The Golden Age of Radio (1930 to 1962)
David Groce
In the period between the early 1930s and the late 1950s, radio was the dominant family entertainment in the home. The best creative talent from movies and the stage were used to bring listeners to radio shows for the benefit of the sponsoring advertisers (just as for TV today).
In the 1960s, radio retreated to news, music and some sports. Old-time radio was thought to be dead. But with the ability to package 40 to 80 classic old-time radio (OTR) programs on a single MP3 CD, the cost for distribution dropped from $4 to $8 per single half-hour program on a record or CD to 10 to 20 cents in the MP3 format.
In addition, the need for programing material by the satellite radio (XM and Sirius), internet radio broadcasters, and radio stations such as NPR has brought back rebroadcasts of vintage radio programs and classic popular music. Some original radio material is even being created today.
The following is a link to a PDF version of the presentation (pdf file extension).
