394:, although Denny reportedly actively resisted commercial sponsorship of the program and the magazine's sponsorship deal lasted only one year. At times, the show was 60 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes and sometimes only a half-hour. And when television came along, interest in Denny's radio program gradually faded. On April 27, 1952 he was replaced as moderator by John Daly, and the show was finally canceled on July 1, 1956.
249:
The show succeeded beyond NBC's expectations, and the six-week trial became permanent. As Denny had hoped, listeners not only enjoyed hearing famous newsmakers engaging in discussion but they also enjoyed hearing members of the audience challenging these newsmakers. It wasn't long before Denny was
332:
The topics were meant to inspire discussion, and Denny tried to select subjects that would get people talking long after the show was over. Among them were discussions about whether
America truly had freedom of the press (and whether censorship was sometimes necessary); whether the United States
236:
But while many shows had well-known experts, few had the kind of audience participation that this one did. They cheered or applauded when they liked what a speaker said, and they hissed or booed when they felt the speaker was wrong. They also heckled: part of the format of the show was to allow
208:
His goal was to create a new kind of educational program, one that would be entertaining as well as mentally challenging, while exposing listeners to various perspectives on the issues of the day. Explaining the rationale behind a radio town meeting, Denny wrote that it was "... a device which is
204:
The show's introduction tried to evoke the old town meetings, as the voice of the mythical town crier announced, “Town meeting tonight! Come to the old Town Hall and talk it over!” Denny and the League believed that a radio town meeting could enhance the public's interest in current events. Denny
340:
But during World War II, Denny repeatedly encountered what he had most sought to avoid: angry audience members who didn't want to listen to other viewpoints and who wanted to criticize, rather than debate. Worse still, some audience members expressed isolationist and anti-Semitic views. Denny
317:
32:
253:
By the 1937–8 season, mail averaged between 2,000 and 4,000 letters a week, an amazing number for an educational program. It also inspired listeners to form "listener clubs," where members would listen as a group and then discuss the topic themselves.
240:
Even the listeners at home could take part: while at first there was no easy way to get callers on the air, by 1936, NBC engineers had designed a method for letting listeners call in from remote locations where they had gathered to listen to the show.
237:
members of the audience to ask questions, and while the rule was the question had to be brief—about 25-30 words maximum, with no insults or name-calling, that didn't stop people from using sarcasm, or strongly disagreeing with what a guest had said.
353:
of the radio show. The first televised series ran from
December 18, 1941 through February 19, 1942 over NBC. The second series ran from October 1948 to June 1949, and the third series ran from January to July in 1952, both over ABC.
268:
guests, and then gave readers news quizzes. Educators found it so useful that Denny and NBC put program listings and what the speakers had said into booklet form, which was disseminated to public school civics teachers.
192:, 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
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381:
in late 1945. (Some advertisements and promotions for "Town
Meeting," however, would still refer to the show as "a Blue Network program" or originating on "ABC's Blue Network" as late as 1949.)
184:
debuted on
Thursday May 30, 1935, and only 18 of NBC's affiliates carried it. The topic for the first show was "Which Way America: Fascism, Communism, Socialism or Democracy?" The moderator was
281:
became known for its interesting guests, many of whom were important newsmakers. Denny did not shy away from controversy: his panelists included
Socialist presidential candidate
976:
221:
looked like a typical panel discussion, with high-profile celebrity guests, who were experts on a particular current issue. For example, on a
December 19, 1935, show about
514:
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worried that an uninformed public was bad for democracy; and he believed society had become so polarized that the average person didn't listen to other points of view.
397:
Denny, who continued to believe in educational media, joined an organization that planned international seminars, and he hoped to create an international version of
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209:
designed to attract attention and stimulate his interest in the complex economic, social and political problems which he must have a hand in solving."
369:, although it remained on the air throughout the 1940s and sometimes still inspired the kinds of passionate discussions Denny had hoped for. But
349:
On three separate occasions the show also aired as a television network series over both NBC and ABC. In all three cases the broadcasts were
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underwent a number of time changes during the 1940s. Some were the result of changes at NBC — the network that had been called the
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became so popular in the public discourse that during the late 1930s and into the early 40s, Denny wrote a monthly column for
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421:
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324:. Note that the program is billed as on the "Blue Network", 20 months after the Blue Network was officially renamed
161:
was a public affairs discussion broadcast on radio and television from May 30, 1935, to July 1, 1956, mainly on the
222:
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struggled to maintain the show's openness and objectivity, but it became increasingly difficult to do so.
956:
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Hilmes, Michele, editor. "NBC: America's
Network." University of California Press, 2007, pp. 46-47.
878:
907:
788:
763:
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469:
229:, who explained and defended the new government program. (What she said about it can be heard
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receiving fan mail: His first broadcast received about 3,000 letters, much to his surprise.
377:
was sold in 1943, and it first became known as the "Blue
Network," and then was renamed the
466:
Hilmes, Michele, editor. "NBC: America's
Network." University of California Press, 2007.
185:
96:
8:
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get a new timeslot—it was moved from 9:30pm to 8:30pm—but by 1944, it even got a sponsor—
308:) and a number of famous scientists, politicians, journalists, and public intellectuals.
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or remain neutral; and why the United States public schools weren't doing a better job.
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146:
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Registry
Choices 2009: The National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress)
802:
737:
520:
99:
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581:"Boston Symphony Returns to the Air; Town Meetings to Be Resumed as Public Forum."
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Some of the programs on the new network were shifted around, and not only did
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magazine, in which he gave summaries of the major points made by some of his
166:
85:
794:
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present
519:(Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 30–31.
401:. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 11, 1959, at the age of 60.
334:
290:
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169:. One of radio's first talk shows, it began as a six-week experiment, and
855:""America's Town Meeting of the Air" for Outstanding Educational Program"
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But there were also guests from the world of literature (author
428:("Should Our Ships Convoy Materials to England?" with guests
316:
31:
170:
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that were held in the early days of the United States.
646:
Sparling, Earl. "Town Meeting's On the Air Again."
479:
Sparling, Earl. "Town Meeting's On the Air Again."
432:
and John Flynn) for inclusion in the holdings of the
409:
ABC Radio and George V. Denny, Jr. were given a 1945
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United States National Recording Registry recordings
225:, one of the panelists was U.S. Secretary of Labor
736:. New York, New York: Routledge. pp. 55–56.
612:Denny, George V. Jr. "Radio Builds Democracy."
445:Denny, George V. Jr. "Radio Builds Democracy."
938:
781:
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449:, vol. 14, #6, February 1941, pp. 370–377.
516:On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
454:On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
575:
199:
16:Public affairs discussion broadcast on radio
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548:
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320:Advertisement promoting a broadcast of the
733:The Concise Encyclopedia of American Radio
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622:
881:. Loc.gov. Retrieved on October 27, 2010.
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212:
730:Sterling, Christopher (April 12, 2010).
729:
723:
539:
413:for Outstanding Educational Program for
365:The 1930s were definitely the heyday of
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698:"Schools Are Urged to Teach Politics."
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509:
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552:"George V. Denny, Radio Host, Dead."
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503:
501:
499:
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459:"George V. Denny, Radio Host, Dead."
616:, vol. 14, #6, February 1941, p. 377.
585:, November 1, 1936, Section X, p. 13.
424:selected the May 8, 1941, episode of
422:National Recording Preservation Board
404:
176:Broadcast live from New York City's
173:itself did not expect much from it.
930:"America's Town Meeting of the Air"
494:
244:
13:
285:, American Communist Party leader
14:
988:
908:America's Town Meeting of the Air
896:America's Town Meeting of the Air
426:America's Town Meeting of the Air
415:America's Town Meeting of the Air
182:America's Town Meeting of the Air
158:America's Town Meeting of the Air
38:America's Town Meeting of the Air
25:America's Town Meeting of the Air
614:Journal of Educational Sociology
463:, November 12, 1959, p. 35.
447:Journal of Educational Sociology
48:analysis, commentary, discussion
30:
952:NBC Blue Network radio programs
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764:"OLD TV HISTORY: December 1941"
756:
714:
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692:
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640:
483:, October 1939, pp. 164–8.
828:Ralph E. Phelps (1952-04-27).
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439:
190:League for Political Education
36:1935 promotional brochure for
1:
972:1950s American radio programs
967:1940s American radio programs
962:1930s American radio programs
650:, October 1939, pp. ;164–165.
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379:American Broadcasting Company
344:
947:American talk radio programs
888:
188:, executive director of the
7:
923:National Recording Registry
570:Town Meeting Comes to Town.
568:and Bonaro W. Overstreet.
556:, November 12, 1959, p. 35.
474:Town Meeting Comes to Town.
472:and Bonaro W. Overstreet.
10:
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932:. Radio Echoes. 1935–1952.
689:, February 13, 1947, 7:7-8
687:Albert Lea Evening Tribune
572:Harper and Brothers, 1938.
476:Harper and Brothers, 1938.
436:' audiovisual collection.
360:
921:on its selection for the
919:Library of Congress essay
702:, February 7, 1936, p. 5.
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200:Current events and issues
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836:. p. 25 (section 6)
797:(9 ed.). New York:
289:, and civil libertarian
791:; Marsh, Earle (2007).
322:Town Meeting of the Air
367:America's Town Meeting
329:
279:America's Town Meeting
258:America's Town Meeting
219:America's Town Meeting
213:Audience participation
913:New York Public Radio
319:
566:Overstreet, Harry A.
470:Overstreet, Harry A.
186:George V. Denny, Jr.
97:George V. Denny, Jr.
834:Toledo Blade (Ohio)
165:and its successor,
26:
957:ABC radio programs
720:Hilmes, pp. 51-52.
330:
24:
808:978-0-345-49773-4
677:Sparling, p. 165.
668:Sparling, p. 166.
648:Forum and Century
637:Overstreet, p. 40
526:978-0-19-507678-3
481:Forum and Century
434:National Archives
405:Awards and honors
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61:Country of origin
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391:Reader's Digest
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306:Langston Hughes
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262:Current History
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227:Frances Perkins
223:Social Security
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147:Reader's Digest
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859:Peabody Awards
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801:. p. 59.
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768:OLD TV HISTORY
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704:
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770:. 2024-04-20
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142:Sponsored by
130:July 1, 1956
120:May 30, 1935
53:Running time
37:
18:
789:Brooks, Tim
440:Works cited
150:(1944-1945)
88:(1943–1956)
83:(1935–1943)
69:Language(s)
941:Categories
840:2024-07-15
814:2024-07-15
774:2024-07-24
749:2024-07-15
532:2019-09-23
488:References
351:simulcasts
345:Television
298:Pearl Buck
217:On paper,
134:1956-07-01
124:1935-05-30
77:Syndicates
56:60 minutes
21:Radio show
889:Listen to
326:ABC Radio
178:Town Hall
167:ABC Radio
100:John Daly
93:Hosted by
86:ABC Radio
513:(1998).
300:, poets
361:Decline
132: (
128: –
122: (
72:English
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523:
312:Topics
273:Guests
45:Genre
866:2016
803:ISBN
738:ISBN
521:ISBN
304:and
231:here
233:.)
171:NBC
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