Time has paced fast and the radio in America, which once used to be the only form of entertainment, has been replaced by lots of other devices today. The golden age of radio lasted roughly from 1930 through the 1940s. Radio back then was the only form of entertainment and medium of broadcast. People in the United States were highly dependant on the radio for news and entertainment.
During the golden age, most of the programs were controlled by the advertising agencies and later on, the show durations became fixed in half-hour and quarter-hour blocks. The shows featured a wide variety of formats. The housewives of that time were fond of the soap operas among which Ma Perkins & The Guiding Light were very popular.
The broadcasts were so rich and wide, the listeners of all age could find some element of entertainment suitable for them. As already said, the soap operas kept the housewives company while the children loved the adventure series of Little Orphan Annie and other shows like Flash Gordon.
One of the most popular shows that lasted for over 30 years was Amos ‘n’ Andy. Prestige was another show that had a great impact on writers such as Archibald MacLeish and Norman Corwin. Coming to the musical front, radio was dominating the scene with broadcasts from the National Broadcasting Company' symphony orchestra, which was led by Arturo Toscanini. The entertainment space was so enriched with music, drama, soap operas, etc that it helped people cope with The Great Depression. The radio used to feature The Lux Radio Theatre and Academy Award Theatre winning stars reading the radio versions of their motion-picture roles live and numbers from big bands led by legends like Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and others.
The craze with radio soon changed drastically with the arrival of television near the end of World War II in 1945. Television added the visual element to what radio had been broadcasting and the production altogether had obvious reasons to excite people.
Fast forwarding to the present day, the legacy of radio seems to have made a comeback with music aficianados including the millenials looking to relive the charm of a bygone era when radio dominated the entertainment firmament. In order to cater to this craving, Swing Street Radio has come forward with some of the greatest old time radio recordings in the USA.
Radio Yesteryear, has taken a great initiative to bring the old-time records to life by broadcasting them just like the old days. The radio lovers and the connoisseurs of Jazz music can still listen to their favorite broadcasts just by tuning into the Swing Street Radio.
Conclusion - Radio was the glamor and prestige of the United States of America in the early 1930s through the 1940s. People of all ages waited eagerly for their favorite show broadcasts. People enjoyed different forms of entertainment from news to soap operas, music, and everything in between. Though the arrival of television has changed the way people used to celebrate their leisure time, radio is still missed by some of us. For all the radio lovers, Swing Street has brought Radio Yesteryear with the aim to revive and preserve the true essence of big band and swing music.
Comments