The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to 1941 which was much of radio's golden age. After the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. The United States was hit by a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, and deflation. By 1933, America's poverty rate rose to over 60%. In Cleveland, Ohio the unemployment rate reached 50%, in Toledo, Ohio it topped out at 80%. To counter the doom and gloom, the radio industry filled the airwaves with happy, optimistic programs, but there were a few shows that attempted to reflect reality. You will hear 4 of them. "A matter of Life and Death" from the Columbia Workshop in 1937, "Kiss and Jail" from Redbook Dramas in 1932, "Behold the Man" from the Columbia Workshop in 1938, and "A Man's Castle" from Lux Radio Theater in 1939.  For more information visit http://krobcollection.com

Family therapist and author Leslie Landis, Rachel Zhou of GirlUp, and two representatives of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

The Great Gildersleeve was a radio situation comedy broadcast from 1941 to 1957. The series was built around the character Throckmorton Gildersleeve, small town water commissioner and his family. One of the co-stars was Lillian Randolph, an African-American actress and singer. But later in the series her actress sister Amanda Randolph took the role. Both were active during radio's golden age and were often mistaken for each other. First we'll hear Lillian, and then Amanda as Birdie the maid on the Great Gildersleeve.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Without question, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the most visible, and celebrated leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. The legendary African American Baptist minister was the son of early civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Sr. Both men advanced the cause of civil rights for people of color in the United States, through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Inspired by Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of India's Mahatma Gandhi. In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality. We are going to hear Dr Martin Luther King Jr. on a 1960 edition of Meet the Press from NBC Radio. And we will hear Pacifica Radio coverage of Dr King speaking to anti-war activists incarcerated at Santa Rita Prison in California, on January 14th, 1968, less than 3 months before his untimely death in Memphis Tennessee.   For more podcasts visit KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Destination Freedom is a Chicago based series form radio's classic era which brought to life the experiences of Black Americans. This episode is entitled, Ghost Editor. It's the story of Oklahoma newspaper publisher Roscoe Dunjee. He founded the Black Dispatch in 1915, it was the first African-American newspaper in Oklahoma City. Dunjee used it as a platform to support civil rights and to reveal the injustices facing African-Americans.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Reality shows have long been a staple on television, but they first began on radio. One of the earliest radio reality shows was Alan Funt's Candid Microphone which secretly recorded ordinary people in real life situations. Funt would later take the show to television where it became they highly popular Candid Camera. Another radio reality show was Wanted, which helped track down crime suspects, and featured interviews with actual crime victims and law enforcement officials. Long before the TV show America's Most Wanted. There was also Nightwatch, a radio show which rode along with patrol officers as they battled crime, decades before the popular TV show Cops. You will hear Candid Microphone from 1947, Wanted from 1950, and two Nightwatch programs from 1954.  For more information visit KRobCollection.com

Americans are on the move. ABC News correspondent Alex Stone reports that there's an exodus from the states of New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Kansas, and Ohio. Tobie Stanger of Consumer Reports magazine urges Americans on the move to check their car insurance. Phil Sklar says more people are visiting his National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. James V. O'Connor feels Americans can improve themselves by not cussing. Michelle Weiner-Davis says lifestyles can be improved without the use of counseling.  More at http://krobcollection.com

It's about life in the inner city. We have a 1944 episode of the classic radio drama New World A Coming. It's entitled...Ghettos, the Black Belt, Their History. The narrator is the celebrated African-American actor Canada Lee. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

It was one of the most tragic days in U.S. history. On November 22nd, 1963 President John F. Kennedy was gunned down by a sniper's bullets while campaigning in Dallas, Texas. He was fatally struck in the head while waving to thousands of admirers as he was riding in a presidential motorcade with first lady Jacqueline. Arrested for the crime was Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US Marine. Two days later Oswald was shot and killed. Ever since, polls have consistently showed that the public believes the assassination was part of a conspiracy. Government investigators disagreed, but sealed countless documents. Adding to the mystery, at least 10 witnesses mysteriously died within 3 years of the assassinations. We will hear now the event first unfolded on the radio, with coverage from the Dallas-Fort Worth Area Broadcasters, ABC Radio, Mutual Radio, NBC Radio, and WBAP-AM.  More at KRobCollection.com

The Mills Brothers were the first African-American artists to have their own show on national network radio. They became a worldwide sensation for their ability to mimic musical instruments. Donald, Herbert, Harry, and John Jr, were born into a family of nine in Piqua, Ohio. They started singing in church, and were so talented they began appearing on Cincinnati radio stations. The jazz vocal quartet went on to make more than 2,000 recordings, which sold more than 50 million copies, with 3 dozen going gold. Their first number one hit was Paper doll in 1943. The Mills Brothers also appeared in films, and later on television. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. you will hear their pioneering CBS Radio show from 1930, and their appearances on The Andrews Sisters Show in 1945, the Spike Jones Spotlight Revue in 1948, and Guest Time in the 1950s.  For more podcasts visit KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

This is a lesser known series from radio's golden age, the Adventures of Frank Merriwell. It's based on the life of a fictional college athlete at Yale University during the early years of the 20th century. The character appeared in over 300 dime novels, and a few comic books. It first appeared on NBC Radio in 1934. Here are two episodes from the late 1940's. More at http://krobcollection.com

In episode #55 of Audio Antiques we brought you radio coverage of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 Washington DC celebration after making the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris. It made him an international hero. Just 42 years later, the Apollo 11 mission landed two American astronauts landed on the surface of the moon. On July 20th, 1969 Commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, as command module pilot Michael Collins orbited above. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the lunar surface, before lifting off to rejoin the command module for the return to Earth with 47.5 pounds of lunar material. The mission had the entire globe mesmerized, as you'll hear in CBS Radio coverage of the event.   Check out KRobCollection.com for more podcasts.

Labor Gangsters, Helping Drop-Outs, and the War On Drugs.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Its time for Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers Most of the shows were staged in Los Angeles and broadcast to US. Troops around the world. This 1942 episode features composer, pianist, and orchestra leader Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters a singer and actress who in 1939 was the first African-American to appear in her own TV show, and Eddie Anderson, an actor and comedian, who was a popular co-star on the Jack Benny Show.  More at http://krobcollection.com

He's been called one of the greatest civil rights statesman in American history. Frederick Douglass was born a slave in the state of Maryland in the early 18th century, and would later become the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States. Between that time Douglass became a national leader of the anti-slavery movement, an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln, and would write three autobiographies describing his life experiences. We have a 1948 radio biography about Frederick Douglass from the show Destination Freedom. First, the Making of a Man, followed by the Key to Freedom. Check out KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

The spotlight is on Nat King Cole, the legendary singer, jazz pianist, and actor. He recorded over 100 songs that became hits on the pop charts from the 1930s through the 1960s. Cole also acted in films and performed on Broadway. He was the first African-American male to host a U.S. network TV series. Before Nat Cole began appearing on television, he made many appearances on radio, including on the Bing Crosby Show in 1951, and the Frank Sinatra Program in 1946.  Following those appearances hear Cole's early biography on Destination Freedom from the 1940s. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Science fiction traces its roots back to ancient mythology. Its been popular in literature, film, and of course radio. At first, radio science fiction shows were created for kids. In the 1950's, the radio networks attempted to attract new listeners by creating half hour science fiction dramas for grown ups, to battle the new invention of television which was causing their ratings to seriously decline. Among the first of these was the Mutual Broadcasting System program 2000-plus. This was the first adult science fiction series on radio. 2000 Plus was quickly followed by other programs. You're going to hear The Other Man, an episode of 2000 Plus from 1950. Also, Universe from Dimension X by NBC in 1950 which was the second adult science fiction show on radio. You'll also hear Requiem, from Beyond Tomorrow by CBS in 1950, and Bad Medicine from NBC's X-Minus One in 1956.  For more podcasts visit KRobCollection.com

Ventriloquism, PMS, and Heart Attacks.  More at KRobCollection.com

From 1955 it's the NBC Radio show Best of All. This episode featuring a salute to the National Association of Negro Musicians. Honoring African-Americans involved in classical music. The program is hosted by Marian Anderson, the famous contralto, who performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals, with renowned orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, between 1925 and 1965.  More at http://krobcollection.com

The Zero Hour was a daily Mutual Broadcasting System radio drama hosted by Twilight Zone TV star Rod Serling. You're going to hear three episodes from 1974 starring African-American actor Greg Morris, who got his start appearing on such TV shows as The Twilight Zone, Branded, and Ben Casey, and countless other programs in 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Francis Gregory Alan Morris is best known for his role as electronics expert Barney Collier on Mission: Impossible. And as Lt. David Nelson on the crime drama Vega$. Greg Morris, stars in Death at Half Length, Floating Down The River, and Once A Thief, on the radio's Zero Hour.  More at KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

The Great Gildersleeve was a radio situation comedy broadcast from 1941 to 1957. The series was built around the character of Throckmorton Gildersleeve, a small town water commissioner and his family. One of the co-stars was Lillian Randolph, an African-American actress and singer. However, later in the series her actress sister Amanda Randolph took the role. Both Randolphs were active during radio's golden age and were often mistaken for each other. First we'll hear Lillian, and then Amanda as Birdie the maid on the Great Gildersleeve.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Listen to radio coverage of the last remaining weeks of World War Two! This horrific conflict lasted from 1939 to 1945, with the U.S. joining  the fight against the Axis Powers in 1941.  The war involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries, resulting in 85 million fatalities. Many of the deaths were from genocide, massacres, and disease, making World War II by far the deadliest conflict in human history. We're going to begin with Mutual Broadcasting System coverage of the death of Adolf Hitler, plus reports on victory in Europe, the dropping of the atomic bomb, and the Japanese surrender, from NBC, the ABC Blue Network, and CBS radio.  More at KRobCollection.com

Ken Robinson traces the career of Jesse Owens, one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. The 23 year old African-American achieved international fame at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany by winning four gold medals: 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 × 100-meter relay. Owens is credited with "single-handedly crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy, in the years before World War 2.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Cab Calloway was a jazz singer, dancer, bandleader and actor, who's talents won him acclaim with a career that spanned over 65 years. Cabell Calloway III had several hit records in the 1930s and 1940s, and reached the Billboard charts in five consecutive decades. Calloway also made several stage, film, and television appearances until his death in 1994 at the age of 86. Calloway was the first African-American musician to sell a million records from a single, and to have a nationally syndicated radio show. He was also the first African-American to have a network radio game show. The Cab Calloway Quizzicale aired on both the NBC Blue Network, and the Mutual Broadcasting System. He received the National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Calloway's most popular song "Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. We have 4 of his radio appearances, first on the Shell Chateau in 1936 with legendary entertainer Al Jolson, a 1940 concert on NBC, an appearance on the wartime program Jubilee with Nate King Cole featuring George Burns and Gracie Allen in 1944, and on the program Guest Time in 1950.  More at KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Destination Freedom - A Chicago based series from radio's classic era. This episode is entitled, Ghost Editor. It's the story of Oklahoma newspaper publisher Roscoe Dunjee. He founded the Black Dispatch in 1915, the first African-American newspaper in Oklahoma City. Dunjee used it as a platform to support civil rights and to reveal injustices.  More at http://krobcollection.com

From the 1940's, it's the bar-room situation comedy series Duffy's Tavern, starring Ed Gardner as Archie the manager of the tavern. Co-starring on the show was Eddie Green, an actor, film director, and composer, who was one of the most influential African-American artists on radio during the golden age. Green got into the entertainment business as a boy magician in Baltimore, and later transitioned to Broadway, and the silver screen. Green's film career got him noticed by famous broadcasting personality Rudy Vallee who convinced Green to move to radio. This lead to appearances on the Fleischmann's Yeast Hour, The Royal Gelatin Hour, and Sealtest Dairy Show. Green was also a prolific songwriter, his biggest hit being "A Good Man Is Hard to Find. More at http://krobcollection.com

On this podcast we have four classic radio programs. The first is from 1944, and is the true story of Skippy Smith, who opened the first African-American owned-and-operated defense plant during World War Two. The second is the 1943 story "I Got Wings", a drama about one of the first black pilots in the Air Force. Next, the 1945 story of Dr Charles Drew, who's work with blood plasma, made blood banks and blood transfusions possible during the war. And finally, the 1944 story of one of America's greatest black scientists, Dr. George Washington Carver. All four episodes star pioneering stage-and-screen actor Canada Lee.  More at KRobCollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  More at http://krobcollection.com

From the 1940s, this is the popular and influential Wings Over Jordan program. It was a Sunday morning show, named for the prominent African American choir that performed on it during the 1930s and 1940s. The choir was founded in 1935 by Rev. Glen Settle pastor of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. The show originated on local station WGAR, but was picked up nationwide by the CBS Network. Wings Over Jordan used sermons and spirituals to promote civil rights across Jim Crow America. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

We have the 1944 Academy Awards ceremony as broadcast on the newly formed ABC Radio which had just purchased the Blue Network from NBC. The host is legendary comedian and actor Bob Hope. But before that, its the Rudy Valee Show, as the entertainer makes a bid to host the Academy Awards dinner. Helping him is comedian Pinky Lee, who would become famous hosting a children's TV show in the 1950s. Also, African-American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer Dizzy Gillespie. Experts say he's one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. Gillespie became a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. More at KRobCollection.com

This is one of the few classic radio programs hosted by a female. From the 1940s, The Judy Canova Show centered on the life of an entertainer from the country, who becomes a hit in the big city.  The show co-stars Ruby Dandridge as Judy's sidekick Geranium. The African-American actress had a career that included the stage, radio, films, and television. She's also the mother of celebrated actress, singer, and dancer Dorothy Dandridge.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Ralph Johnson Bunche was an American political scientist, diplomat, and leading participant in the decolonization process following World War 2, as well as the US civil rights movement. Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the Arab–Israeli conflict in Palestine. He was the first African-American and first person of African descent to be awarded any Nobel Prize. Bunche was involved in the formation and administration of the United Nations. In 1963, Bunche was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President John Kennedy. The Detroit native, and former resident of Toledo, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles, has been called the most influential African-American of the first half of the 20th century. You will hear the Ralph Bunche story in a 1949 episode of Destination Freedom. Followed by a 1962 interview on United Nations radio and WNBC Radio in New York with celebrated actress Celeste Holm.  More at http://krobcollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Its time for Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers. This 1942 episode features composer, pianist, and orchestra leader Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters a singer and actress who in 1939 was the first African-American to appear in her own TV show, and Eddie Anderson, an actor and comedian, who was a popular co-star on the Jack Benny Show.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

Game shows actually began during the golden age of radio, and they continue on radio and television today. Many of these shows are popular, and seldom cost much money to produce. The format is fairly simple. Contestants compete for a reward as directed by a host. On most game shows, participants have to answer questions, perform an act, or solve puzzles, to win either cash or prizes, which are provided by the program's sponsor. We have one of the first game shows on radio, the Ask It Basket from 1939. Followed by Raising a Husband from 1945, which was one of the very few game shows featuring a female host. Then, three of radio's most popular game shows, Twenty Questions from 1946, You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx from 1949, and Queen for A Day in 1950. More at KRobCollection.com

American Romance, World Walk, and Self Care. For details visit http://krobcollection.com

From 1948, this is an NBC Radio interview show called Author Meets the Critics. The special Guest is Walter White, who led the NAACP from 1929 to 1955. He joined the organization in 1918 investigating race riots and lynchings. White developed legal challenges to fight segregation and voting restrictions aimed at minorities.  Walter White tells his story, and talks about his autobiography.  More at http://krobcollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

One of the wackiest programs during the golden age of radio was the Danny Kaye Show. The actor, singer, dancer, comedian, musician, and philanthropist, had one of the highest rated shows in 1946, and his co-star was Butterfly McQueen. The African-American actress was best known for her appearance in the movie, Gone with the Wind. Often typecast as a maid, she said: "I didn't mind playing a maid the  first time, because I thought that was how you got into the business.  But after I did the same thing over and over, I resented it. I didn't  mind being funny, but I didn't like being stupid." In the 1950s, McQueen moved to television, winning an Emmy Award in 1980 for the ABC Afterschool Special "Seven Wishes of a Rich Kid". In 1989, the Freedom From Religion Foundation  honored McQueen with its Freethought Heroine Award. More at http://krobcollection.com

From 1944, it's the program New World A Coming. This episode is called the Negro in Entertainment, and features 24 year old Hazel Scott. A prominent movie actress, dazzling pianist, jazz singer, and civil rights activist throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Scott is in the history books as the first black American to host her own network TV show. Scott's career in America was sabotaged after she was forced to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950 during the era of McCarthyism. Scott subsequently moved to Paris in 1957 and began performing in Europe, not returning to the United States until 1967. Details at http://krobcollection.com

The Music of H the Great, one of the most prolific and talented creators of intelligent, ambient techno and more. Copyright © 2022 by HBeatz330, All Rights Reserved.  For details visit http://krobcollection.com

The Jack Benny Program was one of the most popular shows during radio's classic era. And one of the most popular characters on that program was Benny's trusty valet Rochester, as played by Eddie Anderson. He was the first African American to have a regular role on a network show, and became one of radio's highest paid entertainers during the golden age. Thanks to smart business investments, Anderson was one of the nation's wealthiest African-Americans who often used his money to help others. In 1950 Eddie Anderson was given his own radio show which was a rarity in radio and television for years to come.  More at http://krobcollection.com

Jubilee, a radio program that featured African American musicians and singers, hosted by Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman. Most of the shows were staged in Los Angeles and broadcast to U.S. Troops around the world. This 1944 episode features jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader Lionel Hampton and singer Dinah Washington.  More at http://krobcollection.com