 1935 promotional brochure for America's Town Meeting of the Air | |
| Genre | analysis, commentary, discussion |
|---|---|
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | NBC Blue Network (1935–1943) ABC Radio (1943–1956) |
| Hosted by | George V. Denny, Jr. John Daly |
| Recording studio | The Town Hall, New York City |
| Original release | May 30, 1935 – July 1, 1956 |
| Sponsored by | Reader's Digest (1944-1945) |
America's Town Meeting of the Air was a public affairs discussion broadcast on radio and television from May 30, 1935, to July 1, 1956, mainly on the NBC Blue Network and its successor, ABC Radio. One of radio's first talk shows, it began as a six-week experiment, and NBC itself did not expect much from it.[1]
Broadcast live from New York City's Town Hall, America's Town Meeting of the Air debuted on Thursday May 30, 1935, and only 18 of NBC's affiliates carried it.[2] The topic for the first show was "Which Way America: Fascism, Communism, Socialism or Democracy?"[3] The moderator was George V. Denny, Jr., executive director of the League for Political Education, which produced the program. Denny moderated the program from 1935 to 1952 and had a major role in choosing weekly topics. Denny and the League wanted to create a program that would replicate the Town Meetings that were held in the early days of the United States.[4]
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "George V. Denny, Radio Host, Dead." New York Times, November 12, 1959, p. 35.
- ^ Overstreet, Harry A. and Bonaro W. Overstreet. Town Meeting Comes to Town. Harper and Brothers, 1938.
- ^ "Boston Symphony Returns to the Air; Town Meetings to Be Resumed as Public Forum." New York Times, November 1, 1936, Section X, p. 13.