Do you listen to the radio? If you’re like most people, the answer is a resounding – Yes! You may wonder why we’re asking that question. The answer is because August 20 is National Radio Day.  Incidentally, it’s also World Mosquito Day, but who wants to write, or read, about mosquitos! We know we don’t.

When we decided to write about the topic of radios, we thought about how radios have played an important role in our lives from the time we were kids, and they still do today. We know this may date us, but when we were growing up, the radio was our ‘go to’ source of entertainment. Whether it was listening to programs like, ‘The Shadow’, ‘Mystery Theatre’, ‘Our Miss Brooks’ or ‘The Lone Ranger’, there was something magical about letting your imagination fill in the details as you heard the voices and sound effects tell the story.

We can still feel the goose bumps rising on our arms as we listened in a dark room to a murder mystery on the radio. The sound of quickly approaching footsteps in a dark alley and a sudden scream would always make us jump. Peggy Noonan puts it this way, “TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains.” We also like Alistair Cooke’s thought, “I prefer radio to TV because the pictures are better.”

If you remember listening to the ‘The Lone Ranger’, we bet you can still hear the radio show opening with the ‘William Tell Overture’ and the announcer saying, “Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again.” “Hi-yo Silver!” Ah, yes, those radio programs do bring back many happy memories.

As we grew older, we would listen to WDGY for rock n roll music. WCCO was also a powerful force in radio in the Midwest. Due to its clear-channel status, it had one of the largest coverage areas in the country.

One of the first WCCO radio personalities was Cedric Adams. In fact, pilots flying at night would report watching the lights go out in houses below when Adams finished his 10 pm news broadcast. Some of the other WCCO radio personalities included Howard Viken, Maynard Speece, Sid Hartman, Charles Boone, and Roger Erickson.

Who can forget Boone and Erickson’s popular bit called ‘Minnesota Hospital’ with nurse Ratchet! Or their ‘Gill and Fin’ personas where their claim to fame was that they were the only radio personalities named after fish parts! Then there was Steve Cannon, known as ‘The Iron Ranger’, with his cast of characters, including: Ma Linger and Backlash Larue. It’s like those radio personalities not only provided us with entertainment, but they also became our trusted friends.

Today, radio continues to be a popular way for listeners to be entertained and be connected to what is happening in the world. Surprisingly, according to Nielsen studies, 92% of US consumers listen to AM/FM radio. There are more radio listeners in the country than TV viewers (87%), smart phone users (81%) and PC users (54%). Also, approximately 244.5 million adults in America listen to their favorite shows every month! Here’s a surprising one, it’s predicted that by 2025, those between 18-34 years of age will likely spend more time listening to the radio than watching TV.

A key aspect of radio’s popularity is its local outreach. Local radio provides access to news, weather, emergency notifications, community events and sports news. Particularly here in Minnesota during the winter, parents and students always listen for possible school closings on the radio. If there’s a local disaster or emergency, local radio is what people listen to for updates.

Also, the radio is transportable. You can listen to it in a vehicle. It can operate on batteries. There are even hand-cranked and solar powered radios. You get to carry it with you to listen to your news, weather, sports, or music. Virtually every household has at least one radio.

What about you? What were some of your radio listening memories as you were growing up? What part does listening to the radio play in your life today? As we think about the impact the radio can have in our lives, we agree with Hallie Flanagan, “The power of radio is not that it speaks to millions, but that it speaks intimately and privately to each of those millions.” Amen to that and happy listening!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.