Old Radio

September 29, 1930 : On this day Lowell Thomas made his debut on CBS. He replaced Floyd Gibbons on the 15 minute newscast program that aired at 6:45 PM. Thomas, who began as a reporter for the New York Daily News at age 19, continued his career in radio broadcasting for the next 46 years with his special greeting, "This is Lowell Thomas." Lowell Jackson Thomas was born on April 6, 1892. He was on of the best American writers, broadcasters, and travelers. He was known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous, a feat that made Thomas $1.5 million. Thomas also wrote a book, With Lawrence in Arabia (1924), about his time in the desert and Lawrence's exploits during the war. It would be the first of fifty-six volumes. During the 1920's, Thomas was a magazine editor. In 1930, he debuted as a broadcaster on the CBS radio network, delivering a nightly news and commentary program. After two years, he switched to the NBC radio network, but returned to CBS in 1947