Writers Guild Chair to Revive Radio Drama: An Interview with WGA's Irwin Gonshak

Radio as a medium has undergone revolutionary changes in recent times with the burgeoning popularity of listening options other than mainstream AM/FM stations. The move away from terrestrial radio has served to energize proponents of the classic short radio drama format. Irwin Gonshak is one such supporter. As Chair of the Writers Guild of America East Radio Drama Committee, Mr. Gonshak is moving headlong towards reviving the genre. He was kind enough to take some time to discuss his plans with Associated Content.

AC - Your urgency to promote and in essence reintroduce the short radio drama is palpable. Why is the timing right for the resurgence of the genre?

Mr. Gonshak - In the golden age of radio drama, morning/afternoon serials were 15 minutes; evening dramas were half-hour programs (both included time for ads). Contemporary radio dramas could be 5 minutes to be in sync with attention span of listeners today. Short radio dramas could easily fit into the schedule of talk/music formats, the same way news, weather and driving conditions are part of these formats. Today's America is America on the run, bombarded by short bursts of information. Also technological advancements make it easy to produce and edit dramas quickly and cheaply.

AC - Do you think the growing popularity of talk radio and its penchant toward the controversial has in some way aided the short radio comeback?

Mr. Gonshak - I find most talk stations consist of long rants. From my long experience, I know that radio drama can handle any subject, from Einstein's Theory of Relativity to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address with creativity, entertainment and education. I once discussed with the Voice of America of doing short radio dramas on Public Health Learnings, which would be broadcast aboard.

AC - Your career in short radio drama spans six decades starting with Eternal Light in 1958. What is most fascinating to you about short radio drama?

Mr. Gonshak - You can do anything with radio drama. You don't need expensive sets, travels, cameras, production camps, etc. With the human voice, music, sound you can reproduce any scene imaginable -- go to the moon, seven leagues under the sea.

AC - With the entertainment choices in abundance for young people ranging from the Ipod to video games, how would you go about sparking their interest in radio drama?

Mr. Gonshak - Colleges and high schools have the facilities and staff to produce radio dramas as part of the school activities. History, English, Drama Departments can contribute to the productions. Another step will be a college/high school radio drama festival with the support of the WGAE and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System which has a thousand college/high school radio station members. Introduce the younger generation to the art of radio drama and they can carry on the campaign to make radio drama part of the broadcast dial. WGAE and IBS Web sites could have audio files of the festival which college/high school radio stations nationwide could download and broadcast.

AC - Are script formats similar to those of TV and film?

Mr. Gonshak - TV and radio script formats are not that different from radio scripts. The one big difference is that radio drama scripts frequently have a first person or third person narrator to give intimacy to the performance and direction to the listener. Great sources of material for radio dramas are the thousands of short stories on the library shelf just waiting to be adapted. One advantage of doing adaptations is that the story and structure are there; all the writer has to do is turn it into a radio script.

AC - What has been the feedback from the radio and performance communities?

Mr. Gonshak - Actors, writers, directors, performers, engineers, etc. are always eager to work and they enjoy using their talents to produce radio dramas. The bottom line is to get the powers-that-be in the broadcast industry to fund the revival of radio drama. They have to be convinced that there are profits to be made in the radio drama enterprise.

AC - Is it difficult to obtain funding for short radio drama programming?

Mr. Gonshak - From my experience, I've learned that funding sources have a warm spot, a nostalgic feeling towards radio drama. I have won many grants to produce educational radio dramas.

AC - What could small local radio markets do to start up short radio programming on their airwaves?

Mr. Gonshak - Local radio markets should introduce short radio dramas into the format they have already; Bloomberg Radio could have thrillers with a business background, rock stations could have action dramas with rock themes and rock musicians; classical music stations could feature sedate, erudite dramas; etc. Radio drama is a great art form. The American audience deserves to be informed and entertained by this art form, be it 2 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. Cheers for radio drama and its rebirth on mainstream radio for a mass audience.