First War Year

Although 1942 was U.S. radio's first year of war, there was no great change in public listening habits. The year's greatest audiences were drawn by Franklin Roosevelt. Greatest audience gains were made by news broadcasts. These were the rather obvious conclusions of the Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting (Crossley) report for 1942.* Some other C.A.B. findings:

> The year's most popular program was Fibber McGee & Molly followed in order by Jack Benny, the Chase & Sanborn program (Charlie McCarthy), Bob Hope, The Aldrich Family, Lux Radio Theatre, Maxwell House, Kraft Music Hall (Bing Crosby), Walter Winchell, Kate Smith. Only newcomers to the first ten were Kraft Music Hall and Walter Winchell.

> President Roosevelt's first two broadcasts after Pearl Harbor hit an alltime high of 83% of set owners. Two of Prime Minister Winston Churchill's broadcasts (Feb. 15 and May 10) lured 41% and 27.4% respectively.

> It was also a good year for the President's advisers. Secretary of State Cordell Hull set a new high for Roosevelt Cabinet members on July 23 by corralling 34% of the radio audience.

> Play-by-play baseball-broadcast listening (13.2% of the audience) dropped off an average of nearly 2%.

* Released last week by Broadcasting magazine.

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