Old Radio

  February 13, 1939: The Carters of Elm Street , NBC's radio soap opera , featured the new character of Ms. Carter, played by Virginia Payne. Virginia Payne, an American radio actress, was popular for her previous role as Ma Perkins . She was able to play the role throughout the show's 27-year run without missing a single episode (that's out of over 7,000 episodes the show broadcast). In addition to her well-known role, Payne also portrayed the character of Mrs. Kerry Carter on the radio program The Carters of Elm Street , which is often called one of the most realistic series ever made. It tells the story of a wife who struggles to achieve happiness for her and her family. The program also stars Vic Smith as Mr. Henry Carter.

February 12, 1924: The National Carbon Company, became the first sponsor for network program on radio that titled The Eveready Hour. The program was aired for the first time on radio station WEAF in New York City in 1923. The program was inspired by Edgar White Burrill reading Ida M. Tarbell's He Knew Lincoln that was aired on WJS that was heard by the National Carbon Company's chairman, George Furness. Furness the produced and supervised a show that explored American culture on radio broadcast. The show then known as The Eveready Hour. On 4th November 1924, when the elcetion night, The eveready hour aired from 18 radio stations, hosted by Will Rogers , Art Gillham, Carson Robison. That show entertained the audience between the election returns given by Graham McNamee . The Eveready Hour lasted until 1930 on NBC.

  February 11, 1940: The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street aired on NBC Blue Network for the first time. The famous musical variety program involved numerous eminent personalities like Zero Mostel and Dinah Shore and was presented by Milton Cross. "A Bostonian looks like he is smelling something. A New Yorker looks like he's found it……….." The program was a wonderful mix of jazz, satire, and blues. Though the show was meant to be a satirical take on operatic and symphonic broadcasts, listeners would be transported into the world of the unmistakably great swing music of blues and hot jazz. Milton Cross, the show's announcer, spiced it up with his humor and witty remarks. The appearance of Dinah Shore and Lena Horne on the show as featured vocalists helped them achieve their popularity.

February 10: Happy Birthday, Jimmy Durante Actor, personality, voice-over expert and owner of a famous "schnozzola," Jimmy Durante was born on this day in 1893. Jimmy's calling card was his raspy, urbane voice. He hosted the Durante-Moore Show with partner Garry Moore and went solo with The Jimmy Durante Show in 1947. "Dat's my boy dat said dat!" was a catchphrase on the first iteration of the program. Like many shows of the era, The Jimmy Durante Show featured comedy and music. Do you remember guest appearances by: Lucille Ball , Victor Moore, Bing Crosby , and Al Jolson ? After his radio career, Durante voiced the Narrator of the 1969 cartoon special "Frosty the Snowman." He died in Santa Monica on Jan. 29, 1980.

February 8, 1924: On this day John Joseph Carty from the Bell Telephone System has speech in Chicago. The speech was broadcast across the nation with the first coast to coast radio transmission. Approximately 50 millions people listened to the speech John Joseph Carty was born at Cambridge, MA, 14 April 1861. Carty started his career at Bell Telephone Co. in 1879.  John J. Carty was a pioneer in the history of American telephony. He received the Franklin Medal in 1916 in recognition of his role in the development of the telephone. Carty led to the development of the switchboard technology and technology that can reduce interference noise on the telephone line. As chief engineer of the AT&T, he led an experiment with holding a transcontinental telephone line. The experiment became the first wireless connection that transmitted voice between the continents. That was also the beginning  of coast to coast radio broadcast

February 7: Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens We salute the author of A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, David Copperfield, and many other classics because so many of his works were adapted into radio plays. If you can recall sitting on the floor with the fire crackling nearby, your mom sorting her coupons at the coffee table, and radio actors giving voice to great Dickens dramas, here's what you're remembering, specifically: A Tale of Two Cities on Lux Radio Theatre , 1942, 1945, and 1946 Great Expectations on Theatre Guild , 1953 David Copperfield on Theatre Guild , 1950 A Christmas Carol on Campbell Playhouse , 1939 Dickens' work was also presented on Suspense , Richard Diamond , Escape and Lights Out . Imagine turning on commercial radio today and hearing classic literature instead of gossip about Miley Cyrus or the latest hit song by Justin Bieber.

February 6: Happy Birthday, Ronald Reagan Inventing the cotton gin was one of the only things Ronald Reagan didn't do. The actor, governor, and president actually began his career as a radio announcer. It all began for Dutch Reagan in 1932 when WOC from Davenport, Iowa needed someone to call the Iowa-Minnesota homecoming football game. He moved on to WHO , a Des Moines NBC affiliate. Known for sprinkling some humor into his presidential communiques, Reagan honed his comic style, in addition to his television appearances, on the radio. As he became a relatively big name on the tube, he began, as many TV stars did, appearing on some of the big radio shows. His appearance on Lux Radio Theatre teamed him future wife Jane Wyman for an adaptation of Nobody Lives Forever. The Gipper also guested on The Bing Crosby Show, The Burns and Allen Show , Suspense , and Colgate Sports Newsreel . Later, The Great Communicator would broadcast many presidential speeches .  Rea