ABSTRACT
At the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, attendees marveled at the new technologies of the World of Tomorrow, including a demonstration of television by RCA. Some cities now had experimental FM stations; FM promised to end problems with station reception and advertised itself as “static-free radio.” But in 1940, few people had a TV or an FM radio. As the new decade began, AM radio still ruled, and there were now more than 800 radio stations in the United States. Comedy shows remained popular; the New York World-Telegram’s annual poll of radio editors had Jack Benny at number one and Fred Allen number two. Fanny Brice, with her character “Baby Snooks,” was the only woman among the top ten comedians, although several of the male winners worked with a female sidekick (Fred Allen performed with his wife, Portland Hoffa, and Jack Benny often included his wife, Mary Livingstone, in the show). There were many popular female vocalists-the editors liked Frances Langford, Kate Smith, and Connie Boswell, but Dinah Shore, Mildred Bailey, and the Andrews Sisters had hits, too; popular male vocalists included Bing Crosby, the Ink Spots, Kenny Baker, and an up-and-coming young man named Frank Sinatra. Fan magazines came and went. Radio Stars was no longer around; it had become part of the movie magazine Modern Screen in 1939. The same thing happened to Radio Guide-it was now Movie and Radio Guide. Publishers could save money by combining two similar magazines, and it made sense in this case, since many movie stars were heard on radio and many radio stars performed in film. Then, as now, celebrity talk and celebrity gossip were popular. Syndicated gossip columnist Louella Parsons had had her own radio show in the early 1930s; she would soon return to radio. Her archrival Hedda Hopper was on the air, doing a show for CBS; so was Nellie Revell, or “Neighbor Nell,” who knew every celebrity in New York and was able to get them to appear on her show.
