The Royal Tour of 1939 as a Media Event

Abstract

This article examines three radio broadcasts from the royal tour of 1939, namely those covering the departure of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth from Niagara Falls, Ontario, on their way to visit the United States on June 7, 1939. The analysis contributes to the debate about the function of “media events” sparked by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz’s eponymous 1992 book. While Dayan and Katz argue that historic national televised ceremonies enhance community loyalty and integration, their critics suggest that they place too little emphasis on issues of hierarchy and power, especially the power of the media themselves. This study concludes that by their effective use of radio to exploit the symbolism of monarchical ceremony, natural spectacle, and international portals, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s announcers helped to legitimize and augment the authority of the fledgling Canadian public broadcaster.