Episode 226: Local TV Affiliates

America at 250 Episode 12: "We the Viewers:  How TV advertising is a reflection of different eras and places."Brent is a volunteer docent at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, which is a perfect spot for him as he has spent most of his life connected to television production in one way or another.  As an ad man on Michigan Avenue--Chicago's answer to Madison Avenue-- Brent witnessed and took part in the evolution of marketing that responded to TV programming and viewing practices.Although I'm releasing these episodes in the order I recorded them, this one lands well for Constitution Day.  Much of this conversation involves examples from the history of American commerce, something that would have looked very different had it not been for the structure of the US Constitution, particularly Article I, section 8.This is the twelfth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250#podcast #popculture #TV #TVadvertising #constitution

America at 250 Episode 11: "Voice of the People: the democratization of media and its reflection of time and place."Having spent fifteen years working as a reporter and news anchor for different news affiliates around the country, Shawn Patrick Floss knows a thing or two about the power of cameras and microphones when placed in reach of ordinary people.   We met at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago and had an enlightening conversation about how people on the outside of the media world have had their say. Shawn was happy to share insights on what inspired him to pursue a career in TV news, and how rewarding his job was when he could give a "voice to the voiceless."  We also discuss the many ways people of all ages can share their thoughts and ideas in a constantly evolving and democratizing media landscape.This is the eleventh episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250#podcast #popculture #TV #localaffiliate #tvnews

America at 250 Episode 10: "Staying in the Loop: Chicago's WLUP radio as an example of terrestrial radio's role in civic life." The Museum of Broadcast Communications has a special exhibit dedicated to its hometown Rock n roll radio station, 97.7 FM, WLUP.  Starting in 1977, "The Loop" immediately secured its place in the everyday life of Chicagoans like my guest, Luke, who grew up listening to its lineup of boundary-pushing DJs through the 80s and 90s.Our conversation highlights the role of radio stations-- of all formats --and their role in supporting strong civics in the range of their signal, something that has declined over the last 30 years due to corporate take over of local stations, satellite radio, and rise (ironically) of on-demand audio.This is the tenth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #chicago #TheLoop #radio

America at 250 Episode 9: "Sweepin' the Clouds Away: Sesame Street as a product of, and contributor to, American culture."  Mary Cay carries a lifelong adoration of Sesame Street and is quite familiar with its place on the pantheon of both children's educational TV and public broadcasting.  We had a wonderful conversation about how the show came to achieve that status at a hall of honor, the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.I recognize that Sesame Street takes place in New York and not Chicago, but one of the many great points my guest in the Second City makes about the pioneering children's program is that it had an urban setting, something not very common for the era in which it first entered households. This is the ninth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.**As it occasionally happens when you discuss history on the fly, I make a misstatement in this episode. 1990 is the year of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but I link it to the Bicentennial, 1976.  However, legislation typically is the result of many years of work, and in the case of the ADA, much of that promotion began in the mid 1970s.**Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #sesamestreet #pbs

America at 250 Episode 8: "X Marks the Spot: How The X-Files represent 1990s society and culture."  Val is the archivist at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and therefore a deep thinker about television and radio programming's place in history.  She chose her favorite TV show, The X-Files, to be the subject of the first drop-in episode in the Windy City, and we had a great conversation about the groundbreaking science fiction show. The letter X appeared frequently in 1990s pop culture: Gen X, X-Games, X-Men, and of course, The X-Files. The running theme of all Xs seemed to be something different, edgy and outside of the ordinary.  Val explains that it wasn't just the topics of The X-Files that set the show apart, but that it was made in an unconventional way, symptomatic of the last decade of the 20th century.  This is the eighth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776. Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1990s #xfiles 

America at 250 Episode 7: "Full Circuit: 'Electronic Selector' as a refection of the 1950s'"  Ric chose to discuss "Electronic Selector," a cross between a trivia board game and a electrical tutorial from the 1950s as the last recording during the preview event at the NH Telephone Museum in Warner back in May.  If this box was marketed in the present it would likely be referred to as a STEM activity, because as Ric indicated, it was activities like this which opened pathways for him and many youths of the era to explore electrical engineering and other technical careers.  I snagged Electronic Selector out of a bin at Goodwill Buy the Pound because of the vibrant graphics, but I never put together exactly what it is until Ric walked me through it.  It makes sense that products like this would be developed in the post-World War II period as there was a desire, and perhaps need, to have young people equipped with skills to take on the increasingly high tech world around them.This is the seventh episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1950s #electronicselector #electrical

America at 250 Episode 6: "Future Boy: 1985's Back to the Future as a primary source"  Gwen asked to chat about 1985's Back to the Future for her podcast segment and I was glad to oblige considering it is one of my all-time favorites.  The 1985 movie could've been incredibly hokey but the recipe of writers, director, actors and special effects makes it a near-perfect contemporary classic.  But what can it tell us about the society it was made for in the 1980s?  This is the sixth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.  I honestly feel foolish for saying it was a stretch connecting the Declaration of Independence to Back to the Future considering its signing is one of two events Doc Brown uses to illustrate the capabilities of his time machine.  However, I like Gwen's take on the challenge even better.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #backtothefuture #80smovies #1980s

America at 250 Episode 5: "A Telephone's Ring: The many tales the telephone tells"If you host a drop-in podcast at a telephone museum, you're bound to get more than a few conversations about the world-changing device recorded.   A veteran social studies teacher, my guest, Pam, teaches just as I do, using artifacts of everyday life to tell stories and learn about the past in doing so.  In this talk we go from learning about a telephone that went full circle, to learning about how the dial was added to the device, and even how phones were created in the first place.This is the fifth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

America at 250 Episode 4: "A Lineman for the Country: A conversation about the evolution of telecommunications with a career phone company man."This is the kind of episode I imagined making when I started taking the Everything is a Primary Source Podcast out into the world.  I had just sat down with Pam to record a piece at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum when Bill, a retired telephone company man, and his family came in to visit.  Bill and Pam immediately got to talking and I just sat back, microphones on, taking in the interesting stories that someone with such an incredibly interesting career might tell. Bill worked for telecommunications companies for 50 years, and what a monumental half a century that was as he was immediately involved with the entire communication system as it evolved from analog to digital to fiber.  Bill and his fellow telephone employees were responsible for ensuring the integrity of the infrastructure so that the most important trait of our culture--sharing of information--could continue unabated. This is the fourth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #telephone #phones #oralhistory

America at 250 Episode 3: "Our House: Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 picture book, The Little House as a primary source."Sage took the time to speak with me at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum this Spring, selecting Virginia Lee Burton's 1942 Caldecott Award-winning picture book, The Little House to chat about.  The book tells the tale of a personified pink cottage as it enjoys its existence in the country until the noise and congestion of the big city envelopes it.  Sage and I try to determine what this book can tell us regarding attitudes  as the country experienced significant changes as the first half of the 20th Century came to an end.This is the third episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776.Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.