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TuneInVintage Radio For Modern Listeners.
The Good Old Days of Radio Show is a podcast that presents the period of American radio commonly known as “The Golden Age”. During this time, audiences were thrilled by comedy, mystery, suspense, and horror, produced by the some of the greatest writers, directors, composers, and famous stars of the time.
In this show we present the best of these radio shows. Each show is carefully selected by record collector John Tefteller as an outstanding example of this classic art form.
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The Story Behind The Good Old Days of Radio Show.
In 1992, John Tefteller brought the first Good Old Days Of Radio Show to the airwaves on local Southern Oregon station, KOPE-FM. For three hours every Saturday and Sunday night, thousands of listeners of all ages tuned in to hear the show, earning it ‘the highest rated radio program’ in its time slot.
Latest Episode
Thursday November 13, 2025
Episode 439: Affair At Stoney Ridge
Today we’re dropping into another moody mystery from The Whistler. This one’s called The Affair at Stoney Ridge, originally broadcast on June 17, 1946. It’s a story of passion and quiet dread, as a young woman named Myra heads back to her family farm after a failed romance, only to confront her deceitful fiancé, Jodie. This is a suspense tale full of secrets, manipulation, and plot twists, enhanced by fantastic performances by veteran radio actors, Peggy Webber and Edmund MacDonald.
Recent Episodes
Tuesday November 11, 2025
Episode 438: In the Best Tradition
Today we’re going back to 1942 for a wartime drama from The Cavalcade of America, one of radio’s most unsung A-list anthology series. This episode, In The Best Tradition, stars Orson Welles and was originally broadcast in honor of Navy Day. It’s pure patriotic storytelling, tracing the proud history of the U.S. Navy from its founding in 1775 to the modern age of steel and ordnance. You’ll hear about heroes like John Paul Jones and Commodore Oliver Perry, the invention of the mighty Dahlgren cannon, and even a moving scene set during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s a powerful slice of history, mixing courage, innovation, and sacrifice; the perfect listen as we honor Veterans Day.
Thursday November 6, 2025
Episode 437: Perfect Alibi
Today we’re dipping into a popular post-war genre, suspense and noir. The series is The Whistler, one of the leading crime-thriller shows of the era. The story is from June 12, 1949, broadcast over CBS, Perfect Alibi, complete with that Signal Oil sponsorship and the unmistakable voice of Jack Webb before his Dragnet days. We have the original transcription discs of this one, and it’s firing on all the proper tropes: a slick private eye named Johnny Seltzer, a dangerous woman named Alice Collins, and a gangster called Frankie Benson. What starts as a clever setup to frame a mobster for murder quickly spirals into a deadly double-cross, ending with The Whistler’s signature twist.
Tuesday November 4, 2025
Episode 436: The Jack Kirkwood Show
Today we’re heading back to July 1946 for a zany half hour with The Jack Kirkwood Show, a fast-talking, anything-goes comedy that’s as unpredictable as its star. Jack Kirkwood might not be a household name anymore, but his irreverent and absurdist humor works just as well today as it did back then. In this episode, Kirkwood finds himself in a tight spot. Fifteen years of mooching off his buddy William finally catch up to him, and now he’s got to come up with $195 in back rent or else marry his landlady, Mrs. Lapnotch.
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Meet Your Host
John Tefteller has been collecting vintage radio programs since 1971. He is one of the foremost collectors of records and original radio transcriptions in the world.
John grew up in Southern California, and for decades he scoured flea markers, thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales, and private collections for records. Over the past almost 50 years of hunting, John amassed one of the largest private archives of vintage records and radio recordings.