RADIO DRAMA What is Radio Drama Radio drama

RADIO DRAMA

What is Radio Drama? • Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. • With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the story. • Radio drama seems to have started in the United States.

THE HISTORY OF RADIO DRAMA • Radio drama achieved widespread popularity within a decade of its initial development in the 1920 s. By the 1940 s, it was a leading international popular entertainment. • With the advent of television in the 1950 s, however, radio drama lost some of its popularity, and in some countries, has never regained large audiences.

Radio Drama Widespread popularity • Perhaps America's most famous radio drama broadcast is Orson Welles's “The War of the Worlds”, 1938 • By the late 1930 s, radio drama was widely popular in the United States • There were dozens of programs in many different genres, from mysteries and thrillers, to soap operas and comedies.

RADIO DRAMA TODAY • Radio drama remains popular in much of the world. • The relatively low cost of producing a radio play enables them to take chances with works by unknown writers. • On the BBC there are two on-going radio soap operas: The Archers on BBC Radio 4 and Silver Street on the Asian Network.

• In the U. S. , radio drama can be found on ACB radio • With 21 st-century technology, modern radio drama, has experienced a revival • The digital age has also resulted in recording styles that differ from the studio recordings of radio drama's Golden Age.