The longest running speech radio show

What is the longest running speech radio show in the world?

Here are a few clues.

It's not American, but it originated from America on a weekly basis.
It doesn't have an American presenter, but the presenter has lived for over half a century in an apartment overlooking Central Park.
The show was first broadcast in March 1946 and has been on air every week, with just the very occasional break usually due to illness.
In total there have been 2,869 shows giving a total of 717 hours of broadcasting time.
The show can be heard in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.
In 1973 the presenter of the programme was awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen of England and in 1974 he addressed the United States Congress on its 200th anniversary.
The presenter was born in Lancashire, England, in 1908.
Until just a few days ago the show was broadcast every Sunday morning at 8:45am.
The presenter of the show also hosted Masterpiece Theatre in the United States for 22 years and has written several best-selling books.

Have you guessed it yet?

If you have then congratulations. If not then let me put you out of your misery. It is Alistaire Cooke's Letter from America that was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and also repeated throughout much of the globe on the BBC World Service.

Unfortunately, the BBC announced today that after over half a century of continuous broadcasting Alistair Cooke has had to retire after advice from his doctor. The BBC certainly can't complain as they've had an excellent run. At ninety-five years of age it might be time that Mr. Cooke tried his hand at something else.

Click on the the link below to hear Alistair Cooke's wonderful voice describing his initial encounter with the BBC and how he managed to get the job by writing a 5 minute script in 10 minutes.

AUDIO: Alistair Cooke on his job interview with the BBC (Real Audio)

And click if you'd like to listen to his very last Letter from America you can enjoy it by clicking on the link below:

AUDIO: Letter from America - The final broadcast (Real Audio)

If you'd like to find out more about the wonderful Alistair Cooke I've gathered the following links together.

BBC - Alistair Cooke: 95 years young

BBC - Alistair bows out

Alistair Cooke - Fan Page

British in America Interview with Alistair Cooke

Book: Alistair Cooke's America

Book: Memories of the Great and the Good

It is an incredible achievement that the Letter from America show was broadcast for so long. To put it into perspective here's a list of other shows that were first broadcast in 1946 all of which, apart from the Bob & Ray show, ended many decades ago.

List of shows that were first broadcast in 1946

Acadamy Award Theatre (CBS, 1946)
Adele Clark Show, The (ABC, 1946)
Adventure Parade (MBS, 1946-49)
Adventure Trails (ABC, 1946)
Adventures Of Sam Spade (ABC, CBS, NBC, 1946-51)
Affairs Of Ann Scotland (ABC, 1946)
Amazing Mrs Danbury, The (CBS, 1946)
American Portrait (CBS, 1946)
Are These Our Children? (ABC, 1946-48)
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (CBS, 1946-58)
Ask Me Another (NBC, 1946)
Attorney For The Defense (MBS, 1946)
Aunt Mary (MBS, 1946)
Barnyard Follies (MBS, CBS, 1946-52)
Beatrice Kay Show, The (MBS, 1946)
Bible Institute (MBS, 1946-47)
Bickersons The (NBC, CBS, 1946-51)
Bill Moshier (1946)
Bill Thompson Show (ABC, 1946)
Bob And Ray Show (NBC, MBS, CBS, 1946-89)
Bouquet For You (CBS, 1946)
Brighter Tomorrow, A (MBS, 1946-47)
Buddy Weed Trio (ABC, 1946-47)
Buzz Adlam's Playroom (ABC, 1946-51)
By Popular Demand (MBS, 1946)
Calamity Jane (CBS, 1946)
Campbell Martin News (1946)
Captain Stubby And The Buccaneers (SYN, 1946-48)
Carnival With Bernie West (NBC, 1946)
Casebook Of Gregory Hood (MBS, ABC, 1946-50)
Checkerbord Jamboree (MBS, 1946-50)
Chester Bowles News (1946)
Claims Agent (NBC, 1946)
Count Of Monte Cristo (MBS, 1946-51)
Crime Club (MBS, 1946-47)
Crimes Of Carelessness (MBS, 1946-47)
Danger Dr. Danfield (ABC, 1946-51)
Date With Music, A (SYN 1946)
Dateline, Headline, Byline (1946)
Day In The Life Of Dennis Day, A (NBC, 1946-51)
Don Amache Program, The (CBS, 1946-49)
Dorsey Drive (NBC, 1946)
Easy Does It (MBS, 1946-47)
Easy Money (NBC, 1946)
Editor's Diary (1946-49)
Endorsed By Dorsey (MBS, 1946)
Eternal Light (NBC, 1946-70s)
Fabulous Dr. Tweedy (NBC, 1946)
Fat Man, The (ABC, 1946-51)
Favourite Story (NBC, 1946-49)
Five Minute Mysteries (NBC, 1946-50s)
Forever Ernest (CBS, 1946)
Frankie Carle Orchestra, The (ABC, 1946)
Gold And Silver Minstrels (MBS, 1946)
Grand Marquee (NBC, 1946-47)
Harry Clark (1946)
Haunting Hour, The (NBC, 1946)
Hawk Larabee (CBS, 1946-48)
Hayloft Hoedown (ABC, 1946-49)
Heart's Desire (MBS, 1946-48)
Holiday For Music (CBS, 1946)
Hollywood Jackpot (CBS, 1946-47)
Hollywood Players (CBS, 1946-47)
Hollywood Preview (CBS, 1946)
Hollywood Story (1946-47)
Hollywood Theater Of Stars (NBC, 1946-48)
Hour Of Mystery, The (ABC, 1946)
Intrigue (CBS, 1946)
It's Up To Youth (MBS, 1946-47)
Jack Webb Show, The (ABC, 1946)
Jean Sablon Show, The (CBS, 1946-50)
Jeanette Davis Show, The (ABC, CBS, 1946-48)
Jimmy Edmondson Show (NBC, 1946)
Jimmy Wakley Show, The (CBS, 1946-58)
Joe Powers of Oakville (CBS, 1946)
Johnny Morgan Show (NBC, 1946)
Johnny Olsen Show, The (ABC, MBS, 1946-57)

Jonathan Trimble, Esquire (MBS, 1946)
Judy, Jill And Johnny (MBS, 1946-47)
Junior Junction (ABC, 1946-52)
King Cole Trio Time (NBC, 1946-48)
Kiss And Make Up (CBS, 1946)
Larry Carr Show, The (CBS, 1946)
Lefty (CBS, 1946)
Leo Durocher (ABC, 1946-47)
Let's Go Nightclubbing (NBC, 1946)
Let's Laugh And Get Acquainted (NBC, 1946)
Lew Childre Show, The (SYN, 1946)
Listen To A Love Song (CBS, 1946)
Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra (MBS, 1946-47)
Love Story Theater (MBS, 1946-47)
Lucky Stars (NBC, 1946)
Mad Masters, The (NBC, 1946-47)
Magic Music Of Al Gayle (NBC, 1946)
Mariners, The (CBS, 1946-47)
Masquerade (NBC, 1946-47)
McGarry And His Mouse (NBC, MBS, 1946-47)
Meet Miss Sherlock (CBS, 1946)
Mel Blanc Show, The (CBS, 1946-47)
Mercury Summer Theater (CBS, 1946)
Michael Shayne (MBS, ABC, 1946-53)
Moon Dreams (SYN, 1946-47)
Moon River (SYN, 1946)
Murder At Midnight (SYN, 1946-47)
Music By Adlam (ABC, 1946-49)
Mystery Of The Week (CBS, 1946-47)
Night Life (CBS, 1946)
Official Detective (MBS, 1946-57)
Oklahoma Roundup (CBS, 1946-47)
One Out Of Seven (ABC, 1946)
Out Of The Dark (MBS, 1946-47)
Packham Inn (NBC, 1946)
Passport To Romance (MBS, 1946)
Patti Clayton (CBS, 1946)
Peabodys, The (SYN, 1946-47)
Phil Morris Follies of 1946 (NBC, 1946)
Philco Radio Time (ABC, 1946-49)
Phone Again Finnegan (NBC, CBS, 1946-47)
Police Woman (ABC, 1946-47)
Private Showing (MBS, 1946-47)
Red Barber Show, The (CBS, 1946-50)
Rendezvous With Romance (ABC, 1946)
Richard Lawless (CBS, 1946)
RKO Radio Pictures Presents (ABC, 1946)
Rose Of My Dreams (CBS, 1946-47)
Rumpus Room (ABC, 1946)
Sad Sack, The (CBS, 1946)
Saturday Night Revue (CBS, 1946)
Saturday Showcase, The (NBC, 1946)
Scout About Town (MBS, 1946)
Second Mrs. Burton (CBS, 1946-60)
So You Want To Lead A Band (ABC, 1946-48)
Sound Off (MBS, ABC, 1946-48)
Sparkle Time (CBS, 1946)
Spotlight On America (MBS, 1946-47)
Stairway To The Stars (ABC, 1946-47)
Strange Wills (SYN, 1946)
Tales Of Willie Piper (ABC, CBS, 1946-48)
Teen Town (ABC, 1946)
That's Life (CBS, 1946)
Time For Women (1946-47)
Time, The Place, And The Tune, The (NBC, 1946-48)
Tony Morse (1946)
Travelin' Man (NBC, 1946)
Treasury Agent (ABC, MBS, 1946-58)
Twenty Questions (MBS, 1946-54)
Vacation For Music (NBC, 1946)
Vaughn Monroe Show, The (CBS, 1946-54)
Wake Up And Smile (ABC, 1946)
Warrior Of Peace (ABC, 1946-47)
Winner Take All (CBS, 1946-52)
Woman, The (SYN, 1946)
World's Great Novels, The (NBC, 1946-48)

That's quite a list, isn't it? It includes quite a few very popular shows too; Adventures Of Sam Spade, The Bickersons, The Bob And Ray Show, The Fat Man, Michael Shayne, Murder At Midnight and Winner Take All. It is safe to say there will never be another show which lasts so long and there'll be few broadcasters who will be on-air continuously for as many decades.

Here's hoping that Alistair Cooke has a long and happy retirement.

Ned Norris

P.S. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out the survey on audiobooks and audio drama. Your opinion was very much appreciated and I have passed it on to my friend who is over the moon at the response you gave. If you've not yet completed the survey it is not too late. Here is the link.

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