Donald Flamm

Donald J. Flamm (1899–1998) was an American radio pioneer. He worked for the Shubert Brothers and for such stars as Al Jolson and Milton Berle. He owned numerous radio stations beginning with New York City’s WMCA, and is credited with founding ABSIE (American Broadcasting Station in Europe), the precursor of the Voice of America.

Flamm was born in Pittsburgh but attended New York City schools.

From a young age, Flamm was very active in the New York cultural scene. He produced plays and published a book of poems (1926). When radio station WMCA began operating in February 1925, Flamm produced much of the on-air content. Flamm is listed as the owner of WMCA from 1926. During the embryonic age of radio broadcasting, Flamm and WMCA were involved in many pioneering activities and controversies. WMCA was one of the nation’s leading radio broadcasting stations.

In December 1940, well-connected investors forced Donald Flamm to sell WMCA to industrialist Edward J. Noble for $850,000, which was about $400,000 less than its market value and the offer Flamm had previously refused from the president’s son, Elliott Roosevelt. Noble told Flamm that he would get his station “no matter what” or his Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license would be taken away. Noble had just left office as Undersecretary of Commerce. He was a friend of top White House aide Thomas Corcoran, and the purchase was handled by former FCC chief counsel William Dempsey, who shared offices with Corcoran. Later investigation showed that Flamm had succeeded in reaching President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attention and that the president’s aide, General Edwin Watson had asked the FCC to intervene; however, Thomas Corcoran had then countermanded Watson’s order.

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