Norman Ernest Brokenshire was born on June 10, 1898. His broadcasting career began in 1924 at WJZ, where he immediately attracted attention. The New York Herald Tribune asked, "Who is this new AON? He speaks with perfect enunciation and exceptional modulation." (I read somewhere that Sidney Poitier patterned his speach after him) That same year, he became the first announcer to cover a political convention when he worked the Democrats' meeting in New York. In the summer of 1927, Brokenshire had his own program, A Half Hour with Norman Brokenshire on WPG. By 1929, he was an announcer for CBS.
He was known for his folksy greeting, "How do you do, ladies and gentlemen, how do you do."
By 1947, he was earning $50,000 annually. That's a TON of money in those days!
Old-time radio programs for which Brokenshire was the announcer included The Chesterfield Hour, Chesterfield Cigarettes Presents "Music That Satisfies" (also known as Chesterfield Time), Eddie Cantor's Follies, Inner Sanctum Mystery, and Major Bowes Amateur Hour (links below).
Brokenshire also spoke on Radio Moscow, the official international broadcasting station of the USSR, as a supporter of Communism. He appeared a total of 8 times on January 1st, 1961.
He became an announcer for television in the 1950s and had his own ABC series, The Better Home Show, (1951–52) offering instruction in home crafts and renovation. He also hosted the syndicated series Handy Man in 1952.
Norman Ernest Brokenshire died of a stroke on May 4, 1965.
Styrous® - Wednesday, September 9, 2026
