famous radio personalities 1940s

The number of programs and types of programming for radio grew astonishingly quickly. 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. The explosion of radio was both exhilarating and exhausting. The shift to television in the 1950s, however, had a major impact on radio. Here Are The Top 50 Streamed Talk Show Hosts - Radio Ink New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. The radio as a form of entertainment grew in popularity in the 1920s United States. Congress soon passed legislation that required diversity of ownership. Westport, CT and London: Praeger, 1993. The dramas were called soap operas because manufacturers of the major brands of soap, including Proctor and Gamble and Lever Brothers, sponsored them. The list Famous Radio Personalities includes Joe Rogan, Howard Stern, Sarah Bellew, Laura Ingraham and Benjy Bronk. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 19221952. "The Maltese Falcon," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Humphrey Bogart and Sidney Greenstreet; airdate July 3, 1946. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. It was on the roof of the original Riechman-Crosby Building at Beale and Front Street. Jack Benny (18941974). In 1922, David Sarnoff introduced the Radiola console, which sold for $75not an insignificant amount but still within the reach of middle class citizens in the 1920s. Westport, CT and London: Praeger, 1998. Amos: When I tell Mister Hopkins dat I lost half de milk, he goin' git mad wid me. Clifton Fadiman was an editor, author and well-known radio and television personality. "The First Radio War: Broadcasting in the Spanish Civil War, 19361939." As CBS News Vice President and Director of Public Affairs, Murrow remained uncomfortable as an executive and returned to reporting in 1951. Bergmeier, Horst J. Hitler's Airwaves: The Inside Story of Nazi Radio Broadcasting and Propaganda Swing. Mr. Riechman was the distributor for Majestic Radios and felt the future was in selling radios rather than in broadcasting. The 100 Outstanding Journalists in the United States in the Last 100 Andy: Dat's whut you git fur not tendin' to yore bizness. Han' me dat bucket. Jackie Robinson. His career started in vaudeville, and he debuted in 1931 on radio on the Ed Sullivan show, getting his own radio show in 1932. 1940. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Today's recovery proves how right that policy was. Bluegrass singer-songwriter Bill Monroe performs with Jimmy Martin on guitar, Buddy Killen on bass and Don Slayman on fiddle on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in . Famous People with Dementia - Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation, Inc. Disc jockeys"DJs" who play music on the radiohave had a key role in shaping Philadelphia musical tastes since the 1950s. Many of the 1930s programs would set the standard for programming in all media for the rest of the century. For example, during Bing Crosbys tenure as host of The Kraft Music Hall, the talent and staff were hired by the Kraft food companys advertising firm, the J. Walter Thompson agency. Sponsored by Eversharp, the first series ran on CBS Radio from July 5, 1945 to March 28, 1947. If I'd been milin' dat cow, son, I wouldn't of wasted a drop o' milk. The 1950s was a decade of change for radio. (b. Brighton, Sussex, United Kingdom, 27 September 1918; d. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, 14 October 1984), ra, radio- comb. 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. KELLYSUTTON KELLY SUTTON. 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. His critics charged that he was able to use his unique position and access to mass media to support his views. The public found radio to be the most accessible form of entertainment and information available. The performers would have a set of gagsjokesthat they could perform night after night in venues all over the world. Radio entertainment played on the imagination of the listeners by creating visions of the action and characters portrayed. His company, RCAthe Radio Corporation of Americagrew from $11 million in sales the first year to $60 million three years later. The screenwriter, performer and composer was . Later a film and television star, Burns contributed greatly to the development of the early sitcom. Former wireless operator Sarnoff rose to president of the Radio Corporation of America. The 50 Most Influential and Most Listened-To Streaming Talk Show Hosts. He bought CBS in 1929, building it from a failing network of 22 radio stations into a broadcast empire. Davies, Alan. Broadcasting had become a profession in the 1930s and was experiencing the growing pains of becoming an established and accepted part of society. One bright spot was the exciting explosion of radio programming. Died: June 1, 2003. Radio, however, had a rocky start in America. The performance of "The War of the Worlds" became one of the most notorious radio performances ever. Originally employed as a print journalist, McBride hosted an extremely popular daily radio program during the late 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s. . So when Gladys Hill, who was the first "Dizzy Lizzy," left Houston, I took her place as the second "Dizzy . One study showed that more than 15 million Americans listened to Coughlin each month, and more than half of them approved of what he said. Famous Radio Personality - List Of Famous Radio Personality - Famousbio Goebbels and other German leaders knew it was the most effective way available to reach the greatest number of people with propaganda and other information. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Isolationism seemed less tenable. New York: Free Press, 1996. Throughout the war, broadcasts in many languages and sponsored by many groups rallied support and impacted the outcome of the war. We ought to tell him. Best, Gary Dean. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and was born Jan. 31, 1919 in Cairo, GA. 5) Petey Greene. Lord Baden Powell (1857 - 1941) British Founder of scout movement. Indeed, many objected to the commercialization of radio, among them Herbert Hoover, who said in 1924, I believe the quickest way to kill broadcasting would be to use it for direct advertising. Strong arguments were made opposing the invasion of peoples homes with commerce (although newspapers and magazines had done so for more than a century) on the grounds that it would lead to entertainment programs pitched to the mass audience, thereby limiting radios potential educational and social benefits. Born before the first commercial radio stations went on the air, Harvey fashioned a personality and career that spanned the medium's Golden Age, its postwar retreat into a pop jukebox and its later resurgence as the place for news and talk exactly what Harvey did for more than 75 years. His last radio show was in 1955. Comic strips had long provided a shared form of entertainment in America. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998. Radio's intimate communication style was a powerful force during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1926 NBC (National Broadcasting Company) went on the air nationally, using telephone lines to carry the signal to nineteen stations and ten million listeners. 2. 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. 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. Two types of music were banned when Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933: swing and jazz. Robin Ophelia Quivers (born August 8, 1952) is an American radio personality, author, and actress, best known for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. The list was selected from more than 300 nominees plus write-ins and was announced at a reception in honor of . Now the mass produced goods could be promoted through the mass media for mass consumption. 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. The networks merely provided the airtime and studio facilities. The orchestra of Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians were made famous by radio, as was jazz musician Count Basie. The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. Listening in: Radio and the American Imagination: From Amos 'n' Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. They were a good investmentafter the initial expense, the family was able to enjoy drama, comedy, quiz shows, the news, and more for free in the comfort of their homes. The most famous radio show was the Lux Radio Theater, which was performed live on stage in front of a studio audience. Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball, and Bette Davis were just some of the stars that appeared on radio during the Depression. HYLAND: My God, we've got it! Radio technology was still evolving as the country entered the Depression. Comedies took on issues of race relations, poverty, and cultural misunderstandings, providing a framework to help people make sense of their rapidly changing country and world. As for WLS and WCFL and their deejays, Kittleson sums it up simply by saying, "Good stuff. Vintage airchecks from the 1950s to the 1990s is a directory of other sites. CBS sent Murrow to London in the 1930s and it was from there that he began a series of memorable broadcasts. Despite an initial decline in radio ownership in the early part of the Depression, children and others started becoming avid radio listeners. The Spanish Civil War (19361939) is considered the first radio war. "Apache Peak," an episode of the western series Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrea; airdate July 22, 1950. Choosing just the top 10 radio presenters of all time was hard enough, so take the following with a pinch of salt. 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. Decoder rings enabled listeners to decipher messages given in code language during episodes of the program. New York still had a bustling radio community, but the Chicago shows began moving to one coast or the other. Radio - The Golden Age of American radio | Britannica Paley was responsible for bringing substantial entertainment to the Great Depression audience who could little afford to pursue other forms of entertainment. As radio became more sophisticated, new areas of skill and talent emerged, such as sound effects. In 1933 Edwin Howard Armstrong produced the first FM transmitter and receiver, although it was six years before an FM station would air. 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. Part of its responsibilities was to assign specific radio frequencies and call letters to radio stations. Radio was fast becoming a way of life. A license would be issued only if the public interest, convenience or necessity was served. Murrow provided regular reports on the bombing of London in his "London After Dark" series broadcast by shortwave 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 Radio of the 1930s provided a blueprint for the understanding and expectations of media for the rest of the century. 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: Well, it's yore own faultdat's all I got say. (Tone: Phone drops to floor). "It probably was in 1970 or '71 when a radio station in Manistee started playing Rock and Roll," Kittleson says. Orson Welles would prove to be one of the more influential performers of theatrical works on the radio. New stars were also created, as performers discovered the medium and created unique shows. 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. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941, pp. Stunt broadcasts were a regular part of programming. Radio emerged as an important method of disseminating news during the 1930s. In the United States, active broadcasting preceded firm government policy. We'll fill dat up wid water. On November 15, 1926, NBC made its debut over 19 stations extending from the East Coast to Kansas City, Missouri. 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. New York: Routledge, 2001. 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. Even these artists were under strict supervision of the agencies, which usually had representatives present during the rehearsals and broadcast. As they moved to radio and their show was broadcast all over the world they had the awesome task of creating new material for each show. The 1920s saw a steady growth in radio ownership and programming, and radios were becoming increasingly popular. View More. Freeman Fisher Gosden and Charles James Correll created and starred in the popular radio show "Amos 'n' Andy." Winchell had many critics of his approach of publicizing activities that many considered inappropriate for public comment. In 1936 she donned her soon-to-be-famous sarong for her debut at Paramount, The Jungle Princess (1936), and . Songwriters were under incredible pressure to produce new material, and many collapsed as a result. 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. . Block programming defined much of radio before TV challenged radio to become the top form of media in the 1950s. Colbert was one of radio's earliest and most prolific soap opera performers, appearing in "Stella Dallas," "Life Can be Beautiful," "Young Dr. Malone," "Portia Faces Life," and "Aunt Jenny," among others. "Blondie," "Gasoline Alley," and "Li'l Abner" were closely followed by both children and adults. 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. Michael Savage. Originally broadcast as "Sam 'n' Henry" in 1926, the show was renamed when it changed networks. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. A band remote broadcast of Artie Shaw and his orchestra, with vocalists Helen Forrest and Tony Pastor, from the Blue Room of the Hotel Lincoln, New York City; airdate December 6, 1938. Encyclopedia.com. Radio - Encyclopedia of Milwaukee As more world leaders and their opposition realized that, they were able, increasingly, to take advantage of it to reach millions of prospective supporters for their programs and causes. By the mid-1930s two-thirds of American homes had radio sets, and by 1939 about 80 percent of Americansabout 25 million peopleowned radios. Radios provided an avenue for information that supplemented local newspaper. (Singer, Voice actress and Radio host) 3. 1. George Burns (18961996). Marie Wilson portrayed the title character, Irma Peterson, on radio, in two films and a television series. For example they created the character of Dick Tracy, Jr. who encouraged listeners to become Dick Tracy Junior Detectives by sending in box tops from certain cereals. typical "household hints" programming that was de rigueur at the time for female radio personalities 10 Legendary Vintage Black Radio DJs - Radio Facts As in the United States with Roosevelt's Fireside Chats, other governments in the 1930s clearly recognized the power and potential of radio. #4 of 38 on. These attacks that were so strong that he was sometimes called the father of hate speech. Some radio performers had teams of writers preparing jokes for them. This was particularly true of the white unemployed who believed jobs, including those created by New Deal work relief programs, should first go to whites before black Americans. Read; Edit; View history; More. There was so much competition for listeners that children's shows offered premiums such as decoder rings and badges to lure their young audience. Murrow reported from Vienna, Austria, in 1938 as the Nazis entered the Austrian capital. The "Adventures of Superman" went on to both television and film success. 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. Marjorie Finlay also had her own TV show, which had viewership in the USA and Europe. Disc jockey Initially a supporter of President Roosevelt and his New Deal programs, Coughlin became disillusioned and turned into a fierce critic. Mail-in premium offers were very successful on youth shows, and one of the most successful was the decoder ring offered by "Little Orphan Annie." As radio blossomed during the 1930s, network censorship did too. While classical music was important to the success of early radio, not everyone liked the side effects. Another example of the growth of radio news was the presence of tabloid reporting, which emphasized sensationalized topics. Political parties made great use of radio during the 1930s, much as they did television later in the century. (1942), co-starring Ray Milland and Betty Field.My Favorite Husband began on CB, Marie Wilson best known *by me* as playing Irma in My Friend Irma, created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard, was a top-rated, long-run radio situation comedy, so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated to films, television, a comic strip and a comic book, while Howard scored with another radio comedy hit, Life with Luigi. Many of Hollywood's most glamorous stars appeared on radio. In February 2017, she left "97.9 The Boxx" to focus on her non-profit I'm Me Foundation and write a book. 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. Amos: : Wait a minuteyou can't do dat wid de stuff. Charles Coughlin was a Canadian-American Catholic priest and populist leader who promoted antisemitic and pro-fascist views. Rush Limbaugh is one of the most prominent conservative voices in the U.S. and has been for quite some time. Detroits WXYZ became a major force in 1933 with popular shows such as The Lone Ranger. 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. She was an ink artist and wife to Walt Disney. WKN New evidence has been sent to us by Alfred Cowles, Jr. that his father Alfred L. Cowles, Sr. started WKN, the first Memphis radio station in 1921. Radio DJs - Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia Famous Radio Personalities. Listeners waited impatiently for each new episode to discover what troubles would befall the mishap-prone twosome. While much of his message regarded a type of economic populism, which emphasized the common person, he regularly attacked prominent Jewish people. "Lost Horizon," an episode of the motion-picture adaptation series Academy Award Theater, starring Ronald Colman; airdate November 27, 1946. Radio use was not confined to economic class. Jazz was In 1937 a reporter captured his reaction to the crash of the Hindenburg. 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. . This was Radio. The genres and stars of the 1930s became the genres and stars of television in the 1950s. Radio 1929-1941 | Encyclopedia.com Alienation from American traditions was minimized and a foundation for a later boon in such interests following World War II was established. Millions of others saw their paychecks reduced or lived in constant fear that they, too, would finally be hit with economic hardship. The power of radio was being exploited in the international arena, also. 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. (Picks up phone. Bruccoli, Mathrew J. and Richard Layman. 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. Some radio programming was used for propaganda purposes, while other programs were aimed at keeping up the morale of the public. A coloratura soprano, she performed opera, concert, and supper club singing. Radio Priest: Charles Coughlin, the Father of Hate Radio. 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. As his comments became increasingly political, his anti-Semitic (Jewish), pro-Hitler views became clear, and CBS dropped his program when his comments became too inflammatory. In 1922 he introduced the Radiola, for $75, and made radio a household appliance. The Roman Catholic priest from the Detroit, Michigan area was broadcast throughout much of the 1930s. Douglas, Susan Jeanne. Other news events also came into the homes of many Americans. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. American women considered how their favorite characters dealt with the challenges of life. Hillard, Robert L and Michael C. Keith. Children would mail in a label and a modest amount of money for the ring. The price was a steep, but often worthwhile, investment for families that were foregoing most other forms of paid entertainment. Early Work 100 memorable DJs and radio personalities from Cleveland's past 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. To celebrate 40 years of . 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. 1920s Radio and Music in America FamilySearch Tens of millions of people listened to his weekly radio broadcasts. The list consists of 665 members. By 1944 it had been renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). 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. 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. Coughlin was extraordinarily popular, with millions of listeners each Sunday. 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. With these changes radio remained a highly popular medium of entertainment and information for the American public. The change of one vote would have thrown all the affairs of this great Nation back into hopeless chaos.