Podcasts: Return to the Golden Age of Radio
Isn’t it funny how we return to things that entertain universally?
My dad lived through the Great Depression which spanned the years 1929-1933. One of the in-home venues of entertainment this generation had was the radio. One of his favorite shows was The Shadow which began airing in 1930.
Now this radio I am talking about couldn’t fit into your pocket nor did it have headphones - that came with our generation (Boomers) and it was called a transistor radio. The radio I am talking about, that my dad listened to, was more like a pretty piece of furniture. It was generally a beautiful box that housed tubes that glowed. I actually have one of the beautiful boxes in which I put one of the original iPods that plays my iTunes list for parties, people think my radio setup is a hoot; I like to think of it as reminiscing.
But getting back to the radio of the Great Depression, our parents, your grandparents, Dear Millennials, listened to radio programs. They were live, where the actors were present and there were printed schedules in the newspaper so you could be available when the show aired. Nothing was pre-recorded. Mistakes were made, sound effects were pretty cheesy, but effective. There often was a sponsor and the actors in the radio show would promote the product or service. Many of the actors in these radio programs went on to do television in its fledgling years.
Everyone would gather around the radio in the living room and listen to a wide variety of broadcasts: The Shadow, The Great Gildersleeve, Fibber McGee and Molly, CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Abbott and Costello. These shows covered a variety of topics and were as popular as podcasts are today.
Isn’t it funny how we return to things that entertain universally?
Did you know podcasts, previously known as "audioblogs", date back to the 1980s? I was just beginning my career in software and we were experimenting with audioblogs to sell our software. These were recorded to 4mm tape and sent to customers along with very nice brochures and sample output from the software. With broadband Internet access and portable playback devices like the iPod, podcasting began to catch on in late 2004.
Some of the original podcasts were uploads of talk shows, the original (unwoke) TED talks and comedians.
I’ve tried to listen to podcasts, but I always return to the older stuff. I remember many years ago listening to NPR old time radio and the big band music before falling to sleep on summer nights.
So I’m not so sold on modern podcasts. A lot of effort put into something that has already been done.
And most of it is mediocre at best, especially compared to old time radio. (Sorry if you’re a modern day podcaster, drop me a note and I’ll give you a try.)
Stories in our ears, where you get to play whatever visual you want, to illustrate the story you just heard in your head.
Just like the Golden Age of Radio.
Just think, Dear Millennials, you are listening to radio just like your grandparents did.
Curious about the Golden Age of Radio?
There’s a great website where you can download many of the shows your grandparents enjoyed: www.oldradioworld.com.
You’ll find The Shadow there as well.
BOOKS
On the Air by John Dunning
Thrilling Days of Yesteryear: The Golden Age of Radio by John Rayburn
My dad watched The Shadow too.