Radio Drama · Old Time Radio Researchers · Mystery & crime

September 30, 1962 The Day Radio Died... Or Did It?

Heard
1962
Episodes
6

The last day of network radio: Sunday, September 30, 1962. At least it seemed that way!

More about it

Though Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Suspense had their last broadcasts on the same day, many listeners were likely surprised the next week when they were not there in their familiar spot. The only clue was that the closing announcements did not say "join us next week." Few newspapers even mentioned it was the final day of broadcasts. Trade magazines reported CBS' decision to discontinue the broadcasts in August 1962.

The final broadcasts were:

• Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Tip-Off Matter • Suspense: Devilstone

Both episodes were written by Jack Johnstone, but he used the monicker "Jonathan Bundy" for the Suspense episode. He had used that name many times before since his name was so strongly associated with YTJD and desired to keep his Suspense association separate and distinct. "Bundy" was a name in his wife's family.

Many CBS affiliates were not happy with the decision, and the network fed reruns to interested affiliate stations for a while.

There were many efforts to continue dramatic radio productions through the years. Some of the series are available at The Internet Archive:

• Black Mass https://archive.org/details/blackmassashtree • CBS Radio Mystery Theater https://archive.org/details/audio?query=CBS+Radio+Mystery+Theater&amp

Episodes, in broadcast order

  1. Devilstone NETWORK WROW

    · 25 min

  2. The Tip-Off Matter NETWORK

    · 23 min

  3. Sept 30 1962 TheDayRadioDied JoeWebb&CraigWichman

    No date given · 1 h 05 min

  4. Jack Johnstone and Sept 30 1962

    No date given · 0:35

  5. Sept 30 1962 TheDayRadioDied JoeWebb&CraigWichman 64kps

    No date given · 1 h 05 min

  6. Sept 30 1962 TheDayRadioDied JoeWebb&CraigWichman 128kps

    No date given · 1 h 05 min

Where it comes from 1

The archive items its episodes are played from, best first, with each one’s rights as its archive states them. An episode two sets both hold is played from the first.

  1. September 30, 1962 The Day Radio Died... Or Did It?

    Old Time Radio Researchers · Old Time Radio Researchers · 6 episodes here · archive.org

    the Internet Archive states no licence or rights for it.

A set by the Old Time Radio Researchers Group (otrr.org), at the Internet Archive's Old Time Radio collection.

More Mystery & crime

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