I didn't think this was CBSRMT's best effort, and like Steve, I too prefer tales of supernatural or macabre. This story, to me, seemed destined to an ending with a moral - it had numerous opportunities to curve or bend the plot and characters in more mysterious ways, but it consistently took the straight road. So I assume the author was very clear on the direction of plot and character.
I think Vgarci is on the right trail looking at the events of the recent past prior to this story. With the the failed U.S. attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages (religious extremist) occurring just a couple of months prior to this show, maybe it was intended as a "good news" kind of story, and as I recall, we could have used one about then.
Looking back, I cannot recall many CBSRMT stories that were directly ripped out of current headlines - most danced around the "core" of a story. I know it was supposed to be fiction, not "reality" radio, but that got me thinking about true stories that would have made interesting RMT fare. Here are a few I can remember that should have been made into RMT stories:
1. Jim Jones "People's Temple" story - Could have been an interesting character play demonstrating a powerful man's plummet into paranoia. (Thanks Vgarci!)
2. The "Zodiac" killer - classic whodunit with an occult twist.
3. Three Mile Island - Oops, massive radiation without a bomb?
4. Patricia Hearst kidnapping/SLA involvement
5. DB Cooper's hijacking - an open ended whodunit.
6. I'd add more, but the '80s have fogged my rear view.


Maybe a few (or all) have been done by CBSRMT - I'll have to defer to those of you in the know. If so, let me know, I'd love to listen.