The Parade of States
The Parade of States (aka The Parade of the States) was a radio series, heard on NBC in 1931-32, which presented a tribute to a different American state each week. Sponsored by General Motors, the programs were broadcast at 8:30pm on Monday evenings to 40 NBC affiliated stations.
The series premiered October 12, 1931, with a coverage of Virginia, featuring musical numbers representative of the state. The radio actor Charles Webster read a tribute written by advertising man Bruce Barton.
The Governor of Virginia, Chambers of Commerce and other civic organizations were advised of the tribute, which played a role in NBC's expansion. For the premiere performance, station WRVA in Richmond, Virginia was added to the coast-to-coast NBC network.[1]
Montana and other states were covered in the weeks that followed.