"The Golden Age of Radio"
and
"A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"

Other Programs
New Features added July 2022

Christmas Eve Programs with Dick Bertel and his Family

Website updated
October 26, 2024

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Letters from listeners



We are saddened to report that Dick Bertel died on September 11, 2023. He was 92. Here are details.

April 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of The Golden Age of Radio!


In the 1970's, with declining listenership at night, WTIC in Hartford, CT, determined that there was a market for long-form shows that could be packaged and sold to sponsors. Dick Bertel proposed "The Golden Age of Radio," and Arnold Dean suggested "A One 
Night Stand with the Big Bands." WTIC management accepted the ideas, and in 1970 the programs debuted.

The original series were produced by Brian Hartnett, and recorded and edited by Bob Scherago, Sam Balnius, David Kaplan, Dick Zwirko, Dick French, Ben Zinkerman, Fred Pearson, Ted Brassard, and others.

We have all  89 "Golden Age of Radio" shows, and 43 "One Night Stand with the Big Bands." In addition, we have lots of extras, and are adding to them often. Just click on the links above, turn down the lights, and enjoy the shows. And check back often for more new features.

 Re-edited and remastered by Bob Scherago, who is also the webmaster. 

Your letters! Feel free to email us and we'll publish your comments and photos.

Visit the WTIC Alumni Site

Dick and Ed

"Golden Age of Radio" Hosts
Dick Bertel and Ed Corcoran
The Golden Age of Radio was the creation of WTIC personality Dick Bertel and radio collector-historian Ed Corcoran, and was first broadcast in April of 1970. For the next seven years the program featured interviews with radio actors, writers, producers,  engineers and musicians from radio's early days.

In addition, each show featured excerpts from Ed's collection. Fortunately, these programs have been preserved, capturing for future generations the history of this vital medium during its formative years.

Dick Bertel left WTIC in the 1970's and began a second career at The Voice of America in Washington, DC, where he was their Executive Producer. In the early 1990's he spent two years in Munich, Germany, heading up their VOA-Europe bureau. He returned to Washington to create the worldwide English program, "Talk to America," a call-in show heard around the world. He has retired from VOA. and now resides in Maryland.

Listen to "The Golden Age of Radio"

Ed Corcoran died in 2011. This is a link to his obituary.


"One Night Stand"
Host Arnold Dean


Arnold Dean began his love affair with the big band era in his pre-teen years and his decision to study the clarinet was inspired by the style of Artie Shaw.  When he joined WTIC in 1965 he hosted a daily program of big band music.  In 1970, encouraged by the success of his daily program and The Golden Age of Radio series, he began monthly shows featuring interviews with the band leaders, sidemen, agents, jazz reporters, etc. who made major contributions to one of the great eras of music history.

He joined WTIC in July 1965, and retired in 2009, his 61st Anniversary in broadcasting.

The series concentrated on the 1936-1946 period, the great decade for the big bands.  However he also traced the history of jazz through 20's and into the 70's.  During those programs Arnold frequently played recordings from his own collection which he describes as "small but selective".

Listen to "A One Night Stand with the Big Bands"

Arnold Dean died in 2012. Here's a link to his obiturary.

Here is a tribute to Arnold Dean by Dick Bertel.

 
Bob was interviewed recently by John Leslie, who does a podcast about radio. Here's the link.
    
Webmaster Bob Scherago attended Rutgers University, and graduated in 1960 from the now-defunct RCA Institutes in New York City, earning a certificate in broadcasting and electronics, and a first-class FCC radio telephone license. While at RCA, he worked for CBS Television as an usher in their New York studios. He assisted audiences and sometimes operated the backstage dressing room elevators for such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Garry Moore Show, What's My Line, I've Got a Secret, Masquerade Party, To Tell the Truth, and GE College Bowl.

In 1960 he went to work for WGLI-WTFM in Babylon, New York. He started there on the same day that discount appliance retailer Friendly Frost took ownership of the company. Their plan was to move WTFM to New York City. They accomplished this in November, 1961, by installing one of the first directional FM antennas and building a new studio/transmitter/TV and radio showroom in an old Friendly Frost store in Fresh Meadows, NY, just outside of the city. Bob did much of the technical installation of the facility, including construction of a commercial recording studio. The company also constructed and licensed a new FM station in Babylon, WQMF.  Shortly after WTFM went on the air at its new loacation, Bob was appointed chief engineer for all three stations.

In 1963 he joined the staff of WTIC AM and FM, where he worked at both the studio and transmitter locations until he left in 1977 to work for Connecticut Public Radio, constructing their first radio studios. In April, 1978, he left there to take a position with the Voice of America in Washington. After a 28-year career at VOA in various positions from technician to supervisor to branch chief to design engineer, he retired in 2006.

Old Time Radio Links (New link added August 1, 2024)