Old-Time Radio Reimagined
America's Town Meeting of the Air
30 episodes · 1935–1960 · ABC, Blue, NBC · News
Play America's Town Meeting of the Air on Radio Days
One of radio's first talk shows, a live public affairs discussion from New York's Town Hall. It began May 30, 1935, as a six-week experiment and lasted until July 1, 1956, mostly on the NBC Blue Network and ABC.
Sources: Wikipedia: America's Town Meeting of the Air; RadioGOLDINdex
Episodes
Tap a title to play it on Radio Days.
1935
- Will the Demands of Organized Labor Promote Recovery? (1935)
- Has the New Deal Promoted or Retarded Business Recovery?
- Personal Liberty and the Modern State
- Should We Plan For Security?
The show opens with many listener letters read aloud. Secretary Perkins backs the Social Security law being introduced, while George Sokolsky opposes it and gets applause. Three audience questions about life insurance are called off topic by Perkins.
1936
- The Supreme Court and the Constitution
- Will Unionization Promote Industrial Recovery?
- Will the Machine Dominate Man?
- Public Opinion and the Town Meeting Idea
- What Does the Public Want in Music?
1937
1938
- What Does Democracy Mean?
A lively discussion in which most audience questions go to Clarence Hathaway. - How Should The Democracies Deal With The Dictatorships?
Moderator George V. Denny Jr. leads a panel, including Quincy Howe, on how democratic nations ought to handle dictatorships.
1939
- Are the Schools Doing Their Job?
- What Are the Real Issues in the European War
- Should We Ignore Racial Differences?
- Can Business and Government Work Together Today?
1940
- Does America Need Compulsory Health Insurance?
- Should the President's National Defense Program Be Adopted?
- What Should America Do For The Joads?
Moderator George V. Denny Jr. leads a debate on what the country owes families like the Joads, the migrants of "The Grapes of Wrath." Rexford Guy Tugwell and Phillip Bancroft are among the guests. - What Are We Preparing to Defend?
- What Is Youth's Role in the Defense of Democracy?
1946
1947
- Should The Communist Party In The United States Be Outlawed?
From Chicago's Civic Opera House, a debate on outlawing the Communist Party. Senator Joseph McCarthy and former Georgia governor Ellis Arnold are among the speakers, with George V. Denny Jr. moderating. - Should We Accept the New Fashions for Ladies
- What Can We Do To Improve Race Relationships In America?
Moderator George V. Denny Jr. and guests including Walter White and Charles Taft take up how to improve relations among races and religions in America, from Town Hall in New York.
1948
- Should The President's Civil Rights Program Be Adopted?
A panel with Roger Baldwin, Senator John Sparkman and Senator Wayne Morse argues whether to adopt the President's civil rights program. Sparkman draws hissing from the audience during questions. - Are You Preparing To Grow Old Successfully?
Moderator George Lawton, author of a book on aging well, hosts a half-hour edition cut short by a party convention. Senator Claude Pepper favors broader Social Security, as does Marion Folsom, while two other guests favor rugged individualism.
1949
- Will a Hundred Dollar Pension Provide Real Security?
Panelists including Labor Secretary Maurice Tobin debate whether a pension of one hundred dollars a month for retired people would give real security. The program also announces two honors it has won.