October 23, 1932: Fred Allen Performance on CBS

October 23, 1932: On this date, Fred Allen appeared for the first time on radio on the CBS transmission, where he was later joined by his wife, Portland Hoffa. Allen first presented comedy show The Linit Bath Club Revue which came to be known as The Salad Bowl Revue on NBC. It was later renamed to The Sal Hapatica Revue in 1933, The Hour of Smiles in 1934, and Town Hall Tonight in 1935. It was finally changed to The Fred Allen Show in 1940.

Fred Allen’s career on radio lasted for seventeen years. He always wanted to make everything perfect. The need to present the perfect performance made him change his sponsor several times during the show's run. Town Hall Tonight helped him to settle down, which made into a radio star.

The show would have a huge influence on radio and, much later, television by the way of news satires. Allen's "Mighty Allen Art Players" were referred to during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson through "Mighty Carson Art Players" who appeared on the show. They also satirized other famous shows and films of the time. Town Hall Tonight show was the longest-running hour-long comedy-based show in classic radio history.

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1946 Great Crepitation Fart Contest

Not for the faint of heart, here is the remarkable 1946 Crepitation (Fart) Contest (part of the 1946 News Broadcasts Collection ). You'll enjoy the fart-off between champion Englishman Lord Windsmear, and challenger, Australian Paul Boomer who had stowed aboard a cabbage freighter. The hilarious comedy recording was apparently created a spoof by two Canadian radio sportscasters in 1946, but this 15 minute recording definitely has some gems in it. Apparently they made several copies, but it was not for distribution. The recording was copied again and again on disc and reel to reel tape. It was distributed underground and played in dark rooms and back alleys around the world. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element This recording is available with many other delightful treats on Random Rarities #7 available on MP3 CD , Audio CD , and instant download .

April 27, 1932: The First Performance of Ed Wynn on Texaco Fire Chief Show

April 27, 1932: Ed Wynn , the Texaco fire chief, graced the airwaves for the first time on Texaco Star Theater. Wynn, who enjoyed popularity as a vaudeville performer, gave as a condition to his switch to radio, that a live audience react to his humor.His condition was granted by the network and so began Wynn's career as the first true superstar of radio. Ed Wynn was hosted a popular radio show on Tuesday nights for most of the 1930s. The radio show was heard in North America and sponsored by Texaco gasoline. On the show Wynn played as the " Texaco Fire Chief ". He was often seen wearing a fireman's helmet. For this show, Wynn would turned down the offer form The Wizard in MGM's adaptation of The Wizard of Oz , to play a role on that show.

January 27, 1948: Wire Recording introduced the 'Wireway'

January 27, 1948: The first magnetic tape recorder was introduced by Wire Recording Corporation of America. ‘Wire Way,’ as it was called, had an integrated oscillator and was sold for $149.50 at the time.

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