The Press Conference – otherwise known as The Gaggle or The Cattle Call. Serious business taken seriously. Another in a series of historic broadcast from the BBC World Service in the 1950s. This one, entitled; The Role Of The Press, took a look at how the press and how newspapers
When Iran Nationalized The Oil. Only the beginning – and seemingly never-ending. The atmosphere in the Middle East in 1951 was marked by tension, transition, and the unmistakable sense that an old order was rapidly giving way to a new and uncertain one. The region stood at the crossroads of
America’s Town Meeting: “Should America Open Its Doors To Displaced Persons?” – October 31, 1946 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection – Refugees, Displaced persons – victims of war, victims of politics, victims of genocide. People leaving their countries of birth because no home exists, bombed out and destroyed.
The Workforce Mindset in 1951 – cracks were starting to appear. The question of whether industrialization was degrading to mankind formed the centerpiece of a spirited debate broadcast on the BBC’s London Forum on April 2, 1951, featuring representatives from four universities. The discussion reflected a broader postwar unease: while
Secretary Of State Henry Kissinger addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations during this first of seventeen days of debate and addresses on the current world situation. Kissinger unveiled a new U.S. diplomatic initiative for a Middle East settlement based on an “informal” conference of Israel, the Arab states
In November 1961, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, made an official visit to the United States during a pivotal moment in the Cold War. The trip, hosted by U.S. President John F. Kennedy, reflected both the promise and the complexity of relations between the world’s largest
Mutual Broadcasting – The Reviewing Stand – “Who Should Be Drafted?” – November 12, 1950. Whenever a war of undetermined duration takes place, inevitably the issue of Drafting young Americans into the various armed services get debated. During this broadcast of The Reviewing Stand, the Korean War was only five
Even after the assassination of President Kennedy, some nine days earlier, the issue of Berlin and West Germany in general were constant reminders that, even with a nation in grief, the Cold War plodded on. Ludwig Erhard had been Chancellor for barely six weeks, and Kennedy’s death cast an unexpected
Armies Of the Unemployed – Descending on Capitol Hill American Forum of The Air – The WPA – June 25, 1939. By the summer of 1939, the future of the Works Progress Administration’s cultural programs had become a national controversy, debated not only in Congress but also on radio programs
The source of many a sleepless night in the 1950s. For all the waxing nostalgic for the 1950s, it was also a decade of paralyzing fear and paranoia – fear we would be burned to a crisp or vaporized in an atomic attack – paranoia that it was going to
