This is a snippet from Breaking Walls Episode 115: The CBS Radio Workshop (1956 - 1957)

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William Froug was born on May 26th, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. He was adopted, and grew up first in Little Rock, Arkansas and then Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in 1943 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. After he was discharged in 1946, he found himself living with friend and fellow writer, E. Jack Neuman.

In 1948 and 49 he freelanced for CBS’ west-coast network, writing scripts for Rocky Jordan, Jeff Regan, and The Whistler. Froug spent the early 1950s in charge of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. The show began in the 1940s as Radio Reader’s Digest before rebranding as The Hallmark Playhouse until 1953.

With radio audiences leaving in droves for TV, the sponsor abruptly changed format on February 8th, 1953. They brought in Lionel Barrymore to host true stories of Americana. When Barrymore passed away in 1954, The Hall of Fame dedicated their November 21st show to his memory.

Unfortunately, by March of 1955 fewer and fewer network shows were sponsored. Hallmark canceled the show. However, In 1955 there were fifteen million radio sets produced, the most since 1948. There were now nearly 150 million radio sets in the U.S. Out of home listening now equaled TV viewing. During primetime hours, auto listeners added an additional forty percent to at-home radio audiences. CBS wasn’t ready to give up on radio drama just yet. In January, they’d launch three new shows: Indictment, Fort Laramie, and a revived CBS Radio Workshop.