78rpm Radio - North America

A list of good radio programmes featuring Vintage Popular Music originating from 78rpm recordings

this page first published by John Wright, 18 May 1997
last update 17 May 2005vintage@jabw.demon.co.uk

E-mail John Wright if you know a good radio programme to add to this list


In USA:


Much of the US information comes from communications in the 78-L Internet Group for 78rpm collectors.
  1. Al Barnes writes: listen to Vintage Jazz - a program music of the 20's and early 30's (jazz, pop, vocals, novelty and more). Every Thursday 9:00 AM - Noon (PST) on KBCS 91.3 FM (Seattle area).
    On the Internet at http://kbcs.fm

  2. Don Mayer writes: listen to Cynthia Doyon's 'The Swing Years and Beyond", on KUOW
    Website: http://www.kuow.org/swing_years.asp
    the broadcast time is from 7 pm until midnight Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Saturday nights.

  3. Cary Ginell presents "Jazz Routes" at KCLU - 88.3 Ventura County, 102.3 Santa Barbara County
    and at www.kclu.org
    Sundays, 6:30-8:00pm PST

  4. Glenn Robison hosts Rapidly Rotating Records, broadcasting Sundays at 6:00pm (Pacific) on KISL-FM, 88.7, Avalon (Santa Catalina Island) California.
    It is rebroadcast Saturdays at 6:00pm. KISL is available streaming online at www.kisl.org
    The one hour program of "toe-tapping music from the 1920s and 30s" features sets of songs assembled around historical and music trivia. The program can also be heard streaming online Wednesdays at 5:00 PM (Eastern) on MPAK Internet Radio at www.mpakproductions.com
    It is also available "on demand" on Radio Free World at www.radiofreeworld.com
    Glenn can be reached at Glenn@GlennRobison.com and his website is www.GlennRobison.com

  5. Mike Mikels writes that MPAKRADIO also airs a 3 hour shows every Tuesday at 5 P.M. called Swingtime. It is hosted by Orin J. and features music from the 30's and 40's primarily. Background information is supplied on all the recordings played with attention paid to the arrangements and soloists who made these recordings so special.

  6. Ray Smith has a show called The Jazz Decades, on WGBH FM 89.7 in Boston, MA. Sunday nights, 7-8.00pm and now streams live on the web. He plays things Traditional/New Orleans/Dixieland recorded from the early 1900s to the present.

  7. YUSA, Texas, 9-11pm Eastern, 'Yesterday USA', is on satellite on WGN-TV transponder and it is also at www.yesterdayusa.com
    They broadcast old time radio shows and swing/dance band music.

  8. Pat Patterson writes: I am the host of a weekly radio program on WWOZ 90.7 FM in New Orleans called "Hot and Rare". My program specializes in Jazz and Hot Dance recordings from 1917-1932. I do also play some New Orleans revival era material, as well as some swing period stuff. The show airs from 9am-11am CST on Thursday mornings. WWOZ is also webcast. People can go to http://www.wwoz.org to hear our station 24 hrs a day.
    Also on Monday Mornings from 9am till 11am CST Tom Saunders hosts a Hot Jazz program. Tom is himself a traditional jazz musician who plays tuba, bass and bass sax. He has a massive collection of 78RPM recordings and often remasters them himself for play on the air. Toms' program also specializes in Jazz and Hot Dance.

  9. Dave Bartholemew has a one-hour radio show called "Friction" that features, along with his brief commentary, the jazz, dance music, and personalities from the 20's and 30's, mostly from his collection. It is broadcast on the last Thursday of the month at 8:00 PM EST (1:00 AM in the UK!) and is repeated the following Sunday at 10:00 EST., from WMKV FM (89.3) in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
    For the rest of their 24 hour broadcast time, they also feature 78's, of mostly swing and big bands from the 30's and 40's.
    Checkout the website WMKV FM where they may have set up live streaming of the radio station, so anyone can listen.
    You can e-mail the station at WMKVFM@sossi.net

  10. Randall Olson writes: "I do a radio program Sunday nights 9 to 11 on WVRQ-FM in Viroqua, Wisconsin (30 miles south of Lacrosse), 102.3 on the FM dial. I call it "Bluegrass Bonanza!" and start out with hard grass and go where the music or listeners desire (I've got kind of a loyal following). I throw in 78's (usually on cassette, which I transfered) of every style...jazz, hillbilly, comedy, novelty, etc. love them good old melodies! You can contact Randall on cedar@frontiernet.net

  11. "Hot Jazz Saturday Night" hosted by Rob Bamberger. It is heard weekly on public radio WAMU-FM (88.5) in Washington DC, and is distributed internationally on America One and the Armed Forces Radio Network. Much of the music comes from Rob's personal collection of 78s.

  12. Matias Bombal hosts "Classic Jazz and Swing" on Capital Public Radio/NPR. 2 hours of vintage 78's every Sunday evening on stations KXJZ, KKTO, and KUOP in California and Nevada.
    This is also streaming on the net at actual air time, 9 pm Pacific Time at: http://www.csus.edu/npr/audiostream.html Select the KXJZ audio stream.

    More on Matias Bombal at: A HREF="http://www.csus.edu/npr/bombal.html">http://www.csus.edu/npr/bombal.html
    Matias Bombal matiasbombal@sbcglobal.net

  13. Swing Time and The Big Broadcast on WFUV 90.7FM in New York City, Saturday and Sunday nights 8.00-11.00pm.
    -Rich Conaty has presented shows since 1972, playing jazz, vocal and danceband music from the 1920's to 1940's. You can get recordings from the show if you send two C90's and a self-addressed envelope to:
    WFUV, Big Broadcast, Fordham University, Bronx, NY 10458.
    Swing Time and The Big Broadcast can be heard "live" on WFUV's website: http://www.wfuv.org
    e-mail Rich Conaty for further information.

  14. Citizen Kafka writes:
    I am the co-producer, with Pat Conte, of the Secret Museum of the Air on WFMU 91.1 New York City.
    We play 78's and cylinders of the world's music from 1890 to the 1950's. The Shanachie/Yazoo CD's are offspring of the radio show.
    UPDATE:1 hour, EACH and EVERY Wednesday from 7 to 8 PM EST. Also can be heard with Real Audio over the internet at: Secret Museum

  15. "The Antique Phonograph Music Program" is also broadcast on WFMU, 91.1 FM serving the New York City area and WXHD serving the Hudson Valley area EVERY OTHER Tuesday at 7pm EST.
    If anyone is interested in playing their own 78's on this show then e-mail macnyc@concentric.net
    Check out: past playlists
    Questions? contact mac via e-mail at: Mac@wfmu.org or send stuff to: The Antique Phonograph Hour, c/o WFMU, P.O. Box 1568, Montclair NJ 07042

  16. "The Old Record Shop" on KNDK (1080kHz AM) in Langdon, North Dakota, every Sunday from 3 to 5 pm, Central Time.
    Vincent Fitzpatrick writes: "The first hour I play swing bands and vocalists from 1935-45, and in the second hour, bands and vocalists from 1925-34. The program is audible in much of the eastern half of North Dakota and well into Manitoba".
    Contact Vincent Fitzpatrick

  17. Peter Doyle wrote: I do a twice weekly program on WXXI-FM (91.5) in Rochester, NY called "Between The Wars" on which I use 78's extensively.

  18. Suffolk County, Long Island, NY. Radio Station WLIM, 1580 AM, includes 78s on the playlist. Bob Stern is program director and mid-day host.

  19. Elizabeth McLeod wrote: Maine Public Radio, on 90.1 or 90.9., Friday afternoons from 2 to 4pm, "Down Memory Lane" plays music from 1928-1958.

  20. Mike Biel wrote: WUKY 91.3 of the University of Kentucky in Lexington airs a program on Sat mornings "The Saturday Show"from 9 to 11am with some old jazz, and then from 11 till 1pm "The Make Believe Ballroom".

In Canada:

G. Besharah wrote: In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, be sure to tune your auto's wireless to CFCR 90.5 FM, Sunday nights at 7 pm. "There Goes That Song Again" features artists (and songs) from the 78rpm era, many recordings played in their original 78 format.
Also, the show has a website http://members.home.net/za-zu and you can e-mail the show at za-zu@home.co


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