Heading our list of birthday celebrants is the incomparable Orson Welles. Beginning with his one year stint as The Shadow (1937-38), Welles was a very prolific radio performer and we’ll present him in the following series among others: Black Museum, The Third Man, Suspense, fill-in hosting on The Jack Benny Program and Mercury Theatre On The Air’s version of “The Count Of Monte Cristo.” I also bring back Orson Welles’ one and only visit with “War Of The Worlds” author H.G. Wells (which occurred in San Antonio, Texas in 1940).

This week’s highlights are topped by the 69th Anniversary of radio’s Gunsmoke! Before famously spending 20 years on television it began a decade long radio run on April 26th, 1952.

Oscar Week: Better late then never, this year’s Academy Award Ceremony (the 93rd) is Sunday evening April 25th, so as is our usual practice here on the channel we celebrate past winners and nominees.

This week we celebrate some series anniversaries including: Bulldog Drummond (80th); Lights Out (86th) and Fibber McGee & Molly (86th).