Radio During WWII
The cheapest form of entertainment in the 1940’s, and the most popular during WWII, was radio. It was widely available and accessible both in the U.S. and abroad. Radio entertained and informed the American public and encouraged them to join in the war effort.
In the U.S., the radio broadcast 24 hours a day. 90% of families in America owned a radio during WWII. President Roosevelt, during his Fireside Chats, and other radio personalities found it effective to use the “you technique” when on the radio. This means that they spoke directly to listeners as a way to personally bring them more directly into wartime situations and events.
Listen to one of President Roosevelt's Fireside Chats here. This was Roosevelt’s last peacetime Christmas chat before the U.S. engaged in WWII with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Photo source: antiqueradio.org
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