Discover a hidden gem of Halloween radio history in War of the Week – The 1978 KSEI War of the Worlds. Host Matt shares a rare 1978 radio drama from KSEI 930 AM in Pocatello, Idaho, a Halloween-night retelling of the H.G. Wells story that doubles as a remake of the classic WKBW version. It’s the 1978 KSEI War of the Worlds like you’ve never heard it, and the kind of find Matt never expected to share.
This special arrives as part of the 2024 Return of War of the Worlds Week, the seventh edition Matt has hosted. In his introduction, Matt explains why this recording stunned him: after years of searching for audio drama versions, he had never come across a remake of the WKBW broadcast, and this one closely follows the 1971 version, his personal favorite. You’ll hear the proof in a side-by-side clip comparison of the opening DJ segment, jokes included.
In this episode:
- Why the 1978 KSEI War of the Worlds marks the 40th anniversary of the original Orson Welles Mercury Theatre broadcast
- How the story shifts from Grand Island to a landlocked Idaho setting around American Falls
- A note on trimmed copyrighted music in the DJ segment and the rough edits that result
- Where to find the 1968 and 1971 WKBW versions on archive.org before you listen
- Why the original WKBW writers and performers go unacknowledged in this recording
Then settle in for the full broadcast, complete with local ads, breaking news bulletins, reporters in the field and a Martian invasion that reaches Pocatello. If you love War of the Worlds, Halloween radio dramas or vintage horror audio, this one is a treat.
You hero, this was once on YouTube and then it disappeared. I’ve been looking for this for ages.
Thank you so much
I went to work at KSEI right after this program aired. App[arently some people thought it was rea much like what happened with the 1938 broadcast. I read a couple of nasty letters from listeners who were panicked .by what they heard.