Billy Brown and Voice of America Shortwave Broadcasts
Nov 4, 2022 23:21:35 GMT
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Post by nlavon on Nov 4, 2022 23:21:35 GMT
Something a little bit different here.
I am a former Voice of America staffer, now retired, searching for an audio copy of a radio program that ran on VOA--the US Government's overseas information service--in the early 1950s. A 17 year-old boy from New York named Billy Brown had a weekly 15-minute broadcast on VOA in English which was then translated into Urdu, seeking Pen Pals (remember those? They're still around) for his club. The broadcasts were highly successful and brought in hundreds of letters a week from Pakistan to the VOA. It was one of VOA's most successful programs and it made young Billy Brown into a celebrity of sorts. He was the focus of dozens of newspaper stories (including a front page NY Times article). magazine profiles, and radio/television interviews. There was talk of a book deal about the letters he received from William Morrow Publishers and, according to one newspaper article, Hollywood wanted a screen test (it didn't happen).
So, it was a very big deal at the time, and all this occurred before the emergence of VOA's acknowledged most famous radio personality, Willis Conover, who hosted the service's worldwide Jazz Hour. To my knowledge, Billy Brown and Willis Conover were the only VOA personalities who were ever the subjects of front page stories in the New York Times.
Searches at the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and BBC (which relayed the show to Europe) have not turned up any recording or any story about the program. I am currently trying to reach Pakistan National Radio, which has extensive archives dating back to 1947, to see if they may have done something.
So, my question is this: are there other places to look for this program? Are there shortwave program collectors the way there are OTR program collectors? So far, not much luck in DX clubs. it's probably a hopeless goose chase, but I certainly plan to keep looking and any help or direction provided here would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks for your time,
Neal Lavon
Takoma Park, Maryland
I am a former Voice of America staffer, now retired, searching for an audio copy of a radio program that ran on VOA--the US Government's overseas information service--in the early 1950s. A 17 year-old boy from New York named Billy Brown had a weekly 15-minute broadcast on VOA in English which was then translated into Urdu, seeking Pen Pals (remember those? They're still around) for his club. The broadcasts were highly successful and brought in hundreds of letters a week from Pakistan to the VOA. It was one of VOA's most successful programs and it made young Billy Brown into a celebrity of sorts. He was the focus of dozens of newspaper stories (including a front page NY Times article). magazine profiles, and radio/television interviews. There was talk of a book deal about the letters he received from William Morrow Publishers and, according to one newspaper article, Hollywood wanted a screen test (it didn't happen).
So, it was a very big deal at the time, and all this occurred before the emergence of VOA's acknowledged most famous radio personality, Willis Conover, who hosted the service's worldwide Jazz Hour. To my knowledge, Billy Brown and Willis Conover were the only VOA personalities who were ever the subjects of front page stories in the New York Times.
Searches at the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and BBC (which relayed the show to Europe) have not turned up any recording or any story about the program. I am currently trying to reach Pakistan National Radio, which has extensive archives dating back to 1947, to see if they may have done something.
So, my question is this: are there other places to look for this program? Are there shortwave program collectors the way there are OTR program collectors? So far, not much luck in DX clubs. it's probably a hopeless goose chase, but I certainly plan to keep looking and any help or direction provided here would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks for your time,
Neal Lavon
Takoma Park, Maryland
