5 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁hosted ▁by ▁Edward ▁R . ▁Mur row ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁Mur row ▁and ▁Fred ▁W . ▁Friend ly . ▁It ▁ran ▁for ▁one ▁hour ▁on ▁Frid ays ▁at ▁ 9 ▁pm ▁Eastern ▁Time . ▁ ▁The ▁show ' s ▁beg inn ings ▁ ▁The ▁Columbia ▁Records ▁album ▁I ▁Can ▁H ear ▁It ▁Now ▁ 1 9 3 3 – 1 9 4 5 ▁( 1 9 4 8 ) ▁was ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁Bi ographical ▁Dictionary ▁of ▁Radio ▁as ▁" a ▁spect ac ular ▁critical ▁and ▁commercial ▁success ". ▁The ▁box ed - set ▁album ▁consisted ▁of ▁five ▁ 7 8 ▁r pm ▁record ings , ▁total ing ▁about ▁ 4 5 ▁minutes ▁of ▁sound , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁document ary ▁recording ▁to ▁become ▁widely ▁popular . ▁A ▁collaboration ▁between ▁Mur row ▁and ▁Friend ly , ▁it ▁inter wo ve ▁historical ▁events ▁with ▁speech es ▁and ▁Mur row ' s ▁narr ation ▁and ▁marked ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁pair ings ▁in ▁journal ism ▁history . ▁▁ ▁The ▁huge ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁record ▁( and ▁two ▁follow - up ▁albums ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 ) ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁pair ▁to ▁par lay ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁week ly ▁radio ▁show ▁for ▁CBS , ▁called ▁H ear ▁It ▁Now . ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁titled ▁Report ▁to ▁the ▁Nation , ▁and ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁such ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁as