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As Martians invaded Earth in 1938, Orson Welles terrified the nation with “The War of the Worlds.” The ensuing panic caused a media sensation, and made Welles a star with the power to do whatever project he wanted. Three years later, he would create “Citizen Kane,” the greatest American film of the 20th century.
Incendiary bombs lit up the nighttime sky, and thousands crammed into underground shelters as Edward R. Murrow broadcast the Blitzkreig from London—live, via shortwave radio—to an America still unsure of whether or not to fight Adolf Hitler.
William S. Paley parlayed his father’s cigar company into the Columbia Broadcasting System and, along with rival NBC, began building a communications network unlike any in history. News and entertainment went out to the listener free of charge. Yet, advertisers paid the bills, setting in place the foundation for today’s television networks.
In 1933, as America’s financial system lay in ruins and the Great Depression pushed the nation to the brink, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took to the airwaves to speak directly to the American people. FDR used these Fireside Chats throughout his four terms as President. He knew the power of radio and he used it like no one before or since.
Many of the Old-Time Radio shows still offer genuine entertainment, but most importantly, they are a connection to the past: an audio history from the most important years of the 20th century. These voices came into America’s homes and became a shared experience not only between neighbors on Main Street, but on all Main Streets across the country. Radio entertained, reported, and influenced American society and history.
From Marconi, to XM Satellite Radio, Infinity, Clear Channel and the Podcast, "Radio Changed America" will connect the past, present and future of this ever-changing medium. |
