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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 August 20, 2026
Episode 519: The Whistler: Brief Pause For Murder
Today John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a clever 1946 episode s set in the romantic world of the golden age of radio studio. An announcer, played by Joseph Kearns, believes he’s devised the perfect murder with an airtight alibi. But as always with The Whistler, even the most carefully constructed scheme can come undone in the most unexpected way (as Jack Benny’s satires on these types of programs put it, “the fickle finger of fate”). John and Joe dig into the production history of the episode, discussing the cast, the writers, and a few interesting details about radio broadcasting in the 1940s.
Recent Episodes
Tuesday August 18, 2026
Episode 518: The Horn Blows At Midnight Part 2
This week, John Tefteller continues our short run of The Jack Benny Program with another 1949 episode leading up to Jack’s much-loved radio sendup of The Horn Blows at Midnight. The show picks up with Jack still trying to force announcer Don Wilson to sign his new contract. From there, Jack attempts to land a starring role in a radio production, competing with Vincent Price during a rehearsal at Claudette Colbert’s home. Also on this episode is the producer of the Ford Theater, Fletcher Markle.
Thursday August 13, 2026
Episode 517: The Whistler: The Broken Chain
This week, John Tefteller and radio historian Dr. Joe Webb continue our Whistler series with a 1946 sustaining broadcast titled “The Broken Chain.” The story follows Arnold Stanton, a man convinced the only way out of his unhappy marriage is murder. After carefully staging what appears to be a tragic accident, strange encounters and unsettling clues begin to make him question everything he thought he knew. John and Joe discuss the differences between the sponsored and sustaining versions of The Whistler, explore some of the production techniques that gave the series its distinctive sound, and talk about why these classic suspense stories remain so enjoyable nearly eighty years later.
Tuesday August 11, 2026
Episode 516: The Horn Blows At Midnight Part 1
This week, we’re starting something we have meant to do for awhile: The Horn Blows At Midnight radio broadcast on The Ford Theater (starring Jack Benny and Claude Rains). It is an entertaining program by itself, but what makes this so special is the incredible build up on The Jack Benny Program that went for weeks prior to the broadcast, and was one of Jack’s most hilariously written self-parodies. We’re starting with The Jack Benny Show right before the running gag kicked off, broadcast on January 30, 1949. This episode finds Jack settling into his new home at CBS following his much-publicized move from NBC, and includes another running gag that has announcer Don Wilson locked in Benny’s den.
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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.