1. Hitching Your Antenna to the Stars
Chapter 1: “Radio & the Saliency of
a Broadcast Star System”
Susan Murray

2. Creation of Network Radio
1920s, radio becomes centralized, regulated, & and a national industry
1927: NBC two networks (Red & Blue) & CBS
Govt. decides that it will be an industry funded by commercial advertising
States that programming must be “in the public interest” but never defines what that is

3. Why Start with Radio? Patterns identical to those of TV Funding Stars
Networks
Genres
Advertising
Federal regulation

4. Genres Radio’s Golden Age (1934-41)
Most popular formats anthology dramas & variety shows
Revolving casts in dramas produced few stars
Variety show hosts become stars, usually with a sidekick
Character driven shows most popular

5. Advertising & Radio Ad agencies crucial to radio
Not only in funding but in also in programming; stars work for them & networks
Ad agencies already know the power of celebrity endorsement
Embedded commercials in programming common
High cost of talent becomes an issue

6. Radio & Hollywood Complicated from the beginning
Radio and movies are competitors
However, many opportunities for cross-promotion for both industries
1930s, entertainment industries lay patterns that become long term
Some studios (RKO & MGM) even sponsor their own shows

7. Stars
Stars’ presence or image seen as a limited commodity that’s spent by its usage
Industry deploys its stars based upon this
Fan magazines exempt from this idea
Producers use stars to differentiate products
Distributors use stars to set prices
Exhibitors use stars for their drawing power

8. Radio Star System Developed by advertising agencies
Different from movie star system
Much more decentralized
Ad agencies needed to create continuity in stars’ images and products’ brand
Had major impact on the way TV stars were conceived hired and marketed

9. Effects of Aural Medium
Sound the only medium of communication in radio
As in film, some vaudeville acts didn’t transfer
Stars’ visual images a secondary avenue of marketing, i.e. print media ads
Sound & image continuity across varied mediums is important
Ease of recognition & sales, the end goal

10. Network Wars Networks established artist bureaus in the 1930s
After 1941 government rulings, bureaus abolished due to conflict of interest
Radio stars’ salaries rise in the 1940s
Networks poach each others’ stars
Squabbles over recording & capital gains for stars result in big star loss for NBC