As a reminder that media coverage of Political conventions hasn't really changed all that much since broadcasting got started, here is a one hour snapshot from June 26, 1936 at the Democratic National Convention.

On this evening there were seconding speeches, and pleas from the Chairman to keep the hyperbole down to five minutes apiece. On this evening too, there was sufficient boredom going on in the broadcast studio that such journalistic greats as H.V. Kaltenborn and Edward R. Murrow were reduced to interviewing delegates to find out which was the youngest at the convention - and in Murrow's case, interviewing the on-site barber to get the "scoop" on "just what goes on in a barber shop during a convention". Pretty weighty stuff, but no less strange than the endless trivia and human interest stories we deal with now.

So here is the last hour of the convention day for June 26th 1936, the seconding speeches, as presented by CBS Radio, hosted by Robert Trout.

Despite the breathless news a day earlier, and the quick admonition that it wasn't really official, the news finally broke 24 hours later that yes, in fact that Germans had surrendered and the War in Europe was really-really over.

So news of this May 8th in 1945 was given completely over to reports and reactions - speeches and proclamations and reminders there was still a war in the Pacific going on. So as much as there was cause for celebration, it was not as riotous as would be imagined.

Here is a 1 hour extraction from that day - from roughly 11:00 am - 12:00noon Eastern War Time, as reported on CBS Radio, anchored by Robert Trout with reports from correspondents throughout the European front. Also included are some addresses, including one by General Patton, one of his rare public speeches.

All this on May 8th 1945.