Radio revival
They said radio was dead, but they were wrong. From the serials of yesteryear to the rise of the podcast, we look at why the radio format is more popular than ever.
By Nadia Howland
‘The wireless’, as it’s colloquially known, became a mainstream form of information and entertainment in Australian homes as early as 1905.
Many Australians will recall the ritual of gathering around the big brown box to tune into the latest episode of US radio serials such as The Green Hornet, Dick Tracy and Batman, which were soon followed by Australian-produced shows such as Dad and Dave, Blue Hills, The Air Adventures of Biggles, Bluey and Curley, and Fred & Maggie.
National Seniors communications specialist Brett Debritz, who spent many years working in radio, grew up in Australia’s radio-revering age.
“I remember Blue Hills, which was a serialised drama that spanned decades. It was a true soap opera and had a huge following.
“My father was a house painter. He came home one day and said he’d been painting a house and heard two women talking over the back fence about something scandalous. He thought it was real life until he realised they were talking about the latest drama on Blue Hills,” Brett laughs.
“These radio dramas really whet everyone’s appetite for television soapies and dramas.”
Brett recalls the popularity in later years of serials like How Green Was My Cactus—a syndicated Australian radio political satire that began in the mid 80s, featuring characters that portrayed ministers and shadow ministers of the Australian Parliament.
Another hugely popular parody series was The Twelfth Man by Australian satirist Billy Birmingham. Birmingham delighted audiences with his hilarious impressions of cricket commentators such as Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell and Tony Greig.
“Radio serials really were theatre of the mind. They paint the picture, and you get to fill in the gaps yourself,” Brett explains.
While entertainment is always evolving, it seems we’ve come full circle with the rise of podcasts—a series of recorded episodes presented as a program that can be downloaded or streamed via the internet.
Like radio, podcast episodes are usually free to listen to, with podcasters making their revenue through the inclusion of brief advertiser announcements and program sponsors.
Podcast topics range from the incredibly popular genre of true crime through to retellings of historical events and comedic series.
Brett says podcasting has democratised broadcasting, in a sense, allowing people from all walks of life to publish their ideas and discussions.
“All you really need is a microphone that can plug into a laptop. In fact, you can even just talk into your phone and get a reasonable quality of audio,” he explains.
Semi-retired Adam Bassey, 62, is a self-confessed podcast addict, and believes the format has taken off largely because television has become boring and repetitive.
“I think the streaming networks have ruined a lot of the original stuff we used to see on television, and podcasting has filled that gap,” he says.
“I can pop on a podcast and potter around the house and garden. I listen to them in the car. My family jokes that I’ve always got earphones in.
“I’m a huge fan of history podcasts. The Rest is History, Stuff You Missed in History Class and You Must Remember This.
“Then I get kind of left-field recommendations from my son who’s into true crime. I loved Hedley Thomas’ The Teacher’s Pet one. It’s pretty amazing because they charged the guy in the end and it was because of the podcast, really. Some of these podcasts actually fire up the public which in turn fires up police and prosecutors to revisit cases that have gone cold,” Adam says.
Serials on demand
Did you know many of the old radio serials of yesteryear are now available for free online? Head to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (nfsa.gov.au) and check out their collection, which includes popular serials such as Superman and Nightbeat.
Old Time Radio Downloads (oldtimeradiodownloads.com) also has a plethora of old-time radio serials including The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, Dad and Dave, Dick Tracy, and many more.
You can also listen to Australian radio favourites on Spotify: shorturl.at/hGNPR
If podcasts sound great but you’re not sure where to start, here’s a beginner’s guide and some recommendations from the Our Generation team.
All you need is a device (PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) and an internet connection.
If you’re using a smartphone or tablet: Apple iPhones and iPads come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed. All you have to do is browse for a podcast you might like and ‘subscribe’ or ‘follow’. You can listen to already recorded episodes and you’ll be notified when new ones are added. For Android phones and tablets, you can use Spotify or search for an Androidcompatible podcast app to download and use.
If you’re using a PC or laptop, simply use your internet browser to search for a podcast app. Some popular ones are the Apple Podcasts app, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, and Overcast.
Sizzletown: Australian comedian Tony Martin plays all the characters of a pretend late-night radio talkback show, with amazing audio effects by Matt Dower. The language may offend some listeners.sizzletownpodcast.com
In Our Time: A British radio institution in which Melvyn Bragg speaks to three experts on a variety of historical, scientific and philosophical topics. I learn something every time I listen. bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl
The News Quiz: Another BBC Radio 4 program, hosted by Andy Zaltzman, in which a panel of comedians and journalists hilariously dissect the news of the week. bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r9yq
The Rest is History: So popular that it went on tour, with stage appearance across Australia last year, this contemporary take on the past is a show favourite fir many. It recently spawned a sister show, The Rest is Entertainment, co-hosted by author/TV host Richard Osman (of Pointless fame) and journalist Marina Hyde.therestishistory.com
Stuff You Should Know: If you've ever wanted to know about Champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, true crime, and Rosa Parks, then look no further—hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have you covered.stuffyoushouldknow.com
This Foul Earth: Comedic artist John Tucker writes and delivers this exceptionally funny and well-crafted oral history of Wales. One reviewer said, “Quite possibly the funniest podcast series I’ve ever listened to”. thisfoulearth.podbean.com
This article is featured in National Seniors Australia’s quarterly member magazine, Our Generation.
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