1939 in radio

Events

• 17 June – A trans-Atlantic radio broadcast features coloratura soprano Ewa Bandrowska-Turska singing four songs by Karol Szymanowski from Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland, for a United States audience on WENR.
• 15 July – Inauguration of DZRH, one of the oldest radio stations in the Philippines.
• 29 July – In France, with war on the horizon, a package of decrees tightens the state's control of public radio and obliges all private stations to broadcast, unedited, the government's Radio-Journal in place of their own news programmes.
• 7 August – Official test transmissions begin from Radio Andorra. The station is ceremonially inaugurated two days later by the French Minister of Public Works, Anatole de Monzie.
• September – The French government's radio for schools initiative ends.
• 1 September – At 18.55 local time BBC engineers receive the order to begin closing down all transmitters in preparation for wartime broadcasting: this marks the end of the National and Regional Programmes of the BBC. At 20.15 local time the BBC's Home Service begins transmission: this will be the corporation's only domestic radio channel for the first four months of World War II.
• 3 September
• *Fireside chat by the President of the United States: On the European War.
• *Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, speaking from 10 Downing Street, announces on the BBC at 11.15 local time that "this country is at war with Germany".
• 19 September – Popular British radio comedy show It's That Man Again with Tommy Handley is first broadcast on the BBC Home service, following trial broadcasts from 12 July. Known as "ITMA", it runs for ten years.
• 17 November – Radio station ZQI begins broadcasting in Jamaica, initially for an hour a week.
• 11 December – Havana, Cuba's CMQ becomes the first affiliate for the NBC Red Network based outside of the United States and Canada.
• 12 December – James M. Cox gains control of WSB and a 40 percent interest in WAGA, both in Atlanta, Georgia.
• 22 December – KORN begins broadcasting in Fremont, Nebraska, on 1370 kHz.
• 25 December
• *In his Christmas broadcast on BBC radio, King George VI of the United Kingdom quotes Minnie Louise Haskins' poem "The Gate of the Year".
• *Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is read for the first time on American radio.

  Debuts

Programs

• 14 January – Honolulu Bound debuts on CBS.
• 16 January – I Love a Mystery debuts on west coast NBC stations.
• 21 January – Brenthouse debuts on the Blue Network.
• 23 January – Doc Barclay's Daughters debuts on CBS.
• 13 February – The Carters of Elm Street debuts on NBC.
• 19 February – Norman Corwin's radio series Words Without Music is premiered on the CBS Radio Network.
• 25 March – Arch Oboler's Plays debuts on NBC.
• 3 April – Mr. District Attorney debuts on NBC.
• 7 April – Author, Author debuts on Mutual.
• 29 May – The Affairs of Anthony debuts on the Blue Network.
• 29 May – When a Girl Marries debuts on CBS.
• 5 June – Caroline's Golden Store debuts on NBC.
• 18 June – The Adventures of Ellery Queen debuts on CBS.
• 2 July – The Aldrich Family debuts on NBC.
• 3 July – Blondie debuts on CBS.
• 4 July – Alec Templeton Time debuts on NBC.
• 12 July – It's That Man Again, starring Tommy Handley, Jack Train, Deryck Guyler, and others, recorded in a Bangor, Wales, studio, is broadcast for the first time, on BBC radio.
• 6 August – The Dinah Shore Show debuts on the Blue Network.
• 3 September – Let the People Sing by J. B. Priestley, written for radio and read by the author.
• 11 September – Brenda Curtis debuts on CBS.
• 25 September – Singing Together, BBC Radio schools series that continued until 2001.
• 7 October – Art for Your Sake debuts on NBC.
• 9 October – By Kathleen Norris debuts on CBS.
• 16 October – Against the Storm debuts on NBC.
• 17 October – Captain Midnight debuts on WGN.
• 19 October – Don Winslow of the Navy debuts on the Blue Network.
• 25 December – The Bartons'' debuts on the Blue Network.

  Stations

• 28 July – KVAK, Atchison, Kansas, begins broadcasting on 1420 kHz with 100 W power.
• 25 December – The Bartons debuts on the Blue Network.
• December – WCAR, Pontiac, Michigan, begins broadcasting on 1100 kHz with 1 KW power.

  Endings

• 27 February – Alias Jimmy Valentine ends its run on network radio.
• 7 May – Americans All, Immigrants All ends its run on network radio.
• 30 June – Central City ends its run on network radio.
• 30 June – Howie Wing ends its run on network radio.
• 28 July – Her Honor, Nancy James ends its run on network radio.
• 8 September – Calling All Cars ends its run on network radio.

  Births

• 23 January – Vincent Duggleby, English personal finance radio presenter.
• 3 March – Larry Burkett, American evangelical Christian author and radio personality.
• 4 March – Keith Skues, English radio presenter.
• 19 March – Bob Kingsley, American country music personality.
• 7 May – David Hatch, English radio executive and performer.
• 30 August – John Peel, born John Ravenscroft, English DJ.
• 19 September – Louise Botting, English radio presenter and businesswoman.
• 18 December – Alex Bennett, born Bennett Schwarzmann, American talk show host.

  Deaths

• 9 March – Ernie Hare, American singer, known for The Happiness Boys, 55
• 16 June – Chick Webb, American jazz drummer, 34
• 20 July – Sir Dan Godfrey, English conductor, 71
• 6 December – Charles Dalmorès, French tenor, 68
• 19 December – Eric Fogg, English composer and conductor, 36