1934 In Radio

The year 1934 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.
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Events

*1 January – In New Zealand, station 3YL Christchurch is opened.
*14 January – The Lucerne Frequency Plan, reallocating long and short wave frequencies in Europe, comes into force.
*February – The government of France suppresses radio reporting of the Stavisky Riots.
*26 March – In New Zealand, station 4YO Dunedin is opened.
*1 April – NIROM (Nederlandsch-Indische Radio-omroepmaatschappij), the Dutch East Indies Radio Broadcasting Corporation, begins broadcasting from studios in Batavia and Surabaya.
*6 May – "Day of the Saar": all Germany's radio stations broadcast propaganda material aiming to influence the result of the 1935 Saar status referendum.
*28 June – Fireside chat: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt broadcasts a ''Review of the Achievements of the Seventy-third Congress''.
*1 July – The Federal Communications Commission is created, replacing the Federal Radio Commission in the United States.
*August – At the first congress of the Union of Soviet Writers, several of the union's most prominent figures, such as Alexander Serafimovich and Marietta Shaginyan, comment on the merits of radio as a medium for writers.
*30 September – Fireside chat: ''On Moving Forward to Greater Freedom and Greater Security''.
*7 October – In the United Kingdom, the new high-power longwave transmitter at Droitwich takes over from Daventry 5XX as the main station radiating the BBC National Programme.
*10 December – WJBO is relocated from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and relaunched as WJBO 1150AM.
*EKCO introduces its distinctive round bakelite radio cabinets in the United Kingdom.
*''date unknown'' – Radio Misr is launched in Egypt, the first radio station in the Arabic-speaking world.

Debuts

*13 January – '' Al Pearce and His Gang'' debuts on NBC Blue.Cox, Jim (2008). ''This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History''. McFarland & Company, Inc. .
*10 March – ''Beatrice Fairfax'' debuts on NBC.Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. .
*17 March – ''The Growth of a Poet'' (about John Masefield) is broadcast by the BBC in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
*26 March – ''The Adventures of Frank Merriwell'' debuts on NBC.
*16 April – ''Babe Ruth'' debuts on the Blue Network.
*April – ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' debuts on the New York City station WHN.
*15 September – ''The Gibson Family'' debuts on NBC.
*29 September – ''The Quality Network'' cooperative is reorganized and renamed the ''Mutual Broadcasting System''. The stations participating in the co-op, all serving as part-owners, include WOR-New York ( Bamberger Broadcasting Service/Macy's), WGN-Chicago (Chicago Tribune), WLW-Cincinnati (Crosley Broadcasting Corporation) and WXYZ-Detroit (Kunsky-Trendle Broadcasting).
*5 October – ''Hollywood Hotel'' debuts on CBS.
*14 October – ''Lux Radio Theater'' debuts on NBC Blue for its first year, before moving to CBS for the remainder of its run.
* December – The first episode of ''Ovaltiney's Concert Party'' is broadcast, with Harry Hemsley and Gladys Young as presenters.

Endings

*2 January – ''Blackstone Plantation'' ends its run on network radio (NBC).
*25 February – ''The American Revue'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).
*3 March – ''Tarzan of the Apes'' ends its run on WOR.
*16 November – ''Bring 'Em Back Alive'' ends its run on network radio (Blue Network).
*17 December – ''The Atwater Kent Hour'' ends its run on network radio (CBS).

Births

*1 January – Alan Berg (died 1984), Denver-based liberal radio talk show host, previously an attorney.
*30 January – Tammy Grimes (died 2016), American actress and singer, host of the final season of CBS Radio Mystery Theater.
*4 March – John Dunn (died 2004), British radio presenter.
*25 April – George Bogle, minister and religious broadcaster in Detroit, Michigan.
*10 May – Gary Owens (died 2015), American radio host and voice actor.
*5 June – Bryon Butler (died 2001), British radio football correspondent.
*5 August – Gay Byrne (died 2019), Irish broadcaster.
*18 December – Michael Freedland), British journalist, biographer and broadcaster in London (''You Don't Have To Be Jewish'').

Deaths

*8 June – Dorothy Dell, 19, US actress
*28 July – Marie Dressler, 65, Canadian-born actress, whose 1933 birthday party, hosted by MGM, was broadcast live
*30 August – Don Lee, 54, pioneer California broadcasting mogul.
*10 September – George Henschel, 84, singer and pianist (a few months after his first radio performance as a singer)

References

{{reflist

Radio by year