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When Radio Was

When Radio Was


When Radio Was


About When Radio Was

When Radio Was brings listeners the very best of the Golden Age of Radio. Packed with classic performers, iconic characters, and top-flight story-telling, When Radio Was is pure timeless entertainment:

  • Detectives and Crime Fighters – Return to the scene of the crime with The Shadow, Sam Spade, The Green Hornet, Gang Busters, Sherlock Holmes, and many more!
  • Comedy Classics – Laugh along with the great performers – Jack Benny, Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Our Miss Brooks, Burns & Allen and many others!
  • Drama, Westerns, Mysteries, Thrillers, Sci-Fi – Enjoy classic western adventure with Hopalong Cassidy, the top stars of Hollywood in Screen Director’s Playhouse, chilling horror in Lights Out, and so much more!

Each broadcast edition of When Radio Was features the shows that have a life of their own. The ones that will be remembered for generations to come. And, our programs have been digitally remastered and restored to provide optimum listener enjoyment.

While decades have passed since their original airdates, the shows offered in When Radio Was are pure entertainment, just as fresh and thrilling today as they were back in radio’s heyday.

Greg Bell

Having graduated from the University of Illinois, where he studied theater and film, Greg Bell's broadcasting career began in his home state's capital, Springfield, Illinois. Over the next twenty years (almost), he learned the radio business thoroughly through stints as a music DJ, news director, national talk show producer and program director in locations all around the country, including Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; and Washington, D.C.

Growing up in Central Illinois, nearly smack dab between St. Louis and Chicago, allowed Greg to enjoy both rich and rewarding radio markets. As a matter of fact, in one of those quirky coincidences, he developed his appreciation for old-time radio and historical trivia by listening to a show hosted by one his professional predecessors -- the original "When Radio Was" host, Art Fleming.

"I was born just after the 'Golden Age' of radio, so my discovery of 'The Shadow', 'Gunsmoke', 'Fibber McGee and Molly', 'Dragnet', Jack Benny, 'Suspense' and so many others came gradually, and usually late at night," says Greg. "Like all kids my age, I was spoiled by TV, but the power of the storytelling drew me in and I marveled at radio's ability to fully paint a picture with only audio as a brush."

Since 2002, Greg has served as program director and host of Sirius XM Radio's very popular old-time radio channel, "RadioClassics". "Over the past few years, I have heard from many folks well under Jack Benny's age (39), who tell me how surprised and thrilled they are to discover how cool these shows are at 50, 60 even 70 years after they originally aired," says Greg. "As the host of 'When Radio Was', I hope I can continue to bring these wonderful nuggets from the past to a whole new audience, while also entertaining the long-term old-time radio fans as well."

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