Nan Palmatier, age 8, of Williamsport, Pa., for her question:

WHY ARE THEY CALLED SOAP OPERAS?

A period called the Golden Age of Broadcasting started about 1925 and lasted until about 1950. Television helped to bring the period to an end.During the Golden Age,    radio was the family's major source of entertainment. Each    night they would listen to adventures, music, dramas and    comedies. Children rushed home from school to hear afternoon    adventure shows. And during the daytime, millions of women listened to continuing drama soap operas. The name was given to them because so many were sponsored by soap manufacturers.

Among popular soap operas of the Golden Age were "John's Other Wife,'' "Our Gal Sunday,'' " Stella Dallas,'' "One Man's Family,'' "The Guiding Light," " Ma Perkins'' and "Just Plain Bill.''