Old Radio

November 22, 1906: SOS international code was adopted officially in 1908. The SOS code was conceived by delegates who attended the Radiotelegraphic Conference  in Berlin, Germany . Many people think that SOS is short for ' Save Our Ship ' or ' Save Our Soul.' These opinions are not correct. SOS has no special meaning, SOS was created to simplify sending morse code signals during a state of emergency. By chance, SOS pads use the same initials because their name is based on a patented process, Soap on Steel. Because of the presence of radio communication technology, in 1927 International Radio Convention stated the distress phrase "Mayday" as the equivalent of an SOS code. "Mayday" is actually the French "M'aidez" (help me).

  November 21, 1938: Central City aired for the first time on this date. The show starred Elspeth Eric as Emily Olson and Van Heflin as Bob Shellenberger.  Heflin was eventually replaced by Myron McCormick. The show revolved around crime reporters who should reported on and cracked radio crime & mystery cases. The radio soap opera show ran for less than a year, starting from this date up to June 30, 1939. The lead star of the show, Elspeth Eric, was one of radio's most in-demand actresses at that time.

November 20, 1929: On this day, The NBC Blue Network broadcast The Rise of the Goldbergs for the first time. The series writer Gertrude Berg also starred as the lead character, Molly Goldberg.  The series name was shortened to The Goldberg s radio show when it moved to CBS in 1936.  The program ran until 1945 and returned for one season in 1949-1950.  Listeners responded well to the New York setting and the motherly character of Molly who shouted things like "Button up your neck. It's cold outside." In many ways, the program that Gertrude Berg devised in 1928 was unique. There was no such daily serial drama that reflected  its creator's own ethnic background explicitly.  Berg wrote all the scripts until the late 1930s, which was about five to six fifteen-minute stories per week.  She was also the star of the show and was paid $75 a week or equal to $930 in 2009. When a new script writer was hired, Berg continued to act as the show's producer.  Also, she

November 19: Happy Birthday Tommy Dorsey ! Tommy Dorsey was a hero of the Swing Era. The trumpeter and bandleader was also a radio host and, with his orchestra, a regular guest or performer on countless radio programs. He and his orchestra were regulars on Jack Pearl's "Raleigh-Kool Program" and "Fame and Fortune." Dorsey hosted his own program, "The Tommy Dorsey Show," in the Summer of 1946, while also hosting a few Summer replacements, "Tommy Dorsey's Playshop," and "Endorsed By Dorsey." His orchestra's signature tune was "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." Dorsey was born in Shendendoah, PA in 1905, the younger brother of Jimmy, with whom he would begin his music career. He first married at age 17, and embarked on his third and final marriage in 1948, at the age of 43. Sadly, "the sentimental gentleman of swing," died at 46, choking to death in his sleep while sedated by sleeping pills

November 18: Happy Birthday, Johnny Mercer ! The multi-talented Johnny Mercer may be best known as one of Tin Pan Alley's best lyricists, but he also made great contributions to radio, working as the emcee of the show "Caramel Caravan" featuring The Benny Goodman Orchestra , and later hosting his own series, " Johnny Mercer's Music Shop ." On this show, running 20 episodes, Mercer would sing his own songs, host other singers and musicians, and tell a few jokes. This allowed Mercer, who usually supplied others with words, to be in the spotlight and to showcase his extroverted personality and easy, Southern charm. His songwriting credits include "Moon River," "In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Hooray for Hollywood," and "That Old Black Magic." "Johnny Mercer's Music Shop" treated listeners to performances of such ditties as "Tired Teddy Bear" (Jo Stafford and Pied Pipers), " H

November 16: Happy Birthday, Jim Jordan (aka Fibber McGee !) Made immortal for his role in " Fibber McGee and Molly ," Jordan was born Nov. 16, 1896 outside Peoria, IL. With his wife, Marian, he formed the fictional married couple  Fibber McGee and Molly  , an Irish immigrants struggling to get by and coping with the scrapes Fibber gets them in. The act began on stage and moved to the radio in 1935, where it would stay until 1959. The old time radio program was one of the most popular of its day and lives on as a jewel in the crown of old time radio . Off the air, Jim served several terms on the Encino Chamber of Commerce, and invested in several businesses, including the Kansas City Hires Root Beer bottling plant. After the death of Marian, his longtime wife and on-air partner, Jim married Gretchen Stewart. His son, Jim Jordan, worked on the other side of the mic, directing several episodes of Martin and Lewis's "Colgate Comedy Hour" as well

November 14, 1921:  Samson and Delilah was performed at the Chicago Auditorium by a professional company for the first time on this date. It was aired for listeners by KYW radio, Chicago, IL. Originally titled Samson et Dalila , the opera was composed by  Camille Saint-Saëns, who was known as the greatest French Romantic composer. Samson and Delilah , was originally planned as an oratorio based on the biblical story of Samson and Delila. Later on the story was adapted for a full opera. For additional classical and opera radio shows, see also: Andre Kostelanetz Show Bell Telephone Hour Encores Chicago Theater of the Air Concert Hall Enchanted Hour Hour of Charm Metropolitan Opera Telephone Hour (Music From America) The Magic Key Lauritz Melchoir Collection Voice of Firestone

November 12, 1941: Mandrake the Magician debuted on WOR in New York City on this date. It was then that the chant "Invovo Legem Magicarum" was first heard. WOR is an A-class AM radio station (nighttime clear-channel station), located in New York, New York, United States, managing on 710 kHz. On 22nd February 1922, it started broadcasting using an AM transmitter (500-watt) on 833 kHz. From 1987, this radio channel broadcasted as a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting after being acquired from RKO. This radio channel has traditional or right-of-center views. It is one of the primary channels of the Shore to Shore AM system and broadcasts the Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball and football games. They had formerly been certified for use by the ship SS Florida, owned by the Orient Lines.

An ethnic Hungarian born on November 11th, 1904 as József Pintér, Joe Penner passed through Ellis Island as a child when his family moved to New York City. Penner began his successful radio career with the help of Rudy Vallee , who helped him earn his own radio show, The Baker’s Broadcast. The program began on NBC’s Blue Network on October 8th, 1933. Penner’s crazy , zany comic style was punctuated by his catchphrase, “Wanna buy a duck?”  Joe Penner  was voted as radio’s top comedian of 1934, but an ad dispute caused him to quit his radio show. Vox Pop began as a summer replacement series for Penner in 1935 until the creation of The Joe Penner Show on radio in 1936. Penner died of heart failure in 1941 at the young age of 36.

November 10: Happy Birthday  Jane Froman ! Jane Froman (November 10th, 1907 - April 22nd, 1980) was a famous radio singer and actress. In spite of her classical training, Froman was drawn to the songs of the modern songwriters. She met vaudeville performer Don Ross while auditioning for a radio show in Cincinnati. From there, she was able to join Henry Theis’ orchestra and was featured as a vocalist. Finally, Froman moved to New York City and appeared on the radio program Music That Satisfies with Bing Crosby . She joined the Ziegfeld Follies , who also had a program on the radio. At age 27, she became the top-polled female singer. Known throughout her career for volunteer work, she continued her contributions until her death.

November 9, 1948: This is Your Life , presented by Ralph Edwards, was transmitted on NBC for the first time on this date. The show made its way to TV after only two years of its broadcast. This is Your Life  became a successful show both in the radio and in the big screen. This show was revived several times .  Also, it aired with different versions and was remade in different countries including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. The premise of the show involved surprising a guest by “traveling their lives” in front of the audience.  The guest was walked through a biography of their life by the host.  The show is said to be the foundation of today’s “reality TV show.”

November 8: Happy Birthday Norman Macdonnell! Norman Macdonnell with  William Conrad Norman Macdonnell, born in Pasadena, California on November 8th, 1916, was a radio and television and producer best known for helping to create the hit TV and radio series Gunsmoke . Macdonnell served in the military during World War II and took part in the invasion of Normandy . Macdonnell and writer John Meston helped to create  Gunsmoke   the first major adult western program on radio and TV. The program was launched on CBS radio in 1952. The stories for the program took place in and around Dodge City, Kansas during the development of the American West. The program was starkly somber, a sharp contrast from the childish nature of many other western programs on the radio.  Macdonell went on to produce other popular radio dramas including  Fort Laramie , Philip Marlowe and more! Macdonnell died on November 28th, 1979.

November 7, 1932: Science Fiction adventure Buck Rogers in the 25th Century debuted on CBS. The radio serial aired from 1932 through 1947. The character of Buck Rogers was played by Matt Crowley, Curtis Arnall, Carl Frank and John Larkin. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century originally was produced by Universal Studios.  The American science fiction adventure television series  ran for two seasons from 1979 until 1981. Before the series aired, the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months.