75 years ago, a jazz-loving football announcer created CBC's longest-running show

The CBC's longest-running show first went to air on Friday, May 23, 1947.

Hot Air is a weekly exploration of jazz music of all eras. When it debuted it was hosted by Bob Smith, a cigar-chomping football announcer with one of the largest private record collections in Canada.

He hosted the show from Vancouver for 30 years, bringing an encyclopedic knowledge of the music and celebrity guests to his many listeners.

Among those to appear on the program during Smith's tenure were luminaries including Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Tony Bennett and Herbie Hancock. He even had his own entrance theme composed by trombonist Jack Fulton.

When Smith left listeners, the show did not, with Harvey Dawes, Bruno Cimolai, Gordon Hunt and Paul Grant all hosting it prior to Margaret Gallagher taking the reigns 12 years ago.

"It is a really incredible feeling," Gallagher said about being present for the milestone birthday. "This show has such a history going back to 1947 ... and it's just wonderful to be part of this jazz community that is constantly growing and supporting each other."

To celebrate the occasion, Gallagher and CBC music producer Michael Juk have been exploring the show's history with "The Decades," a series that looks at how jazz has evolved from the 1940s to today.

Gallagher said it has highlighted why jazz is such an enduring art form.

"Jazz is a really big tent," she said. "It is a global art form. There's jazz in all parts of the world. ... It's been at the forefront of a lot of social change and it's also been at the root of hip hop, and that is very current today. So if you think that you don't like jazz, you probably do."

Hear more about the history of Hot Air in the interview below, and find Hot Air's 75th Anniversary series, 'The Decades' on CBC Listen.