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Hi, this is Adam Graham. Friday, September 30th, marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Golden Age radio. For the 50th anniversary, we did a special episode where we played the last two episodes that were aired on that day of suspense and your truly Johnny Dollar.

There was one misconception I was under that I didn't want to clarify. Essentially, throughout this program, I speak as if suspense moved to New York City in 1960 along with your truly Johnny Dollar.

In reality, suspense had actually moved to New York City in 1959 and it was actually canceled on November 27th, 1960 along with all other Golden Age radio programs other than Johnny Dollar and Gunsmoke.

However, it did return to the air seven months later in June of 1961 to join your truly Johnny Dollar as the two last programs from the Golden Age of Network Radio.

With that clarification out of the way, please enjoy this encore presentation to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Golden Age radio.

Welcome to a special edition of the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me, box 13 at greatdetectives.net.

Give us a call 208-991-4783 and become one of our friends on Facebook.

Facebook.com slash radio detectives. Well today is a very special episode.

We commemorate 50th anniversary of September 30th, 1962. That night traditionally marks the end of the Golden Age of Radio.

Now, oftentimes this can be described in a lot of ways. I read one author describing it as the end of radio drama.

And other comparisons as well. Radio drama certainly did not end on this day in 1962 in the United States even.

You had the heart bait theater and unshackled from Pacific Garden Missions continue to broadcast.

And within a couple years of the end of the Golden Age of Radio, we would have Matthew Slade, private investigator as a syndicated series that would be shared with our armed forces.

And then in 1960s or we would receive the return of network radio drama when ABC produced theater 5.

However, what was coming to an end is worth noting. It was the era of radio greatness at the zenith of the Golden Age.

Radio was a place dominated by legendary personalities, producers, comedians, actors.

And then you had the great character actors, the Virginia Gregs, the Harry Barthels, who literally did radio thousands of times, thousands of roles, and crews that were just as proficient at what they did.

There have been many radio drama productions since this time, but that level of pure poise and pure professionalism that comes with a lifetime of work simply can't be replicated, although many do outstanding work.

Radio did not die overnight. It was probably a period of about 11 years that started in 1951 when radio began to not make as much money as television.

That began to drive budgets. The producers and management wanted to spend their money where people were listening.

And so you saw bigger budgets for television, smaller budgets of radio for radio.

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