Berton, An Early Free-Former
 

Radio historians tend to look first to FM in the 1960s when talking about the origins of free-form radio: the live unscripted, unstructured, if not sometimes anarchic hosting that came into vogue at that time of political and social upheaval. But actually, it may have had its start much earlier as a reflection of improvisation that defines so much of jazz. 

At a time when nearly all radio, including most interviews, was carefully scripted WNYC's Ralph Berton stuck out like a sore, but very curious, thumb on WNYC. The following excerpts from Variety's radio reviewer on October 2, 1940 suggest that the eccentric host's defiance of convention and ad-libbing (which the reviewer was clearly not attuned to) was actually a display of engaging improv by Berton.

"Series [The Metropolitan Revue} is obviously and frankly for the birds whom a hot lick drives into a frenzy. There's no attempt at formality and general interest. Without any pretense of having prepared a script such niceties as putting his between-records spiel into concise language Burton [sic] rambles through his introductions of records, background dope, comment and replies to letters, groping for words, interrupting himself and stumbling over his own speech. At least it provides spontaneity.

"At times his candor is hilarious. Opening last Wednesday's show, he commented on the fact that he was again playing his usual theme tune, explaining that he'd had to use another signature on the previous few shows because he had sat on the theme record.* 'I promise to be more careful in the future,' he added. He replied to two letters on the show...That particular program was devoted to the records of Muggsy Spanier's band. Burton [sic] got so enthusiastic over a couple of potent choruses that he replayed those portions of the records. Doubtless every hepcat at the other end of the kilocycles was just a couple of wriggles from a straightjacket."
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*In 1940 nearly all commercial records were pressed on shellac and would break or shatter easily if dropped or sat upon.