THE GOLDEN WE; A HISTORY OF BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STA TES 1933-195 r_ ERIK BARNOUW s 11*. !,f THE GOLDEN WEB A History of Broadcasting in the United States Volume II, 1933 -1953 ERIK BARNOUW The giant broadcasting networks are the "golden web" of the title of this continuation of Mr. Bamouw's definitive history of Amer- ican broadcasting. By 1933, when the vol- ume opens, the National Broadcasting Com- pany was established as a country -wide network, and the Columbia Broadcasting System was beginning to challenge it. By 1953, at the volume's close, a new giant, television, had begun to dominate the in- dustry, a business colossus. Mr. Barnouw vividly evokes an era during which radio touched almost every Ameri- can's life: when Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats" helped the nation pull through the Depression and unite for World War II; other political voices -Mayor La Guardia, Pappy O'Daniel, Father Coughlin, Huey Long -were heard in the land; and overseas news -broadcasting hit its stride with on-the -scene reports of Vienna's fall and the Munich Crisis. The author's descrip- tion of the growth of news broadcasting, through the influence of correspondents like Edward R. Murrow, H. V. Kaltenborn, William L. Shirer, and Eric Sevareid, is particularly illuminating. Here are behind- the -scenes struggles for power -the higher the stakes the more im- placable- between such giants of the radio world as David Sarnoff and William S. Paley; the growing stranglehold of the ad- vertising agencies on radio programming; and the full story of Edwin Armstrong's suit against RCA over FM, with its tragic after- math. Here also is an extraordinary array of personalities -entertainers and musicians, $9.00 ----111111119 Reviews of A TOWER IN BABEL A Historyf o f Broadcasting in the United States to 1933 by Erik Barnouw A comprehensive history of broadcasting in America has been a long time coming, but is well worth waiting for.... an especially good job of disentangling the technical and legislative developments of the early years. Both the index and illustrations are excellent. Highly recommended." -R. A. Hanun, Library Journal .... recalls the wonder, confusion, comedy, and drama of broadcast- ing's formative years. Photos of early -era stars and excerpts from scripts of such popular programs as Amos 'n' Andy and The Goldbergs add. to the enjoyment." Alfred Balk, Satirday Review "It is by far one of the most readable books about the history of broad- casting written by an American scholar.... the author has produced a narrative tour de force by pulling so many separate strands together in making a unified statement about the beginnings of broadcasting in this country." -Robert R. Smith, Journal of Broadcasting . a storehouse of detail, intriguing where it is fresh, nostalgic where it is familiar. Radio in the twenties now has a standard refer- ence." -Burl .`:o{kk, The Journal of American History "Barnouw presents a carefully researched, scholarly report that will stand enduringly as a principal source hook for students of communi- cation and for social historians who address themselves to the decade of the twenties." -Robert B. Hudson, Public Opinion Quarterly Oxford University Press, New York THE GOLDEN WEB A History of Broadcasting in the United States Volume 11 -1933 to 1953 ERIK BARNOUW New York OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1968 Of 1 Copyright © 1968 by Erik Bamouw Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 66 -22258 Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS Introduction, 3 1 EITHER /OR, 5 A real pro, 7 The land of irium, 9 The press attacks, 18 Twenty -five per cent, 22 Eyebrow, z8 About ready, 37 Fascist rehearsals, 44 Radio at the ramparts, 51 2 REBIRTH, 55 Not for sale, 64 Marquee, 70 Another Archie, 71 Haystack, 74 Across the goal line, 76 New Jersey invaded, 83 We proudly present, 89 Studio 1936 -38, 108 Ballad, 116 Front, 121 Edge of chaos, 125 This reporter, 140 Campaign 1940, 142 Lifeline, 146 Worldwide, 149 3 CRUSADE, 155 Chain break, 168 Coalition, 174 Gulliver, 181 Lifesaver, 187 Stars and atabrine, 190 Drive, 197 The champ, 206 Summit, 211 4 PEACE, 216 The groups, 220 A low -cost automobile, 225 Blue book, 227 Meanwhile back at the networks, 237 Tax -wise, 242 Or affiliated sympathetically with . , 246 5 PURGE, 253 Give 'em hell, 257 Peace meeting, 26o What we all want, 262 Desk copy, 265 Supermarket, 273 High places, 283 Sic transit, 284 Panicsville, 290 The margin of doubt, 292 1952, 295 APPENDIX A: Chronology, 305 APPENDIX B: Law, 311 Communications Act of 1934, 311 BIBLIOGRAPHY, 349 INDEX, 371 INTRODUCTION The web of human things ... that are not as they were. SHELLEY, Alastor Until the late 1920's broadcasting in the United States was largely a story of separate transmitter towers, each independent, each vying for attention with countless others. This period has been chronicled in A Tower in Babel, first of three volumes in this study. Even in that first era, broadcast- ing showed an unexpected ability to move and persuade, and precipitated epic struggles for control. Then a new element was added. Transmitters in various parts of the country began broadcasting the same singer, the same speaker, the same comedian, the same drama. To listeners it seemed a logical, rational step, readily accepted. But in the process a new force had been added to the nation's power constellation: the network. Within a few years it was a dominant element not only in broadcasting but in many other fields. A far- ranging shift in relationships and influences was under way. What is a network? In a way it is- strangely enough -almost nothing, a phantom. It is mainly a tissue of contracts by which a number of stations are linked in operation. The linkage has been done largely through leased telephone cables which the entrepreneur -the "network" -does not own. Each of the stations so linked uses an air channel which is a public re- source and which neither network nor station can own. Thus networks as businesses would seem to rest on the flimsiest foundations. Yet they have become a major power center -having, in an age of American hegemony, world -wide ramifications. This volume, The Golden Web, will trace the rise of the American net- 3 4 THE GOLDEN WEB works during the years 1933-53. At the start of this period they were na- tional distributors of voices and sounds; by its end they were distributors also of moving images, and reaching into international spheres. This would usher in an era dominated by television and the pax Americana, to be chronicled in a third volume. The present volume, like A Tower in Babel, will examine what was broadcast, by whom, and why. Again the "why" will require us to scruti- nize behind -the -scenes struggles, which tended to become more elusive- and more implacable -as the stakes rose. Again we shall find in action an extraordinary array of personalities -brilliant, arrogant, psychopathic, in- spired, corrupt, dynamic, witty, relentless, tricky, ambitious. We shall also try to explore, insofar as we now can, their impact on our lives -on the web of human relationships, that are not as they were. 7 / EITHER / OR Woe unto them ... that lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches ... the houses of ivory shall perish and the great houses shall have an end. Book of Amos On a Sunday early in 1933 a minister told his congregation he would preach the next week on a text from Amos. It was the depth of the De- pression; the minister was appalled at what he saw around him. There were breadlines of silent men and women. Many towns were bankrupt. Schoolteachers went unpaid, and in many towns school doors were closed. Yet the nation as a whole was rich in resources, and many individuals were affluent. As numbers of businesses collapsed, many others were strengthening their position. In many industries the concentration of power and wealth, evident throughout the 1920's, had been furthered by the Depression. All this had been in the minister's thoughts as he chose his text from Amos. He had in mind the prophet's warning: "The houses of ivory shall perish and the great houses shall have an end." On the following Sunday he was gratified that crowds of people came to church, but their reactions to his sermon puzzled him. He learned later that they had thought he would be talking about Amos 'n' Andy.1 The incident epitomized some of the bizarre aspects of the moment, and the role of American broadcasting in it -a role due for change. It was a time of the breaking of nations. Throughout the world hunger amid prom- ise of plenty was precipitating perilous action. In Germany it had brought Hitler to power; in cascades of rhetoric he foreshadowed military glory. In Italy the same pattern had been set by Mussolini, eyeing Ethiopia. Japan had begun a grab for China's resources. In the United States the despera- 1. Social Service Bulletin, February 15, 1933. 5 6 THE GOLDEN WEB tion of the unemployed-fifteen million in number, according to some es- timates -had swept into office Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose views were largely unknown and who was regarded by most business leaders with mistrust and hostility. As the President -elect faced his task, the national economy approached paralysis. In state after state banks closed their doors. Yet throughout these weeks millions sat spellbound nightly by two performers -a southerner and a mid -westerner -trained in the stereotypes of "blackface" minstrel comedy -Amos 'n' Andy.