famous radio personalities 1940s

Murrow reported from Vienna, Austria, in 1938 as the Nazis entered the Austrian capital. William Powell and Myrna Loy performed "The Thin Man" and Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert performed "It Happened One Night." Radio use was not confined to economic class. In reaction some countries occupied by German forces in the late 1930s surreptitiously broadcast opposing viewpoints. Former radio personality Doug Allen is a jingle archivist and now maintains Jinglefreaks.com, where his growing collection of radio jingles is available online. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. (Virtually all broadcasts during radios peak years were in AM, or amplitude modulation.). In 1933 alone 3.6 million radio sets were sold. Live big bands, for instance, were scrapped in favour of recorded rock and roll, which was played on local programs by voluble and irreverent disc jockeys. The most famous radio personality in Cleveland history, and a pioneer of early rock 'n' roll. 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. Welles also took part in the New Deal's Federal Theater Project that provided work for many unemployed actors and stagehands. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. These well-funded productions were high quality with a great deal of planning, classic scripts, and major stars and they attracted large audiences. . It was a time when the airwaves were dominated by big personalities with loud voices. In the beginning of the 1930s most Americansincluding President Rooseveltshared the view that the conflict was someone else's. There was so much competition for listeners that children's shows offered premiums such as decoder rings and badges to lure their young audience. The deepening Depression impacted every aspect of American life and Americans looked for new avenues to escape the dreariness of unemployment, homelessness, and hunger. (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: When I tell Mister Hopkins dat I lost half de milk, he goin' git mad wid me. 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. Music was performed live during the early days of radio, so studios were built large enough to accommodate full orchestras. Discuss how radio changed America's response to the war in Europethe war that would eventually become World War II. He hosts The Adam Carolla Show, a talk show distributed as a podcast .more. In the early 1940s, World War II catalyzed the growth of network news, as local stations depended on the major networks overseas correspondents. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. #4 of 38 on. The Radio Act of 1927 created a confusing array of federal agencies to oversee the growing industry. 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. We've got it! Read; Edit; View history . Andy: Now, lissen yere, Amosdon't never try to tell me whut to do or whut not to do. Another firm that measured audience response was the A.C. Nielsen Co., which provided thousands of listeners with a mechanical device called an audiometer. Rogue's Gallery was just a warm up for Richard Diamond, a series that took the best of the Richard Rogue character and made it even more suave and swinging by placing Diamond in New York City and giving him a Park Avenue girlfriend that purrs like a Jaguar. "Ruggles of Red Gap," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Charles Laughton; airdate June 8, 1946. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. There were also concerns during the 1930s, and later, that radioand indeed all mass mediawould be misused. Radio, however, had a rocky start in America. He also provided the voice of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise from 1969 to 1997, and again from 2002 until 2009. Other forms of paid entertainment had become prohibitively expensive in the lean times, and so Americans turned to radio. There were moves towards self-regulation in the 1930s also. The less expensive radio model made radios a household item. 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. Regional differences further melted as national programs brought the same information and advice to everyone with a radio. Daily soap operas, mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy programs were performed alongside radio productions of classic plays and live musical performances. Radio became so popular during the Depression that some psychologists grew concerned over the increasing amount of time and attention spent listening to radio. The show, which began slowly and calmly at first, steadily built to a frantic pace, giving the impression of hours passing in minutes. It was the golden age of comic books. Read; Edit; View history; More. . He began as a supporter of President Roosevelt and the New Deal social and economic programs, but he eventually changed into a harsh critic. Marjorie Finlay was an American television personality and opera singer. They feared that the exchange of ideas and clash of opinions essential to democracy would be compromised. Other politicians and political pundits, regardless of their agreement or disagreement with what Roosevelt had to say, were generally in awe of his natural ability to make great use of the mass media. This act provided basic assumptions that have continued to underpin broadcasting policy in the United States to this day. 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. In 1940 President Roosevelt's radio skill helped him defeat Wendell Willkie and win an unprecedented third term as President. A selection of shows from American radios Golden Age is presented in the table. 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. A major leap forward occurred in 1929 when "The All-Negro . The Nickel and Dime Decade: American Popular Culture During the 1930s. Jun 8, 2015 - Explore April's board "Radio Stars of the 40's and 50's", followed by 2,433 people on Pinterest. With these changes radio remained a highly popular medium of entertainment and information for the American public. Listeners waited impatiently for each new episode to discover what troubles would befall the mishap-prone twosome. Coughlin was extraordinarily popular, with millions of listeners each Sunday. ZACKBENNETT ZACK BENNETT. The New Deal's Communications Act of 1934 survives largely intact. Children and adults followed the adventures of their favorite characters and waited for the next installment. Detroits WXYZ became a major force in 1933 with popular shows such as The Lone Ranger. "Watch on the Rhine," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Paul Lukas; airdate August 7, 1946. In the age of the Depression with limited expense budgets, radio provided an economical way of reaching millions of people. Birthplace: Pikesville, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Comic strips had long provided a shared form of entertainment in America. (Tone. In radios earliest days, Hollywood did not provide network programming, with rare exceptions. Music full, then down and out). All over the world the potential of radio was quickly realized. 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). How did radio change American's understanding of the people "over there?" https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/radio-1929-1941, "Radio 1929-1941 On live band remotes carried from ballrooms in New York City and Chicago, big bands led by the likes of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey played popular dance music for listeners around the country. Some stars and programs from the last years of American radios Golden Age successfully transferred to televisionfor instance, the comedians George Burns and Gracie Allen, the soap opera The Guiding Light, the situation comedy Father Knows Best, the police drama Dragnet, and the western Gunsmoke. We were then in the midst of the great banking crisis. On March 9, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his ninth "fireside chat" over the airwaves to the public. 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. The shift to television in the 1950s, however, had a major impact on radio. Orson Welles Actor | Citizen Kane His father, Richard Head Welles, was a well-to-do inventor, his mother, Beatrice (Ives) Welles, a beautiful concert pianist . New York: Richard R. Smith, Inc., 1931). #37 of 61. and by a large number of people in other areas of the Western world. Here are the Top 10 Famous People from Idaho. "Guiding Light" first aired on radio in 1937 and continued on television into the twenty-first century. Radio of the 1930s provided a blueprint for the understanding and expectations of media for the rest of the century. I got a idea. In 1943, Beulah moved over to That's Life and then became a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio series in late 1944. Andy: Let him git mad wid you. Nothing seemed too far away, and other cultures that once seemed exotic and strange were more familiar. RYLE, MARTIN This inexpensive form of enjoyment for the whole family included radio shows, music, and more. In 1932 NBC posted a profit of $1 million and CBS posted a profit of $1.6 million. 35. At first his program was primarily inspirational and welcomed by the Depression-weary public but became increasingly political. These concerns were later mirrored by similar concerns expressed over the effects television and personal computers posed on child development. Roosevelt believed he needed to keep close contact with the American people given the severe hardships many were suffering through the Great Depression and ensuring as much support as possible for his New Deal programs. 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. official reviewing the program material and determining what might be morally or politically objectionable to the public. Other once-influential radio personalities, such as Mary Margaret McBride (1899-1976), are not as well known today. Arch Oboler produced "Lights Out" on NBC, and "Air Raid" by Archibald MacLeish and "War of the Worlds" by writer and performer Orson Welles, which depicted the growing fear of war. By 1933, 25 percent of the workforce, or over 12 million people, were out of work. 6:00 Sunriseincluding technical problems, 2:00 President Roosevelt's Address To Congress, 4:00 Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Washington Senators, 10:45 Repeat of President Roosevelt's Address to Congress, 11:00 Livingston's Orchestra (joined in progress at 11:20). The FCC took the place of the Federal Radio Commission and oversaw the telecommunications industry as well as broadcasting. 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. Radio proved its importance during World War II (1939-45) with almost immediate coverage of events. 1. Soon after, with the authority of the Congress, we asked the Nation to turn over all of its privately held gold, dollar for dollar, to the Government of the United States. The program lamented the German military planes flying at will over his native country and wreaking havoc with their bombs. Marie Wilson portrayed the title character, Irma Peterson, on radio, in two films and a television series. 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 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 fireside chats were crucial to unifying the country during a difficult time and set a standard for communications by future presidents. famous radio personalities 1940s religious interview questions and answers sharleen spiteri ashley heath . 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Another example of the growth of radio news was the presence of tabloid reporting, which emphasized sensationalized topics. The performance of "The War of the Worlds" became one of the most notorious radio performances ever. Inventing American Broadcasting 18991922. Germany was invading its neighbors. 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. Paley and his network worked with many of the major stars of the decade, including Jack Benny, Al Jolson, Kate Smith and Bing Crosby. Broadcasting Freedom: Radio, War and the Politics of Race, 19381948. In 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first black to play Major League Baseball. The exceptional use of radio news broadcasting in the 1930s created the future expectation of immediacy of information. By the early 1930s Coughlin's broadcasts shifted to economic and political commentary. 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. As censorship became stricter toward the end of the 1930s, the networks ruled that there could be no more jokes about nudity. Douglas, Susan Jeanne. Very quickly programs became fairly sophisticated in these techniques. He was known for his rhyming wordplay . Amos: You know, YOU wuz de one he tol' to milk de COW. From Needletime to the Peel Sessions Young reporters such as Edward R. Murrow, William Shirer, and Walter Cronkite covered breaking news at the front, while commentators such as Walter Winchell analyzed events at home. In the late 1940s, . Fred W. Kaltenbach. 22 Feb. 2023 . Kennedy's good looks and calm demeanor won over many supporters following a live televised debate. Listening in: Radio and the American Imagination: From Amos 'n' Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. Arthur Bernard Leaner was a professional radio DJ and record label owner that broke significant ground for Black music in Chicago between 1940 . Radios were in almost every house and some Americans even had radios in their cars. Among the many running jokes on his show were his stinginess, his "feud" with Fred Allen, his ancient Maxwell automobile, and the vault in his basement where he kept his money. Many peopleespecially womenlooked to soap operas for advice on how to deal with the situations life presented to them. Following the stock market crash in 1929 life in America changed dramatically. John Lennon (1940 - 1980) British musician, member of the Beatles. 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. We'll fill dat up wid water. His career started in vaudeville, and he debuted in 1931 on radio on the Ed Sullivan show, getting his own radio show in 1932. talks in 1938, reportingcorrectlythat Munich was a "complete victory for Hitler." Paley was responsible for bringing substantial entertainment to the Great Depression audience who could little afford to pursue other forms of entertainment. The condemned man's sister is a telephone operator (from Leonard Maltin. "Radio 1929-1941 Please be aware, presenters aren't ranked in order. Selected discography Radio became the primary media for entertainment and, increasingly, for information. By the end of the Depression events in Europe as a whole were deteriorating. January 21, 2013, . In the mid-to late-1920s, networks were formed as companies bought stations all over the country, forming a "network" of radio stations. Walter Winchell was the most powerful and feared gossip columnist and radio commentator in America in the 1930s and 1940s: Mark Thompson: December 1, 1955: American: Mark Thompson is a well-known American radio personality: Daniel James . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. It wasn't until 1920 that radio stations were regularly making commercial broadcasts, beginning with KDKA of Pittsburgh and WWJ of Detroit. A 1939 poll indicated almost one-fourth of the population usually listened to the chats while almost 40 percent sometimes listened, adding up to almost 65 percent of the population. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. 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. 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. Kaltenborn (18781965). Rush Limbaugh. 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. As increasing poverty made many other forms of entertainment prohibitively expensive, America's reliance on radio grew. At the star, John Peel Winchell made his radio debut in 1930 over WABC in New York. Her first work on radio was with WOR in New York City where she hosted a show from 1934 to 1940. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The 1940s were a decade of tension and transition. 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 September of 1895, Guglielmo Marconi, a young Italian inventor, pioneered wireless telegraphy when he transmitted a message to his brother, who wa, Grote Reber Nationally known radio stars began to exist after the advent of the networks. The "Adventures of Superman" went on to both television and film success. Stars of the stage, including theater stars and musical groups, became the stars of radio, with performers such as Edgar Bergen, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Kate Smith, Guy Lombardo, Orson Welles, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant, and Humphrey Bogart gracing the airwaves. "On the Planet Mongo," an episode of the children's science-fiction series Flash Gordon; airdate April 27, 1935. On radios musical front, the National Broadcasting Company established its own symphony orchestra, led by Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini. . Political parties made great use of radio during the 1930s, much as they did television later in the century. 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. 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. He lives in San Diego County. Early ads promoted an institutional image in a style later common to public radios underwriting announcements. Omissions? 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. Stunt broadcasts were a regular part of programming. To complete our program of protection in time, therefore, we cannot delay one moment in making certain that our National Government has power to carry through. Dramatic shows and situation comedies, the bulk of prime-time programming, ran 30 minutes each. The radio as a form of entertainment grew in popularity in the 1920s United States. It was almost too late . Wells's novel The War of the Worlds by Orson 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. afford more talented writers and performers, and develop more compelling stories and programs. Variety shows included a range of entertainment including music, singing, dancing, and comedy. (Picks up phone. Amos: I don' wants to git mixed up in dis. "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. From 1922 to 1925, Herbert Hoover, then secretary of commerce and in charge of radio policy, convened four national conferences, each of which petitioned Congress to replace the only existing (and obsolete) laws regarding broadcasting, which had been established in 1912 to regulate ship-to-shore transmissions. typical "household hints" programming that was de rigueur at the time for female radio personalities 2. View More. Since most radio soap operas were only fifteen minutes long, many could run in one day. Live musical groups that played on the radio during the late 1920s and early 1930s included The Sylvania (light bulbs) Foresters, The Champion (spark plugs) Sparkers, and The Planters (peanuts) Pickers. Radio was how America got its news and how it was entertained. British husband-and-wife actors Ronald Colman (1891-1958) and Benita Hume (1906-1967) starred in both versions of the show. Frequencies used for broadcasting were to be held by the government, not owned by licensees. Radio was how America escaped the harsh world outsideas four national and 20 regional networks and hundreds of smaller stations piped programming directly to the listening public. "Against the Storm," "Brighter Day," "City Hospital," "Tale of Today," and "We Love and Learn" were all popular soap operas. But acceptance of radio advertising was slow, as broadcasters did not want to offend listeners. Andy: Dat's whut you git fur not tendin' to yore bizness. Americans listened to the radio and heard bombs exploding in background as a reporter explained that London was being attacked. Radio-info.com has a chat board for aircheck collectors. The 1930s were also the genesis of some of the major broadcasting industry conflicts that would continue to be played out throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. The FCC was created to regulate communication services and rates and license radio stations. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. Radio was used to communicate political positions, and to show support of, and against, politicians. The wide dissemination of incorrect or selectively chosen information could invite or reinforce opinions. Programming began to grow despite the fact that radios were still too pricey for most Americans. His company, RCAthe Radio Corporation of Americagrew from $11 million in sales the first year to $60 million three years later. Grote Reber Advertisers also found a new medium for promoting their goods nationwide. As the 1930s progressed, and as reporters such as Edward R. Murrow, H.V. Americans were buying radios at a rate of 28 per minute. New stars were also created, as performers discovered the medium and created unique shows. JEFFHOAG JEFF HOAG. The fabric of American life would be changed forever. In 1936 she donned her soon-to-be-famous sarong for her debut at Paramount, The Jungle Princess (1936), and . 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. 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 probably was in 1970 or '71 when a radio station in Manistee started playing Rock and Roll," Kittleson says. 2. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium.It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early 1920s and lasted through the 1950s, when television gradually superseded radio as the medium of choice for scripted programming, variety and dramatic shows. View More. The effects of the Depressionpoverty, joblessness, homelessness, and hungertook a mental toll on Americans. Actors would appear on the show to plug their movies, and sometimes would appear in brief versions of their movies on "Hollywood Hotel." Outside of the United States, the world was in a state of flux. Variety shows lampooned racial preconceptions, theater on the air challenged ideas of war and peace, and comedies provided a humorous critique of Middle American values. This also represented the golden age of sportscasters who eloquently described the sporting events and created colorful images of the sports stars. This reflected the migration of black Americans from Southern rural areas to Northern industrial centers. Historic Events for Students: The Great Depression. Others, however, disappeared from the airwaves. More Robin Quivers. The performers would have a set of gagsjokesthat they could perform night after night in venues all over the world. The military tried to convince the people of Spain that Kaltenborn, and William Shirer broadcast reports of the bombing of London and the German occupation of continental Europe, the view of many Americans began to change. Similarly crime dramas were also popular, with shows like "Sherlock Holmes" and "The Green Hornet.". Early efforts to regulate the radio industry were not very effective. Choosing just the top 10 radio presenters of all time was hard enough, so take the following with a pinch of salt. Like The Whistler, the program had an opening whistle theme with footsteps. Introduction. Below, a lawyer has beaten up a witness who lied, thereby convicting a man who is scheduled to die at midnight. 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. Hattie McDaniel took over in Nov of 1947. The era of television influence came forward in the 1960 presidential campaign between future presidents John F. Kennedy (served 19611963) and Richard Nixon (served 19691974). Radio was a burgeoning and competitive field.

Zoom Room Preferred Microphone Is Disconnected, Gm Nightfall Destiny 2 This Week, Catherine Shanahan Quack, Articles F