The CBC’s online archive has put online three of the eight still existing shows by Kate Aitken, longtime voice of women’s programmes in Canada.

One of these in particular is interesting from WREN’s point of view – the show from March 31, 1950, where “Mrs. A.” visits Paris, talking about everything from city planning and education to fashion.  She also answers listener’s mail in a very personable fashion, with her trademark (and to present-day ears striking) singson delivery.   It also shows the combination of public service and commercial concerns that worked through women’s programmes.  (Aitken’s stationery in the 1950s billed her as ‘the broadcaster for Good Luck Margarine’).

http://www.cbc.ca/video/swf/UberPlayer.swf?state=shareaudio&clipId=1811377852&width=512&height=126

Kate Aitken, besides being a fixture in women’s programming in Canada, was also an active member in the early years of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television, although this particular broadcast comes from before she joined the group.

As can also be seen in Kristin’s Skoog’s post about online materials in Sweden, features about life, and in particular women’s lives, in other countries appeared frequently in women’s programmes in the postwar era.

Kristin Skoog highlights a number of great resources recently put online by Svergies Radio.  The clips are in Swedish – and interesting to hear how many issues seem to be the same the world over.

1) The first female news reader in 1938. In April 1938, Astrid Kindstrand was the first woman to read the news from TT (Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå a Swedish news agency). A woman reading the news caused a public outcry and here you can listen to both the broadcast by Kindstrand and complaints from listeners. Listen here: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1602&artikel=2678358

2) Ingrid Samuelsson – Swedish radio woman pioneer. Listen here: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1602&artikel=600271

 
3) Swedish housewives in the US interviewed on the radio in 1947. In 1947 Ingrid Samuelsson travelled across the US and met with Swedish housewives living in New York and California. The housewives talk about their domestic lives, comparing US and Swedish lifestyles. Listen here: http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1602&artikel=2972739