Broadcast: August 31, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.
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This episode explores the cross between politics, labor, and the entertainment industry. Between 1947 and 1960, the American entertainment industry was embroiled in a manufactured scandal.
The threat of communism had apparently run amok, artists were forced to testify before Congress, and countless entertainers were blacklisted for their communist ties. While the blacklist was mostly applied to Hollywood screenwriters, many in the music industry were also affected.
This hour, we’ll explore the history of the so-called “Red Channels” in music, and hear how it affected singers and songwriters like Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Yip Harburg, and more.