The Big Broadcast

The Big Broadcast

The Big Broadcast is WAMU’s longest-running program. The show features a collection of  radio from the golden age, the 30s, 40s, and 50s, hosted by Tony-Award winning playwright, lyricist and director Murray Horwitz.

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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: April 27, 2025

The Big Broadcast: April 27, 2025

03:58:35
Apr 25, 2025 3:15 PM
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More Episodes

The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: April 20, 2025

The Big Broadcast: April 20, 2025

03:58:54
Apr 16, 2025 6:48 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: April 13, 2025

The Big Broadcast: April 13, 2025

03:58:36
Apr 11, 2025 1:43 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Franklin D. Roosevelt's passing

Radio was the first medium to break the news of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in April 1945. In I Can Hear It Now, Edward R. Murrow captures the moment with the original CBS bulletin voiced by John Daly. This segment originally aired on The Big Broadcast on April 6, 2025.

Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

 
00:05:19
Apr 11, 2025 12:57 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: April 6, 2025

The Big Broadcast: April 6, 2025

03:59:05
Apr 4, 2025 2:4 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: March 30, 2025

The Big Broadcast: March 30, 2025

03:58:37
Mar 28, 2025 1:24 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Who's On First?

This excerpt from the March 23, 2025, The Big Broadcast features one of the most iconic comedy routines of all time — Abbott and Costello’s "Who’s On First?".  From their radio show on April 17, 1947, this timeless sketch showcases the duo’s razor-sharp wordplay and impeccable timing, cementing its place in comedy history.

Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

00:05:23
Mar 24, 2025 4:26 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: March 23, 2025

The Big Broadcast: March 23, 2025

03:58:54
Mar 21, 2025 9:17 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: March 16, 2025

The Big Broadcast: March 16, 2025

03:59:14
Mar 17, 2025 10:5 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: March 9, 2025

The Big Broadcast: March 9, 2025

03:58:41
Mar 7, 2025 9:55 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: March 02,2025

The Big Broadcast: March 02,2025

03:58:40
Feb 28, 2025 1:0 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Baseball Hall of Famer "Cool Papa" Bell

We honor James “Cool Papa” Bell — a legend of the Negro Leagues and one of the first of its members to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bell was known for his lightning speed and powerhouse hitting. Widely regarded as the fastest runner in baseball history, Bell’s legacy lives on through stories shared by his goddaughter, WAMU's midday host, Geri Mitchell. This is an extended version of an interview that originally aired in a shortened form on The Big Broadcast on February 23, 2025.

00:19:27
Feb 24, 2025 6:24 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Baseball Hall of Famer "Cool Papa" Bell
We honor James “Cool Papa” Bell — a legend of the Negro Leagues and one of the first of its members to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bell was known for his lightning speed and powerhouse hitting. Widely regarded as the fastest runner in baseball history, Bell’s legacy lives on through stories shared by his goddaughter, WAMU's midday host, Geri Mitchell. This is an extended version of an interview that originally aired in a shortened form on The Big Broadcast on February 23, 2025.
00:19:27
Feb 24, 2025 6:2 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: February 23, 2025

The Big Broadcast: February 23, 2025

03:58:59
Feb 21, 2025 4:36 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: February 16, 2025

The Big Broadcast: February 16, 2025

03:58:57
Feb 14, 2025 2:30 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Edward R. Murrow's This I Believe and Ralph Bunche

Edward R. Murrow’s This I Believe invited people from all walks of life to share their personal philosophies, debuting on CBS Radio in 1951. This Big Broadcast segment features Murrow’s introduction to the series, followed by an essay from Ralph Bunche—scholar, diplomat, and the first person of African descent to win a Nobel Prize. Our thanks to CBS for this archival audio.

Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

 

00:09:30
Feb 13, 2025 4:18 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: February 09, 2025

The Big Broadcast: February 09, 2025

03:58:45
Feb 7, 2025 2:46 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Mary McLeod Bethune interviewed by Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

February marks African American History Month, and in 2025, we celebrate the 150th birthday of activist, educator, and diplomat Mary McLeod Bethune. The first Black American honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, Bethune left a lasting legacy. This segment features a 1949 interview between Bethune and her close friend, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, from WNYC’s Great Women of America. Our thanks to the New York City Municipal Archives WNYC Collection for that audio.

Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

00:09:09
Feb 3, 2025 1:15 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: February 2, 2025

The Big Broadcast: February 2, 2025

03:58:42
Jan 31, 2025 2:42 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: January 26, 2025

The Big Broadcast: January 26, 2025

03:59:04
Jan 24, 2025 2:51 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Paul Newman

Actor Jean Hersholt was known for his warmth and humanity in the old time radio series Doctor Christian. His legacy extends beyond acting; the Motion Picture Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award honors his real-life philanthropy.

On January 26, 2025, we mark the centennial of Paul Newman, the Ohio-born actor, director, and philanthropist. Though he never performed in radio drama, we’ll hear him accept the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 1994 Oscars, showcasing his enduring impact on screen and beyond.

00:02:11
Jan 23, 2025 3:51 AM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: January 19, 2025

The Big Broadcast: January 19, 2025

03:58:39
Jan 17, 2025 4:57 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Child Prodigy Ruth Slenczynska celebrates 100 years

Ruth Slenczynska, a pianist whose childhood prodigy career included performing for Rudy Vallee and studying under legends like Sergei Rachmaninoff, turns 100 years old on January 15, 2025. Born in Sacramento, she made her New York debut at just eight years old. A musical icon, Ruth returned to recording in 2022 at the age of ninety-seven, proving she’s still “a pianist with something substantial to say.”

This segment originally aired on The Big Broadcast on January 12, 2025.

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Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

00:12:38
Jan 14, 2025 6:34 PM
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The Big Broadcast
Big Broadcast Bites: Bill Kurtis on Iva Toguri, The Real Story of "Tokyo Rose"

From our Big Broadcast vault, an exclusive interview with NPR and Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! personality Bill Kurtis about Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known to many as “Tokyo Rose.” Mr. Kurtis narrated the American Veterans Center's short film documentary The Real Story of Tokyo Rose, which explored the life of Iva Toguri, the woman falsely accused of treason during World War II. The segment includes archival audio of Ms. Toguri on the radio during the war and newsreel audio from the years that followed, vividly bringing her story of resilience and injustice to life. This interview originally aired on The Big Broadcast on January 19, 2020.

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Big Broadcast Bites presents curated clips from WAMU’s long-running radio program, The Big Broadcast. Hosted by Murray Horwitz and produced by Jill Ahrold Bailey, these shorter selections offer quick listens, featuring golden age of radio audio and historical recordings that connect the past to today’s listeners.

00:14:19
Jan 14, 2025 6:13 PM
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The Big Broadcast
The Big Broadcast: January 12, 2025

The Big Broadcast: January 12, 2025

03:58:52
Jan 10, 2025 2:26 PM
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