Were the Armed Forces shows heard in the states, at all?

[scottp]

Command Performance, G.I. Journal, Mail Call... were you just out of luck if you wanted to hear your radio favorites do their guest spots, even if you lived near a military base?
A neat item I found the other day is Harpo Marx accompanying Bing Crosby on "My Blue Heaven" in June of 1944. Harpo gets very jazzy at the finish... jazzy as in, That Could Be Just About Any Song He's Playing.

[Mandolynn]

Not normally, but I did hear a version of Command Performance last December which was broadcast to both the armed forces and the folks back home simultaneously as a kind of long-distance bonding experience for the holidays.

[Jack Benny]

Not normally, but I did hear a version of Command Performance last December which was broadcast to both the armed forces and the folks back home simultaneously as a kind of long-distance bonding experience for the holidays.

Yes, I just played it on my podcast. It was hosted by Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby, Edgar Bergen, Red Skelton, Fred Allen, and of course Jack Benny were all featured! Jack and Fred were tossed to live in New York, while the rest of the broadcast was from California. Her is the link with my intro:

1942-12-24 Podcast Command Performance - Christmas Special - Host Bob Hope with Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Red Skelton, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy!
http://jack_benny.podomatic.com/entry/2010-08-05T18_03_30-07_00