With all of the hundreds of cable TV channels, why would anyone bother listening to old time radio these days? I would, for one. And believe it or not, there are thousands of people who listen to old time radio (OTR) shows every day.

You just can't match the great story lines and plots in a good OTR mystery show. I'm talking about great shows, such as the Inner sanctum, Ellery Queen, CBS Radio Mystery Theater and the like. If you like mystery shows, you'd probably like to listen to any one of these series.

I started listening to old time radio when I was a kid. Right away, I was hooked. It may seem odd to some, that you can enjoy a show that's only audio. But yes, it is possible. You see, when you listen to old time radio, your imagination gets to working. The actors from that day and age can make a story magically come alive. You can almost see in your mind what is taking place.

What great fun it is to accompany Sam Spade on one of his exciting cases. Can you solve the mystery before he does? Maybe you can. Why not give it a try and see?

Over the years, I've enjoyed many adventures with the "Space Patrol" and the "Green Hornet" and many, many others. Old time radio is not just a bunch of people talking into a microphone. It's so much more than that. Before television, radio was the way to be entertained. Whole families would sit around the radio, just like they do with TV today.

These were serious actors in their day. They knew how to give a great entertainment experience to their audience. What's nice about OTR is that there is something for everyone. Do you like a great comedy? Then try "Father Knows Best". And yes, Robert Young actually plays the part of father. I sit and laugh out loud at these shows. They really are quite funny.

Maybe you like a good western. You may want to listen to Gunsmoke or "The Diamond K". There are many high quality western shows that were performed on the radio in the 30's, 40's and 50's.

If you like a good mystery story, and who doesn't, there are many shows to choose from. Just a few of them are "ABC Mystery Time", "Carter Brown", "Charlie Chan" and many more.

There are many good shows for you horror fans too. Such as, "The Creaking Door", "The Black Museum", "Creeps-By-Night" and "The Creaking Door". Adventure fans, you won't be left out either. You can sit and enjoy many hours of Superman and "The Green Hornet and "Doc Savage" as well as many others.

There are so many thousands of old time radio shows available that you can listen to them for many years and never run out of great shows to listen to. Why not just give it a try and see what you think. Listen to one good show and I'll bet you'll listen to more. Just turn off the TV set for a while, get online and download some OTR shows. Many can be had for free on the Internet.

If you do this, I'm sure you'll find that listening to and collecting old time radio shows is a hobby that you'll enjoy as much as I do.