when Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933: swing and jazz. Arthur Bernard Leaner was a professional radio DJ and record label owner that broke significant ground for Black music in Chicago between 1940 . Tommie!' A guy talking in an echo chamber sounding like Arnold Stang is "Eugor", some kind of an unconscious voice that gets mixed up in the episodes. "Watch on the Rhine," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Paul Lukas; airdate August 7, 1946. Wendy. So when Gladys Hill, who was the first "Dizzy Lizzy," left Houston, I took her place as the second "Dizzy . Rush Limbaugh. 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 last radio show was in 1955. With these changes radio remained a highly popular medium of entertainment and information for the American public. Corrections? Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. As early as 1916, Sarnoff envisioned a radio that would be as standard in homes as a piano or a phonograph. A pioneer in radio, Kaltenborn was first on the air in 1921 and by the 1930s he was a regular newscaster reporting on the Spanish Civil War in 1936. National stories including those of the Depression and progress of New Deal programs let people see the problems and success stories The conventional, amplitude modulation (AM) form of radio signal proved limiting in broadcasting, producing much static at times. Jack Benny was one of the foremost radio stars of The Golden Age of Radio. In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. Kendrick, Alexander. This program provided a key opportunity during the Depression when many could not afford to go to movie theaters. . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Though only relatively wealthy Americans owned radios a decade earlier, in the 1930s radios became a common appliance owned by the majority of Americans Jean Colbert (?1995). Richard Rogue was a working stiff kind of a private eye, and had a quick tongue. 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. In addition newspapers owned many early radio stations including WGN (named after the "World's Greatest Newspaper," the Chicago Tribune). . Amos: I know, but if Mister Hopkins ever see you goin' dat, he's li'ble to fire both of us. "Radio 1929-1941 Women were the key listeners during the daytime, so household products such as soap were eager advertisers for those time slots. The most famous radio show was the Lux Radio Theater, which was performed live on stage in front of a studio audience. Artists interviewed include Little Esther Phillips, Al Frazier, Mary Wells, Zola Taylor, the Coasters, Horace Silver . The number of programs and types of programming for radio grew astonishingly quickly. Inventing American Broadcasting 18991922. Encyclopedia.com. Amos: Where you goin'? Children would mail in a label and a modest amount of money for the ring. (Virtually all broadcasts during radios peak years were in AM, or amplitude modulation.). Radio had become a powerful and influential media for the expression of opinion on an international basis. March 3, 2023 6:21 PM PT. Throughout the 1930s, as the world careened toward war, America debated the appropriate response to the emerging conflict. Radio Reader: Essays in the Cultural History of Radio. He remained associated with Benny's radio and television programs until Benny's death in 1974. Top 20 Black Radio Jockeys Of All Time - NewsOne Famous Female Radio Personalities | List of Top Female Radio - Ranker Raised on Radio. Winchell made his radio debut in 1930 over WABC in New York. As radio grew into a commercial force, it became necessary to determine the popularity of particular shows, as this would affect the price of the programs advertising time. 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. Early ads promoted an institutional image in a style later common to public radios underwriting announcements. Former wireless operator Sarnoff rose to president of the Radio Corporation of America. His special comedic style allowed the joke to be at his expense, instead of at the expense of others. Andy: Dat's whut you git fur not tendin' to yore bizness. As the Great Depression deepened in the United States and around the world in the early 1930s, reliance on radio increased. By 1933, 25 percent of the workforce, or over 12 million people, were out of work. Some comedians liked to tell what at the time were considered risqu jokes, meaning the jokes were on the edge of being considered indecent. More people owned radios, were listening to radio in increasing numbers, and were listening to radios for an increasing amount of time each day. Frequencies used for broadcasting were to be held by the government, not owned by licensees. Radio itself was not brand new in the 1930s, but it is during this time that it became an integral part of the lives of Americans. Father Charles Edward Coughlin (18911979). By 1944 it had been renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Kennedy's good looks and calm demeanor won over many supporters following a live televised debate. 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. Early Radio and the beginning of TV - Historic - Memphis Radio was used to communicate political positions, and to show support of, and against, politicians. Actually, Powell had made the pilot episode for the Marlowe show, but luckily for all concerned, he passed it up and did the Richard Diamond show instead. Later recorded music was regularly broadcast, and radio stations had a series of continuing battles with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) over how to charge fees for playing recorded music that had copyrights. Child development specialists expressed concern that children were foregoing more wholesome activities, such as studying, reading, playing sports, and outdoor activities in favor of sitting passively inside, next to the radio, listening. So you would never be famous. With his comfortable style, Roosevelt had the uncanny knack of speaking to the people through the radio as if he was sitting in their living room. Children and adults followed the adventures of their favorite characters and waited for the next installment. Many Philadelphia DJs became celebrities, actively engaged and influential in . I grew up in radio. I've seen how much it changed. - The San Diego They believed that America should not get involved. 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. Famous People with Dementia - Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation, Inc. When German planes bombed the Basque town of Guernica in Spain in 1937, it solidified writer and director Norman Corwin's hatred of fascism. Coughlin was extraordinarily popular, with millions of listeners each Sunday. "The Presidential Election," an episode of the comedy series Amos 'n' Andy, starring Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll; airdate July 17, 1928. Adolf Hitler in Germany used radio to further his goals. 3334). Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Encyclopedia.com. 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. In 1936, however, radio transmitters reached most of the population of Spain. . News reporters such as Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) and William Shirer (1904 . The Great Depression had established a fertile bed for radical politics as many were disillusioned with the capitalist economic system of the United States. Early Years, 1920s-1940s. Golden Age of Black Radio - Part 1: The Early Years Franklin D. Roosevelt used radio to talk directly to Americans in his fireside chats. News events such as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the Hindenburg disaster captured the nations attention. Many of the comic-strip-based programs that became popular radio shows during the Golden Age of Radio are still part of American culture at the start of the twenty-first century. 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." Prominent sports figures became larger than life. She also worked with NBC, ABC, and New York Herald Tribune's radio broadcasts. Earlier radio stations had a limited sphere of influence, but these clear channel stations, operating at 50,000 watts on a frequency unique to their outlet, could be heard across a significant part of the country, and so some early radio personalities gained a measure of regional or national fame.