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The Evolution of Radio Drama: From Vaudeville to Voltaire and Beyond
- 1. The Evolution of Radio Drama Louise Maxwell MCDM - COM 546 Spring 2011 “There’s no romance in television: it’s just the Wal-Mart of the mind. Radio is infinitely sexier.” Garrison Keillor
- 2. The Early Years 1920s _________ Diverse programming Fixed time/fixed place/with others Networks take control from serious amateurs Advertising homogenizes content
- 3. The Golden Years 1930s-1940s _________ Vaudeville to Voltaire Domestic escape from Depression and WWII Corporate sponsors foot the bill Networks prevail
- 4. The Silent Years 1950s -1990s ______ Radio programs, sponsors & audiences defect to TV Enthusiasts keep genre alive Sporadic, limited offerings on NPR
- 5. The Renaissance 2000 - 2011 ________ Podcasts/satellite & public radio/ audiobooks Listen anytime, anywhere with other activities Professionals/serious amateurs/established publishers Downloads - free and paid
- 6. The Future 2012 - ???? __________ Orphaned medium finds a home Interactive approach One-stop shopping business model Cultural icon’s support
- 7. Credits Presentation by Louise Maxwell CC-share and share alike, non-commercial use louisemaxwell@gmail.com Photos: ✤ 1920s radio: http://www.likesbooks.com/aarafterhours/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/1920s- radio-295x300.jpg ✤ 1940s radio: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lxQnlu8a2c/S8kNL_YKVHI/AAAAAAAAAAs/_h2k02teRkU/ s1600/oldradio.jpg ✤ 1950s TV: http://scottjberry.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/family_watching_tv.jpg ✤ Mother and daughter with earbuds: http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1555/PreviewComp/ SuperStock_1555R-321517.jpg ✤ Mother and child with earphones: http://simplekids.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/listening.jpg
Editor's Notes
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- The content of early radio drama in the 1920s was characteristic of the content of many disruptive technologies both past and present: products of amateur ventures that eventually became professional pursuits; unfettered by censoring requirements; at turns daring and thought-provoking in its reflection of social issues and popular due to its light-hearted programs. In the early years of radio, local stations had been able to to feature more diverse programming that appealed to regional audiences and racial and ethnic minorities. \n\nThe situation comedy Amos 'n' Andy was set in the African-American community and created by actors who had performed in minstrel shows in black face Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions. According to some media historians, Amos 'n' Andy achieved an emotional depth that few other programs of its day did. As a result of its extraordinary popularity, Amos 'n' Andy profoundly influenced the development of dramatic radio and ran on the radio and TV airwaves for decades.\n
- Brian Winston notes in Media, Technology and Society that the rise of the nuclear (as opposed to the extended) family, in addition to more comfortable housing for people across classes, encouraged “these homogenized entertainments into the domestic sphere.” (p.77) By 1928, Americans had spent over $650 million on radios (the equivalent of over $8.3 billion today). In the early 1930's national advertisers recognized the potential for radio advertising and became willing to buy air-time and sponsor programs. As this happened, networks competed for their share. The result was the development of many new program forms including daytime "soap opera" serialized drama, and after school juvenile serialized adventure drama. As network daytime serials became popular, stations developed daytime schedules. In the early 1940's, radio programs reflected America's involvement in World War II. As the number of news and human interest programs grew, evening dramatic programs grew accordingly.\n\n\n
- With the growing popularity of television in the late 1940s and early 1950s, radio was soon relegated to second place as a source of entertainment in American homes. This disruptive technology brought something to American living rooms that radio simply couldn’t: images. The popularity of radio drama quickly declined as television continued on its meteoric rise. Many of the successful radio series went directly to television. Gunsmoke, an extremely successful western drama, was one among several that could be heard on radio and seen on TV. Suspense, radio's longest running thriller series, was another.\n
- Radio drama quietly waited in the wings until almost the very end of the 20th century. With the advent of the Internet and emerging technologies that have enabled satellite radio and podcasting, a new generation of radio drama content has been created. Because of radio available on the Internet, some of the highest quality programs produced by radio networks that never stopped producing radio drama (the BBC) are now available to anyone with an Internet connection.\n \nNot only is radio drama more accessible along already established radio networks, but it has been experiencing an incarnation in podcasting. As in radio’s early days, it has been amateur radio drama podcasters that have brought the form back to life. Commercially viable programming has remained elusive for most podcasters, but as with many emerging technologies, these amateur efforts are slowly evolving into professional ones. And once again, we can hear more diverse programming with existing plays and stories being adapted for radio, as well as original content being created by lesser-known, fringe podcasters, in addition to programs on main stream networks such as National Pubic Radio.\n
- Radio drama is no longer the center of domestic entertainment as it once was decades ago, but audio storytelling remains alive and well. The technology that enables podcasting has been a true disruptor in that it has made producing and distributing radio drama content far less expensive and easy to distribute. Once again, serious amateurs can and do produce and distribute, this time on the Internet. \n\nPerhaps one or a few disruptors are due. Maybe a new spin on an old storytelling form would attract a critical mass of fans. With the current focus on interactivity and the ability to choose your own content, a series with a plot that the audience can direct themselves may capture the attention of a new generation of fans. Or, perhaps a new business model, an online, one-stop-shopping place for all radio drama that could harness the power of the disparate radio dramas producers that are out there. Or, finally, maybe it will take the endorsement of a cultural celebrity with an already established following - the likes of Ashton Kutcher or Stephen Colbert - to raise the awareness about this simple, but powerful form of storytelling.\n
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