At no time since the heyday of old time radio has there been so much
potential for such shows as Jack Benny, The Shadow, Burns &
Allen, Dragnet, The Lone Ranger, or The Great
Gildersleeve. The Green Hornet is once more ready to fight crime, Abbot and
Costello will continue trying to straighten out who’s on first, and Fibber McGee
and Molly will again keep folks laughing.

Like the market for high-grade
and scarce radio premiums and related pop culture collectibles, the demand for
old time radio programs themselves is increasing. Much of that call for the hits
of yesteryear has been driven be new media, none more so than the advent of
subscription-based digital radio.

Sirius Satellite Radio, which along
with XM Satellite Radio is one of the two largest suppliers in this rapidly
growing and highly competitive field, offer a full channel devoted almost
exclusively to old time radio. The only new program on Channel 118, at least at
this point, is The Twilight Zone, which features star-studded radio
interpretations of Rod Serling’s TV drama. Jim Caviezel, Jane Seymour, John
Ratzenberger, Daniel J. Travanti, and host Stacy Keach have been among the
performers following in the footsteps of the stars of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s.
Other than this one program, though, it’s been a pure blast of historic
entertainment.

After the widespread introduction of television in the
1950s, original radio drama and comedy gave way to all-music formats over a
period of just a few years. Following that, FM radio marginalized AM radio, and
old time radio was further relegated to the history books, or so it
seemed.

But many beloved programs wouldn’t go away. Sound recordings,
first on record, then cassette, and then CD, kept memories alive for collectors
who heard the shows when they originally aired. Then new audiences, sometimes
children and grandchildren of original fans, began hearing the material. In many
regions, local radio stations began airing the shows again. The collectibles
market, too, contributed to keeping characters and programs alive by compiling
and documenting the many promotional items which were created for them. Numerous
record prices over the years kept the mainstream media at least vaguely aware of
this loyal following.

Just as the booming ratings of the past decade have
shown that there’s a lot of life left in AM radio, so too is there imagination
and entertainment bottled up in older programs waiting to get out. And just as
there’s been a sustained upward surge in the awareness of pop culture history,
there’s been an explosion of avenues through which information and the programs
themselves can be disseminated.

With hundreds of websites dedicated to
old time radio, the success of radio on the local level, and satellite radio
technology becoming so readily available, it was probably only a matter of time
until demand met supply. Now the staples of radio’s past have become part of the
fabric of radio’s present, and they may well be securing a part of the medium’s
future as well.

For the car or portable radios, subscription based radio
requires the listener to get a special receiver (ranging from about $50 to $280)
and pay a monthly fee. The competition between Sirius and XM has been heady to
date, with high profile signings such as Howard Stern and Major League Baseball
dominating the news.

Once a member, though, listeners can simply tune in
through any computer with internet access and speakers.

The ability for
listeners around the world turn on old time radio means that the potential
audience dwarfs the 130 million original potential listeners from the early
1940s market in the United States.

To see Sirius Satellite Radio’s
schedule of old time radio shows on their Channel 118, click here.

To
learn how to sign up for the Sirius, click here.