Old Time Radio: Through the Golden Years

Old Time Radio: Through the Golden Years By Chelsea Blessis, Kirsten Torgersen, and Rachel Beck

1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 Table of Contents

1930 • The radio became known and popular in 1930 through the 1940’s • Powel Crosley Jr. becomes the owner of the major station WLW

1931 • “Little Orphan Annie” debuted on radio • Radio Digest named the Mills brothers the “vocal find” of 1931 • They were found on CBS and were the first black group to win, what was the equivalent of today’s Grammy. • Unique and new show aired “The March of Time” • Marconi airs the new Vatican Radio Station • Demonstrates the possibility of using micorwaves communicating between Santa Margherita Ligure and Levanto 36km away

1932 • The BBC radio station introduced a marriage bar • Said that married women were no longer employed and if you were to marry, you had to resign. • NBC introduces a new series about a man who wakes up in the 25th century after sleeping for 500 years, called Buck Rogers

1933 • FM radio was first discovered • Astatic Crystal microphones were introduced • “The Breakfast Club” aired for the first time on radio • Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president and frequently spoke on the radio • He became known as the “Radio President”

1934 • The FCC was created to replace the FR, Federal Radio Commission • Law limits broadcasting in India • Popular Songs Magazine is published to learn new, favorite songs that are on the radio • ABC hired its first journalist

1935 • NBC radio network broadcasted American’s “Town Meeting of the Air” • This was an early form of electronic town hall democracy • Japan broadcasted to America • School Broadcasts began, and radio lessons were broadcast in all mainland states.

1936 • Radio was used for the first time in a presidential campaign • BBC airs it’s first news story

1937 • Herb Morrison reported at the scene of the explosion of the German airship, Hindenburg. • Bill Stern, a famous sports caster, gets his own show “The Bill Stern Show” • Radios get pushbuttons • Radio telescope is used to find natural radio signals across the Milky Way

1938 • “War of the Worlds” aired on public radio for the first time • Millions of listeners mistook the story and thought it was real • This story was a big influence in the radio world

1939 • 80% of the population now own radio sets. • Soap Operas became big, they dominated the stations • The Lone Ranger aired for the first time and also sold countless boxes of cereal • Franklin D. Roosevelt had 2 Fireside Chats this year about WWII

Old Time Radio: Through the Golden Years