The year 1957 saw a number of significant events in
radio broadcasting
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
history.
Events
*6 February – Establishment of the
Faroese broadcasting corporation,
Útvarp Føroya.
*12 February –
KPEG in
Spokane, Washington
Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Canada ...
, goes on air with an all-woman announcing team, who all use the first name Peg on air.
*
KNOC in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
becomes a full-time
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
station, the first such in the US broadcasting market.
*
WCOW in
St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
becomes WISK.
Debuts
*14 January – ''The Affairs of Dr. Gentry'' debuts on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
.
[Cox, Jim (2008). ''This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History''. McFarland & Company, Inc. .]
*8 April – The popular midday programme ''Autofahrer unterwegs'' begins its 42-year-long run on
Ă–sterreich-Regional in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Ă–stareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.
*28 October – ''
Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' first broadcast as a daily early-morning topical radio show on the
BBC Home Service
The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4.
History
1922–1939: Interwar period
Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
; it will still be running 60 years later.
*
KBCS in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
signs on with a
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
format.
*
KBZY
KBZY (1490 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station city of license, licensed to serve Salem, Oregon, United States. The station, established in 1957, has been owned by Louis Risewick since 2020 and broadcasts an oldies format.
History
This stati ...
in
Salem, Oregon
Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...
signs on with a
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
format.
Closings
* 27 February – ''
The Crime Files of Flamond'' ends its run on network radio (
Mutual).
[
* 30 July – '']Hilltop House
''Hilltop House was formerly a luxurious hotel in Harpers Ferry, West Virginiia.''
''Hilltop House'' is an American old-time radio soap opera. It debuted on November 1, 1937, was replaced by a spinoff, then was re-launched twice, with its final e ...
'' ends its run on network radio (NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
).[
* 22 September – '']CBS Radio Workshop
''The CBS Radio Workshop'' was an experimental dramatic radio anthology series that aired on CBS from January 27, 1956, until September 22, 1957. Subtitled “radio’s distinguished series to man’s imagination,” it was a revival of the earlie ...
'' ends its run on network radio (CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
).[
* 27 December – '' Strike It Rich'' ends its run on network radio (]NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
).[Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. .]
Births
* 17 January – Steve Harvey
Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', '' Celebrity Family Feud,'' the Miss U ...
, African American comedian, television host, radio personality, actor and author.
* 16 March – Garry Cobb
Garry Wilbert Cobb (born March 16, 1957 in Carthage, North Carolina) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the Un ...
, American National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
player, later radio personality on WIP
WIP or WiP may refer to:
Political parties
* Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta, a political party in Alberta, Canada
* Western Independence Party of Manitoba, a former Canadian provincial political party
* Western Independence Party of Sas ...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
* 18 May – Rob Bartlett
Robert James Bartlett (born May 18, 1957) is an American comedian, actor, impressionist, and writer, and Owner/Director of RAFCO Theatrical, who gained widespread fame on the radio show ''Imus in the Morning''.
''Imus in the Morning''
Bartlett ...
, American comedian, actor and writer best known for ''Imus in the Morning''.
* 9 July – Paul Merton
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian and radio and television presenter.
Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and someti ...
, né Martin, English comic performer and broadcast panel show participant.
* 24 August – Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
, English actor and broadcast panel show participant.
* 24 November – Edward Stourton, English radio news presenter.
* 7 December – Winifred Robinson
Winifred Robinson (born 7 December 1957) is a BBC Radio presenter of the ''You and Yours'' programme.
Early life
Robinson was born in Liverpool, the fourth of six daughters of a docker and a housewife. She attended Notre Dame Collegiate School (n ...
, English radio presenter.
* Garry Richardson
Garry Richardson (born 1956/1957) is a British radio presenter. He presented the Sunday morning sports programme ''Sportsweek'' on BBC Radio 5 Live until 15 September 2019, and remains a sports presenter on the weekday morning ''Today'' show on ...
, English radio sports presenter.
Deaths
* 2 May – Herb Butterfield
Herbert Butterfield (October 28, 1895 – May 2, 1957) was an actor best known for his work in American radio.
Career
Perhaps his major roles on radio were those of crime-lab expert Lee Jones (as well as many supporting characters) in ''Dragn ...
, 61, American radio and television actor.
References
Radio by year
{{radio-stub