The Obsession Radio Program

Background

C. P. 'Chick' MacGregor was a prolific producer of independently recorded, transcribed and syndicated Radio programming dating from as early as his 1924 work with Brunswick Records, MacGregor & Ingram and MacGregor & Sollie, other independent transcription firms in the San Francisco Bay area. Between 1929 and the early 1970s, C. P. MacGregor produced some of Radio's most enduring and fondly remembered Radio programming:

• 1929 Cecil and Sally
• 1932 - 1942 Eb and Zeb
• 1934 Lux Radio Theatre
• 1939 Jonathon Thomas and His Christmas On the Moon
• 1942 - 1953 Jubilee
• 1947 - 1956 Proudly We Hail
• 1948 Hollywood Theater of Stars
• 1950 Salute to Reservists
• 1950 Obsession
• 1953 The Voice of the Snake
• 1953 Better Living Radio Theatre
• 1953 Keep Your Guard Up
• 1956 Hollywood Sound Stage
• 1956 - 1965 Heartbeat Theatre

Chick MacGregor produced hundreds of other transcribed series, music albums, Government-commissioned series', and educational features. Referred to as the "deMille of the discs" during the Golden Age of Radio's heyday, thousands of C. P. MacGregor's transcription discs and manuscripts from the era are currently preserved in the C. P. MacGregor Collection of the Library of Congress.

Suspense and thriller mysteries were a popular staple of Radio from its Golden Age. We're all familiar with the long-running Suspense and Escape programs from the era. There were literally hundreds of other similar productions that found their way to American air waves throughout the Golden Age of Radio.

WBBM, Chicago [CBS Key Station]

Chicago's CBS-owned and operated (O&O) WBBM was one of the three major Radio network-owned and operated Chicago stations to originate quality programming throughout Chicago and surrounding states. WMAQ, Chicago's NBC affiliate also orginated a great deal of local and regional programming throughout the area. WGN, Chicago's Mutual Broadcasting System affilate also orginated a great many Radio features that went national in time. WENR was the newcomer O&O, the Chicago Key Station for The Blue Network (ABC). Among WBBM's many locally originated programs were:

• 1933 Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy
• 1938 Manhattan Mother
• 1939 Knickerbocker Playhouse
• 1939 Manhattan Mother
• 1938 Wayside Theater
• 1940 A Brighter World
• 1945 Those Websters
• 1945 America In the Air
• 1945 Five After the Hour
• 1945 Island Venture
• 1945 American Family News
• 1950 Cloud Nine

Founded in 1923 by Harry Leslie 'Les' Atlass, WBBM first broadcast local election returns as the second licensed amateur radio station in Lincoln, Illionois--designated '9FDC. ' Quickly expanding from his initial transmitting power of 10 watts to 200 watts, Les Atlass acquired permission to use the call letters 'WBBM' for his 200 watt broadcasting station; the initials reportedly representing "We Broadcast Better Music." Though 200 watts may seem relatively small power, it was enough in 1923 and 1924 to be picked up from coast to coast.

After selling his produce company to Armour & Company, Atlass subsequently dismantled the broadcasting equipment on his property in Lincoln, Illinois in preparation for a move to Chicago. Atlass simply broadcast out of his basement in Chicago for the following two years.

WBBM returned to the air in Chicago for the first time on February 24, 1925 broadcasting from the Broadmoor Hotel on Chicago's North Side. WBBM began broadcasting three days a week with mostly jazz. By the late 1920s WBBM had become the first Chicago station to accept commercial advertising. CBS acquired the station in 1928 as a CBS O&O station. WBBM added a 5,000 Watt FM in 1941 and a Television station in 1953.

During WBBM's programing development heyday of the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s WBBM originated numerous public service, drama, variety and soap opera programs for airing throughout the Midwest, many of which were picked up by CBS for national broadcasts. WBBM also aired a great many independently produced, transcribed and syndicated programming throughout the Golden Age of Radio.

C. P. MacGregor introduces its Obsession mystery series

C. P. MacGregor's offerings over the years were an equal mix of independently produced, Government-commissioned, and commercially-commissioned productions. Obsession was an example of one of C. P. MacGregor's independently produced series. Obsession's first subscriber appears to have been WBBM, Chicago; at the time, the CBS Key Station for Chicago and the midwest.

WBBM launched MacGregor's Obsession series on October 9th 1950 as a filler program until January 15th 1951 at which time it began airing on a Monday night regular basis until May 12th 1952.

Series Derivatives:

Notes on Provenances:

The most helpful provenances were newspaper listings.

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[Date, title, and episode column annotations in red refer to either details we have yet to fully provenance or other unverifiable information as of this writing. Red highlights in the text of the 'Notes' columns refer to information upon which we relied in citing dates, date or time changes, or titles.]