BW - EP126—002: April 1954—The Eternal Light

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

In October 1944, in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary, NBC began one of the longest-running religious programs in radio history. It was called The Eternal Light. Then in its tenth year, The Eternal Light dramatized stories from ancient Judaea, along with contemporary works like The Diary of Anne Frank. It was produced by Milton Krents. Many top New York radio actors appeared. NBC donated the air time and the Seminary paid for the show's production. On April 4th at 12:30PM eastern time over NBC’s WRCA in New York, The Eternal Light took to the air with a story entitled “Children of Liberty.” Although many radio programs were being canceled, The Eternal Light would air on radio and then television until 1989.