Why I Love Old Time Radio

The other day a conversation topic came up that I had to think about and try to explain to a young twenty something guy. Why I love and listen to old time radio? He said do you miss those days, you’re not that old? Just what is old time radio? Well after briefly explaining what old time radio is, dramatic radio plays from the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s, and these were before television, etc. bla, bla, and bla, bla.

I then tried to answer the question of why I love listening to them. My very first time listening to a nostalgic radio program was sometime in 1978. I was serving in the United States Navy and stationed in Naples Italy. Only 19 years old and away from home for the first time, and living in a foreign country where I didn’t speak the language. Each weekend the local military radio station would replay these wonderful radio plays from the 1940’s and later. Drama, comedy, westerns, mystery, horror genre radio plays. I lived (off base) on the economy as they say in a small apartment alone! Instead of hanging out in the base club drinking myself silly. I stayed home and tuned in each weekend to these thrilling radio programs.

I soon recognized, a very familiar pattern of speech. Little phrases, and expressions were very familiar! This was the way my grandparents talked. For me it was like they were alive again. I was very close to my grandparents and miss them to this day. The generation of old time radio is the generation of my grandparents. References like “Hey Mert” and “save the fat” and “catch you on the beam”. These were familiar and meant something to me. I heard my grandparents use these in their daily talking!

In answer to the question of why I love old time radio. I am once again in the presence of my beloved grandparents! Fast forward to 2001, I found old time radio once again on the internet, and soon discovered how to obtain, and collect these wonderful shows in mp3 format. Shortly there after, I created my own internet radio station sharing my love with millions of listeners around the world. Broadcasting for 18 years now, Mystery Play Internet Radio plays 24x7 on three channels all the genre’s of nostalgic radio. http://www.mpir-otr.com