Publisher's Synopsis
Arthur Godfrey, The Romance of Helen Trent, Our Gal Sunday, The Goldbergs, President Roosevelt's Address to Congress, Amos and Andy, Joe E. Brown, Major Bowes, Louis Prima, and more all in a row! This is a recording of a full broadcast day, remastered (from the National Archives transcript disks) by Joe Bevilacqua. On Thursday, September 21st, 1939, radio station WJSV (CBS) in Washington, D.C., recorded their entire broadcast day -- from sign on, to sign off. This was before the advent of magnetic recording tape, so transcription disks were used. The overall quality of these disk recordings is good to excellent, except for a few spots of noticeable distortion and drop out. This collection is the complete broadcast day of the Columbia Broadcasting System's radio station WJSV AM, Washington, D.C. September, 21, 1939, was recorded in part because of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress. This twenty-fifth special session speech covered FDR's plans to change existing neutrality laws in light of the coming European war. You will hear everything as it was the day it was recorded -- that includes the pops and crackles, the station breaks, and the technical difficulties, along with all the music, comedy, drama, soap operas, a quiz show, war news, baseball, and advertisements that were aired on September 21st, 1939. Let this One Day in 1939 be your personal time machine, as you traveled back to those days when 15 cents would buy a hamburger, a six-pack of Coke costs a quarter, and the future was on display at the 1939 New York World's Fair. More details: WJSV originally came on the air in 1926 as WTRC in Brooklyn, New York then was moved to Arlington, Virginia, the following year and became WJSV in 1928. CBS bought the station from the previous owner in 1931, officially moved the station to Washington, D.C., although the transmitter site remained in Virginia. CBS made WJSV its affiliate in the nation's capital. Among the more famous events involving WJSV was the recording of its entire broadcast day on September 21, 1939. The recording includes many famous radio programs of the time (including Amos 'n Andy and Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour), local programs featuring Arthur Godfrey and John Charles Daly before their national successes, a Cleveland Indians-Washington Senators baseball game, and a speech by President Franklin Roosevelt. The recording was saved in the National Archives. WJSV Washington, D.C.Broadcast Schedule Thursday, September 21st, 1939 From: 05:59-06:30 -- Sign On and Sundial - Recorded Music From: 06:30-07:00 -- Sundial - Arthur Godfrey From: 07:00-07:30 -- Sundial - Arthur Godfrey From: 07:30-08:00 -- Sundial - Arthur Godfrey From: 08:00-08:05 -- Arrow News From: 08:05-08:30 -- Sundial - Arthur Godfrey From: 08:30-08:45 -- Certified Magic Carpet From: 08:45-09:00 -- Bachelor's Children From: 09:00-09:15 -- Pretty Kitty Kelly From: 09:15-09:30 -- Myrt And Marge From: 09:30-09:45 -- Hilltop House From: 09:45-10:00 -- Kay Fairchild, Stepmother From: 10:00-10:15 -- CBS News and Mary Lee Taylor Program From: 10:15-10:30 -- Brenda Curtis (with Agnes Moorehead) From: 10:30-10:45 -- Big Sister From: 10:45-11:00 -- Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories From: 11:00-11:15 -- Jean Abbey From: 11:15-11:30 -- When A Girl Marries From: 11:30-11:45 -- The Romance Of Helen Trent From: 11:45-12:00 -- Our Gal Sunday From: 12:00-12:15 -- The Goldbergs From: 12:15-12:30 -- Life Can Be Beautiful From: 12:30-12:45 -- Road Of Life From: 12:45-13:00 -- This Day Is Ours From: 13:00-13:15 -- Sunshine Report From: 13:15-13:30 -- The Life And Love Of Dr. Susan From: 13:30-13:45 -- Your Family And Mine From: 13:45-14:00 -- News Followed By Albert Warner From: 14:00-15:00 -- President Roosevelt's Address followed by French Premier Daladier From: 15:00-15:10 -- Commentary & Analysis On The President's Address From: 15:10-15:25 -- The Career Of Alice Blair From: 15:25-15:30 -- Arrow News From: 15:30-15:45 -- Rhythm & Romance From: 15:45-16:00 -- Scattergood Baines From: 16:00-17:17 -- Baseball - Cleveland at Washington From: 17:17-17:30 -- The World Dances From: 17:30-17:45 -- Arrow News followed by Time Out From: 17:45-18:00 -- Sports With Harry McTigue From: 18:00-18:15 -- Amos 'n' Andy From: 18:15-18:30 -- The Parker Family From: 18:30-19:00 -- Joe E. Brown From: 19:00-19:30 -- Ask-It Basket From: 19:30-19:55 -- Strange As It Seems From: 19:55-20:00 -- Elmer Davis And The News From: 20:00-21:00 -- Major Bowes and his Original Amateur Hour From: 21:00-21:30 -- The Columbia Workshop From: 21:30-22:00 -- Americans At Work From: 22:00-22:15 -- Arrow News & Edwin C. Hill Commentary From: 22:15-22:30 -- Streamline Interlude From: 22:30-22:45 -- The Midweek Review With Albert Warner From: 22:45-23:21 -- Repeat of FDR Speech From: 23:21-23:30 -- Jerry Livingstone & His Orchestra From: 23:30-24:00 -- Teddy Powell Orchestra From: 00:00-00:30 -- Louis Prima Orchestra From: 00:30-01:02 -- Bob Chester Orchestra, News, Signoff, National Anthem
