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Bertha Brainard (June 16, 1890 - June 11, 1946), known to her friends as Betty, was a pioneering NBC executive responsible for setting trends in network broadcasting.〔(Paley Center for Media: "She Made It": Bertha Brainard )〕〔(Halper, Donna L. ''Invisible Stars: A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting'', M. E. Sharpe, 2001. ISBN 0-7656-0581-3 )〕 ==Life and career== She was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of Henry Brainard (a former journalist and publisher) and his wife Ada. After graduating high school, she attended a teacher's college in nearby Montclair, but subsequently decided she did not want to teach. During the war, she drove an ambulance for the Red Cross, and with some encouragement from her brother, she decided to try to find work in the new medium of radio.〔Hilmes, Michele. ''Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting'', Wadsworth, 2002, p. 47.〕 She became a theater critic, and began hosting a program called ''Broadcasting Broadway'' for WJZ in Newark beginning in March 1922.〔Scully, Michael. “The Girl Boss of WJZ”, ''McClure's'', vol. 59, #2, August 1927, p. 39.〕 By 1923, she became the station's assistant program director, helping to select the live performers and later doing critiques of the station's announcers. By October 1926, she had moved up to program manager.〔Kaiser, Florence V. “Women Take Places as Radio Directors.” ''Washington Post'', December 16, 1928, p. RA3.〕 After she became head of programming for NBC in 1928, the network's first woman executive, she began pushing for singer-bandleader Rudy Vallée to host a variety series by explaining that only a woman could understand the appeal of Vallée's voice.〔Rudel, Anthony. ''Hello, Everybody: The Dawn of American Radio''. Harcourt, 2008.〕 ''The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour'' (aka ''The Rudy Vallée Show'', aka ''The Fleischmann Yeast Hour'', aka ''The Fleischmann Hour'') was then launched as a musical variety radio program on NBC from 1929 to 1936, when it became ''The Royal Gelatin Hour'', continuing until 1939.〔 Beginning October 24, 1929, the show quickly became a top-rated program, second only to ''Amos 'n' Andy''.〔 Host Vallée appeared along with regulars Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson (1932), followed by Tom Howard and George Shelton (1935). On this show, the American listening audience heard many future stars for the first time, as it introduced such talents as Milton Berle, Burns and Allen, Alice Faye, the Mills Brothers and Kate Smith. Gloria Swanson made her radio debut. Other guests included Ray Bolger, Fannie Brice, Ilka Chase, Helen Hayes and Bert Lahr.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bertha Brainard」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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