This week, we return after a couple of weeks away, and we can't wait to tune around the old radio a bit, listening to those old serials of 1932. This week's episodes: Si and Elmer, episode 52; Tarzan of the Apes, episode 4, from September 19, 1932; Family Doctor, episode 34, in which the doctor buys a new suit; and World Adventurers' Club, this time taking us to India, and with a particularly condescending story.

So, suspend your 21st century expectations for a while, relax with a cup of tea, and enjoy this week's Radio Journeys.

Radio Journeys is the only OTR show that presents original serials and network shows in their original order and in their entirety, piecing together surviving recordings. This week, those bumbling, yet vaguely competent sleuths Si and Elmer return, in episode 51. Then Tarzan once again, as heard on September 15, 1932. The Family Doctor gets roped into some politics, and the World Adventurers' Club gives us the weird tale of the "Black Hand." Plus, we take a look at the newspaper radio schedules of September 15, 1932, to learn a bit more about how these shows were scheduled.

Radio Journeys is the only OTR show that presents original radio serials in their original order and in their entirety, and in as authentic a manner as possible. This week, two more episodes of Chandu and Tarzan , both originally broadcast on Wednesday, September 14, 1932. Plus, everyone's favorite Family Doctor learns the hard way about the value of housework, and the World Adventurers' Club--one of the quirkiest serials of all--takes us into "The Land of Darkness."

This week, we continue the Tarzan/Chandu double feature, with episodes of  these two serials both originally broadcast on September 13, 1932. But first, we take a look at the marketing ingenuity of Edgar Rice Burroughs, who may have invented the concept of the "tie-in," and in grandiose style, too.

Plus: The good Family Doctor goes shopping and makes a mess of it; and the ever stranger World Adventurers' Club takes us to a village where the women kill all the men.

This week on Radio Journeys, we start cycling through the earliest radio serial with a name that remains iconic today: Tarzan of the Apes. We begin by taking a brief look at how the serial started--with more insight on the way in the coming weeks--and the very first episode of the serial, about the birth of Tarzan. Plus, Chandu The Magician returns, after a hiatus of several months. Tarzan and Chandu together make the first time that we have a long line of serials with the same date of original broadcast; both of this week's episodes were originally broadcast on September 12, 1932, and this block of programming will continue for several months.

Then, it's time for another delightful visit with the Family Doctor, and the sixth installment of the alluring World Adventurers' Club.

Podshow PDN {podshow-da95a41e44ad4b7d2673d4852c594bdb}

This week on an extended edition of Radio Journeys, we mark National Women's History Month with a special look at the Boswell Sisters... the innovators of "close harmony" female singing groups, with a sound that sparked a musical genre, and that influences female vocal groups even today. They were sensations on record and on the radio in the 1930s, and we'll hear two rare recordings of syndicated radio shows from April 1930--important historically not only because they are the earliest known recordings of the Boswells on the radio, but because they are some of the earliest known recordings of music produced for the radio. Then, we'll sample some of the Boswell Sisters' other radio appearances, through 1936.

Then, it's time for another episode of Ed Wynn in the Texaco Fire Chief, this one from August 30, 1932.

It's an eventful hour-plus, rare and historic, this week on Radio Journeys.

Here's the missing episode: Radio Journeys 76. Production was started, but not completed, until now! But all things work out for the best, and this week, a mistake becomes a special podcast... a double-feature, this week on Radio Journeys, with episodes 76 and 77 posted in the same week. Enjoy not one, but two hours of radio serials from 1932.

Radio Journeys is the only OTR show that presents original serials from the early '30s in their entirety and in original order. Journey with us to 1932, as we hear the latest episodes of the Redbook Dramas (from August 25 of that year), the Family Doctor (episode 29), Si and Elmer (episode 50), and the World Adventurers' Club (episode 5). A radio time capsule, every podcast, on Radio Journeys.

Yes, more of the serials of 1932, this week on Radio Journeys, the only OTR show anywhere that presents all known series in their original order and as completely as possible. This week's episodes: Redbook Magazine Dramas from August 11, 1932; The Family Doctor, episode 27; Si and Elmer, episode 28; and The World Adventurers' Club, episode 3, the Pancho Villa Adventure.

This week, we hear the second surviving episode of Ed Wynn's Texaco Fire Chief, as heard on August 9, 1932. But first... the strange tale of "Amalgamated," the radio network that very nearly "was." And, of course, the next installments of Family Doctor and Si & Elmer.

This week, the serials of '32 are back, with another episode of the Redbook Dramas, Family Doctor, Si and Elmer, and the World Adventurers' Club (program ad pictured at right). But first, one last look at early radio history, with a little more consideration of the first broadcasters--what were the "other" firsts in early radio?

It's been one of the most hotly contested titles in broadcasting: "The First Radio Station." At least four stations in North America have tried to claim it. The most famous of these, and perhaps the most widely accepted, is KDKA Pittsburgh, whose broadcast of election returns on November 2, 1920, has long been thought of as the inauguration of broadcasting. But history is more complex than that. There is WWJ in Detroit, whose amateur predecessor (The Detroit News' 8MK) had a daily schedule three months before KDKA. There is CFCF in Montreal, which received a government broadcasting license in May 1920. And then there is KCBS San Francisco, which traces its lineage to KQW and the early broadcasts of Charles Herrold, as early as 1909.

This week, in the third and final special on the origins of radio and broadcasting, we hear from two of these stations--KDKA and KQW--each asserting that it was the first. We hear KDKA's argument through an episode of "Adventures in Research," originally broadcast on December 30, 1944; and from KQW through a special local program presented on November 10, 1945, marking, ironically, the 25th anniversary of KDKA's purported "first."

It's a case of dueling radio stations, a tustle on the vintage airwaves, this week on Radio Journeys.

This week, Radio Journeys continues its special look at the origins of radio and broadcasting. In a unique, extended episode, we hear one of the most historic of all radio recordings: The earliest known recording of a complete radio program, a broadcast from 1924. This broadcast was also pioneering in many ways, most importantly as the first trans-continental network broadcast, with a chain of stations from Boston to San Francisco linked by AT&T telephone cable. It is significant as a document of general American history, as well. To find out why, have a listen. Radio of the most historic caliber, for New Year's, on Radio Journeys.

This Christmas Eve, 2006, is the 100th Anniversary of broadcasting... the 100th anniversary of the very first transmission of voice and music. This week, in a special, unusual presentation, we commemorate the man who invented radio as we know it today, Reginald Fessenden. In an exclusive interview, we talk with Dr. John Belrose, one of the foremost experts on Fessenden, and we hear Belrose's technical simulations of Fessenden's first voice transmissions. We ask the question, "Who was really the 'Father of Radio,' Marconi, as is commonly assumed, or Fessenden, who was for many years forgotten, but is now being reassessed?"

Then, we continue peeking into the very origins of radio, listening to the oldest known recording of a radio transmission... a bit of spark-gap radio from 1910.

It's a once-in-a lifetime Christmas this year... a chance for radio enthusiasts to reflect on the origins, and we do it here, exclusively on Radio Journeys.

This week, we inaugurate a new serial. Listen to find out which one we've chosen! Plus three serials continue: Redbook Dramas, with an episode dated July 28, 1932; Family Doctor, episode 24; and the return of Si and Elmer with a "new" adventure.

This week, the second episode of the Ziegfeld Follies from 1932, as we continue our special look at this seminal radio program. We feature the origins of "Baby Snooks," who first appeared on the radio through the Ziegfeld Follies. Plus, the last installment of Kay Kyser's orchestra, and another episode of the Family Doctor.

Radio Journeys returns after a two-week break for a much-needed studio upgrade. And this week, we pay tribute to Florenz Ziegfeld, the master promoter who only tasted radio fame in the last few months of his life. In the first of two podcasts focusing on Ziegfeld, we take a long look at his career, and the enormous legacy he left to American entertainment in general, and to radio in particular. Then, after installments of Kay Kyser and the Family Doctor, we hear the very first episode of Ziegfeld Follies of the Air, which sadly had only a very brief run in 1932.

This week, we hear the earliest surviving episode of Ed Wynn's Texaco Fire Chief, from July 26, 1932. Not only is it the earliest surviving Wynn show, but it's one of the earliest 10 surviving recordings of network radio. We take a look at the moving story of Wynn's short career in radio, and his legacy in American comedy. Then, it's another happy set from Kay Kyser's orchestra, and episode 21 of the Family Doctor.

Just in time for Halloween... We bring you... The Witch's Tale... from July 25, 1932. We meet Old Nancy the Witch for a tale of revenge, ghosts with severed heads, and pranks gone very wrong... It's "Rockabye Baby." Halloween... as it was heard in 1932. But before that, we feature the final circulated episode of Anne of the Airlanes, plus another cheerful quarter-hour with Kay Kyser's band.

Each week, Radio Journeys presents an hour of original radio as it was broadcast in the early 1930s, featuring serials broadcast in their entirety and in their original order. This week, four more serials: Redbook Dramas for July 21, 1932; Kay Kyser and "His Southern Gentlemen;" episode 20 of The Family Doctor; and episode 29 of Anne of the Airlanes. Plus... a "new" tune, on Radio Journeys.

Radio Journeys is the only OTR program anywhere that is dedicated entirely to the earliest days of radio--the 1920s and early 1930s. Each week, we reconstruct a full hour of programming from that time pieced together from surviving recordings, and in chronological order. We follow the early 30's serials in order and in their entirety. This week, the second of eight episodes of Kay Kyser and his orchestra from 1932 or 1934. And, another Redbook Magazine Drama, The Family Doctor, and Ann of the Airlanes. The early 30's just keep rollin' along, on Radio Journeys.

This week, we hear the first of seven shows by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, originally broadcast in 1932 or 1934... Masterpieces of early radio swing. Plus, the latest installments of our 1932 serials: Redbook Dramas, Family Doctor, and Ann of the Airlanes.

Radio Journeys is the only OTR program dedicated to the earliest days of radio, with a weekly exploration of radio as it sounded in the 1920's and early 1930's. Each week, we play one full hour of surviving programming from that time, going back as far as possible, piecing together what little remains. This week, we continue through the syndicated serials of 1932: Redbook Dramas, no. 6, "The Goat of Private Hibbs;" the last episode of Si and Elmer, "The Lost Baby and Dog," which is also the last episode of the portion available to most collectors; plus, the next installments of The Family Doctor and Ann of the Airlanes. If you've ever wondered what radio sounded and felt like so long ago, this is your place... a journey to the earliest days of radio.

This week, a special focus on Si and Elmer. After the first 40 episodes, more recordings of this quirky '30s serial do survive, but they are elusive and harder to find. Host John Grimmett has found them all, and he assesses what survives of the series. Then, into this week's installments of the serials: Redbook Dramas, Si and Elmer, Family Doctor, and Anne of the Airlanes. More pieces to fit into the puzzle... on Radio Journeys.

We're happy to be back, and we're continuing right where we left off ... with Redbook Dramas, episode 4, "Pass to Peking," a historical radioplay based on a story by Vincent Sheehan. Then, the next installments of the three serials we've been following: Si and Elmer, Family Doctor, and Ann of the Airlanes. Plus... It's the 75th anniversary of a milestone in radio. Take a guess, then listen. Hint? You'll get "just one more chance..."

Episode 3 of Redbook Dramas, from June 9, 1932, is our main feature this week, with a dramatized short story written by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, who later would go on to be a moderately successful screenwriter in the 1930's and '40's, then a pioneering t.v. scriptwriter in the 1950s. And, of course, the very next episodes of Si and Elmer, The Family Doctor, and Ann of the Airlanes.

This week, we start a two-month, nine-part presentation of Redbook Magazine Dramas, perhaps the first time these well-made radio short stories have been broadcast since the 1930s. Last month, we presented Episode 1, and this week we present Episode 2, dated June 2, 1932, featuring Virginia Harner's short story "He Knew Women." Plus, the latest episodes of Si and Elmer, The Family doctor, and Ann of the Airlanes, all syndicated serials originally broadcast in 1932. And... a look at what was on the air on Thursday, June 2, 1932, according to the radio page of the New York Times.

Yes, Radio Journeys is back after a brief vacation. We were delayed by technical issues at Libsyn, too. But here we are, and it's good to be back.

We're continuing through the serials of 1932--basically the only surviving relics from that year in radio. We hear Si and Elmer, episode 5 of "The Lost Baby and Dog" mystery; episode 12 of The Family Doctor; episode 21 of Ann of the Airlanes; and an episode of Chandu the Magician originally broadcast on WOR on May 31, 1932. And, a special treat: We take another look at what was on the radio, straight from the newspaper radio page of May 31, 1932. We discover that among the shows heard on that date was "The Happiness Boys," aka Billy Jones and Ernie Hare (photo at right).

Radio Journeys is back after a brief layover, and it's good to be back on track, with more of those great 1932 serials. As we continue to cycle through the serials--every single one known to exist, in chronological order--we hear Chandu, The Magician, from May 30, 1932. And the latest episodes of The Misadventures of Si and Elmer, The Family Doctor, and Anne of the Airlanes. This is radio as it once sounded... NOT for the "modern" at heart.

Our special feature this week is Redbook Magazine Radio Dramas, show #1, from May 26, 1932. Redbook Dramas were syndicated dramatizations of stories from the women's magazine, famous at the time for the quality of its fiction writing. Also: The usual serials continue, with Si and Elmer, the Family Doctor, and Anne of the Airlanes.

This week, the original horror--"The Witch's Tale," with an excellently preserved recording of the show originally broadcast on May 16, 1932. Plus, a look at how the show's creator, Alonzo Deen Cole, began his career and started a trend that still reverberates throughout media today.
NEW! Now Streaming!
RADIO JOURNEYS Presents ... Your Daily OTR ...
1930s Radio Programming Originally Broadcast on This Date.
Tune in here!
Daily Schedule Here!

This week's feature is the Majestic Theater of the Air, a show that had been a mainstay of the late '20s CBS lineup, only to become an obscure 15-minute syndicated serial in the early 1930s. And, of course, three more installments of the serials of '32: Si and Elmer, with a new mystery in "The Lost Baby and Dog;" Family Doctor, episode 8; and Ann of the Airlanes, episode 18.
NEW! Now Streaming!
RADIO JOURNEYS Presents ... Your Daily OTR ...
1930s Radio Programming Originally Broadcast on This Date.
Tune in here!
Daily Schedule Here!

Today, we inaugurate our new Stream: "Daily OTR," with background on how the stream works, and what you can expect to hear there. Then, into four more episodes from the serials of 1932: Si and Elmer, "The Family Doctor," Omar (illustration at right), and "Ann of the Airlanes." More authentic than ever, and growing more so... That's Radio Journeys.

NEW! Now Streaming!
RADIO JOURNEYS Presents ... Your Daily OTR ...
1930s Radio Programming Originally Broadcast on This Date.
Tune in here!
Daily Schedule Here!

This week, we celebrate the 50th episode, and first anniversary, of Radio Journeys with a special on Jack Benny... How and why he got into radio, featuring Benny's first "professional" appearance on the radio, from May 2, 1932. And, of course, two more episodes of the serials, "Si and Elmer" and "Family Doctor." It's the 50th episode of Radio Journeys, and that marks one full year of the Radio Nostalgia Network. Join us!

NEW! Now Streaming!
RADIO JOURNEYS Presents ... Your Daily OTR ...
1930s Radio Programming Originally Broadcast on This Date.
Tune in here!
Daily Schedule Here!

Three programs this week from the same evening, Thursday, April 21, 1932: Omar the Wizard of Persia, Episode 10, Chandu the Magician, and Anson Weeks and His Orchestra--the last is the final surviving episode of Anson Weeks. Plus, Episode 17 of "A Dangerous Mystery Case" with those clumsy country sleuths, Si and Elmer.

We're back, with more episodes of those serials from 1932. First, Si and Elmer, part 16 of the "A Dangerous Mystery Case;" then, Episode 5 of "The Family Doctor." Next, two adventure serials from the same evening of programming, April 20, 1932: "Omar, Wizard of Persia," originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on that date, and "Chandu, The Magician," originally scheduled for 8 p.m. Piecing together our fragments from the radio... on Radio Journeys.

This week: Family Doctor, episode 4; Misadventures of Si and Elmer, episode 23; From April 13, 1932, Chandu, The Magician; and from April 14, the seventh episode (one of two known surviving) of Joe Palooka. Plus, some news on the research front, as we continue to discover new dates for these shows. Radio history... on Radio Journeys.

This week, we win OTR collector's Bingo! Three shows all dated Tuesday, April 12, 1932. Here's what was on the radio on that evening, according to actual newspaper radio pages: 6:00 p.m., The Family Doctor (This one's a guess); 6:30 p.m., Omar, Wizard of Persia; 6:45 p.m., Joe Palooka; 8:00 p.m., Chandu, The Magician. This presentation of Omar is especially noteworthy: It is the first time a collector has established a date for the Omar serials, as well as a precise time of day for broadcast. Historic radio, reconstructed from schedules of the day... on Radio Journeys.

This week, we continue with the next episodes of four serials from last week: Si and Elmer, Ann of The Airlanes, episode 2 of the Family Doctor, and the second surviving episode of Chandu The Magician, from March 23, 1932. Plus, a look at the newspaper radio page for that day.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

This week, we start two more serials from 1932: The very '30s feel-gooder "Family Doctor," and "Chandu the Magician." Chandu is one of the earliest serials of its kind--an adventure serial with a magical adventurer, a concept that would take many shapes in radio through the years. This episode is the earliest known to exist, from March 17, 1932. Plus, the next installments of Si and Elmer, and Ann of the Airlanes.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

This week, continuing through the serials of 1932, as we finish two of them--Abroad with the Lockharts and the Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors. Also, as usual, the next installment of Si and Elmer and Ann of the Airlanes. Late afternoon radio as it sounded in 1932, on Radio Journeys.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

This week, our cycle continues through 3 surviving radio serials of 1932, plus the very special document "Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors." Plus, we look at the history of the Cocoanut Grove and Ambassador Hotel Los Angeles.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

The musical highlight this week is the Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors, with Jimmy Grier and His Orchestra, in a Sunday afternoon syndicated show from 1932, and from the legendary Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles. Also: The next installments of Si and Elmer, Abroad with the Lockharts, and Ann of the Airlanes, all from 1932.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

Anson Weeks is back, in a performance from February 24, 1932. And so are Si and Elmer, The Lockharts, and Ann of the Airlanes. And, we take another peek at the newspaper radio page, from February 24, 1932.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

The serials of '32 just keep rolling.... More from Si and Elmer, The Lockharts, Ann of the Airlanes, and George Bruce's Air Stories. Plus, a look at some of the legend and lore behind George Bruce and Aces Magazine, and yet another peek into the newspaper radio pages.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

More of those great serials from 1932. Plus, a look at what was highlighted on the radio page of local newspapers, the first day of February 1932, with samples of the Boswell Sisters and the Mills Brothers (photo at right).

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

It's more of those mysterious serials from 1932--the first year from which a truly large number of shows survive. We continue cycling through four syndicated serials: Ann of the Airlanes, Si and Elmer, Abroad with the Lockharts, and Air Stories of the World War. Late-afternoon radio as it sounded in 1932.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

Continuing this week with our cycle through the "mystery" serials of 1932: Ann of the Airlanes, Si and Elmer, and Abroad with the Lockharts. Plus, another delightful time with Anson Weeks and his Orchestra, in a broadcast from February 4, 1932.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

This week, we feature early radio's "mystery" serials--not "whodunnits", but syndicated shows that radio historians and collectors know almost nothing about. There's a set of these shows from 1932, and we begin cycling through three complete serials this week: "Abroad with the Lockharts," "Ann of the Airlanes," and "George Bruce's Air Stories of the World War." No dates, no times, no cast, and no production credits--true "mysteries" from the early days of radio. We'll take a look at what we do know about them, and listen to the earliest surviving episodes.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

We celebrate the new year by entering 1932, and we try something we've never done before: a "hypothetical" reconstruction of program schedules. Thanks to online newspaper archives, we can now see when and where surviving shows were originally broadcast, and present them in their original order. Our shows this week might have been scheduled like this during the first week of January 1932: 5:15 p.m., the next episode of Si and Elmer; 5:30 p.m., a gorgeous, mellow dance set from the Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors; 6:45 p.m., a new installment of Omar The Wizard of Persia; and 10:15 p.m., Anson Weeks and His Orchestra (photo, right). It's early radio presented more authentically than we have ever done before... a little comedy, a little adventure, and a whole lot of great music.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Purchase Old Time Radio Shows Here!!!

For More Information about Spin It Again, Click Here

For your Christmas, we start with a sonic Christmas card... an OTR stocking stuffer, if you will... a rare glimpse at how Christmas sounded on the radio in 1929. Then, a fully wrapped package under our tree: A production of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," one which we have dubbed the "mystery" Christmas Carol because so little is known about it. Was it made in 1931, or a little later? We'll find out. Plus a little history of this classic tale that has been told and re-told every single year since the dawn of broadcasting--"A Christmas Carol," on Radio Journeys.

"The Bingle" was one of the enduring icons of Christmas during the 20th Century, so this week we present, as a pre-Christmas special, a deeper look at Bing Crosby's earliest radio broadcasts, featuring some of the rarest excerpts from 1930 and '31 broadcasts. These include performances with the Rhythm Boys and exceedingly elusive excerpts of Bing as the "Cremo Singer" from WABC/KHJ in 1931. Information for this week's profile of Crosby comes from Malcolm MacFarlane and the "BING Magazine" website at members.aol.com/Macwilmslo/author.htm. Plus, the latest installments of Si and Elmer and Omar, Wizard of Persia.

Please Take our Listener Survey!

All Donations given this month will be divided among our hard working Podcasters. Merry Christmas to All

This week, we hear one of the earliest surviving broadcasts from network radio, and one of the earliest comedy/variety shows: Eddie Cantor on the Chase and Sanborn Hour from December 13, 1931. It's a document of history too, with Eddie announcing his candidacy for president and making all sorts of empty promises to end the Great Depression... just like any great politician should! Eddie's hat is in the ring, but his overcoat has been hocked! Great radio comedy from a bygone era... on Radio Journeys.

Please Take our Listener Survey!

All Donations given this month will be divided among our hard working Podcasters. Merry Christmas to All

This week, we spoil your ears with a pristine recording of Bing Crosby's first radio appearance, from 1931. Then Si and Elmer return for a new case of ineptitude. Last, another episode of the Witch's Tale, from December 7, 1931. Plus, a look at some reasons why so few recordings survive from radio of the 1930s.

Please Take our Listener Survey

All Donations given this month will be divided among our hard working Podcasters. Merry Christmas to All

This week, we engage in a little "audio-archeology," sifting through some of the rarest and most mysterious of all OTR recordings. First, we hear all five surviving fragments of "Smackout," the precursor to "Fibber McGee and Molly." Then, the earliest known episode of "The Witch's Tale," from June 1931.

Please Take our Listener Survey

Come on over our place tonight and spend Friday, March 6, 1931, listening to Radio Journeys. This week, it's the historic first episode of "The March of Time", Time Magazine's dramatic reenactment of news stories, with announcer Ted Husing (photo at right) narrating such news items as Big Bill Thompson winning re-election as mayor in Chicago, the sons of Joseph Pulitzer trying to sell the World Telegram, convicts leaving for the infamous Devil's Island, and the House Of Representatives adjourning its seventy-first session. Thanks to Jim Widner for his article on "The March of Time" at www.otr.com/march.html, and to Dave Goldin's "March of Time" show list at radiogoldindex.com. Also in this podcast: Another episode of Si and Elmer, and Anson Weeks and His Orchestra from March 10, 1931. Oh, and some of more of Dennis Humphrey's tea...

Please Take our Listener Survey

This week, the third of nine known, surviving episodes of the 1930-31 classic "Empire Builders," the earliest recorded dramatic series from network radio. This one is from December 29, 1930, and it stars a very young Don Ameche. Plus, a look at that great train sound effect that starts each episode. And: The first episode of the amusing, somewhat corny "hick" serial "The Misadventures of Si and Elmer," from 1931 or 1933, and the third installment of "Friendly Five Footnotes," with its delightful early '30s pop. They simply don't make radio like this anymore, so come along... on another Radio Journey.

This week: The second surviving episode of Empire Builders, plus more Anson Weeks and the Friendly Five Footnotes, all from 1930-31.

This week, the first of nine episodes of "Empire Builders," the earliest surviving network drama series, from November 1930 (original newspaper ad, at right). Plus, great dance music from Anson Weeks and the Friendly Five Footnotes, circa 1931.

We begin this week solemnly, with an appeal and a moment of silence for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and for our entire nation. Then, in our regular programming, we offer a brief profile of broadcast announcing pioneer Graham McNamee (photo at right), followed by the second episode of "Coca-Cola Top Notchers," from March 26, 1930, which McNamee hosted. Then, some good times with "Cliff and Lolly, the Nuts of Harmony," also from 1930.

In a special, "encore" presentation, we re-broadcast the pilot episode of Radio Journeys, now edited and improved. We jump into 1930, with three shows from that year: "The Life of Irene Castle" (photo at right), the earliest known recording of a full daytime women's program; "The Voice from the Housetops," another syndicated "musi-mercial"; and "Coca-cola Top Notchers," from March 19,1930, the earliest known recording of a full network entertainment program.

his week, it's more great 1920s jazz from the radio, with three excerpts from the syndicated shows of 1929 and 1930: Two from the Sunny Meadows Show featuring Ray Miller and His Orchestra (Photo at right). Plus, an undated, unnamed set of excerpts featuring Red Nichols. Great, historic, rare radio recordings to take us way back... on another Radio Journey.

This week, it's a night of music as it would have sounded on the radio in 1929. Syndicated, pre-recorded music shows were one of the great innovations in radio that year, with corporations hoping to market their products through shows that presented not only those products, but also some of the best music of the day. We listen to four examples: One from The Maytag Minstrels and three excerpts from Brunswick Brevities, the most successful of these shows. Brunswick Brevities include great, hot jazz performances by Irving Mills and Red Nichols. And hidden away in all of this is a sizzling vocal performance by a very young Hoagy Carmichael. Running Time: 55 minutes.

This week, we return to Newark, NJ, to hear local radio as it sounded in 1929. We hear two programs recorded for WAAM by the Edison Studios. Plus, a brief history of WAAM and its successor, WNEW, New York.