Charles D. Livingstone entered WXYZ in Detroit in 1933, first taking small acting roles before moving toward production. By the end of the decade he had succeeded James Jewell as one of the station's principal dramatic directors, working inside the tightly coordinated repertory system that made WXYZ a national source of adventure radio.

Livingstone directed The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet and Challenge of the Yukon, programs that depended on precision rather than visual spectacle. Actors, announcers, music and physical sound effects had to hit their cues live, often several times for different network feeds. His later move to Hollywood included work connected with the television version of The Lone Ranger, extending the franchise expertise he had built in radio.

Golden Radio Hour's detailed people index currently carries 568 Lone Ranger credits, 237 Green Hornet directing credits and 162 Challenge of the Yukon credits for Livingstone across directing, editing, producing and writing roles. That body of work makes him one of the most substantial production figures in GRH's WXYZ holdings.