A Complete Day in Radio September 21, 1939

A 1939 Radio found on Radio Phil's Website.

This is a very interesting find.  On September 21, 1939 WJSV, a radio station in Washington DC recorded their entire broadcast day.  It's like going back in time for a whole day!  The day starts at 6:58AM and goes until 1:00AM. 
The morning starts with Arthur Godfrey, a disc jockey who had a very laid-back way of announcing.  I found it funny that while reading copy he'd just start singing some random line from a song!  He talked to his radio audience as if they were having morning coffee with him! 
Here is the link to the Complete Broadcast Day from '39...
http://www.archive.org/details/CompleteBroadcastDay
If you move down to #9 on the list you can hear President Roosevelt's speech to congress concerning "cash and carry" and how we must stay out of this war.  The speech took place at 2:00PM.  I hope to be able to sit down soon to listen to it, as I think it would be quite interesting. (it is very interesting!)
The history of that day happened in real time for the folks listening to their radios that day.  We see it differently because we know what came of that invasion.  We know that we later went to war and we know the outcome of that war.  I'm sure there's a fancy term for the word, but basically it's seeing things through different glasses.  Hindsight is always 20-20????  No, that's not really it, but I hope you know what I mean. 

There is also a National's baseball game and an episode of Amos and Andy. 

Arthur Godfrey

I listened to the Certified Magic Carpet show which was a quiz show.  Shows seemed to be only about 15 minutes long.  There are songs every once in a while, and "soaps" such as The Bachelor's Children and Hilltop House. Soaps were only 15 minutes long as well.  There are commercials mixed in between for products such as Wonderbread,  Old Dutch Cleanser, and Pomolive Soap.  There is also a gong that chimes before they announce the time. 

 I can just imagine as a mom, rushing my kids off to school, then listening to Certified Magic Carpet quiz show while I cleaned up the breakfast dishes.  That is if I had a radio in the kitchen.  I suppose most radios were in the livingroom, and who had time to sit and listen to the radio all day?  I suppose a gal would have to get her morning work done and then might rest for 15 minutes and catch her favorite "soap" or quiz show.

Here is a link about the role of radio soap operas in women's lives.
  http://www.otrcat.com/soap-opera-radio-shows.html#daysoapoperadied

I think about how quiet a housewives day must've been back then, especially if she didn't have children in the house.  NO television, NO computer, NO dishwasher humming (or if it's mine, roaring) in the background, there was only the radio to keep her company.  And maybe it's just me but old time radio seems more quiet than the radio we have today.  Old time radio is almost soothing.  But even with the radio, I think I still would've gotten lonely.  If I were a housewife back in the 30's and 40's I suppose I would've made it a point to get to know the other neighbor ladies around me and to talk to them over the back fence, or have them over for coffee and cake. 

I like this picture from Old Time Radio Catalog's website.  It shows ladies doing the dishes while listening to the radio.  Maybe it's 12:30 and they are washing the lunch dishes while listening to the "Road of Life". 

Oh how I wish there were more complete radio broadcasts.....wait, there is one more!
There is one from D-Day, June 6th, 1944.  It is mostly news but is ALSO very interesting!
http://www.archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day

Enjoy some old time radio and as always, have a great day!