Radio Times

Album: not on an album (1936)
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Songfacts®:

  • Who would write a song about a magazine? Henry Hall did. The bandleader and composer was a regular on the BBC, which was radio-only until 1936, and indeed a broadcast monopoly for a long time after that.

    In September 1923, the corporation began publishing the Radio Times, and by 1934 this listing magazine had a huge readership. "Radio Times" was written to try to take that readership over the 5 million mark, and it succeeded. By contrast, from January to June 2014, the listing magazine had an audited circulation of 762,814. Quite a drop!
  • "Radio Times" was recorded in October 1934 with vocalist Dan Donovan; the music was published as a supplement to the Christmas edition, which sold in excess of five million copies! The song was performed during broadcasts, although curiously the recording was withdrawn after complaints from the Newspaper Proprietors Association. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

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