The Golden Age of Radio
Four decades that changed how America listened, imagined, and dreamed.
First Commercial Broadcast
KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcasts the Harding-Cox presidential election results on November 2, 1920, widely considered the first scheduled commercial radio broadcast in America. The age of broadcast media begins.
NBC Launches
The National Broadcasting Company goes on the air as America's first permanent coast-to-coast radio network. NBC would dominate radio programming for decades, launching countless legendary shows.
CBS Is Founded
The Columbia Broadcasting System launches, creating fierce competition with NBC. CBS would become home to Edward R. Murrow, Orson Welles, and some of the most innovative programming in radio history.
The Lone Ranger Premieres
"Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" WXYZ Detroit debuts The Lone Ranger on January 30, 1933. The masked hero of the Old West would ride across the airwaves for over two decades, becoming one of radio's most beloved characters.
Explore Show →War of the Worlds
On October 30, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air broadcast their infamous adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." The realistic newscast format causes widespread panic and proves radio's extraordinary power over the public imagination.
WWII — Radio Goes to War
After Pearl Harbor, radio becomes America's lifeline to the war. Edward R. Murrow's broadcasts from London during the Blitz ("This... is London") set the standard for war journalism. Programs sell war bonds, boost morale, and unite a nation.
Suspense Premieres
"And now... tales well calculated to keep you in... suspense!" CBS launches what would become the greatest anthology thriller series in radio history. Running until 1962, Suspense featured Hollywood's biggest stars in tales of terror, murder, and the macabre.
Explore Show →Dragnet Premieres
"The story you are about to hear is true." Jack Webb creates Dragnet on NBC, revolutionizing crime drama with its documentary-style realism. Badge 714 and Sergeant Joe Friday become cultural icons that endure to this day.
Explore Show →Television Rises
The early 1950s mark the beginning of television's ascendancy. Radio networks begin losing sponsors and stars to the visual medium. Yet radio drama persists, with shows like Gunsmoke, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, and X Minus One proving the medium still has stories to tell.
The Last Suspense Broadcast
On September 30, 1962, Suspense airs its final episode. It is widely regarded as the symbolic end of the Golden Age of Radio. An era that began with crackling signals from KDKA concludes after four decades of the most imaginative storytelling ever broadcast.
Explore Show →The shows may have ended, but the stories live on.