We have new featured items in our "Unboxing Innovation in Special Collections" exhibit. Stop by Hornbake Library anytime in April to see artifacts from the National Broadcasting Company's 100-year history. hornbakelibrary.wordpress.com/2026/04/01/u...

Join the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) and Broadcast Education Association (BEA) at the 2026 Career Fair & Showcase during the NAB Show 2026! Monday, April 20 11 AM–3 PM Connect, network, and explore careers across media. See you there!

“If news is the first draft of history, the loss of local news archives means a loss of memory, culture, identity and, sometimes, reality,” writes Poynter faculty and director of craft and local news Kristen Hare. www.poynter.org/reporting-ed...

After the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Shutdown, UMD Keeps its History Alive University Libraries Maintain 6 Decades of Archives From Groundbreaking PBS, NPR Shows Like ‘Sesame Street,’ ‘All Things Considered’ today.umd.edu/after-the-co...

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the NAB have named CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Mo Rocca as the recipient of the 2026 LABF Insight Award to be presented April 21 during the We Are Broadcasters event at the 2026 NAB Show. radioink.com/2026/02/12/m...

#QSLfriday The Committee to Preserve Radio Verifications' extensive collection is part of the Library of American Broadcasting. Many years ago, Michael Henry, our Reference Specialist, produced a four-panel display on CPRV's QSLs for a Broadcast Education Association convention.

#gameshows Long before "The Masked Singer," there was "Masquerade Party. From 1952 to 1960, the show appeared at various times on ABC, NBC, and CBS. "Masquerade Party" ranked eighth on TV Guide's 2001 list of "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time." (colorized photo)

In 1956, young Dick Van Dyke hosted "CBS Cartoon Theater," a 13-episode summer replacement show that showcased the network’s newly acquired library of Terrytoons cartoons and publicized the Saturday morning programs for kids. [From our photo archives.]

#QSLfriday WDAN in Danville, Illinois, went on the air in October 1938, with studios in the basement of the Hotel Welford. WDAN programming included CBS Radio and locally produced programs. One such local program was the first job for a young Dick Van Dyke. #otr

#quizshows "Quiz Kids" was a radio and TV series originally broadcast in the 1940s and 1950s (left). In the 1980s, there was a revival, "New Quiz Kids," hosted by Norman Lear (right).

#QSLfriday WMBH (now KQYX) was initially licensed in January 1927. The station adopted the slogan "Where Memories Bring Happiness" based on its call sign.

#gameshows "Double or Nothing" (1940-1953) was quoted in the Congressional Record. "John Reed King, emcee, asked a contestant how far one billion one-dollar bills would reach. Rep. Frank Carlson (R-KS) tied the answer into the debate on the national debt." – Owensboro Messenger, 5/11/45 #otr

Severn Library is the University Libraries' high-density storage facility, located just north of campus. This enormous warehouse holds thousands of books from the library's circulating collections, as well as archival materials from Special Collections and University Archives. 1/2

#QSLfriday KFTI in Wichita is one of the oldest stations in Kansas, dating to 1923, when it was founded as KFKB by the notorious "goat gland doctor," J. R. Brinkley. In late 1929, Radio Digest reported that "The Sunshine Station in the Heart of the Nation" was KFKB's new slogan.

#gameshows "Dotto" was a television game show that aired in 1958, combining a general knowledge quiz with the children's game of "connect the dots." The program, hosted by Jack Narz, quickly became the highest-rated daytime show of that year. Later, the press revealed that the show had been rigged.

New Letterpress Studio in Hornbake Library Features 2 Donated Antique Presses today.umd.edu/to-experienc...

#QSLfriday KOMO (now KNWN) first broadcast on December 31, 1926. The studios moved to Downtown Seattle in 1927. The station began a long-running affiliation with NBC Radio that year, primarily with the Red Network, as well as with the short-lived West Coast NBC Orange Network from 1931 to 1933.

The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony, an annual event of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, will take place tomorrow, Friday, November 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Gotham Hall in New York City. www.tvradiolibrary.org/giants-2025

Little-known media history oddity: The Fleischmann's Yeast company started both The New Yorker magazine & the CBS broadcast network... and Theranos? It's a strange story. The Latest in The Lint Trap. linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/how-fleisc...

#gameshows "Video Village" was a daytime show on CBS from 1960 to 1962. It was notable for its unique "living board game" concept. Monty Hall served as host ("the Mayor"). The format reappeared as a Saturday-morning kids' show, "Shenanigans," on ABC from 1964 to 1965, hosted by Stubby Kaye.

The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony will take place this Friday at Gotham Hall in New York City. For complete details about tickets, please contact the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting Event Producer at [email protected] or (732) 245-7799.

#QSLfriday This Cleveland, Ohio, radio station was known as WKYC from 1965 to 1972. The station first carried the call letters WTAM from 1923 to 1956. The station re-adopted the WTAM call letters in 1996 to reinforce the station's position on the AM band. #otr

"In the 1950s, many local stations simply signed off at midnight or filled their schedules with live wrestling and stock car races. That changed in 1957, when Universal’s Screen Gems released its “Shock” package of classic horror films." latenighter.com/features/bef...

Just dropped: Two new episodes of "Chachi Loves Everybody," an original podcast featuring Rick Dees, internationally syndicated host of "The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown," and Gary Sandy, acclaimed actor known for his iconic role on "WKRP in Cincinnati." To listen, visit: bit.ly/ChachiLovesE...

#GameShows Alan Thicke hosted the game show "Pictionary" (top) in syndication during the 1997-98 television season. A similar show, "Win, Lose or Draw" (bottom), premiered in 1987 and aired in both syndication and on NBC. The syndicated series, hosted by Bert Convy, ran until 1990.

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the Broadcast Education Association Unveil Grant Initiative to Preserve Broadcast History radioink.com/2025/11/03/l... via @radioink

The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony will take place next Friday at Gotham Hall in New York City. For complete details about remaining tickets, please contact the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting Event Producer at [email protected] or (732) 245-7799.

A Peek Inside ... Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Maryland. From student protest photos to the flag of Syrian independence, staffers share objects with meaning. (Also Halloween decorations.) today.umd.edu/a-peek-insid...

#QSLfriday In 1965, WINS underwent a radical (at the time) format change. It became the third radio station in the United States to adopt all-news programming, implementing the new format around the clock.

#GameShows Family Feud's original run from 1976 to 1985 aired on ABC and in syndication, with Richard Dawson as host. The series was revived in 1988, airing on CBS and in syndication. Dawson returned as host from 1994 to 1995. The series was revived in first-run syndication in 1999.

Anchor and Managing Editor of ABC World News Tonight, David Muir, and ABC News Radio National Correspondent, Steven Portnoy, will be honored during the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony in New York on Friday, November 14. tvradiolibrary.org/giants-2025

#QSLfriday In March 1968, KMOX-AM and TV moved into the pictured Gateway Tower building — "in the shadow of the dramatic 630-foot Gateway to the West arch." The radio station had offices and studios on the promenade level. This QSL card was sent to a DX-er in Örebro, Sweden, in February 1971.

#GameShowWednesday National Public Radio launched its weekly news quiz, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me," in January 1998, with Carl Kasell as official judge and scorekeeper. Playwright and actor Peter Sagal joined the program as its host a few months later. It became one of NPR's most popular shows.

"Though best known as Andy Travis on WKRP in Cincinnati, Gary Sandy never set out to become America’s favorite Program Director, but he brought him to life on TV in such a way that he inspired a generation of aspiring radio talent and managers. radioink.com/2025/07/11/t...

The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts luncheon and awards ceremony will take place at Gotham Hall in New York City from on Friday, November 14. For complete details, please contact the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting Event Producer at [email protected] or (732) 245-7799.

#QSLfriday WBT made its first broadcast in March 1922. The next day's Charlotte Observer described, "the first station that has been erected and put in active operating condition in the Carolinas." This QSL card was sent to a DX-er in Waterloo, Iowa, in October 1954

Concentration was a game show based on the children's card-matching game and a rebus puzzle, revealed as matching cards were removed from the board. The original daytime version ran on NBC from 1958-1973. This series was hosted by Hugh Downs (left) and later by Bob Clayton (right).

NBC’s upcoming centennial milestone will be honored among this year’s Giants of Broadcasting, LABF’s annual tribute recognizing trailblazers and historic contributions to the broadcasting industry. The event will take place on Nov. 14 at Gotham Hall in New York. www.tvradiolibrary.org/giants-2025

"Steven Portnoy may be best known as a National Correspondent for ABC News Radio or his tenure as White House Correspondent for CBS, but behind the scenes, he’s also one of broadcast journalism’s most passionate preservationists." radioink.com/2025/05/29/t...

#QSLfriday Founded in 1924 by Sears, Roebuck and Company, with the call sign an abbreviation for Sears' "World's Largest Store" slogan. The station's contemporary hit radio era from 1960 until 1989 saw WLS at a creative and ratings pinnacle. Since 1989, WLS has been a full-time talk radio outlet.

#GameShowWednesday The original $10,000 Pyramid, hosted by Dick Clark, debuted in 1973. Clark hosted the daytime version from 1973 to 1980 (increasing its top prize to $20,000 in 1976) and The $25,000 Pyramid from 1982 to 1988. The $100,000 Pyramid debuted in 2016 with Michael Strahan as host.

The 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony, an annual event of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, will be held on November 14 at Gotham Hall in New York City. For complete details, please call (732) 245-7799 or email [email protected]

#QSLfriday WSBB (AM) is a radio station licensed to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, which began broadcasting on February 1, 1952. The call sign stands for "World's Safest Bathing Beach," a promotional slogan for the area at the time. It was owned by the Beach Broadcasting Company. #otr

Before GoFundMe, there was "Strike It Rich" (1947-1957), "the quiz show with a heart." People in desperate need of money would appear on the program, share their story of hardship, and try to win money. Celebrities sometimes appeared as "Helping Hands." (right).

Hall of Fame sportscaster Lesley Visser and Communications Attorney John R. Feore, Jr., will be among those honored during the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony. The annual event will take place at Gotham Hall in New York City from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 14.

#QSLfriday WCAU (now WPHT), Philadelphia's third-oldest radio station, began broadcasting in 1922. The station began its long association with CBS in 1927, as one of 16 charter network affiliates of the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System, airing its first network program in September 1927.

#GameShowWednesday "Win Ben Stein's Money" was a television game show that aired first-run episodes from 1997 to 2003 on Comedy Central. The show won six Daytime Emmy awards, with Stein and Jimmy Kimmel, the show's original co-host, sharing the Outstanding Game Show Host award in 1999.

Television star Gary Sandy and radio icon Rick Dees will be among those honored during the 2025 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts awards ceremony. The annual event will take place at Gotham Hall in New York City from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 14. www.tvradiolibrary.org/giants-2025

How the Corporation for Public Broadcasting can scale back while maintaining its nonprofit status. Experts see advantages in preserving a bare-bones operation, which isn’t “particularly onerous.” current.org/2025/09/how-...