1942 in radio

The year 1942 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.

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Events

• 1 January – All radio broadcasting in the Netherlands comes under full control of the country's Nazi occupiers. Publication of the only authorized programme guide, De Luistergids, begins.
• 9 January – Blue Network Company, Inc. is incorporated by RCA in the United States to hold the assets of the NBC Blue Network,[1] in case NBC loses their case against the FCC in court to maintain ownership of two networks.
• 29 January – The BBC Forces Programme transmits the first edition of Desert Island Discs, presented by Roy Plomley. Vic Oliver is the first castaway.[2] The series will still be running (on BBC Radio 4) more than 75 years later.
• 23 February – Fireside chat by the President of the United States: On Progress of the War.
• 24 February – The Voice of America begins short-wave radio broadcasting using CBS and NBC transmitters. Its first programmes are in German.
• 27 February – James Stanley Hey, a British Army research officer, helps develop radio astronomy, when he discovers that the sun emits radio waves.
• 28 April – Fireside chat: On Our National Economic Policy.
• 6 May – The Radio Doctor (Charles Hill) makes his first BBC radio broadcast giving avuncular health care advice to British civilians.
• 19 May – A subsequently famous BBC outside broadcast recording captures the song of the common nightingale with the sound of Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers flying overhead.[3]
• 26 July – Gene Autry takes his oath of office to join the United States Army during the broadcast of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch.[4]
• September – The Brains Trust first broadcast under this title on BBC Home Service radio in the United Kingdom.[5]
• 7 September – Fireside chat: On Inflation and Progress of the War.
• 12 October – Fireside chat: Report on the Home Front.
• 8 November – Aspidistra medium wave radio transmitter goes into service in the south of England for black propaganda and military deception purposes against Nazi Germany.

Debuts

• 24 January: Abie’s Irish Rose debuts on NBC.[6]
• 3 February: Red Ryder debuts on NBC Blue West Coast.[1]
• 1 March: KBON, Omaha, Nebraska, a Mutual affiliate, begins broadcasting on 1400 kHz with 250 W power (full-time).[7]
• 4 March: Junior Miss (1942–1954) debuts on CBS.
• 22 March: The Better Half debuts on Mutual.[6]
• 3 April: People Are Funny debuts on NBC.
• 5 April: The Army Hour debuts on NBC.
• 13 April: Are You a Genius? debuts on CBS.[6]
• 19 April: WJLD, Bessemer, Alabama, begins broadcasting on 1400 kHz with 250 W power.[8]
• 1 May: In Person, Dinah Shore debuts on the Blue Network.[6]
• 6 May: The Radio Doctor (Charles Hill) makes his first BBC radio broadcast giving health care advice.
• 9 June: Cheers from the Camps debuts on CBS.[6]
• 18 July: Chips Davis, Commando debuts on CBS.[6]
• 30 July: Stage Door Canteen debuts on CBS.[6]
• 2 August: Hop Harrigan debuts on ABC.[6]
• 3 August: An American in England debuts on CBS.[6]
• 6 September: Mayor of the Town debuts on NBC.[6]
• 20 September: The Electric Hour debuts on CBS.[6]
• 2 October: The Cisco Kid debuts on Mutual.[6]
• 10 October: Campana Serenade debuts on NBC.[6]
• 20 October: Songs by Sinatra debuts on CBS.[9]
• 31 October: The Bob Hawk Show debuts on CBS.[6]
• 9 November: Ceiling Unlimited debuts on CBS.[6]

Closings

• (undated) - Harold Teen ends its run on network radio (Mutual).[10]
• 3 January: The Bishop and the Gargoyle ends its run on network radio (Blue Network).[6]
• 3 April: Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt ends its run on network radio (NBC).[6]
• 26 April: Songs by Dinah Shore ends its run on network radio (NBC-Blue).[6]
• 26 June: Arnold Grimm's Daughter ends its run on network radio (NBC).[6]
• 23 August: Great Plays ends its run on network radio (Blue Network).[6]
• 11 September: The Bartons ends its run on network radio (NBC).[6]
• 22 September: Cheers from the Camps ends its run on network radio (CBS).[6]
• 25 September: The Story of Bess Johnson ends its run on network radio (NBC).[11]
• 27 September: Joe and Mabel ends its run on network radio (NBC).[6]
• 3 November: The Avenger (radio program) ends its run on WHN.[6]
• 22 December: An American in England ends its run on network radio (CBS).[6]

Births

• 7 August: Garrison Keillor, American public radio host of A Prairie Home Companion.
• 12 August: David Munrow, English early music performer and presenter (Pied Piper on BBC Radio 3) (suicide 1976).
• 29 August: Larry Monroe, 29-year veteran with KUT in Austin, Texas.[12]
• 20 September: Dan Davis, American radio personality on ESPN Radio.
• 24 October: Frank Delaney, Irish-born novelist and radio presenter (d. 2017).
• 11 December: Bud Ballou, American disc jockey and radio personality during the 1960s and 1970s.
• 24 December: Anthony Clare, Irish-born psychiatrist and BBC radio presenter (d. 2007).
• 26 December: Emperor Rosko (Mike Pasternak), American disc jockey on both sides of the Atlantic.
• Bill Brown, New York City television and radio personality (WCBS-FM, WPLJ, WNEW-FM).

References

1. Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3848-8.
2. Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0.
3. "Nightingales sing with RAF bombers overhead". BBC News. 24 March 2016.
4. French, Jack & Siegel, David S. (eds.) (2014). "Radio Rides the Range: A Reference Guide to Western Drama on the Air, 1929-1967. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-7146-1. pp. 76.
5. "The Brains Trust". Radio Days. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
6. Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
7. "KBON Goes MBS March 1" (PDF). Billboard. 28 February 1942. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
8. Alicoate, Jack, Ed. (1944). The 1949 Radio Annual. Radio Daily Corp. P. 347.
9. Young, William H.; Young, Nancy K. (2007). Music of the World War II Era. ABC-CLIO, Incorporated. p. 118. ISBN 9780313338915. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
10. Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. pp. 145-146.
11. Cox, Jim (2015). "Hilltop House". The Great Radio Soap Operas. McFarland. pp. 71–76. ISBN 9781476604145.
12. Curtin, Kevin. "Larry Monroe 1942-2014". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 20 September 2014.