Radio comedy shows have been around since radio broadcasts started to become popular in the 1920's.

From the early Vaudeville style and comedy variety shows to the modern day comedy shows like the Howard Stern show, there has been a wide range of change involving radio comedy broadcasts. Radio has come a long way since it's early days and has pioneered many of the ways that media outlets do business today.

Radio comedy shows started out in the early 1920's, when the people of the world had little choice in the variety of options for family and personal entertainment. Most of the choices required traveling to a local theater, dance hall or other venue to receive entertainment.

If you did not travel then your choices were playing games with friends or family at your houses. Once people started hearing of radio broadcasts and the availability of personal home radios, radio comedy shows started to become highly popular. Probably the chief reason for popularity was convenience. Families no longer had to leave the house and travel into town. They could simply stay at home, enjoy a nice meal, relax with their families and friends and still receive a quality choice of entertainment.

Another reason for radio comedy show success was price. People have always looked for maximum value in a product. The initial price to purchase a radio was indeed more expensive than a weekend out enjoying the town, but after two or three such trips into town, a family could have bought a radio. Once the radio was purchased, a family could be entertained with a large variety of entertainment choices. Live or taped shows, newscasts, sports, and music was available all day and most of the evening. After purchase, the cost of the radio was free, except for the electricity used to power it during operation. The value of the radio proved its greatest worth during the great depression. This is when the vast majority of families had no chance of going to town for dinner and a show. Another reason for comedy radio success was the programming. People had many choices in comedy on the radio, including slapstick, musical comedy, comedy variety shows and comedic story telling shows. The choices had something to offer most people that enjoyed humor.

With a decline in radio listening after the television was invented, radio came back strong when most auto manufacturers started putting radios in their vehicles. Now the consumer could listen to comedy on the way to and from wherever they were going, along with the other variety of shows radio offered. Over the years, radio has pioneered the practice of marketing products for other companies to consumers by selling commercial airtime to advertise their products. Since Radio's first early comedy shows, the comedy content has continued to evolve. People can listen to comedy at virtually any hour day or night on hundreds of different stations locally, and millions around the world.