The most popular form of entertainment in the 1930s was radio.
What were some of the most listened to radio programs?
Who were the biggest radio celebrities of the day?
Radio burst onto the scenes in 1920 and quickly became a national craze.
No other new product caught on as quickly as radio.
Everyone wanted to have one in their home.
Two years after radios went on the market, radio sales were bringing in more than $60
million a year.
Radios came in all shapes and sizes too.
The least expensive models could be purchased for about $8.
A nice radio might cost about $50.
The most expensive radios on the market were the size of a chest-of-drawers and cost more
than $500!
By the dawn of the 1930s, about half of the homes in the country had a radio.
There were also more than 500 radio stations operating in the United States.
Radio networks quickly developed programming to entertain their listeners.
During the workday, when most listeners were housewives, romance and drama programs were
featured.
The Romance of Helen Trent, Stella Dallas, and Life can be Beautiful were all popular
programs.
These shows were usually sponsored by products that housewives needed, such as laundry soap.
Thus, these programs became known as “soap operas”.
The after school hours were usually filled with action and adventure programs for kids.
Flash Gordon, Hop Harrigan, Sky King, and Superman were amongst the most popular.
These programs usually ran 15 minutes and kept children engaged while their mother prepared
the evening meal.
In the evening, everyone would gather around the radio and listen to programs the entire
family might enjoy.
The Lone Ranger and Amos & Andy were both popular evening programs.
Shows such as The Shadow would hook listeners with popular catch phrases like “Who knows
what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The Shadow knows!”
One of the most popular programs of the 1930s was hosted by Jack Benny.
However, it was not known as the Jack Benny Show.
As many programs of that era were, the show was named after the product that sponsored
it.
In this case, the show was known as The Jell-O Program.
With the rapid growth of radio’s popularity, companies had been quick to realize how effective
it could be for promoting products.
Medicines, food, soft drinks, coffee, and even cars were all advertised on the radio.
Stations also realized how effective radio could be as a source of news.
Radio listeners of the era grew accustomed to the phrase “we interrupt this broadcast…”
which was usually followed by a breaking news bulletin.
As technologies improved, many stations even featured a live “man on the scene” who
would report about events taking place.
Probably the nation’s best known voice on the radio in the 1930s was that of President
Franklin Roosevelt.
Throughout the decade, he offered periodic radio addresses known as “Fireside Chats”.
These addresses were intended to assure the nation that, although times were tough, things
would get better.