Audio Theater

First, I want to remind everyone that tomorrow's episode will be the Micah Walk episode. It was a great show and I think everyone will really love the music. Friday, January 26th at 11:30 am and 8:30 pm on Access 4.

Second, I want to talk about something different and entertaining that you can do at work or home. Audio Theater is something that I have thought would make a comeback someday with the growth and popularity of the MP3 format and IPods. Even though you can put video on IPods now, people mostly use them for audio files and carry them everywhere. It opens up more opportunity for formats other than music. For most people reading this, audio theater is a very dated idea that ended in the 1950's with the new television medium. It was well on it's way out 20 years before I was even born. Radio still exists of course, but the formats are mostly only music and talk. I have to travel pretty frequently with my work and when I do I always try to check out an audio book. It works whether I'm driving or flying because of my motion sickness problem. I enjoy music but for long distances, it keeps my mind going. Audio theater is very similar to audio books but it is specifically made for radio. I am finding that there are still productions around the country and Garrison Keiller is a good example.

I have discovered that you can listen to many old time radio shows for free on-line. You can occassionaly here these on AM stations late at night or on the weekends. I enjoy the mystery shows but they have comedy, sci-fi and even soap opera style. Of course the material is mostly dated but that is partly why I find them so interesting. The other reason is that they are entertaining in their plots and productions.

So, if you're ever bored at home or at work sitting in front of a computer and you want a little background entertainment, check out these sites and listen to a show.

Old Time Radio - This site has a large library of old shows and they are pretty easy to find.

Radio Lovers - Another great site. I find it a little more difficult to find what I want but it too has an extensive library.

Old Time Radio Fan Site - Similar to the others.

Great Northern Audio - This is a great list of modern audio theater sites. I was very surprised to see how many are out there. With the technology of today, audio theater has become very easy to produce and the effects are quite good. Unfortunately, the newer shows often require a purchase of either a CD or membership. But still check it out. You might be able to find something free.