Terry and the Pirates

The originally comic strip series Terry and the Pirates first aired on the radio in November of 1937.  Similar to any show, it was developed to fill a popular need, was dramatized and possessed the familiar crackling and hissing of radio at the time. The shows popularity, at first, didn't catch on and was cancelled in 1939. However, after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Terry and the Pirates found its niche back on the radio and became quite popular as a way for people to hear about what was going on in the far east.

It's difficult to imagine the time when people would come home after a hard day's work and wait patiently for the next show to come on the radio.. although I'm sure it was just like how people are eager to watch their favorite TV shows today. There are several similarities between radio and television including broadcasting formats and schedules for shows or programs, mass production and consumption (availability), audience-specific commercials, and more.

Its not hard to agree that radio takes a great degree of imagination when listening, similar to reading a book and hearing/seeing the words turn into visually imagined scenes in your mind. Television leaves little left for the imagination, showing us someone else's view in full picture.

I find myself listening to the radio shows on NPR rather than the music and commercials on every other channel it seems. I'd rather listen to a radio show or story telling (even in a vocally dramatized way) than tune into many of the music played on the radio today. It's unfortunate the only time I really listen to radio is in the car or occasionally while cooking in the kitchen... something I doubt hardly anyone else does today.