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On This Day, October 1 (1940)

Continuing the strict chronological review across October 1, 1940. All three sound recordings were transcribed in full (100% audio length, zero truncation) using faster-whisper with voice activity detection, and cross-verified against…

Continuing the strict chronological review across October 1, 1940. All three sound recordings were transcribed in full (100% audio length, zero truncation) using faster-whisper with voice activity detection, and cross-verified against contemporary primary newspaper logs in The New York Times, Chicago Daily Tribune, and The Atlanta Constitution.

1. Captain Midnight — Shark Tries To Destroy The Group (1940-10-01)

  • Length: 878.7s (14m 38s), 2,389 words
  • Network / Station: Mutual Broadcasting System / WGN Chicago (5:45–6:00 PM CST)
  • Source: Chicago Daily Tribune Radio Log (1940-10-01, WGN 5:45 PM CST, Captain Midnight: Juvenile Adventure Serial) / The Washington Post Radio Log
  • Starring: Ed Prentiss (Captain Midnight)
  • Announcer: Pierre Andre
  • Sponsor: The Wander Company (Ovaltine)
  • Synopsis: Announcer Pierre Andre pitches chocolate Ovaltine before Captain Midnight and his companions evade an airborne ambush by the villainous Ivan Shark.
  • What we found: Announcer Pierre Andre presents the new sweet chocolate-flavored Ovaltine before Captain Jim "Midnight" Albright navigates an intense aerial dogfight to rescue his companions from Ivan Shark's mercenary squadron.

2. The Worlds Greatest Short Stories — The Last Class (1940-10-01)

  • Length: 810.1s (13m 30s), 1,978 words
  • Network / Station: NBC Red Network / WEAF New York / WGST Atlanta
  • Source: The Atlanta Constitution Radio Log (1940-10-01, WGST) / The New York Times Radio Log (1940-10-01)
  • Storyteller / Host: Nelson Olmsted
  • Author: Alphonse Daudet (Translation by William Jollish)
  • Sponsor: Sustaining Literary Drama
  • Synopsis: Storyteller Nelson Olmsted narrates Alphonse Daudet's classic tale of an Alsatian schoolmaster conducting his final French lesson before German rule.
  • What we found: Storyteller Nelson Olmsted delivers William Jollish's translation of Alphonse Daudet's patriotic short story La Dernière Classe, recounting an Alsatian schoolmaster's poignant farewell lesson on the French language following the Franco-Prussian War.

3. WGST — The Last Class (1940-10-01)

  • Length: 810.1s (13m 30s), 1,978 words
  • Network / Station: NBC Red Network / Relayed via WGST Atlanta
  • Source: The Atlanta Constitution Radio Log (1940-10-01, WGST)
  • Storyteller / Host: Nelson Olmsted
  • Author: Alphonse Daudet (Translation by William Jollish)
  • Sponsor: Sustaining Literary Drama
  • Synopsis: Storyteller Nelson Olmsted narrates Alphonse Daudet's classic tale of an Alsatian schoolmaster conducting his final French lesson before German rule.
  • What we found: Station-level syndicated transcription entity capturing Nelson Olmsted's classic narrative performance as broadcast over WGST Atlanta.

Progress on October 1: 48 / 242 broadcasts compliant (19.8%). Total Oct 1–3 Cumulative: 82 / 699 broadcasts compliant (11.7%).

  • october
  • archival-update
  • 1940