How the Station Builder Works on Old Time Radio

Updated

Station Builder on oldtime.radio lets you create your own custom channels by picking shows from a list, then listen to them as a continuous station. You need JavaScript enabled in your browser, since the site states it is required to listen. The builder is free to use, and the underlying audio is hosted by the non-profit Internet Archive.

What Station Builder Does

The main station plays Old Time Radio shows 24/7, but Station Builder gives you control over what plays on your own channels. Instead of relying on the default schedule, you select the specific shows you want and arrange them into channels.

This is useful if you want a channel focused on one genre or performer — for example, a channel of detective shows like Philip Marlowe, or a comedy channel built around Jack Benny.

Step-by-Step: Building a Station

  1. Open Station Builder. On the site, the builder is presented as a section where you "Build your own radio station."
  2. Create a channel. The instructions say to "create some channels by selecting shows from the list below." Pick the shows you want on that channel from the available list.
  3. Adjust Channel Settings. Each channel has its own settings. One documented option is Play Commercials Between Programmes — you can toggle whether commercials play between shows.
  4. Add more channels if you want. Use Add Another Channel to create additional channels, each with its own show selection and settings.
  5. Remove what you don't need. Use Delete Station to remove a station you've built.
  6. Start listening. Use Listen Now to begin playing your custom channel.

The expected result: your selected shows play as a continuous channel, with commercials either included or skipped depending on your Channel Settings choice.

Other Controls You'll See

The site also exposes several playback and display preferences alongside the builder:

  • Schedule — select a channel to see what shows are coming up.
  • Visualiser — choose a visualiser for playback.
  • Volume — adjust playback volume.
  • Preferences — toggle options including showing an episode summary when tuning in partway through, information messages, "Now Playing" messages, and a Sleep Timer.
  • Sleep Timer — set shows to stop playing after a chosen duration.

Common Snags

  • Nothing plays or the builder doesn't respond: The site explicitly notes that JavaScript must be enabled to listen. Check your browser settings first.
  • Commercials appearing unexpectedly: This is controlled by the Play Commercials Between Programmes setting in Channel Settings — adjust it per channel.
  • Want to start over: Use Delete Station rather than trying to edit a channel down to nothing.

Supporting the Source

The site notes that all audio is hosted by the non-profit Internet Archive, and asks regular listeners to consider supporting them financially. The website itself is open source under the MIT Licence, with source code on GitHub, and can be contacted by email.