On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio

On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio serves as the definitive reference guide to American radio programming from the 1920s through the 1960s. This comprehensive volume contains over 1,500 detailed entries covering radio shows, performers, networks, and key industry figures. Each entry provides essential information including broadcast dates, cast members, producers, sponsors, and plot summaries where applicable. The book incorporates extensive research drawn from original sources, period publications, and interviews with surviving radio personalities of the era. The encyclopedia format allows readers to trace the evolution of radio entertainment through its golden age, documenting both mainstream hits and lesser-known programs. Technical aspects of early broadcasting are explained alongside the creative and business elements that shaped the medium. This work stands as a vital historical record of a transformative period in American media and popular culture, capturing how radio united and entertained a nation before television's rise to dominance.

Readers consistently describe this reference book as thorough and well-researched, with detailed entries covering radio programs from the 1920s-1960s. Multiple reviewers note its usefulness for looking up specific shows, actors, and broadcast dates. Liked: - Comprehensive program listings with cast members, sponsors, and time slots - Inclusion of obscure shows and regional programs - Clear writing style with engaging anecdotes - Cross-referencing system Disliked: - Some factual errors and omissions noted by radio historians - Index could be more detailed - Print too small in paperback edition - High price point Ratings: Amazon: 4.7/5 (89 reviews) Goodreads: 4.5/5 (58 reviews) Several radio collectors and researchers cite it as their primary reference source. One reviewer called it "the most complete single-volume old time radio reference available." Critics mainly point to minor errors rather than significant flaws.

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Stay Tuned: A History of American Broadcasting by Christopher H. Sterling and John Michael Kittross This reference work tracks the evolution of radio and television broadcasting through technical developments, business practices, and programming innovations.

Raised on Radio by Gerald Nachman This compilation presents stories of radio shows, personalities, and behind-the-scenes operations during the medium's peak years through interviews and archival research.

A Pictorial History of Radio by Irving Settel This documentation captures radio's development through photographs, advertisements, and promotional materials from the 1920s through the 1950s.

Radio's Golden Age by Frank Buxton and Bill Owen This reference guide catalogs major programs, personalities, and network schedules from radio's prime years with dates, times, and cast information.

📻 Author John Dunning spent over 20 years researching and compiling information for this encyclopedia, conducting hundreds of interviews with radio performers, writers, and producers. 📻 The book covers more than 1,500 radio programs that aired between 1925 and 1960, with detailed information about cast members, sponsors, storylines, and behind-the-scenes drama. 📻 Before writing about radio history, John Dunning was a successful mystery novelist, known for his Cliff Janeway series about a detective who is also a rare book dealer. 📻 The encyclopedia documents how many radio shows adapted to World War II, including Superman fighting Nazis and Captain Midnight battling Japanese spies. 📻 This 840-page reference work became the standard text for radio historians and was named the Best Reference Book of 1998 by the American Library Association.