The Johns Hopkins Science Review - Broadcast History

Broadcast History

The original series aired from March 9, 1948 to March 6, 1955. Initially, the show was broadcast only in the Baltimore area. Starting with the December 17, 1948 episode, shows were broadcast by CBS from stations along the east coast.

As was typical in the early days of television broadcasting, each show was broadcast live from a studio at Johns Hopkins University. Each week's show involved one or more guests, often from the Johns Hopkins faculty and staff. Poole acted as the host and interviewer. The guest might show how a scientific apparatus such an electron microscope or an oscilloscope worked, or would briefly explain scientific ideas to the viewers. In the December 5, 1950 episode, the live broadcast of a fluoroscope screen was used by doctors in New York and Chicago to diagnose the injuries to a machinist in the hospital in Baltimore. In the April 21, 1952 episode, a scientist drank a solution containing the radioactive isotope of iodine, and then followed its progress in his own body with a Geiger counter. The guests were sometimes national figures like Wernher von Braun (October 20, 1952), George Gamov, and Harold Urey. The show famously showed a live birth and gave instructions to women viewers about breast self-examination.

Each half-hour episode was broadcast from WAAM in Baltimore. The series moved to the DuMont Television Network in November 1949 through station WMAR. The program aired Tuesdays at 8:30 pm EST during the 1950-51 season, Mondays at 8:30pm EST during the 1951-52 season, and Wednesdays at 8pm EST during the 1952-53 season. According to the 1953-54 United States network television schedule, the show remained in the Wednesday at 8pm EST slot for the 1953-54 season.

The series would win the network Peabody Awards in 1950 (honorable mention) and 1952.

A spin-off program, Johns Hopkins File 7, aired on a syndicated basis from 1956 to 1960. Like the Review, File 7 was broadcast by WAAM and featured host Lynn Poole.

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