![]() As Americans gathered around their sets, eagerly eavesdropping on distant transmissions, they became conscious of their part in a shared experience, first as citizens, later of a nation. The first “fireside chats” were in fact delivered on WGY, thus placing the station and the Mohawk Valley at an important intersection in the history of American political broadcasting.Īt the time of Roosevelt’s gubernatorial inauguration in 1929, the radio industry was just beginning to mature, and the medium’s unique unifying strength was becoming apparent. The letters he received from New Yorkers illuminate Depression-era conditions and indicate an early instance of the intimate bond established between Roosevelt and his listeners. The New York public, including many Mohawk Valley area residents, responded to Roosevelt’s gubernatorial chats as well. During this period, Roosevelt began developing the simple, conversational style that characterized his better-known presidential fireside chats and that stimulated such voluminous national public reaction. Roosevelt gave at least 39 gubernatorial radio addresses, and at least 29 of those were given either exclusively over WGY or over a limited network of New York State stations WGY had founded. Roosevelt chose the high-powered WGY as his primary venue for “taking the issues to the people.” WGY’s technological pioneering and programming innovations placed the station in an influential position, particularly within the context of a developing national network system. The focus is on one radio station, General Electric’s WGY in Schenectady. This paper will examine the relationship between a burgeoning broadcasting industry and New York State politics during the early years of the Great Depression. Though many scholars have acknowledged Roosevelt’s mastery of the medium and the significance of his judicious use of the airwaves during his presidency, his early employment of radio as a political forum has been largely overlooked. He also came to see such reaction as a means of weighing popular opinion. During his two gubernatorial terms, Roosevelt found that the reaction elicited by his radio addresses was useful as leverage to skirt an obstructionist Republican legislature. ![]() A similar continuity between the two periods is evident in his use of radio as a means of advancing his ideas and mustering public support for his initiatives. Many historians have established a connection between Roosevelt’s initiatives during the New York years and the New Deal he later offered Americans during his presidency. As a woman in Oneonta, New York, wrote in response to the presidential fireside chat of March 12, 1933: “My husband and I are happy because you have decided to continue the policy you adopted while at Albany of speaking to the people over the air.” Roosevelt had actually spent the previous four years, while serving as governor of New York, refining his broadcasting skills. Roosevelt’s ability to clarify issues and connect with his constituents over the radio was not a sudden, propitious addition to his political war chest on becoming president. Roosevelt placed great value on such correspondence he used it as a tool for gauging public opinion and for countering political and press opponents who disapproved of his actions. The people responded by mail in overwhelming numbers and continued to do so with each successive fireside chat. Roosevelt took his place behind national radio network microphones to deliver what is commonly considered the first of his celebrated “fireside chats.” His paternal, colloquial broadcasting style helped soothe a troubled nation’s fears. ![]() On March 12, 1933, eight days after taking the oath of office, President Franklin D.
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