BW - EP135—001: Luke Slaughter Of Tombstone—William Robson And The Hollywood Radio Western

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

In February of 1958, CBS’ Gunsmoke, considered by many to be the greatest western of all-time, was in its sixth radio year. The TV version was the medium’s most-watched show, with a rating of 39.6. Although the 1950s proved to be a great time for radio westerns, in 1958 Gunsmoke was the only one of note on the air. Gunsmoke’s cast and crew had little overlap with its TV counterpart. CBS was contractually obligated to provide their radio affiliates with a promised slate of shows, and because advertisers were now investing most of their dollars into TV, CBS officials left radio to the radio people. Producers and directors, like Elliot Lewis, Jack Johnstone, Norman MacDonnell, and William N. Robson enjoyed less second-guessing and more creative freedom. However, these men and women also faced with shrinking budgets. This is William N. Robson. By 1958 he had more than twenty years of experience writing, producing, and directing radio shows. He was also no stranger to westerns, having been in charge of Hawk Larabee a decade before. Robson had also been in control of Suspense since 1956. In 1957 CBS Radio saw a rise in revenue for the first time since 1950. At the company convention that November, upper management predicted that radio was becoming fashionable again. In early 1958, the network ordered two new western programs to air on Sunday afternoons, replacing an hour of concert broadcasts. The goal was to interest national advertisers. In the meantime, unsold commercial spots would be filled with PSAs. The first was created by Antony Ellis and called Frontier Gentleman. It came to the air on February 2nd, 1958. Breaking Walls covered Frontier Gentleman in episode 101. The second one’s assignment fell to Robson. It would be called Luke Slaughter, of Tombstone.