Murrow, Edward R. (1908-1965), was an American radio and television broadcaster. He won fame during World War II (1939-1945) for his on-the-scene radio broadcasts describing German bombing attacks on London. His listeners in America could hear the bombs exploding in the background.
Loading the player...Edward R. Murrow
Egbert Roscoe Murrow was born on April 25, 1908, near Greensboro, N.C. He changed his name to Edward while in college. Murrow became European director of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in 1937. He turned to radio newscasting shortly before World War II.
Murrow narrated the TV program, “See It Now,” from 1951 to 1958. He started a new style of TV newscasting with on-the-scene reporting that told about issues in everyday terms. In the most famous show of the series, Murrow attacked Joseph R. McCarthy. McCarthy was a U.S. senator whose investigations of Communist influence in the government had caused a national controversy (see McCarthy, Joseph R. ). From 1953 to 1959, Murrow narrated “Person to Person,” a TV program that featured interviews with famous people in their homes. He served as director of the U.S. Information Agency from 1961 to 1964.
During his broadcasting career, Murrow used two well-known signature phrases. He began his World War II London radio broadcasts with the words, “This is London.” He ended many of his radio and television broadcasts with the words “Good night, and good luck.” Murrow died on April 27, 1965, in Pawling, New York.
