Voices from the “Golden Age of Radio” aren’t sounding so golden anymore to Wisconsin Public Radio management.
The network is cancelling its long-running weekend block of old time radio shows, citing growing difficulty with finding programs from the 1930s to the 1960s that don’t contain racist or sexist content. “Old Time Radio Drama” has aired on the Ideas Network from 8 to 11 on Saturday and Sunday nights for decades but will air its last shows this weekend.
The dramas and comedies originally aired on major national commercial networks during an era when network radio was programmed similarly to the way network TV is run now. However, views on race and gender have changed greatly since the shows first aired.
“Despite significant effort over the years, it has been nearly impossible to find historic programs without offensive and outdated content. And, ultimately, these programs don’t represent the values of WPR and The Ideas Network’s focus on public service through news and information,” WPR Director Mike Crane said in announcing the cancellation.
“Old Time Radio Drama” is hosted by Norman Gilliland, who will continue in several other existing roles at WPR.
Beginning June 20, WPR’s Ideas Network will air PRX Remix on Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8. PRX Remix is a montage of stories from documentaries and podcasts and is offered to public radio stations as a standalone show or a 24-hour format.
Old time radio was once a common feature on many radio stations, but WPR was one of the last stations still running the shows. Most, if not all, of the vintage programs that have been featured on “Old Time Radio Drama” are in the public domain and available on sites such as archive.org.
WPR also provided suggestions of contemporary radio dramas in its announcement.