# Where can I find old radio broadcasts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785 "2007-02-19T04:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/1 "2007-02-19T04:41:53Z")
While reading about the glory days of FM rock radio (late 60’s/early 70’s) I wondered where I could find actual broadcasts from that era. Obviously they must include the musical selections and be legally obtainable. I’d prefer CD but would settle for internet files. Does anything like this exist? ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/2 "2007-02-19T05:57:39Z")
Amen. I’m looking for an NPR show of the Charles Mingus Changes band from the 1970s, that would be sweet if it were available somehow. I looked on npr’s website but didn’t find anything. ---
**Author:** ![DevNull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c89c15/32.png) [@DevNull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DevNull)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/3 "2007-02-19T06:22:50Z")
Usenet (sorry… illegally) I have almost completed over three decades worth of Dr. Demento shows and Radio Mystery Theatre with E.G. Marshall. I have picked up a few “Light’s Out” shows and other assorted shows along the way. Usenet folk do it for the history and all. I have no qualms about the legality when it comes to treasured memories and/or huge interest. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/4 "2007-02-19T07:29:52Z")
If it’s recordable and old, check [archive.org](http://archive.org). 😃 [http://www.archive.org/details/oldtimeradio](http://www.archive.org/details/oldtimeradio) Not tons, but some. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/5 "2007-02-19T10:29:54Z")
Not that practical, but somewhere near [Arcturus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcturus). ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/6 "2007-02-19T12:22:55Z")
Why use [archive.org](http://archive.org)? [Go to old time radio.](http://www.otr.net/) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/7 "2007-02-19T12:45:52Z")
It sounds like you’re looking for “underground” broadcasts as opposed to the serials from the 30s and 40s. If that’s the case, try this: [http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Underground-Radio/dp/customer-reviews/B000000198](http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Underground-Radio/dp/customer-reviews/B000000198) This DJ out of San Francisco was evidently ‘da shit’ in his 'hood. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/8 "2007-02-19T12:50:02Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] It sounds like you’re looking for “underground” broadcasts as opposed to the serials from the 30s and 40s. If that’s the case, try this: [Various Artists, Tom Donahue, Spirit, The Chambers Bros., The Byrds, The Youngbloods, Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Donovan, Ten Years After - The Golden Age of Underground Radio (With Tom Donahue) - Amazon.com Music](http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Underground-Radio/dp/customer-reviews/B000000198) This DJ out of San Francisco was evidently ‘da shit’ in his 'hood. [/QUOTE] Dah! :smack: I was decoyed away on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/9 "2007-02-19T12:57:53Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Dah! :smack: I was decoyed away on that one. [/QUOTE] There’s also a Volume 2. I hope they’re going to do collections for all the major radio shows of that era! We used to get a really great station in Chicago out of Littlerock (if the night was clear and it was summer). ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/10 "2007-02-19T14:53:29Z")
You could also look into satelite radio, XM or Sirius. Both systems have Radio Classics (radio serials) as well as stations dedicated to music from those eras (music stations are commercial free). XM rebroadcasts American Top 40 from the '60s to the the '90s weekly. Having the subscription with the external receiver hardware also gives you access to listen online. Some hardware allows you to record the programs. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/11 "2007-02-19T20:43:12Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Why use [archive.org](http://archive.org)? [Go to old time radio.](http://www.otr.net/) [/QUOTE] Because [archive.org](http://archive.org) uses mp3 files (good) while Old Time Radio uses Real Audio (bad) ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/12 "2007-02-20T05:41:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] There’s also a Volume 2. I hope they’re going to do collections for all the major radio shows of that era! We used to get a really great station in Chicago out of Littlerock (if the night was clear and it was summer). [/QUOTE] That was KAAY in Little Rock, the late night program was called Bleeker Street. KAAY is now a Christian radio station, that evidently doesn’t pay its bills. [http://www.ontheradio.net/radiostations/kaayam.aspx](http://www.ontheradio.net/radiostations/kaayam.aspx) I was at the Museum of TV & Radio in Los Angeles [actually Beverly Hills] a couple years ago. IIRC they had some tapes of San Francisco underground/ early FM radio broadcasts from the late 60s. LA Dopers may be aware of this. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/13 "2007-02-20T08:20:23Z")
If you’re really serious about finding them, it seems that recordings are scattered around quite a few archives around the country. For example, in the [“Guide to the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. Selected radio broadcasts, 1935-1950.”](http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/KCL05146.html) at Cornell. Although on preview, I wonder if you’re more interested in underground broadcasts. Those could still be in an archive somewhere… I’ll look around. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/14 "2007-02-20T16:31:43Z")
[The Official Repository of Top 40 Radio Airchecks](http://www.reelradio.com/) Not exactly underground, but rather cool nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/15 "2007-02-20T16:32:13Z")
[QUOTE=antechinus] Not that practical, but somewhere near [Arcturus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcturus). [/QUOTE] You beat me to it! I was going to say that you can find the “actual broadcasts” expanding in a shell from the Earth at the speed of light (like in the beginning of _Contact_). I’m pretty sure they are legally obtainable, too. You just need a receiver in the right location. Arcturus would work splendidly, being just about the correct distance. Signal strength may be an issue, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-old-radio-broadcasts/392785/16 "2007-02-20T17:05:56Z")
[Odeo.com](http://Odeo.com) has a varied selection, including some of the old-time _Superman_ radio show episodes.