Monday, March 6, 2017

First Children's Bible Program(s) on Radio????

While researching radio magazines I learned about the historic radio station KTBI in Los Angeles. KTBI was the station for the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, or Biola University as it is known today. A weekday afternoon staple of this station was "Aunt Martha's Children Hour". Who was Aunt Martha and what were the contents of her radio hour? I absolutely would love to know!

Pg. 52 from Radio Doings magazine, January 8, 1927, that highlights radio station KTBI,
when the Aunt Marth's Children's Hour was on the air. 


Since KTBI is believed to be have been the first radio station devoted entirely to ministry, "Aunt Martha" may have been the first person with a broadcasting ministry for children in North America. So far radio logs that I have examined show that her program was broadcast every day of the week except for Saturdays over KTBI from as early as 1926 until sometime in 1927 or 1928.

Sometime in 1928 KTBI began broadcasting a different program called "Uncle Freds' Biola Children's Club" which aired weekdays around 8:00am. So far I am unable to find information about these programs beyond the standard radio log listings. I will be seeking more information on these early programs that I've also added to the "Radio Programs" page.