West Coast announcer Al Jarvis introduced the era of the disc jockey in 1932 with a radio show of recorded music titled The World's Largest Make Believe Ballroom. In 1935, during lulls in the radio coverage of the murder trial of accused Lindberg kidnapper Bruno Richard Hauptmann, announcer Martin Block borrowed the Jarvis concept. This "fill" music developed into a twenty year tenure on the air for Block's Make Believe Ballroom. His unique format of fifteen minute segments devoted to a single band or vocalist was a hit with his avid listeners.

Although broadcast only in the New York City area over station WNEW, Block and his etherial ballroom were known nationwide.

The last dance on the Make Believe Ballroom aired in 1954.