Figure 1.-- The English favoriate "Just William" was broadcast on BBC radio in the 1940s. Child actor John Clark who was the voice of William on radio, until his voice broke and another child actor had to be found to replace him.

HBC's primary interest is in popular enrttainment. In America this meant commercial radio broadcasting. This of course comes from an American perspective, the only radio that HBC is currently familair with. In many European countries, the Governments controlled or actually owned the broadcast networks. HBC remembers listening to a wide range of interesting radio parograms as a little boy, including Amos and Andy, Fibber McGee and Mollie, Gang Busters, Gunsmoke, The Jack Benny Show, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow, and many others. Radio was, however, the exact opposite of the silent films in that it was very difficult to cross international boundaries becaise of the language prioblem. In addition different countries had far different policies concerning radio and programing. In most countries there was far greater Government control than in America. The extremes of course were the totalitarian countries (Fascist Italy, NAZI Germany, and the Soviet Union). The radio indistry and programing in other countries fell between these two extremes. Of course in America and other countries, the advent of television changed the nature of radio programing.

American Radio

The first American commercial radio broadcast took place on November 6, 1920, in Pittsburg Peensylvania. The station was KDKA. A Westinghouse employee climbed into a wooden shack on the roof of a company plant and spoke into a converted telephine mouth piece. The first words were, "We shall now broadcast the election returns." He went on to provide details on the election of Warren Harding as president. It did not take long for radio to become a major industry. By 1925 about 10 percent of Americans had radios and by 1933, despite the Depression, 63 percent of Americans had acquired a radio. Though forgotten today, these stations--which often featured popular broadcasters, and catered to working class and rural audiences--played an important yet overlooked role in shaping the future course of American broadcasting. Many of the television staples like news programing, detective shows, adventure shows, sitcoms, quiz shows, variety shows, evangelists, and others were all developed on the radio. So was the western, a now forgotten program type. Virtually every American family had a radio which was usually given a place of honor in the living room. The radio was at the time a major piece of furniture. The radio by the late 1920s and especially the 1930s had become a major medium delivering news to Americans. For the kids of course, especially the boys, it was those thrilling adventure series that attracted them to radio. Some parents also worried about the impact of the War reporting as well as some violent radio programs would have on their children--a concern which has continued to this daty. Children listened to radio adventure programs an average of 14 hours a week, much less than the moder TV generation. Recent historical scholarship on American radio in the late 1920s has focused primarily on the emergence of the large, corporate-backed stations that were eventually consolidated into the major national networks. This paper challenges this assumption by focusing on the many independent stations that flourished in this decade. American radio is today stronger than ever. There are 10,000 radio stations in America. Most Americans tune in at least once a week.

English Radio

HBC has very little information about English radio. One of the most famous radio, or wireless as it was called in England, broadcasts of all time took place during the 1930s in England, the abdication of Edward VIII. We know that the British also had commercial entertainment programing similar to American programing. We have noted, for example, of favorites like Just William on British radio. The stories were also broadcast on BBC radio in the 1940s. Child actor John Clark who was the voice of William on radio, until his voice broke that is.

French Radio

No informationa available.

German Radio

German radio beginning in January 1933 was under the control of NAZI Minister of Propaganda Josef Goebbels. Thus during the 1930s and 40s, the so called Golden Age of radio, all German radio was under the strict control of the NAZIs. We know that programing was tightly controlled and censorded by the NAZIs. We know nothing, however, about actual programming. After Kristalnacht in 1938, Jews were forced to turn in their radios. During World War II, the Germans took many measures to control radio listening in the occupied countries.

Luxembourg Radio

Radio Luxembourg was exciting and challenging in a variety of ways. I'm not sure when it began broadcasting commercially, but transcripts date back to 1933. It was international, broadcasting in three languages (French, German and English). Radio Luxembourg was a commercial and popular success. As Luxembourg was close to Germany, Germans could get listen to news in Germany that was not controlled by the Ministry of Propaganda. Its entertainment-based style was a direct contrast to the formality of the BBC of the day, and it built a large and dedicated listening audience throughout Europe. When German forces invaded neutral Luxembourg in May 1940, the station with its international audience was used as a vehicle for propaganda. Lord Haw Haw broadcast from the station in English during this period. The United States for a brief period after liberation in 1945 took control of the station and briefly used it for propaganda purposes, including mock broadcasts of a fabricated anti-Nazi German army unit in the Rhineland, broadcasting to the German people against Hitler. The script of the first British broadcast after the War, included mocking impersonations of Adolph Hitler. [Ruth Arnold, Sheffield University, January 29, 1999.]

Other Countries

We have virtaully no information on European radio at this time. HBC would be very interested in information that our European readeres can provide about radio in their countries.

Sources

HBC is just beginning to collect information on radio. one of the most interesting references uinclude: Susan Douglas, Listening In. Other good sources are: Susan Smulyan, Selling Radio and Michele Hilmes Radio Reader.

Created: June 18, 2002
Last updated: June 18, 2002