Reminder, there will be NO PROGRAM in July.

The first Saturday is July 4th. We wish you all a happy Independence Day! Stay safe, stay cool.

The REPS picnic is scheduled for SUNDAY, AUGUST 9TH. More information will be in the next Air Check.  We will also update here with location and directions.

Consider this extra time as the perfect occasion to listen to great Old Time Radio Shows.  Old Time Radio shows are free and available on the internet but don’t forget,  the REPS library is dedicated to archiving radio shows in the best sound quality available and the superior sound will increase your listening pleasure.

The web’s best kept secret? Free classic radio dramas

Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY

If you’re looking to fill up your smartphone, tablet or laptop with great content, there’s a lot more than just music, videos, ebooks, and games.

Without costing a dime, there are many tens of thousands of “old time radio” shows – from the golden age of radio – available for streaming or downloading.

You might be asking yourself “Why would a future-looking technology journalist want to fill up his phone with radio dramas popularized in the ‘40s and ‘50s?”

Yes, I see the irony. But you’d be pleasantly surprised at how entertaining these are – and they’ve kept me sane while commuting in a car or resting my eyes on a plane. Or, in many instances, I’m playing a game on my phone or tablet while listening to these shows at the same time. These bite-sized old-time radio (“OTR”) shows are typically 20- to 40-minutes in length.

We’re not talking audiobooks here, which are typically narrated by one person, but rather, these are well-acted radio plays, often with music and sound effects. Because you’re using your imagination to “see” the characters, environments and actions, these shows feel wonderfully intimate and personal.

Just like other media, there are different genres for different tastes. Comedy fans, for example, might prefer to hear the likes of Jack Benny and Abbott and Costello, while those who prefer science fiction would likely get a kick out of X Minus One or Orson Welles’ (in)famous War of the Worlds broadcast.

Me, personally? I love the horror, suspense and sci-fi stuff. Favorite series include Inner Sanctum, CBS Radio Mystery Theater, Lights Out, Suspense, Quiet Please, The Shadow, Mysterious Traveler, X Minus One, and anything from Ray Bradbury (be sure to download “Mars is Heaven” and “To the Future”).

Survived by the Internet and MP3 files, most of these radio shows – which were popular before television took off in the 1950s – still hold up well in the 21st century. That is, if you can get past some of the classic stereotypes (such as the Irish cop), sponsor jingles about cigarettes, and everyone calling each other “dahling.”

Because the copyrights expired for most of these shows, you can download and listen to them for free. Or if you can’t be bothered, there are OTR podcasts to subscribe to. Or for complete collections, you can buy them on disc or hard drive. However you acquire them, you can fill up your device with downloaded OTR or stream away.

Enjoy, and spread the word.

Columnist Marc Saltzman writes on tech devices and trends for USA TODAY. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com.