Regarded as the best radio and TV comic of his era, Tony Hancock was a man whose star burned brightly in the eyes and ears of millions before his untimely death in 1968. Now, forty years on, critically acclaimed biographer John Fisher brings the first fully authorised account of his life. Tony Hancock was one of post-war Britain's most popular comedians - his radio show 'Hancock's Half Hour' would clear the streets as whole families tuned in to listen. His peerless timing and subtle changes in intonation marked Hancock out as a comic genius. His character 'Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock' was an amplification of his own persona, a pompous prat whose dreams of success are constantly thwarted. The original British loser that we recognise in Victor Meldrew and Alan Partridge. Wonderfully supported by a cast including Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams, and working with scripts from Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, Hancock became a huge star. The show was commisioned for TV, showcasing his talent for hilarious facial expression, and he became the first British comedian to earn a thousand pounds a week. Behind Tony Hancock's success however hid the self-destructive behaviour that plagued him all his life. Prone to self-doubt, and wanting to be the star of his own show, he got rid of James, and finally dismissed Galton and Simpson who had created the platform for his success. His private life was wracked by his ever increasing alcoholism and bouts of depression, and his relationships shattered by his capacity for violence. His ratings fell and, feeling washed up and alone after divorcing his second wife, he committed suicide in an Australian hotel room in 1968. Now, forty years after his death John Fisher explores the turbulent life of a man regarded by his peers as one of the greatest British comics to have ever lived.

'In these memoirs I bounce all about British TV with such success that I wind up in radio. I will also be filling a few holes that I left in the previous decades. For example, I managed to forget in Book One that I had been shot. Twice.' Danny Baker's first volume of autobiography, Going to Sea in a Sieve, was a Sunday Times bestseller, acclaimed for its non-stop humour and anecdotal flourish. It told the exploits of Danny's extraordinary childhood and the wild living of his teenage years. Now, he is twenty-five and it is 1982, and he embarks on an accidental and anxiety-induced career in television - going off alarming. With rollicking good stories from what he describes as 'a frankly crackpot life', Danny continues this stupendous chronicle with irrepressible verve and hilarity. Dozens of TV shows - many of them lousy - give up their backstage stories, and Danny's extraordinary family, particularly his father Spud, react to the ride throughout. Game shows, talk shows, adverts and TFI Friday are but a few of the unplanned pitstops along the way. Not forgetting the tale of Twizzle: the Dog Who Hanged Himself, Died, Then Came Back to Life Again...Clearly, this will be no ordinary showbusiness-stroll down memory lane.

Payola is as old as the music industry and continues today. Contrary to popular belief, the acceptance of payola is legal. (Only the nonreporting of it would be illegal.) The recipients of payola and the reasons behind it are discussed decade-by-decade. The early bribes to the minstrel groups and vaudeville players are traced, as are modern-day payments to disc jockeys and radio station programme directors, where drugs are often given instead of cash. Particular attention is paid to 1959 and 1960 when federal investigators attempted to eradicate the practice.

This lively book peels back the many layers of the Top 40 phenomenon: the DJs, fans, singles, jingles, dedications, contests, requests - all the lightning-fast "platter chatter," to quote the inimitable Wolfman Jack. Some of Top 40's most colorful DJs (also known as "cooler rulers") rant and rave about pioneering radio history's greatest format. "Fifth Beatle" Murray the K, "the Real" Don Steele, Chuck Blore, Robert W. Morgan, B. Mitch Reed, Tom "Big Daddy" Donahue, Joe "Rockin' Bird" Niagara, and many others tell their exciting stories. A special chapter highlights the notorious Alan Freed, who coined the term "rock and roll" but was soon destroyed by practising pay-for-play and the subsequent congressional payola hearings of 1959. The book includes an exclusive CD with "airchecks" - rare recordings from actual Top 40 broadcasts - so that readers can hear the crazed, creative, and compelling voices that made Top 40 so memorable. Airchecks include DJs Gary Owens, Joey Reynolds, Bobby Dale, Casey Kasem, Bobby Ocean, and many more.

Radio's New Wave explores the evolution of audio media and sound scholarship in the digital age. Extending and updating the focus of their widely acclaimed 2001 book The Radio Reader, Hilmes and Loviglio gather together innovative work by both established and rising scholars to explore the ways that radio has transformed in the digital environment. Contributors explore what sound looks like on screens, how digital listening moves us, new forms of sonic expression, radio's convergence with mobile media, and the creative activities of old and new audiences. Even radio's history has been altered by research made possible by digital and global convergence. Together, these twelve concise chapters chart the dissolution of radio's boundaries and its expansion to include a wide-ranging universe of sound, visuals, tactile interfaces, and cultural roles, as radio rides the digital wave into its second century.

Shortwave broadcasting originated in the 1920s, when stations used the new technology to increase their range in order to serve foreign audiences and reach parts of their own country that could not easily be covered by regular AM stations. The early days of shortwave radio were covered in On the Short Waves, 1923-1945: Broadcast Listening in the Pioneer Days of Radio, published by McFarland in 1999. This book picks up the story after World War II, focusing on the stations themselves and the environment in which they operated. A companion volume, Listening on the Short Waves, 1945 to Today, focuses on the shortwave listening community.] The heart of the book is a detailed, year-by-year account of the shortwave bands in each year from 1945 to the present. It reviews what American listeners were hearing on the international and domestic shortwave bands, describes the arrivals and departures of stations, and recounts important shortwave events. The book also introduces readers to the several categories of broadcasters--international, domestic, religious, clandestine and pirate--and to private shortwave broadcasting in the United States. It explains the impact of relay stations, frequency management, and jamming, and describes promising shortwave technologies. It also addresses the considerable changes in, and challenges to, shortwave broadcasting since the end of the cold war. The book is richly illustrated and indexed, and features a bibliography and extensive notes to facilitate further reading or research.

Bryan Gallagher's reminiscences of the Ireland of his youth, first heard on Radio 4's 'Home Truths', transport you to a world of boyhood pranks, playground politics and the confusion of growing up in a land that is every bit as magical and captivating as the stories he has to tell. Barefoot in Mullyneeny is Bryan Gallagher's evocative tale of a childhood remembered through the people and landscape of Fermanagh, near the beautiful shores of Lough Erne in Ireland. Bryan chronicles a time when all the big boys went to school in bare feet and secretly watched the Saturday night bands and dances in halls lit by Tilley lamps; where it was known to be nothing less than the biblical truth that if you put a horse-hair across the palm of your hand when you were about to be punished at school, the cane would split in two. Gallagher's writing will touch the hearts of those who long for the innocence of childhood and the simplicity of an era long past. Whether relating tales of murderous bicycle chases through the darkened streets of Cavan, of ghosts and fairy forts or the anguish of emigration, this remarkable memoir vividly recreates life in rural Ireland in the 1940s and 50s. For those who thought that life in Ireland was one of poverty and misery, Barefoot in Mullyneeny offers a view of the Ireland of yesteryear that combines the touching, homely nostalgia of Nigel Slater's Toast and Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie with a humorous optimism that is unmistakably Ireland at its best.

The discovery and development of shortwave technology during the 1920s and 1930s permitted radio stations throughout the world to transmit their programs over long distances, even worldwide, for the first time, and the thrill of hearing broadcasts from faraway places produced a dedicated American audience. Developments in shortwave broadcasting and shortwave listening from their inception through the war years were covered in On the Short Waves, 1923-1945: Broadcast Listening in the Pioneer Days of Radio, published by McFarland in 1999. This book picks up the story in 1945, describing the resumption of organized shortwave listening after the war and its development in the years since. The companion volume, Broadcasting on the Short Waves, 1945 to Today, focuses on the world's shortwave stations. Written from the standpoint of the serious shortwave enthusiast, this book begins with an examination of the broader shortwave listening audience. It then presents in detail the histories of the major North American shortwave clubs and reviews the professional and listener-generated shortwave literature of the era. It also covers the DX programs and other listening fare to which shortwave listeners were most attracted and the QSL-cards they sought as confirmation of their reception. The book presents a chronology of the shortwave receivers available and discusses how changes in receiver technology impacted the listening experience. It also addresses the important role that computers have played in the shortwave listening of recent decades. The book is richly illustrated and indexed, and features extensive notes to facilitate further reading or research.

THE UPLIFTING AND HEARTWARMING LOVE LETTER TO FAMILY AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS 'Cox is a natural storyteller... she brings that authentic voice to bear in her memoir. The tone is so intimate, chatty and friendly, so you feel as though she could be sitting next to you' Hannah Beckerman, Daily Express 'endearing, engaging and very funny' Mirror 'Coxy's memoir about growing up on a farm is as funny as you'd expect, genuinely touching and has some excellent 80s and 90s details. Her love of animals is infectious' Alexandra Heminsley, Grazia 'The book is like a big warm hug, full of local characters and misadventures' Sophie Heawood, Observer 'Made me laugh out loud...I loved it!' Lynda La Plante 'Glorious springtime, haystacks and a herd of cows can all be found in this' Sunday Times Bestseller 'Warm and witty' - Express A funny and heart-warming love letter to childhood, family and growing up. Till the Cows Come Home is DJ and TV presenter Sara Cox's wonderfully written, funny coming of age memoir of growing up in 1980s Lancashire. The youngest of five siblings, Sara grew up on her father's cattle farm surrounded by dogs, cows, horses, fields and lots of 'cack'. The lanky kid sister - half girl, half forehead - a nuisance to the older kids, the farm was her very own dangerous adventure playground, 'a Bolton version of Narnia'. Her writing conjures up a time of wagon rides and haymaking and agricultural shows, alongside chain smoking pensioners, cabaret nights at the Conservative club and benign parenting. Sara's love of family, of the animals and the people around them shines through on every page. Unforgettable characters are lovingly and expertly drawn bringing to life a time and place. Sara later divided her childhood days between the beloved farm and the pub she lived above with her mother, these early experiences of freedom and adventure came to be the perfect training ground for later life. This funny, big-hearted and often moving telling of Sara Cox's semi rural upbringing is not what you'd expect from the original ladette, and one of radio's most enduring and well loved presenters.

The opening decades of the twentieth century witnessed a profound transformation in the history of modern sound media, with workers in U.S. film, radio, and record industries developing pioneering production methods and performance styles tailored to emerging technologies of electric sound reproduction that would redefine dominant forms and experiences of popular audio entertainment. Focusing on broadcasting's initial expansion during the 1920s, Making Radio explores the forms of creative labor pursued for the medium in the period prior to the better-known network era, assessing their role in shaping radio's identity and identifying affinities with parallel practices pursued for conversion-era film and phonography. Tracing programming forms adopted by early radio writers and programmers, production techniques developed by studio engineers, and performance styles cultivated by on-air talent, it shows how radio workers negotiated a series of broader industrial and cultural pressures to establish best practices for their medium that reshaped popular forms of music, drama, and public oratory and laid the foundation for a new era of electric sound entertainment.

How did Philip Gault become ""The Whisperer""? What radio series was the proving ground for a motion picture? Who owned the Solomon Levy Department Store? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in this encyclopedic reference work to 1802 radio programs broadcast from the years 1924 through 1984. Entries include casts, character relationships, plots and storylines, announcers, musicians, producers, hosts, starting and ending dates of the programs, networks, running times, production information and, when appropriate, information on the radio show's adaptation to television. Hundreds of program openings and closings are included.

For more than sixty years, Bob Steele was the radio voice of Southern New England, entertaining listeners of WTIC AM with his wit, humor, and an inimitable style that kept listeners faithfully tuning in to his morning show. Capturing the nation's highest market share, the National Radio Hall of Fame inductee maintained an unparalleled popularity through the latter half of the twentieth century. This first ever biography of Bob Steele details both the home life and the award-winning broadcasting career of this Connecticut media legend, from his humble Midwestern roots to the pinnacle of radio fame. Steele and his "The Word for the Day" feature remain forever embedded in the memories of his many listeners.

This comprehensive guide to achieving success in the exciting and imaginative world of audio performance - including radio, voice-overs, commercials, live theater, and more - provides all the information that radio and audio novices need to get started and brush up on their skills. Topics covered in this title include: microphone acting techniques; tips for creating convincing vocal effects; writing tips for audio theater; ideas for creating and manipulating emotion through sound; beginning and intermediate level tips for directors; and, an extensive list of suggestions for creating frequently requested sound effects.

KQED Radio's Michael Krasny is one of the country's leading interviewers of literary luminaries, a maestro for educated listeners who prefer their discourse high and civil. He is a writer's interviewer.
But it didn't start out that way.
In "Off Mike," Krasny, host of one of public radio's most popular and intellectually compelling programs, talks of his strong desire to become a novelist in the footsteps of Bellow and Philip Roth, and then discovering his real talent as a communicator--a deft ability to draw others out as an interlocutor. Krasny remarks that, "Trying to meld life into art as I read and interpreted and taught and wrote about writers, I went on to talk and talk and talk with writers until I had interviewed more writers perhaps than anyone ever has or will or should. I was on the road. My own road to literary Damascus. More than ever, I wanted to live a life that could answer Bellow's primary question: How should a good man live."
In a mix of memoir and reportage, Krasny takes readers inside his world--his coming of age during the heady times of the 1960s with their blend of the civil rights movement and political activism, to the vivid description of his journey from a student of literature to a struggling novelist to an educator and--somewhat accidentally--a radio host. Krasny gives an account of the polarizing transformation of talk radio, from his early days at KGO commercial radio, through to his current role at NPR, where he manages to keep the flow of talk in his San Francisco based show animated and politically balanced.
"Forum" fans and lovers of literature will be riveted by the insightful and amusing vignettes and behind the scenes accounts. Theywill get a taste of the sharp commentary from his encounters with panels of experts, and interviews with cultural and political personalities as well as writers.

This fascinating book explores the tensions behind the greatest era in BBC radio broadcasting ? the Home Service. Despite evacuation, air-raids and the closure of the fledgling TV service, the BBC rose magnificently to the challenge of informing, entertaining and inspiring a nation at war.

The war years were to transform religious broadcasting beyond recognition. Under the persistent and innovative James Welch, the BBC began to invent new formats and take large risks in trying to communicate Christian truth to a generation whose faith was on the rack of war. Out of this came the broadcast talks of CS Lewis and the first ever dramatic portrayal of Christ in Dorothy L Sayers? Man Born to be King.

The response to C S Lewis? first broadcast was so overwhelming that a second programme had to be arranged to answer listeners? questions. Lewis? hugely popular BBC talks were published as Mere Christianity and have been a classic ever since, selling over 11 million copies worldwide.

As a layman, Lewis? critics initially claimed that he was not qualified to talk on Christian matters. For Lewis this was all part of the challenge of reaching a new audience. But his initial enthusiasm for broadcasting waned as it began to interfere with his work at Oxford, and he turned down many of the BBC?s invitations to appear on the radio, including a chance to be on The Brains Trust, the Any Questions of its day.

This is a chapter in Lewis? life which has received very little attention from biographers and commentators, who have focussed on his achievements as a writer and academic. Yet C S Lewis? work on the radio made him a household name.

Loren Ghiglione recounts the fascinating life and tragic suicide of Don Hollenbeck, the controversial newscaster who became a primary target of McCarthyism's smear tactics. Drawing on unsealed FBI records, private family correspondence, and interviews with Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace, Charles Collingwood, Douglas Edwards, and more than one hundred other journalists, Ghiglione writes a balanced biography that cuts close to the bone of this complicated newsman and chronicles the stark consequences of the anti-Communist frenzy that seized America in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Hollenbeck began his career at the Lincoln, Nebraska "Journal" (marrying the boss's daughter) before becoming an editor at William Randolph Hearst's rip-roaring "Omaha Bee-News." He participated in the emerging field of photojournalism at the Associated Press; assisted in creating the innovative, ad-free "PM" newspaper in New York City; reported from the European theater for NBC radio during World War II; and anchored television newscasts at CBS during the era of Edward R. Murrow.

Hollenbeck's pioneering, prize-winning radio program, "CBS Views the Press" (1947-1950), was a declaration of independence from a print medium that had dominated American newsmaking for close to 250 years. The program candidly criticized the prestigious "New York Times," the "Daily News" (then the paper with the largest circulation in America), and Hearst's flagship "Journal-American" and popular morning tabloid "Daily Mirror." For this honest work, Hollenbeck was attacked by conservative anti-Communists, especially Hearst columnist Jack O'Brian, and in 1954, plagued by depression, alcoholism, three failed marriages, and two network firings (and worried about a third), Hollenbeck took his own life. In his investigation of this amazing American character, Ghiglione reveals the workings of an industry that continues to fall victim to censorship and political manipulation. Separating myth from fact, "CBS's Don Hollenbeck" is the definitive portrait of a polarizing figure who became a symbol of America's tortured conscience.

This reference work contains exhaustive histories of 31 of network radio's most durable soap operas on the air between 1930 and 1960. The soap operas covered are ""Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories"", ""Backstage Wife"", ""Big Sister"", ""The Brighter Day"", ""David Harum"", ""Front Page Farrell"", ""The Guiding Light"", ""Hilltop House"", ""Just Plain Bill"", ""Life Can Be Beautiful"", ""The Light of the World"", ""Lora Lawton"", ""Lorenzo Jones"", ""Ma Perkins"", ""One Man's Family"", ""Our Gal Sunday"", ""Pepper Young's Family"", ""Perry Mason"", ""Portia Faces Life"", ""The Right to Happiness"", ""Road of Life"", ""The Romance of Helen Trent"", ""Rosemary"", ""The Second Mrs. Burton"", ""Stella Dallas"", ""This Is Nora Drake"", ""Today's Children"", ""Wendy Warren and the News"", ""When a Girl Marries"", ""Young Doctor Malone"", and ""Young Widder Brown"".Included for each series are the drama's theme and story line, an in-depth focus on the major characters, and a listing of producers, directors, writers, announcers, casts, sponsors, ratings, and broadcast dates, times and networks. Profiles of 158 actors, actresses, creators and others who figured prominently in a serial's success are also provided.

An instant New York Times bestseller! Charlamagne Tha God-the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pissing People Off," cohost of Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club, and "the most important voice in hip-hop"-shares his eight principles for unlocking your God-given privilege. In Black Privilege, Charlamagne presents his often controversial and always brutally honest insights on how living an authentic life is the quickest path to success. This journey to truth begins in the small town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and leads to New York and headline-grabbing interviews and insights from celebrities like Kanye West, Kevin Hart, Malcolm Gladwell, Lena Dunham, Jay Z, and Hillary Clinton. Black Privilege lays out all the great wisdom Charlamagne's been given from many mentors, and tells the uncensored story of how he turned around his troubled early life by owning his (many) mistakes and refusing to give up on his dreams, even after his controversial opinions got him fired from several on-air jobs. These life-learned principles include: -There are no losses in life, only lessons -Give people the credit they deserve for being stupid-starting with yourself -It's not the size of the pond but the hustle in the fish -When you live your truth, no one can use it against you -We all have privilege, we just need to access it By combining his own story with bold advice and his signature commitment to honesty no matter the cost, Charlamagne hopes Black Privilege will empower you to live your own truth.

"An anecdotal and readable history."--"nthposition online magazine"

"The most fascinating parts of the book are the stories of offbeat radio operations, which Walker describes with humor and empathy."--"The Review of Communication"

"Both academics and radio enthusiasts will appreciate this book."
"--Library Journal"

"Without a doubt, this is the most detailed and well-researched book ever published on the history of free radio in America. This includes the most comprehensive history ever written on the modern microradio movement; culled from personal interviews, the writing is mostly engaging and fast-paced...A must read."
--"The About Guide"

"The book is a great addition to the literature of the ways in which the state uses regulatory edicts and strong-arm tactics to stifle people's freedom."
--George C. Leef, "Freedom Daily"

"Jesse Walker's lively book is the first to offer a thorough history of what's come to be known as alternative radio."
--"Time Out New York"

"The story of early radio broadcasting is a fascinating one and well told."--"Monitoring Times"

"Walker goes a long way toward showing the considerable creativity in nonmainstream radio, despite its lack of funds and other problems. The strongest part of the discussion is that dealing with the last thee decades. An interesting balance to the perceived story of American radio."
--"Choice"

Boring DJs who never shut up, and who don't even pick their own records. The same hits, over and over. A constant stream of annoying commercials. How did radio get so dull?

Not by accident, contends journalist and historian Jesse Walker. For decades, government and big business have colluded tomonopolize the airwaves, stamping out competition, reducing variety, and silencing dissident voices. And yet, in the face of such pressure, an alternative radio tradition has tenaciously survived.

Rebels on the Air explores these overlooked chapters in American radio, revealing the legal barriers established broadcasters have erected to ensure their dominance. Using lively anecdotes drawn from firsthand interviews, Walker chronicles the story of the unsung heroes of American radio who, despite those barriers, carved out spaces for themselves in the spectrum, sometimes legally and sometimes not. Walker's engaging, meticulous account is the first comprehensive history of alternative radio in the United States.

From the unlicensed amateurs who invented broadcasting to the community radio movement of the 1960s and 1970s, from the early days of FM to today's micro radio movement, Walker lays bare the hidden history of broadcasting. Above all, Rebels on the Air is the story of the pirate broadcasters who shook up radio in the 1990sand of the new sorts of radio we can expect in the next century, as the microbroadcasters crossbreed with the even newer field of Internet broadcasting.

Ruggedly handsome Jeff Chandler won over fans with his versatile acting in film, television, radio, and theatre. He was particularly respected for his roles in Westerns. Chandler got an Oscar nomination in 1950 for Broken Arrow, was involved in the production of 27 box-office champions, and worked with such stars as Orson Welles, Susan Hayward, and James Stewart. First, a biography covers Chandler's life: his birth in 1918; WWII service; the start of his radio career in 1946; his first film role soon after; and his success as a recording artist, song-writer, and owner of ""Chandler Music;"" his death in 1961 and the subsequent malpractice suit filed by his family. The work then covers his 54 films from The Invisible Wall (1947) to Merrill's Marauders (1962). Each chronologically arranged entry provides the studio name, month and year of release, the ad line, alternate titles, running times, format, genre, ratings, cast and crew credits, and a synopsis, plus such information as behind-the-scenes details and additional comments, review extracts, and quotes from Chandler and others about the film. A section on music and spoken word follows, listing all credits and statistics as above, plus program notes and quotes from Chandler. T he radio section gives the program and episode name, date, episode number, and credits. The next section lists television appearances with the same information as in the film section. Chandler's play (The Trojan Horse) with the troupe, dates, number of performances, cast and crew, synopsis and additional comments, is described last. A full bibliography concludes the work, which is illustrated with personal and professional photographs.

Basic Radio Journalism is a working manual and practical guide to the tools and techniques necessary to succeed in radio journalism. It will be useful both to students starting a broadcasting career as well as experienced journalists wishing to develop and expand their skills.
Based on the popular Local Radio Journalism, this book covers the core skills of news gathering, writing, interviewing, reporting and reading with extensive hints and tips. It outlines working practices in both BBC and commercial radio. There are revamped legal and technical sections as well as a new chapter on the journalist as programme producer. For the student, there is extensive advice about getting a job, marketing yourself and dealing with job interviews.
The Foreword is by Lord Ryder of Wensum, vice chairman of the BBC.
* A manual and handbook for working journalists and an ideal starter textbook for radio journalism and media students
* Written by two experienced journalists and trainers
* Includes the latest digital production techniques as well as scores of practical hints and tips covering the core skills of radio journalism

The now legendary character created by Leslie Charteris has survived nearly three-quarters of a century of perilous action and narrow escapes with nary a hair out of place nor the slightest jolt to his jauntily tipped halo. The guide includes plot synopses of the radio and television programs, with air dates and production credits, and more.

Murrow is the biography of America's foremost broadcast journalist, Edward R. Murrow. At twenty-nine, he was the prototype of a species new to communications-an eyewitness to history with power to reach millions. His wartime radio reports from London rooftops brought the world into American homes for the first time. His legendary television documentary See It Now exposed us to the scandals and injustices within our own country. Friend of Presidents, conscience of the people, Murrow remained an enigma-idealistic, creative, self-destructive. In this portrait, based on twelve years of research, A. M. Sperber reveals the complexity and achievements of a man whose voice, intelligence, and honesty inspired a nation during its most profound and vulnerable times.

Murrow is the biography of America's foremost broadcast journalist, Edward R. Murrow. At twenty-nine, he was the prototype of a species new to communications-an eyewitness to history with power to reach millions. His wartime radio reports from London rooftops brought the world into American homes for the first time. His legendary television documentary See It Now exposed us to the scandals and injustices within our own country. Friend of Presidents, conscience of the people, Murrow remained an enigma-idealistic, creative, self-destructive. In this portrait, based on twelve years of research, A. M. Sperber reveals the complexity and achievements of a man whose voice, intelligence, and honesty inspired a nation during its most profound and vulnerable times.

Presenting a collection of original chapters, this book reassesses the history of the BBC foreign-language services prior to, and during, the Second World War. The communication between the British government and foreign publics by way of mass media constituted a fundamental, if often ignored, aspect of Britain's international relations. From the 1930s onwards, transnational broadcasting - that is, broadcasting across national borders - became a major element in the conduct of Britain's diplomacy, and the BBC was employed by the government to further its diplomatic, strategic, and economic interests in times of rising international tension and conflict. The contributions to this volume display a series of case studies of BBC transmissions in various European foreign languages directed to occupied, neutral, and enemy countries. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of the different broadcasting strategies adopted by the BBC in the late 1930s and throughout the war, when the Corporation was under the direction of the Ministry of Information and the Political Warfare Executive. This book was originally published as a special issue of Media History.