As I mentioned in my first post, I was introduced to Old Time Radio through a modern radio broadcast. That show, Jack Cullen’s Network Replay, was one of a few different shows that I used to get my Old Time Radio fix. Before the Internet became a viable source for listening to Old Time Radio, this was the only way to listen to regularly listen to these shows.
Growing up near Vancouver, BC, I was fortunate enough to have a few different options for listening to Old Time Radio shows in their original medium. CKNW aired Network Replay, while Rock101 aired Lights Out. When the weather was just right, I was also able to pick up When Radio Was from a few different stations in Washington. This meant that my Old Time Radio needs were met on a daily basis.
Network Replay, now simply called Classic Radio, has undergone a number of timeslot and programming changes over the years. For a time, CKNW aired Old Time Radio from 12AM-3AM every weekday. This was, for me the show’s heyday. Typically, you’d get an hour of comedy broadcasts, an hour of mystery/detective shows and an hour of “radio dramas” like Lux Radio Theatre. When Jack Cullen hosted the show, there was often a brief commentary about the upcoming show. Now, with just an hour each night, you get two shows and no introduction or commentary.
Lights Out is my current favourite show as the show has hosts who respond and react to the broadcasts. They usually start with an episode of The Shadow or The Whistler, which is followed up by two typical OTR shows. Where things get different is in the last 1/2 hour of the broadcast. This timeslot is usually reserved for more modern radio broadcasts, often from the BBC. In this timeslot they might air Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Who or the radio version of Star Wars etc. Every year Lights Out airs a special Halloween broadcast where they play War of the Worlds.
Exploring OTR 