On the Media - How a Prison Fire Helped Create CBS News

About this episode

The episode discusses how a prison fire in 1930 influenced the development of CBS News.

When CBS was founded in 1927, its radio programming focused on entertainment, music, and fun. That all changed when a horrific prison fire broke out at the Ohio Penitentiary in 1930. CBS aired on-the-spot coverage of the event, with Otto "Deacon" Gardner, an inmate in the prison, at the microphone. At the time, Gardner's gripping broadcast captured the attention of audiences across the country and started CBS on the path to creating the hard-hitting news that would define the network for nearly a century. Brooke sits down with historian A. Brad Schwartz , author of the recent piece CJR piece " The Eyewitness" , to talk about this largely forgotten event in radio history and what it tells us about the type of radio reporting that speaks to listeners and builds trust with audiences. Hi On The Media listeners, we want to hear from you! Taking this podcast survey takes about 20 minutes and your feedback will help us make our podcast better! There are no wrong answers, just your honest take. Take the survey here (onthemedia.org/survey). On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow our show on Instagram…

People in this episode

Host: Brooke

Guest: A. Brad Schwartz

Topics covered

• radio history
• CBS News
• prison fire
• news reporting
• audience trust

Keywords

• CBS
• radio programming
• Otto Gardner
• prison fire
• A. Brad Schwartz

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CBS, CJR, KCUR Radio

Places: Ohio Penitentiary

More episodes of Adam Curry's Podcasts

• No Agenda Show - 1876 - "Screwball" · June 11, 2026 · 2h 52m
• The Tucker Carlson Show - BREAKING: U.S. Resumes Strikes on Iran. A Clean Exit Is Unlikely. Tucker and John Mearsheimer React. · June 11, 2026 · 2h 32m
• On the Media - "Making China Great Again" One Web-Novel At A Time · June 10, 2026 · 21 min
• Podcasting 2.0 - Episode 262: Podcleanse · June 5, 2026 · 1h 52m
• On the Media - The Psychology of Sticking Your Head in the Sand. Plus, Ep. 2 of American Emergency. · May 8, 2026 · 51 min
• The Tucker Carlson Show - Tyler Oliveira: Exposing Somali Welfare Abuse, Republican Hypocrisy & the Group You Can’t Criticize · May 8, 2026 · 1h 32m