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