This series grew out of the 1992 radio program The Time Machine produced by Mr. P on KGAS Radio.  Starting in 1986, Broadcast Journalism students wrote and performed radio dramas in class.  In 1995 The Time Machine moved to CHS-TV.  It needed a new name (the A&E Network had their own show called The Time Machine).  Since part of the Broadcast Journalism curriculum dealt with units on the history of radio and television, students were very familiar with the term "The Golden Age of Radio" and voted to use that as the title.

The Golden Age of Radio started in 1995 as an eight-hour marathon of "Old Time Radio" music, news reports, comedy programs and dramas hosted live by CHS-TV students who had spent many hours researching and writing scripts.  The broadcast was carried on the audio portion of CHS-TV's educational access channel, Charter Cable Channel 22.  Between one and three marathons were done each fall semester until 2004.

In 2004, Mr. Chuck Conrad of KZQX Radio (Chalk Hill-Lake Cherokee, Texas) invited CHS-TV to produce a weekly one-hour version and The Golden Age of Radio went on the air every Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. CST, 52 weeks per year.

KZQX, originally an LP (Low Power) FM station, added frequencies in Longview, Kilgore and Tyler.  Combined with their Internet streaming, The Golden Age of Radio was heard around the nation and recognized by such organizations as the National Lum and Abner Society, REPS (Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound), Helping Hands for the Blind and many others.

Radio celebrities such as Parley Baer ("Ernie Keebler," radio's Gunsmoke and TV'sThe Andy Griffith Show), Fred Foy (The Lone Ranger, The Dick Cavett Show) and Dick Beals ("Speedy Alka-Seltzer," Davey and Goliath) were telephone guest stars on various programs.

The Golden Age of Radio ended on KZQX the last Sunday evening of 2009 after 272 weekly broadcasts when all "Old Time Radio" offerings were eliminated from the station's schedule.  One more program, #273 was included as the final hour of Golden Age of Radio Marathon #47 broadcast on Cable Channel 22 in Carthage and streamed on the CHS-TV web page in January 2010.

At the request of fans of the series, occasional new editions are being produced for distribution to OTR groups, so The Golden Age of Radio lives on!

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The reproduction 1932 radio at left was used in class beginning in the late 1980s.  The Shure 55S microphone was brought into use as early as 1986 when Broadcast Journalism students produced their own short radio dramas as part of the radio history units.

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2000:  Derek Wayne Johnson prerecords some announcements for a Marathon.

 Daron McDaniel broadcasts live for the 2001 Golden Age of Radio Marathon.  Mr. Joe Knight of CISD Technology allowed the use of an antique RCA microphone.

Mr. Dick Beals, the voice of "Speedy Alka-Seltzer," was our special guest on The Golden Age of Radio in 2003.

 The 2004-05 Golden Age of Radio second-third year crew included, standing, Nathan Lenox, Collandra Bell and Courtney Ross, and sitting, Joshua Franks, Chris Caldwell and Jade Lewis.

More 2004-05 announcers!  Standing: Tomeka Williams and Eric Seguin.  Sitting:  Whitney Williamson and Adam Johnson.

The 2007 Heil Classic Pro Microphone in its new 2009 home, the CHS-TV announcing booth!