The series began as a local program in Chicago, hosted by Carl Amari, who was the founder of Radio Spirits, Inc., which sells tapes and CDs of old time radio programs. Former CBS Radio executive Dick Brescia heard an in-flight version of the program, and soon mounted a nationally syndicated version of the show, beginning Jan. 1, 1990 and hosted by Art Fleming. The show was first syndicated by Dick Brescia Associates, and later Wilbur Entertainment, and Matrix Media, Inc.. In the summer of 2007, the series owner MediaBay announced the company would be going out of businessin September of that year and the show was subsequently purchased in September by a group headed by Norton Herrick, former CEO of MediaBay, Inc.. The company has since changed ownership again in 2008, and is now owned by the former Radio Again. As of 2011, When Radio Was appears on over 200 stations in the U.S., as well as one Canadian station, CHPQ-FM in Parksville, British Columbia. The program is also carried on the Radio Classics channel on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and streamed on the Internet. Radio America currently handles syndication of When Radio Was on behalf of Radio Spirits.
Hosts
Art Fleming continued to host the nationally syndicated version until shortly before his death from cancer in 1995. Satirist Stan Freberg, then writing and hosting "Stan Freberg Here", a syndicated daily commentary for Brescia, replaced Fleming. Freberg continued in the emcee role through the first week of October, 2006. For a brief period during the early Freberg years, the show's announcer was the legendary Fred Foy Veteran Chicago radio personalityChuck Schaden became the next host beginning with the October 9, 2006 episode, "A Salute to Stan Freberg". A recurring feature of this version was "Speaking of Radio...", featuring excerpts from Chuck's historic interviews with many of the stars and "behind the scenes" people responsible for the classic shows. It was at this time that the series expanded to seven shows per week. Illinois native Greg Bell, host and programmer for Sirius XM's Radio Classics channel, became the fourth national host of the series as of October 8, 2007. The longtime When Radio Wastheme music, titled "Swing and Sway", has been discontinued with the Bell series. In addition to opening and closing the show, the host introduces the radio programs, usually mentioning such facts as their original airdates and incidental trivia.
Typical programs
When Radio Was re-airs a wide variety of old time radio shows, typically pairing a drama and comedy, but the most frequent programs are noted below:
Westerns: Gunsmoke; Have Gun - Will Travel; Tales of the Texas Rangers; The Lone Ranger.
Crime Dramas: Dragnet; Gang Busters; The Shadow; The Green Hornet.
