The ''Voice of America Jazz Hour'' was broadcast on
Voice of America
Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...
beginning on January 6, 1955, and through 2003; it was then folded into Voice of America Music Mix's (now
VOA1
VOA1 is a music radio service owned by American international broadcaster Voice of America, located in Washington, D.C. It is available as a 24-hour online webcast and a syndicated program on selected stations worldwide. It’s also available o ...
) program ''Jazz America''. It began broadcasting in 1955, hosted by
Willis Conover
Willis Clark Conover, Jr. (December 18, 1920 – May 17, 1996) was a jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for over forty years. He produced jazz concerts at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival, and for movies and televisi ...
; in its current form, it is hosted by Russ Davis
It began broadcasting in 1955 over the initial objections of
United States Congress, Congress The theme song of the program was "
Take the A Train". At its height, the ''Voice of America Jazz Hour'' was listened to by up to 30 million people. Although the Voice of America was prohibited from broadcasting in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
by the
Smith-Mundt Act, the shortwave signal was receivable in the US and had a sizable USA audience.
Contributions to the Cold War
As
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
was frequently banned in the Soviet Union and its satellite countries, Voice of America was often the only way people in those countries could listen to jazz. Willis Conover's politics-free broadcasts are widely credited for keeping interest in jazz active in Soviet satellite states
In addition, Conover's clear, measured pronunciation when hosting the ''Jazz Hour'' is sometimes credited for leading to the development of
Special English
Learning English (previously known as Special English) is a controlled version of the English language first used on 19 October 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America (VOA). World news and othe ...
in 1959
References
Rehosted NY Times obituary of Willis ConoverVOA 1 - The Hits (formerly VOA Music Mix) home pageJazz Hour profile
on PRI's The World broadcast of February 10, 2005
Covers decades of VOA Jazz Hour broadcasts and documents
American jazz radio programs
Jazz Hour