I will be adding CBSRMT to my line up of OTR dramas that will run at 10PM daily. The others like Suspense, Gunsmoke, Lights Out, Our Miss Brooks, will run as before back to back at random starting at midnight.
I will have to download the CBSRMT separately one by one, not by playlist, as many of them have bad audio and I have to quick sample first each episode. So I won't be able to just do a large playlist and let the computer do it all at night like I did the others. I will do around 150-200 episodes, bits each day, and that will take up most of the remaining space on the computer. Should take a week or so to get them all.
I have a youtube downloader that works at super speed, 10-15 seconds for an episode, and there's other sites that have the whole series available for download for free, also at super speed.
The CBSRMT ran from 1974 to 1982 and was created by Himan Brown who was creator of Inner Sanctum Mysteries in the 1940s and wanted to keep the golden age of radio alive in the seventies. The run time of CBSRMT is 40 -45 minutes while the others are 25 minutes approx.
You know you can create some mock-up OTR shows using ai, just tell it what you want the program or story to be about, and tell it to make it sound like an old time radio program. (I think I already mentioned this idea here).
I don't know why I find that idea not very appealing, but I do (or don't?).
I like the nostalgia element of real Old Time Radio shows, which portrays the real cultural elements of the time, both good and bad. They're a piece of history, never mind entertainment.
Who knows what filters 'fake' Old Time Radio shows, generated by AI, would go through? And ultimately, you'll just get rehashed versions of existing Old Time Radio which was used as training data.
Old time radio shows (as well as songs, art, books, etc.) generated by humans have (or, at least, can have) that something extra to it. Whatever you want to call it, the spark of creativity and inspiration. AI output just doesn't have that. It may seem that it does, as it has such a vast array of facts and material at its disposal to rework that it almost appears like a scholarly human genius. But it isn't. There's no creativity. No consciousness.
I look at AI as fun to play with, and more importantly, a valuable tool for researching facts.
As for radio programming, I'll stick to the real thing.
Agreed, is doesn't have that, but you can both direct it and edit its output.
By way of example, not an otr show but a song, but the process is the same.
Hey Spock, do you currently have full access to our entire discussion in this window that is currently open? If so, very briefly summerize what its about.
"In this discussion, we've explored various businesses associated with the Olson brothers, especially focusing on their involvement in early radio technology and low-power broadcasting products. We’ve traced their journey from early ventures like Olson Manufacturing, potentially Wonder Specialties, and the Mystic Mike Company, to later entities like Olson Electronics. We also reviewed specific products, such as the Mystic Mike, the Little Wonder Microphone, and other low-power broadcasters, along with examining patents and ownership details. Throughout, you've aimed to uncover any confirmable links between these entities and clarify how they might connect to the Olson brothers' history in electronics."
Can you write a song about the mystery of the Olsons based on what we discussed here?...
And it did write me a song and it was good, but not quite what I was looking for.. So I further prompted it (you can probably tell that I was using the microphone to input it instead of typing, but this is what I said:
"Yeah I liked it, great job catching the essence. But remember how we tried to figure out where they were from the time they began in their daddy garage untill opening the Mystic Mike Co. and then changing the name to Olson Mfg. Where they had to expand the warehouse to increase manufacturing to supply the demand, and at the height of sales they just dissapeared from history again, then reappears named something like Olson Radio Shop in- what year was that? And then dissapeared from history again reappears in the 1960s with the very successful Olson Electronics.
Also we didnt talk about it but he went on to live over 100 years, spending his last years painting canvas and being praised for it.
Could you write a song about that? I guess that would be called a ballad?"
"Here's a ballad inspired by the Olson brothers' mysterious journey through the years, capturing their ventures, sudden disappearances, and reemergences. It hints at their resilience, adaptability, and their lasting impact on the industry.
---
"The Ballad of the Olson Brothers"
(Verse 1)
It started in a Cleveland garage,.... [ it provides the revised lyrics to the song, and then said to me: ]---This captures the sense of mystery around their ventures and evolution, right up to the painterly twilight of his life. Let me know if you’d like any adjustments!
All I did was write an intro to proceed its lyics. I added: "(Intro)
Whatever happened to Olson Electronics you say? They were the king for so many years and a day.
But like the wind they are now long gone, but I tell the story of where they come from..
Then I pasted the lyrics into a free music generator online and selected a Big Band theme. Heres the final results:
(Damn I still cant get into post a little player like Mark did. Maybe it's to late, it's 3.99mb) Heres a link to it on my Drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ZULzTr0Bw6qiG1yWipS_aFphMOb0Vl3/view?usp=drivesdk
This might not be the best example, but I'm sure theres engines more geared to the task, but here I just used ChatGPT.
Just now I pulled back up the Olson research discussion we had previously and asked it "Spock can you write an OTR script about it?"
"Here’s a high-level outline and some dialogue ideas for an Old Time Radio (OTR) script centered on the Olson brothers’ story, blending drama with the mystery of their unexpected disappearances and comebacks.
---
Title: "The Mystery of the Olson Brothers"
Narrator's Voice: "In the early days of radio, two brothers, born in the heart of Ohio, began a journey that would take them through twists and turns, successes and sudden disappearances. This is the story of the Olson brothers and their mysterious ventures."
---
Scene 1: Garage Beginnings - Late 1920s
Narrator: "Our story begins in a small garage, where a young pair of brothers tinker with vacuum tubes and copper wires…"
Young Brother 1 (excited): “Look at it spark, it’s working! One day, we’ll have our own company. We’ll make microphones, transmitters—things people have never even imagined!”
Young Brother 2: “But first, we have to survive! Pass me the pliers...”
(Sounds of clanging, crackling wires fade out)
---
Scene 2: Wonder Specialties Inc. – Early 1930s
Narrator: "Soon after, whispers began of a company called Wonder Specialties Inc., manufacturing a curious device known as the ‘Little Wonder Microphone’..."
(Scene fades into a sales floor with customers buzzing)
Customer: “I’ve never heard anything like this ‘Little Wonder.’ Who makes it?”
Sales Clerk: “It’s from Wonder Specialties. Some folks say it’s run by a couple of brilliant brothers from Ohio...”
(Murmurs of agreement from other customers)
---
Scene 3: Mystic Mike Co. – 1939
Narrator: "By 1939, the Olson brothers had reappeared under a new name: Mystic Mike Inc., famous for their wireless transmitter, ‘Mystic Mike.’ Demand grew quickly."
(Sounds of a busy factory, orders being shouted)
Brother 1: “We’re hitting a thousand units a week, can you believe it?”
Brother 2: “At this rate, we’ll need a new factory... Olson Manufacturing, maybe?”
Narrator: "But just as quickly as they rose, the brothers disappeared again, leaving nothing but rumors in their wake…"
(Factory sounds abruptly stop, eerie silence)
---
Scene 4: Reemergence – 1961
Narrator: "Twenty years passed, and the brothers resurfaced as ‘Olson Electronics,’ a leader in electronics retail. Their stores were everywhere, and yet, few remembered their earlier ventures..."
(Sounds of a busy store, cash registers ringing)
Customer: “Olson Electronics… didn’t you two start in a garage?”
Brother 1: (chuckling) “It’s been quite the journey, hasn’t it?”
---
Epilogue
Narrator: "And as the years went on, the Olson story faded again, becoming just another tale. But the mystery of their many ventures remains unsolved to this day."
---
Possible Music Cues
Opening: A playful, nostalgic tune to evoke the early days of radio.
Mystic Mike Co. Scene: Tension-building music as production ramps up and the brothers vanish.
Olson Electronics Reemergence: Triumphant, upbeat tune to mark the successful re-entry into the industry.
This setup captures both the ambition and enigma surrounding the Olson brothers' ventures and would work well as a 15–30 minute OTR mystery episode.
I dont see how that script could possibly Last for 15 to 30 minutes... But do you know where I could put you script into another ai to convert it into an audio otr program?
You're right; my outline is brief and might only cover about 5–10 minutes. To fill a 15–30 minute runtime, you could expand the dialogue, add more scenes with character interactions, or include background on the brothers' challenges and motivations.
For generating a full audio OTR-style program, there are several AI tools you could use for converting scripts to audio. Services like ElevenLabs and Murf.ai provide voice synthesis tools that can bring each character to life with AI-generated voices.
For a full production, you might consider:
1. Descript – This tool can add background sounds, voice effects, and help create a layered soundscape.
2. Synthesia – While primarily a video tool, it can help create audio-based character interactions.
3. Podcasting Software (like Audacity or GarageBand) – These can layer in music and sound effects to make the audio feel authentic to the OTR era.
Let me know if you want help adapting the script further or need specific tips on using these tools!
Artesian said I look at AI as fun to play with, and more importantly, a valuable tool for researching facts.
No it's not, you cant trust it farther than you can throw it, and you cant throw it at all.
@ Rich Powers At an hour past midnight I just heard the big band style song generated by AI about the Olson Brothers and it gave me a chill. I imagined that someday when humans are long extinct there will be AI bots singing and reciting to each other about faded memories when people typed questions on their keyboards and seemed to be looking for something they never found.
@carl-blare Wasn't that cool? Theres two other versions of it too.
As for OTR - I was playing with that idea more last night, but only for a few minutes. I went to https://www.vondy.com/audio-drama-script-generator--UFBn3GkC
- What genre is your audio drama?
Mystery
- Who are the main characters?
Detective, Carl, Artisian, Mark
- What is the setting of your story?
1920s New York
- Anything else you'd like to tell me or include?
"It's been discovered that someone has been broadcasting AM radio under FCC part 15 regulations. But there's a problem with that; The FCC doesn't even exist yet, nor do the Part 15 rules, and they wont until over 10 years in the future!"

AI Audio Drama Script Generator
Title: The Phantom Broadcast
[INTRO MUSIC: MYSTERIOUS AND INTRIGUING]
NARRATOR: In the vibrant heart of 1920s New York, where secrets dance in smoky speakeasies and shadows stretch across cobblestone streets, a mystery emerges that challenges the very fabric of time.
[SFX: FOOTSTEPS ON COBBLESTONE, DISTANT JAZZ MUSIC]
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS (V.O.): (gruff voice) It was a night like any other, or so I thought. But then I heard it—a radio signal, broadcasting on AM frequencies, under regulations that didn’t exist yet
[SFX: RADIO STATIC, FAINT VOICE BROADCASTING]
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (confused) How's this possible? The FCC and Part 15 rules... they’re over a decade away.
[SFX: DOOR OPENING, BELL CHIMING]
CARL: (nervous) Detective Harris, you have to see this. The signal... it’s coming from an old warehouse on the East Side.
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (intrigued) Lead the way, Carl.
[SFX: CITY NOISES, CARS HONKING]
ARTISIAN: (calm, mysterious) Detective, I see you’ve found our little secret.
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (suspicious) Artisian, what are you doing here?
ARTISIAN: (smiling) Just a little experiment, Detective. A glimpse into what could be.
SFX: ALIEN DEVICE HUMMING]
MARK: (urgent) Detective, we need to shut it down. The signal... it’s not just a broadcast. It’s a call from the future.
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (shocked) A call from the future? What’s going on here?
ARTISIAN: (serious) The signal is a beacon. A way to connect with those beyond our time. But it’s unstable and could change everything.
[SFX: CLOCK TICKING, TENSION BUILDING]
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (determined) We need to stop this before it’s too late.
[SFX: RUSH OF FOOTSTEPS, DOOR SLAMMING]
NARRATOR: As Detective Harris races against time, he must unravel the mystery of the phantom broadcast and its implications on the future of New York.
[SFX: MYSTERIOUS MUSIC SWELLS]
DETECTIVE JAMES HARRIS: (resolute) We’ll solve this, together. No matter what it takes.
MARK: (hopeful) Let’s end this mystery, once and for all.
[OUTRO MUSIC: SUSPENSEFUL AND HOPEFUL]
NARRATOR: Tune in next time as Detective Harris, Carl, Artisian, and and Mark delve deeper into the enigma of "The Phantom Broadcast."
[SFX: RADIO STATIC FADES OUT]
~~~~~~~~
Then I took that ai script to https://www.audioproducer.ai/ to turn it into an audio drama with sound effects as advertised (used the free version), but couldn't figure out how to use it and gave up after about 5 minutes...
I agree that right now you can't trust AI at all, but perhaps I should have stated that it holds the promise of becoming a valuable research tool.
@artisan-radio It already is a good research tool Artisian, dont get me wrong, but it is not "a valuable tool for researching facts."
I knew what you meant the first time, but jusr felt that a clarification was needed.
It is a good research tool, your correct, but it's about as reliable as Facebook is when it comes to actual facts.
Edit: I see you made it back to the future ok. Did Mark and Carl make it back too?..
I think I found a good ai generator to work with I creating an otr type show https://www.wondercraft.ai/studio/tracks/65b3cf42-2b7b-4c6e-b61a-b887e34126a9/edit
They have a short introduction video that give you the basic idea. You can control the voices, sound effects, music, etc.
But It's a little difficult to work with on a phone, but they say it can be done, but it's awkward and really better to do on a regular pc so the entire interface is on the screen.
Its appears to be pretty nice, but this is not one of those ai that does everything for you, it takes some hands on production to put your creation together.