Cultural highlights of 1940

Radio: UK
New shows
• Music While You Work (BBC Home Service, from 23 June). Half-hour programme of live continuous music broadcast from BBC studios in London or the regions at 10:30 six days a week, with a second show in mid afternoon. The purpose is to improve morale in wartime factories by playing cheerful tunes. A third programme at 22:30 is introduced for night shifts in 1942. [It transferred to the Light Programme and ran as a live show until 1963, the Saturday morning show being dropped the following year and the afternoon programmes in 1966. It continued as a pre-recorded programme until the closure of the Light Programme on 29 September 1967. It was revived for a week in OCtober 1982 and ran for more than a year from 4 January 1983.] Thanks to Brian Reynolds for information.

Radio: US
New shows
• Abbott and Costello (NBC from 3 July). Comedy, summer replacement for Fred Allen.
• The Adventures of Superman (Mutual Radio network from 12 February). The identity of Bud Collyer, the actor in the title role, is kept secret until 1946.
• The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street (NBC Blue network, from 11 February). Jazz.
• Crime Doctor (CBS from August 4). Detective series.
• Double or Nothing (Mutual Radio network from 29 September). Quiz with a top prize of $80. It runs until 1952.
• Gene Autry's Melody Ranch (CBS from 7 January). Singing cowboy radio show begins a 16-year run. The 'western swing' style of music is now reaching its peak.
• Take It or Leave It (CBS from 21 April). Quiz with prize money rising to $64.

Chronomedia 1940