The People Act - May 11, 1952

Now, a relatively obscure documentary radio show.  “The People Act”, produced by CBS and done in cooperation with the People Act Center, State College, Pennsylvania, was one of the first documentary series recorded in the field on tape.  Each episode looks at how a local community deals with a particular problem in their area.

The 19th show in the series was heard May 11, 1952.  Robert Trout narrates the story of a young farmer from India visiting Carroll County, Georgia as part of an exchange program.  It’s fascinating to hear the clash of cultures and attempts at understanding between the local residents and the visitor, especially when it comes to food.

The program was transferred from an original 12” microgroove vinyl record, matrix number XTV-17202, probably pressed by Columbia.  The disc was either used to syndicate the program to radio stations at a later date or to distribute it to educational institutions.

I have another episode from the series coming up in the blog soon.