Final Days of Old Time Radio and "New Time Radio"

Radio Drama "died" on Sept 30, 1962, with the closing broadcasts of Suspense! and Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. When CBS canceled these two series, the Golden Age of Radio ended, a victim of the increasing influence of Television.

To quote Fibber McGee and Molly's Old Timer, “That ain't the way I heared it...”

The rise of television expediated the demise radio drama as a commercial endeavor in the United States, but radio drama (or "Audio Theater") is simply too effective as a storytelling medium to die away altogether. There are still markets that regard  Radio Drama highly, even when it competes with Television. Radio Drama, Soap Operas, and Comedy Programing remain a staple of British radio. In parts of the world that were slower to get television, such as South Africa and the Australian Outback, Radio Drama held on as a readily accessible form of electronic entertainment, although often subsidized.

In the US, radio drama held on in a few outlets, with various degrees of success. One of the most notable came from CBS, the last network of Radio's Golden Age. Nearly a dozen years after the closing broadcasts of Suspense and YTJD, CBS Radio Mystery Theater came on the air. CBSRMT was the brainchild of veteran radio producer Himan Brown. The hour long program broadcast five nights a week from 1974 to 1982, presenting mystery and horror stories, as well as a few science fiction, historical dramas, and Western stories. Brown received some criticism for targeting the audience who was brought up during Radio's Golden Age (especially with dialog that turned a tin ear to the slang of the 70's). CBSRMT did turn on a new generation of listeners to the possibilities of Radio Drama.

Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission began broadcasting Unshackled! in 1950, and the Christian program is the longest running drama series on radio. The uplifting stories are still transcribed in much the same way they were during the Golden Age of Radio, the radio plays are performed and recorded  before a studio audience, with the music and sound effects performed at the time of recording.

Not surprisingly, National Public Radio has held the torch for Radio Drama in various formats over the years. Earplay was an anthology series which presented radio drama as an art form. The series began broadcasting in 1972, and presented a combination of original and adapted works. Among the series' technical triumphs was the 1974 radio play by Edward Albee, Listening, which was written specifically for stereo broadcast; each character came from a different speaker, creating the illusion that they were in the same room as the listener.

NPR Playhouse succeeded Earplay as NPR's primary outlet for radio drama. The series' greatest triumph was the 13 episode, 6 ½ hour adaptation of the original Star Wars movie. Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion first broadcast in July, 1974 (final broadcast in 2016). APHC is a variety program in the tradition of the Rudy Vallee Show and includes, along with music and monologs, several dramatic sketches.

Podcasts on the Internet, and growing interest in Radio Drama on Satellite Radio are the future of Audio Drama. The SciFi Network's website carried Seeing Ear Theater from 1997 until 2001, widely thought to be better quality programming than that presented on the cable television network. In 2003 Satellite Radio presented Not From Space, billed as the first “Internet based production”. Rather than a traditional studio recording, the actors sent their parts through email. Not From Space was both “old and new”, the story presented as a series of news reports in a manner that goes back to Orson Welles 1938 broadcast of The War Of The Worlds.

A number of popular television series which faced the ax because of high production costs have found new life as Radio Dramas. British radio has used this tactic a number of times and increases profits by owning the rights to both the TV and Radio productions. In some cases, actors whose looks have changed since their TV days still sound like the original characters they played. Darker Productions has revived a number of television fan favorites.

As final proof that “all that was old is new again”, Blue Note Productions has announced that a revival of Suspense!, using original scripts with new actors.

The Golden Age of Radio drama is still alive and well. Visit today and find original broadcasts on audio CD, Mp3 CDs, and instant downloads packed with fun show collections, and entertaining information about the world of Old Time Radio.