Radio Broadcasting Today Part 2 of 2

Radio Broadcasting Today Part 2 of 2 March of Time Forum Edition Sign on door Lee de Forest Laboratories. INT Dr Lee de Forest w/ secretary dictates letter to National Association of Broadcasters, NYC - “Gentleman, what have you done to my child, the radio broadcast? He was conceived as a potent instrumentality for culture, fine music, the uplifting of America’s mass intelligence. You have debased this child, dressed him in rags of ragtime, tatters of jive and boogie-woogie”. Broadcasting station - news broadcast - commentators at American football game. 06:39:15 Recording of national debate programme - ‘America’s Town Meeting of the Air’ - guests at microphone on theatre stage debating Nazi Germany in front of live audience - discussion opened by ‘town cryer’ - guest “I’ve been living under the Nazis so long I’m a little more allergic to them than you are” - audience question. 06:40:40 Norman Corwen at desk - VO re experimental radio programmes - CU documentary scripts ‘Hiroshima’ - ‘Slums’ - ‘Schoolteacher 1947’. Library of Congress - INT broadcast of Lincoln scholars opening historic papers. Symphony orchestra broadcast conducted by Toscanini. New York Herald Tribune critic John Crosby at desk - switches radio from orchestra to melodramatic play then off - dictates article to secretary “...trouble is the bad programmes outnumber the good ones about twenty to one...the broadcasters don’t own their own souls...” 06:43:42 Audience participation show being recorded - female contestant doesn’t know who the father of America was & host has to mime clue when she doesn’t know capital of US - still wins $50. CU sign “The Better Half Tonight 8:30 to 9:00”; studio game show - male contestant makes farm animal noises while wife tries to hit him on the head - win radio & washing machine. Pan down radio schedule showing many soap operas. 06:45:54 Housewives listening to soap opera; actors in studio read melodramatic dialogue re love triangle - “You should know Mrs Black that love matters more than anything else...” - “You...vampire!” - sound effects man simulates footsteps as man leaves - “You dare to talk to me like that, you love thief!”. Organ music - announcer urges listeners to tune in “same time, same station” - another takes mic - “Time...marches on”. Broadcasting. Advertising - Commercials. Jokes. Gags. Snobbery. Popular Culture. Lowbrow. Entertainment.