On October 17th, 1984, Chuck Schaden sat down for a conversation with longtime friend Jim Jordan about his life and career (full interview here - www.speakingofradio.com/interviews/jo…m-1984-actor/). During the course of the chat Jim Jordan spoke about working after his late wife, actress Marian Driscoll Jordan, passed away in 1961.

This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 98: Christmas Week 1947 with Radio's Biggest Stars

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On Tuesday nights in December of 1947, NBC ran four of the top thirteen shows on the air with Amos n’ Andy, Fibber McGee & Molly, The Bob Hope Show, and The Red Skelton Show.

Jim and Marion Jordan were in the midst of their ninth consecutive season with a top-three rated show. In December, their show rating was 29.9. Unfortunately for Fibber, he's lost his keys right in the middle of a snowstorm. His key ring contains the key to his hall closet where all the Christmas presents are stored.

Eighty years ago when The University of Chicago Round Table took to the air over NBC's Red network at 2:30PM Eastern time, President Roosevelt had just announced the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

There were numerous cut-ins for further announcements during this program. A bulletin occurred at 2:39PM announcing the air attacks on Manila. At 2:52PM it was announced that the Japanese were bombing Burma. The United States of America would soon declare war on Japan.

This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 98: Christmas Week 1947 with Radio's Biggest Stars

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At 11:30AM Pacific Time on Christmas Morning in 1947, as families were opening their homes to loved ones, King George VI’s Royal Christmas Message was delivered from England, and broadcast over all CBS stations.

King George said "the unity and steadfastness of the British Commonwealth and Empire, saved the liberties of the world." He called on listeners not to doubt their will to win in the face of post-war challenges.

In Los Angeles, opposite on Mutual’s affiliate, KHJ in its regular time slot was Queen For a Day.

At 1PM Pacific Time over all CBS stations, The Elgin Watch Company broadcast their sixth annual Christmas Special. Like their Thanksgiving special the previous month, it featured a numerous entertainment celebs offering seasons greetings. Opposite NBC broadcast an orchestral Christmas concert featuring Thomas L. Thomas.

The morning NBC News broadcast with John Cameron Swayze from December 1st, 1947.

In December 1947, The UNs’ partitioning of Palestine into Arab and Jewish quarters touched off a series of riots on its only neutral site, Jerusalem. The holy ground was in shambles. The UN’s decision led to Civil War and riots in other parts of the world.

This is Your FBI debuted over ABC in New York in April of 1945. It ran stories from official Federal case files and was sponsored by the Equitable Life Assurance Society. After it cracked radio’s top-twenty-five in 1947, ABC moved the series to the west coast.

Now recording from KECA in Hollywood, famed radio character actor Stacy Harris took the lead of Special Agent Jim Taylor.

In December of 1948, This is Your FBI gave ABC something it lacked on any other evening: the highest rated show on the air. That month, the show’s rating was 16.2, while Jimmy Durante fell to a 14.3 for NBC and Easy Aces pulled a 13.4 on CBS.

On Christmas Eve 1948, This Is Your FBI broadcast an episode entitled “The Return of Saint Nick” about a pageant Santa who inexplicably runs away from his favorite holiday event.

This is Your FBI proved that even G-men celebrate Christmas.

This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 98: Christmas Week 1947 with Radio's Biggest Stars

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President Truman spent only two Christmas’ at the White House during his tenure. The first was in 1947. It preceded the extensive renovations the Presidential Mansion would undergo during Truman’s second term.

On Christmas Eve, at 5PM eastern time, live from The White House, all four networks broadcast the annual Christmas Tree ceremony. President Truman and his daughter Margaret lit the main tree on the South Grounds before heading back inside to celebrate the Holiday. The President spent his Christmas Morning visiting with patients at the Naval Medical Center and the Walter Reed Hospital.

The General Mills sponsored Lone Ranger from WXYZ in Detroit first began airing on January 31st, 1933. The next year it became one of the cornerstone programs which led to the formation of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The show moved to the Blue Network in 1942 and would remain on the network after it became ABC.

In the fall of 1947, after 15 years in the same Monday-Wednesday-Friday time slots, The Lone Ranger nearly doubled its previous season’s rating. It was the only program airing multiple times per-week to crack the season’s top fifty, climbing all the way to 35th with a rating of 16.4.

It would remain the number one multiple run program for the next three seasons. On Christmas Eve, 1947 at 7:30PM Eastern Time while families gathered around the table, kids everywhere snuck away to hear The Lone Ranger’s broadcast of “The Mission Bells.”

This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 98: Christmas Week 1947 with Radio's Biggest Stars

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Sunday nights at 7PM was appointment radio from the mid 1930s through the end of the 1940s. Why? Because of one man: Jack Benny.

It was the monumental success of Jack Benny’s 1945-46 season which led to solo shows for Phil Harris, Mel Blanc, and Dennis Day.

In the fall of 1947, Sunday night ratings were dominated by NBC. Their seven to nine PM programming block of Jack Benny, Harris & Faye, Fred Allen, and Bergen & McCarthy all had ratings over 20 points.

Jack Benny, and his program, was the network’s linchpin.

Meanwhile, at 8:30PM from New York, Fred Allen signed on NBC. The comedian was enjoying the best season of his career. His Sunday night rating was 27.4, third-highest on the air.

On April 16th, 1986 Jimmy Stewart was a guest of Larry King's for a wide ranging interview about his life and career. During the course of the interview Mr. Stewart spoke about his love for radio and acting on radio.

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