Behind The Mike – Warming Up A Studio Audience. ep2, 400922

Close-up of a microphone.
microphone

Graham MacNamee is the host of this show that takes a look behind the scenes of how radio shows are produced. The opening topic of the tday is how radio audiences are made to feel at home, and responsive for the show. Harry Vonzel, announcer from the Fred Allen show, is on hand to explain how time is critical, and flexibility is made by cueing the audience to both start and stop applauding.

The Pot of Gold program was a popular give away series, and a winner from a year earlier describes how it works behind the scenes to award the prize. He even tells what he did with his winnings.

A dramatization demonstrates how radio affected a listener at home. A soap opera star and script writer relives the incident of the lonely divorced woman whose life mirrored a situation on the air.

The story behind animals on the radio reveals voice actors who create everything from mosquitos to elephants. What’s the most common animal called on to create? Let’s just say that the show has just gone to the dogs. What’s the most difficult animal called on to portray for the featured voice actor?

Oddities in radio presents odd but true stories. This week the feature deals with the Ripley’s Believe It or Not show, and a man with the real name of Santa Claus. Santa was a no show, since it was his first time in the big city, and the producer was worried. What was the delay?

Letters from listeners contain handpicked letters, and today Mr Bracken from the New York Sun. Questions include how shows are repeat broadcasted for different time zones. The meaning of adlibbing is described.

The story behind the story behind the mike, has radio personality Captain Tim Healy telling about a strange result from one of his broadcasts. A fictitious radio drama about espionage caused grief for a real life barber who happened to have the same name and occupation of the spy on the show. However, real encoded letters were uncovered, and a real spy ring was dealt with.