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Category: Radio

Head and shoulders portrait photo of a smiling young man standing in front of steps to a school building.

Preserving the Sounds of World War II

Posted by: Neely Tucker

During World War II, the Office of War Information recorded news and American propaganda onto 16-inch discs which were then broadcast domestically and overseas. The Library acquired tens of thousands of these discs after the war and has been working to preserve them ever since. Colin Hochstetler, a Library Junior Fellow, talks about his work with these time-capsule discs in this question-and-anwer session.

Posted in: American Folklife Center, Cataloging, Collections, Gazette, Libraries, Library Work and Employees, My Job, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Preservation, Radio, World War II

[Arch Oboler, half-length portrait, seated, facing right, wearing hat and glasses, holding paper and pencil.

Halloween Heartthrob: The “Chicken Heart” that Gobbled Up the Globe

Posted by: Neely Tucker

“Chicken Heart,” a 7-minute episode of the “Lights Out” radio series that aired just before midnight in March 1937 was a cheesily effective landmark of the Golden Age of Radio. Living on for decades through rebroadcasts, remakes, in syndication and on records, it snaked its way into the childhood memories of everyone from horror master Stephen King to comedian Bill Cosby, becoming a campy horror cult favorite. It was the brainchild of playwright Arch Oboler, a major star of radio whose name has since faded from popular recognition.

Posted in: Halloween, Manuscripts, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Performing Arts, Radio, Writers