Long before the advent of television and video on demand, radio used to be the chief source of information and entertainment. In fact, it was part of the popular culture of yore and responsible for giving a platform to both budding as well as established artists of the time. The period of the twenties, thirties and leading right up to the fifties is considered to be the golden era of music and drama. These elements of popular culture blossomed and reached their pinnacle during the period with radio playing the all important role in their propagation. The role of radio in shaping the popular culture in the USA during the early twentieth century can be understood by the popularity of swing and big band music. As a subset of Jazz and originating in the by-lanes of New Orleans among the African American communities, swing became the signature of the times. It was characterized by a rich harmonic orchestration comprising multiple instruments and the rendition of soulful music (read vocal).
How popular was the Radio?
While swing and big band music ran riot inside theaters housing hundreds of enchanted audience, it reached out to millions outside through the ubiquitous radio. Yes, radio became the escape route for harried souls blighted by the Great Depression. Anecdote says that people were so enamored of the radio during the Depression that they somehow managed to pay its installments even though missing out on paying installments for other commercial goods like washing machines, vacuum cleaners etc. Statistics suggest that by 1935, around 22 million Americans owned radio sets. Interestingly, the humongous popularity of radios made the car companies sit up and take notice wherein they sold cars along with radios. Even theaters did not open until the popular radio shows of the era such as ‘Amos n Andy’ got over or even if opened, they fed the program live to their audience inside the theaters.
Radio shaping popular Culture
The genesis of swing music might lie elsewhere but its popularity can surely be laid at the doors of the humble radio. The stalwarts of the swing and big band era such as Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Ben Pollack and others did old time radio recording in the USA to reach out to a wider audience. Along with swing and big band music, radio also gave fillip to operas, comedy shows, and Broadway based dramas. During the thirties, radio stations in the USA began broadcasting a new art form aka soap opera. In this art form, dramas sponsored by soap companies (hence the name soap opera) were broadcast in episodes.
Regulating the radio?
At one point of time the popularity of radio grew so much that around 600 broadcasting stations began operating from the USA. However, the popularity also led to some confusion as broadcasters started vying with each other to get the elusive attention of the users. This resulted in a clash or overlap of radio programs. As a consequence, there was a demand for the government to set the broadcasting house in order by framing laws or guidelines. Accordingly, the Federal Radio Commission came into being to regulate and apportion suitable time to the programs.
The popular Radio Programs
The popular radio programs of those times, apart from the swing and big band music, were ‘Amos n Andy,’ ‘The Chase and Sanborn Hour,’ ‘The Shadow,’ ‘Our Miss Brooks,’ ‘Lux Radio Theatre,’ ‘Fibber McGee and Molly,’ ‘Gangbusters,’ and the ‘Sixty Four Dollar Question.’ The source material for radio broadcasts used to be the 16 inches transcription discs. Thus, most of the old time radio recording in the USA comprised such discs that were circulated among the radio stations for broadcast.
Conclusion
Even though the modern era has the internet, television, movies, videos on demand, and the social media for entertainment, radio evokes its own charm bordering on nostalgia. It reminds of a bygone era of soulful and melodious music brought alive by popular radio hosts and created by the maestros.
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