to stand outside in the snow and cold waiting to get in. The National Barn Dance was the only known radio program to charge an admission fee. ABC made two moves that ultimately led to National Barn Dances slow demise. The first was the cancellation of the network broadcast in 1952. After a few years, audiences finally began to wane, and the program ceased live performances after 1957. The show continued to air on WLS until 1959 when ABC bought the station and changed the format to Top 40 rock and roll, canceling National Barn Dance outright. The show moved to Chicago's WGN-AM, with Orion Samuelson as the show's host, until it finally left the air in 1968. Chronology 1924–33: WLS (AM) 1925–28: Two separate versions, WLS-AM (National Barn Dance) and WSM-AM (WSM Barn Dance); the latter became the Grand Ole Opry in 1928 1933–46: WLS (AM), carried by NBC Radio 1946–52: WLS (AM), carried by ABC Radio 1952–60: WLS (AM) 1960–68: WGN-AM Performers Charles M. Bardy William Bardy Byron Bouchard Film and TV A fictionalized account of the show's origins, The National Barn Dance (1944), was filmed by director Hugh Bennett from a screenplay by Hal Fimberg and Lee Loeb. The film starred Jean Heather, Charles Quigley, Robert Benchley, Mabel Paige and Charles Dingle, while Pat Buttram and Joe Kelly appeared as themselves. Two acts who were radio show regulars, The Hoosier Hotshots and The Dinning Sisters, also had featured musical spots in the film. Paramount Pictures reportedly paid WLS $75,000 for the rights in 1943.ABC Barn Dance, a filmed TV series featuring some of the radio performers, was telecast on ABC from February 21–November 14, 1949. Hosted by Jack Stillwell and Hal O'Halloran, the 30-minute musical variety format presented a mix of folk music with country and Western tunes. In 1964, it became a nationally syndicated program through Mid-America Video Tape Productions, then a subsidiary of television station WGN-TV in Chicago (the predecessor of Tribune Entertainment). Offshoots In 1925, prior to network radio or syndication, Hay brought his Barn Dance concept to Nashville, Tennessee. The result was a show called the WSM Barn Dance. It became so popular that on December 10, 1927, Hay renamed it the Grand Ole Opry. WSM became one of the first NBC affiliates in 1927, and the Opry is still on the air today. A second program was launched in the 1930s by