In the late 1980's and the 1990's, talk radio burst into the
the public consciousness. Talk radio is many things: a radio
programming format; a means of mass electronic communication; a
business; a type of entertainment or "edutainment;" and a vehicle
and a forum for the expression of cultural and political
anxieties and conflicts. Morris (1991) says that "the only real
generalization you can tag on talk radio is its variety" (p. 37).
This article summarizes and analyzes some its most salient
aspects its origins and growth, its political and cultural
impact, the sources of its appeal and its implications. The
proliferation of talk radio mirrors various societal trends,
especially the discordant temper of our times. Its excesses are
rooted in the deep sense of alienation and frustration felt by
certain sectors of the vox populi in America.
Origins and Development Talk radio had its genesis as a distinctive genre of
of broadcasting in 1960 when radio station KABC in Los Angeles
decided to gamble with an all talk format. For nearly three
decades, it led a precarious existence, which reflected the
difficulties faced by radio networks and stations after the
advent of commercial television. Preempted from prime time by the
automated equipment and nationally syndicated program services
of the major television networks, radio was threatened with
extinction. It survived by living off the record business. It
also cultivated niche audiences which were not served adequately
by television. Liberated from the living room by various 2
technological developments, radio "was free to diversify, . . .
to begin a regional and local community service"; it "turned
to the individual needs of people at different times of the...