Title:
The National Farm and Home Show
Type:
Rural variety
Length:
60 minutes
45 minutes
30 minutes
Broadcast history:
Oct 2, 1928 - Sept 15, 1929 Started locally on KDKA, Pittsburgh (Dunning)
Started locally on WENR (Hickerson)
Sept 30, 1929 - Feb 7, 1942 Blue network. Six times a week. Either 60 or 45
minutes long (Dunning says 45 minutes the first year
and 60 minutes thereafter. Hickerson says 60
minutes initially and then 45 minutes as of
1936). Montgomery Ward sponsored at first.
Goodyear sponsored 15 minutes of the show during
1936 and 1937.
Feb 9, 1942 - Mar 17, 1945 Called the Farm and Home Hour during this period.
ABC network. Six time a week for 30 minutes until
Jul 17, 1944, then on Saturdays for 30 minutes at
12:30 PM.
Sep 15, 1945 - Jan 25, 1958 NBC network. 30 minutes on Saturdays at 1:00 PM.
Sponsored by Allis-Chalmers.
Continued locally after 1958 according to Hickerson.
Cast:
Everett Mitchell as Host
Helen Stevens Fisher as the little lady of the house
Jack Baus and the Cornbusters
The four singing Cadets
Raymond Edward Johnson
Don Ameche as the forest ranger
H. R. Baukhage as news commentator
Walter Blaufuss and the Homesteaders Orchestra
This show offered rural America music, news, farm tips, and political discussion. It was described as "the farmers bulletin board."They went live to harvest festivals, livestock expositions, country fairs, etc. and spoke to and with real farmers. The United States Department of Agriculture was an early and visible partner of this program. Farmers (during live remotes) were brought into contact with officials of various government agencies and private institutes. They came from such agencies as the Crop Insurance Corportation, the Institute of American Meat Packers, the Soil Convservation Service, and the Farm Credit Administration. The 4-H Club, the American Farm Bureau, the National Grange, Future Farmers of America, and the Farmers Union all helped produce this show.
Sources:
On the Air - John Dunning
The 2nd Ultimate History…. - Jay Hickerson