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Talk radio

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Talk radiois aradio formatcontaining discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may featuremonologues,dialoguesbetween the hosts,interviewswith guests, and/or listener participation which may be live conversations between the host and listeners who "call in" (usually viatelephone) or viavoice mail.Listener contributions are usuallyscreenedby a show's producers to maximize audience interest and, in the case of commercial talk radio, to attract advertisers.

Talks shows in commercial stations are organized into segments, each separated by a pause for advertisements; however, in public or non-commercial radio, music is sometimes played in place of commercials to separate the program segments.

Variations of talk radio include conservative talk,hot talk,liberal talk (increasingly known as progressive talk), andsports talk.

While talk radio has historically been associated with broadcast radio, starting around 2005 the technology for Internet-based talk-radio shows became cost-effective in the form of live internet website streaming andpodcasts.Now, an individual can use a variety of services to host an Internet-based talk-radio show without carriage by a traditional radio station. Also, TV programming from talk and news outlets such asBBC,CNN,Bloomberg,andFoxis now often available expanding the world of talk radio further. Talk radio listening is enjoyed not only on radios but a wide variety of other devices and services including PCs using iTunes, station directories such as TuneIn, show directory smartphones with apps such as Stitcher, and time-shifting services like DAR.fm.[1]

Africa[edit]

SW Radio Africawas a pro-democracy station that broadcast out ofLondon, England,from 2001 to 2014.[2]

Australia[edit]

InAustralia,talk radio is known as "talkback radio".

The most popular talkback radio station historically wasSydney's2UE,whosepopulistprograms likeThe John Laws Morning Show,were widely syndicated across the continent. In recent years though, 2UE has been eclipsed by its Sydney rival2GBafter the defection of 2UE most popular talkback host,Alan Jones.

As a result, 2UE and owned by the same company as 2GB) abandoned most of its rigidpoliticalandhot topic-driven talkback programming in 2016, moving to a less-serious lifestyle andbranded contentformat, although still maintaining a talkback element.[3][4]

Melbourne,3AWis the highest rating talkback radio station and has also been the highest rating Melbourne radio station for several decades in a row.

6PR personality Garry Meadows was the first announcer to use talkback radio in early 1967.[5]'Talkback' radio, using a seven-second time-lapse mechanism, began in Australia in April 1967, simultaneously on2SM,Sydney (withMike Walsh) and 3DB, Melbourne (withBarry Jones).

In the 1990s and 2000s, "talkback" on FM was attempted.The Spoonmanwas a program hosted byBrian Carltonon the triple m network in the late 1990s and returned in 2005 for three and a half years, the show wrapping up in 2008. It was a show that covered many topics, but the "hot talk" format in the U.S. would probably be the best way to describe the program.

Talkback radio has historically been an important political forum in Australia and functions much like the cable news televisions in the United States, with live and "saturated" coverage of political issues.

Brazil[edit]

The most important talk radios in Brazil areCBN,Band NewsandJovem Pan,which has also sports and news broadcasts.

Canada[edit]

In contrast to talk radio stations in the United States, where syndicated programs tend to make up a significant part of most schedules, privately owned Canadian talk radio stations tend to be predominantly local in programming and focus. There is noCanadian contentrequirement for talk radio, or "spoken word", programming unless the individual station's license expressly stipulates such a requirement; most do not. (In Canada, prospective radio stations may propose certain restrictions on their license to gain favor with theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissionand have an easier time obtaining a license.)[6]

The most recent nationally syndicated, politically oriented weekday talk radio show in Canada wasCharles Adler Tonight,hosted byCharles Adlerand heard on eleven stations across the country. After 5 years, the show ended in August 2021.[7]Until 2006,Peter Warren'sWarren on the Weekendwas heard Saturdays and Sundays. Both programs are or were distributed by theCorus Radio Networkand, coincidentally, both hosts had hosted different morning call-in programs in the same time slot onWinnipeg,Manitoba'sCJOB680 before they became nationally syndicated (Adler's show originated from CJOB and retained its original title, while Warren was based inVictoria, British Columbia.) beforeCharles Adler Tonight,Corus had syndicatedRutherford,hosted by conservativeDave Rutherfordand originating from itsCalgarystation,CHQR.Rutherfordis no longer syndicated nationally but continues to air in Calgary,Edmonton,andLondon.[8]

Other Canadian talk radio programs which have been syndicated to different markets include:

  • TheGeorge StroumboulopoulosShowairs on Sunday nights on stations inTorontoandMontreal.
  • The Home Discovery Show,a call-in home renovation program hosted by Shell Busey.
  • Love and Romance,arelationshipadvice program hosted by Sue McGarvie.
  • Prime Time Sports,asports talkprogram hosted byBob McCown.A three-hour program originating fromCJCL,usually only the third hour is broadcast nationally.
  • Renovations Cross Canada,a weekend program about home renovations hosted by Ren Molnar. It is the most widely distributed talk radio program in Canada.
  • The Roy Green Show,a political and entertainment-based show hosted by Roy Green that airs on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, primarily on the Corus Radio Network.
  • The 'X' Zone,a nightly show aboutparanormaltopics hosted by Rob McConnell. It is also syndicated throughout the United States.

Privately owned talk radio syndication networks in Canada are generally formed to share programs across a group of stations with common ownership, although some are formed to distribute their one or two talk radio programs to several stations regardless of ownership. The largest of these is theCorusRadio Network.TSN Radio,the successor to the long-defunctthe Team,is one of the newest national networks in Canada, with operations in several major markets.

Syndicated programs from the United States which air on Canadian radio stations are typically non-political shows such asThe Kim Komando ShowandCoast to Coast AM,as well assports radioshows from the 24-hour networks in the U.S. Traditionally, politically driven talk radio from the United States does not air on Canadian stations, with a few scattered exceptions (e.g. the now-defunctCFBN,which carried political programming such as theGlenn Beck ProgramandDennis Miller,and the also-discontinued talk format ofCHAM,which carried Miller). Top political programs such asThe Rush Limbaugh Showare never broadcast on Canadian stations, mainly due to high rights fees compared to their relevance to non-American audiences. American stations near the Canadian border can provide many Canadians with access to American talk programs (the signals of Limbaugh affiliatesWJR,WBEN,andWHAM,for example, cover almost all ofSouthern Ontario).

Local talk radio plays a significant role in the politics of Newfoundland and Labrador. Political parties have systematically coordinated call-ins by Members of the House of Assembly when public opinion pollsters are known to be in the field.[9][10]The provincial government routinely purchases transcripts of calls.[11]

Finland[edit]

A state-owned public channel calledYLEPuhe.[12]is broadcast throughout the whole country in the Finnish language. The programs include sports and news broadcasts. Its weekly listenership is about 550,000.[13]Finland's first commercial talk station, Radio Rapu, started operations on March 1, 2014.[14]

France[edit]

Talk radio is a popular form of radio entertainment in France, exemplified by Europe 1, RTL, and RMC, plus state-owned France Inter. A premier English language talk radio in France is theGascony Show.Launched in early 2011, this show is broadcast weekly to the Gascony region of the southwest of France, as well as to the rest of France via Internet streaming.

Germany[edit]

Hallo Ü-WagenwithCarmen Thomasin 1982

Radio talk shows are popular in Germany and have a long tradition. The first talk show on public radio wasWerner Höfer'sDer Internationale Frühschoppen[de],a political talk begun in 1952. The talk show on wheelsHallo Ü-Wagenran from 1974 to 2010, begun byCarmen ThomasforWDR.

Italy[edit]

Talk radio in Italy is popular.Radio 24,part of the groupIl Sole 24 Oreprivately owned byConfindustria,is the most important commercial "news/talk" talk radio station in the country. Its focus is mainly on independent news about the Italian and European economy, finance, culture, and politics, but it also hosts programs focusing on sports, personal finance, music, health, science, technology, andcrowdsourcedstorytelling. State-ownedRai Radio 3is mainly dedicated to literature, the arts, classical music, and general cultural issues. Several regional stations use a format combining that of all-news and talk radio.

New Zealand[edit]

InNew Zealand,the talk radio format is popularly known as talkback radio. The major radio networks broadcasting in the talk radio format areNewstalk ZBandRadio Live.Their sports sister networks,Radio SportandTAB Tracksidealso largely broadcast in a talk format. Other stations such asRadio New Zealand Nationalhave a large component of talk-based content but do not have talk-back (i.e. listener phone-ins).

Newstalk ZB is the New Zealand market leader, but Radio Live is continuing to try to establish itself with a greater presence in the talk radio market since its inception in 2005.

Philippines[edit]

Almost allAMradio stations are talk stations. A few stations fromRadio Mindanao NetworkandBombo Radyoare on FM.Radyo 5 News FM(now True FM) is the first talk radio station in the Philippines.

Poland[edit]

There is two talk radio station in Poland, calledTOK FM,which is owned byAgora SA,a Polish media company. Its programmes are broadcast in 10 large cities includingWarsaw,Kraków,Gdańsk,Poznań,andKatowice.The programme is also available via the Internet and transmitted by theHot Birdconstellation.It was founded in 1998 as "Inforadio"

Second talk radio station calledRadio Wnet,which is owned by Radio Wnet sp. z o.o., a Polish media company. Its programmes are broadcast in 2 large cities including Warsaw (87.8 MHz), Kraków (95,2 MHz). The programme is available via Internet. It was founded on 25 May 2009 byKrzysztof Skowroński,Grzegorz Wasowski,Katarzyna Adamiak-SroczyńskaandMonika Makowska-Wasowska,Wojciech CejrowskiandJerzy Jachowicz.

Spain[edit]

Talk radio in Spain is very popular, where the most important radio stations are exclusively dedicated to talk shows, such as Cadena Ser, Cadena Cope, Onda Cero, Radio Nacional, or Punto Radio. There is a very wide variety of topics, such as politics, sport, comedy, and culture.

Sport talk shows are particularly relevant, since football attracts a massive interest in Spain, with a special focus on FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF, and the men's national football team. Typically the programming of main talk radio stations is modified whenever there is a major football event, such as a La Liga or a national team match. Daily late-night sport (football) talk shows are also very relevant, with a very intense competition of the radio stations in this time slot which typically starts around midnight.

Comedy morning talk shows are also very popular in music radio stations (40 principales, M80 radio, Europa FM, and others), where there is strong competition since it is also a very important time slot, when typically people going to the workplace listen to the radio in their cars early in the morning (around 7am to 8am).

As Spain has large English-speaking communities from many different countries, it is a natural place for English language talk radio broadcasting.

The first Talk radio station in English was Coastline Radio broadcasting fromNerja,Costa del Sol.It is now a music station. A group of English expats set up OCI International in the early 1990s. Based inMarbellaon the Costa del Sol, it was owned by the ONCE National Spanish Network. It provided a link for the English-speaking expats living on the coast, as well as some content for Scandinavian expats. OCI was closed down in 2007 to make way for Radio Europa music. In 2004 REM FM began broadcasting, with shows mostly fronted by former OCI presenters. The station closed in 2008.

In 2008, Talk Radio Europe began broadcasting.[15]It offers a 24-hour schedule of news, interviews, discussion, and debate and is aWorld MediaPartner withBBC World Serviceand is affiliated toIRN/SKY News.Talk Radio Europe broadcasts in FM on theCosta del Sol,Costa Almeria,Costa Blanca,and across the island ofMallorcain English. It is available on the Internet and all smartphone platforms.

United Kingdom[edit]

Talk radio in theUnited Kingdomis popular, though not as much as music radio. Nationwide talk stations includeBBC Radio 4,BBC Radio 5 Live,BBC Radio 4 Extra,Talkradio,TalksportandTimes Radio.Regional stations includeBBC Radio ScotlandandBBC Radio Wales.ManyBBC Local Radiostations and some commercial stations offer a talk format, for example,BBC Radio London,the BBC's flagship local station. Other notable commercial talk stations include London'sLBCwhich pioneered the newstalk format inEurope.LBC currently operates two services –LBC,a newstalk station on FM (London) and via several digital platforms nationally includingDABandFreeview;andLBC News,a rolling news station on AM in London and DAB+ nationally. There are many specialised talk services such asBloomberg,a financial news station, and Asian Radio Live.[16]

Talk radio expanded dramatically when the BBC's monopoly on radio broadcasting was ended in the 1970s with the launch ofIndependent Local Radio.

Some notable British talk radio presenters includeJenni Murray,John Humphrys,Martha Kearney,Jonathan Dimbleby,Libby Purves,Laurie Taylor,Pam Ayres,Melvyn Bragg,Tommy Boyd,James Whale,Steve Allen,Nick Abbot,Iain Lee,James Stannage,George Galloway,Julia Hartley-Brewer,Ian Collins,John Nicoll,Brian Hayes,Scottie McClue,James O'Brien,Nicky Campbell,andSimon Mayo.Pete PriceonCityTalkis also known as the DJ who rushed to the aid of a regular caller who died live on air during a call.[17]Previously, he had kept a teenager talking for 45 minutes before meeting him to convince him not to commit suicide.[18]

United States[edit]

Talk radio is most popular on theAM band."Non-commercial", usually referred to as "public radio",which is mainly located in a reserved spectrum of theFM band,also broadcasts talk programs. Commercial all-talk stations can also be found on the FM band in many cities across the US. These shows often rely less on political discussion and analysis than their AM counterparts and often employ the use of pranks and "bits" for entertainment purposes. In theUnited StatesandCanada,satellite radioservices offer uncensored "free-wheeling" original programming.ABC News & Talkis an example of "repackaging" for the digital airwaves shows featured on their terrestrial radio stations.

History[edit]

Expressing and debating political opinions has been a staple of radio since the medium's infancy.Aimee Semple McPhersonbegan her radio broadcasts in the early 1920s and even purchased her station,KFSGwhich went on the air in February 1924; by the mid-1930s, controversial radio priest FatherCharles Coughlin's radio broadcasts were reaching millions per week. There was also a national current events forum calledAmerica's Town Meeting of the Airwhich broadcast once a week starting in 1935. It featured panel discussions from some of the biggest newsmakers and was among the first shows to allow audience participation: members of the studio audience could question the guests or even heckle them.[19]

Talk radio as a listener-participation format has existed since the 1930s. John J. Anthony (1902–1970) was an announcer and DJ on New York's WMRJ. It was located in the Merrick Radio Store at 12 New York Boulevard in Jamaica, Long Island. After some marital troubles, refusing to pay alimony and child support, he sought professional help and began his radio series where listeners would call in with their problems in 1930. Radio historians consider this the first instance of talk radio.[20]

While working for New York'sWMCAin 1945,Barry Graywas bored with playing music and put a telephone receiver up to his microphone to talk with bandleaderWoody Herman.This was soon followed by listener call-ins and Gray is often billed as "the hot mama of talk radio".Herb Jepkowas another pioneer.[21]

Author Bill Cherry proposed George Roy Clough as the first to invite listeners to argue politics on a call-in radio show at KLUF, his station in Galveston, Texas, as a way to bring his political views into listeners' homes. (He later becameMayor of Galveston). Cherry gives no specific date, but the context of events and history of the station would seem to place it also in the 1940s, perhaps earlier. The format was the classic mode in which the announcer gave the topic for that day, and listeners called in to debate the issue.[22]

In 1948 Alan Courtney – New York disk jockey and co-composer of the popular song "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" – began a call-in program for the Storer station in Miami, Florida (WGBS) and then on Miami's WQAM, WINZ and WCKR. The "Alan Courtney Open Phone Forum" flourished as an avowedly conservative and anti-communist political forum with a coverage area over the Southeastern U.S. and Cuba.

Joe Pyne,John Nebel,Jean Shepherd,andJerry Williams(WMEX-Boston) were among the first to explore the medium in the 1950s.

A breakthrough in talk radio occurred in 1960 at KLAC in Los Angeles. Alan Henry, a broadcaster in his early thirties, had been hired by John Kluge, president of Metromedia in 1963. Henry had previously worked in such diverse markets as Miami, Florida; Waterloo, Iowa; Hartford, Connecticut; and St. Louis, Missouri. KLAC was dead last in the ratings but Kluge wanted a big Metromedia presence in Los Angeles. He sent Henry from New York to Los Angeles to turn KLAC into a success. The first thing that Henry did was hire the legendary morning team of Lohman and Barkley. Henry had built a strong relationship with programmer Jim Lightfoot, who had joined Henry in Miami. A unique opportunity presented itself when Joe Pyne, who had begun his career as a radio talk personality in Pennsylvania, was fired by KABC in Los Angeles. The speculation was that Pyne was too controversial and confrontational for the ABC corporate culture. Henry hired Pyne on the spot and paid him $25,000 a year, which was then a huge salary for a radio personality. Pyne was given the night show on KLAC. Part of the agreement with Pyne was that Henry and Lightfoot would give him broad control of his program content.

The show was an immediate success. Henry encouraged the confrontation with listeners and guests for which Pyne became famous. Pyne coined the line "Go gargle with razor blades," for guests with whom he disagreed. The Pyne show was the beginning of the confrontational talk format that later spread across the radio spectrum. At one point in the 1960s, the Joe Pyne show was syndicated on over 250 radio stations in the United States.

In an odd turn of events, Pyne's radio show led him to television. Henry suggested to John Kluge that Joe Pyne should be put on Metromedia's newly acquired TV station in Los Angeles, KTTV-TV. Kluge told Henry to speak to KTTV-TV general manager Al Kriven, but Henry had already done that, and Kriven had adamantly refused. Kluge telephoned Kriven, and Pyne soon became the nation's first controversial late-night talk television host.The Joe Pyne Showon KTTV-TV quickly shot to the top of the ratings. The format later proliferated on cable television with a variety of new hosts, many of them taking on a similar persona to Joe Pyne. Joe Pyne and Alan Henry were major factors in establishing a new trend in radio and television programming. Alan Henry elaborates on the launching of Joe Pyne on KLAC radio and KTTV-TV in his memoirA Man and His Medium.

Tworadio stationsKMOX,1120AMinSt. Louis, Missouri,andKABC,790 AM inLos Angeles– adopted an all-talk showformat in 1960, and both claim to be the first to have done so. KABC station manager Ben Hoberman and KMOX station managerRobert Hylandindependently developed the all-talk format.KTKK,630 AM in Salt Lake City, then known as KSXX, adopted a full-time talk schedule in 1965 and is the third station in the country to have done so. KSXX started with all local talent, and KTKK, which now airs on 1640 AM, has a larger portion of its schedule featuring local talent than most other stations that run a full schedule of talk.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, as many listeners abandoned AM music formats for thehigh fidelitysound ofFM radio,the talk radio format began to catch on in more large cities. Former music stations such asKLIF(Dallas,Texas),WLW(Cincinnati, Ohio),WHAS(Louisville, Kentucky),WHAM(Rochester, New York),WLS(Chicago, Illinois),KFI(Los Angeles,California),WRKO(Boston,Massachusetts),WKBW(Buffalo, New York), andWABC(New York, New York) made the switch to all-talk as their ratings slumped due to listener migration to the FM band. Since the turn of the 21st century, with many music listeners now migrating to digital platforms such asPandora Radio,Sirius XM Radio,and the numerous variations of theiPod,talk radio has been expanding on the FM side of the dial as well.

Shock[edit]

Hot talk,also calledFM talkorshock talk,[23]is a talk radio format geared predominantly to a male demographic between the ages of 18 and 49. It generally consists ofpop culturesubjects onFM radiorather than the political talk found on AM radio. Hosts of hot talk shows are usually known asshock jocks.

Clear Channel Communications(which became iHeartMedia in 2015) has a select few hot talk stations under the monikerReal Radio,whileCBS Radioonce had a larger chain of hot talkers known asFree FM,though the brand was abandoned after a post-Howard Stern attempt to network the format failed within a year. It is usually found on FM radioactive rock,classic rock,and country stations in morning drive, as the actual hot talk formatted stations have only achieved mediocre success as a whole compared to AM or conservative talk radio, or even FM music radio. It is also effectively a format that is unviable during an average workday in North America, due to the format's tendency to discuss topics wholly inappropriate for a workplace setting, and outside of discussions of attractiveness, entirely repels women as regular listeners.

In March 2018, CBS Radio's corporate successor Entercom (nowAudacy, Inc.) attempted a hot talk format in San Diego withKEGY97.3 The Machine.It featured a weekday lineup devoted to hot talk programs, blocks ofclassic rockinterspersed with comedy bits during off-peak hours, and coverage ofSan Diego Padresbaseball. However, the station attracted controversy later that month, when an advertisement for the station's forthcoming morning showKevin Klein Live(which invited listeners to "jump... to a new morning show", accompanied by a picture of theCoronado Bridge) was criticized for glorifyingsuicide by bridge jumping.The ensuing controversy prompted the Padres to scrutinize KEGY's direction; executiveRon Fowlervoiced concerns over the team being associated with KEGY's "shock jock" content, threatening to possibly cut ties with the station and Entercom.[24][25]Kevin Klein's program never premiered, and the hot talk format was ultimately dropped on April 12, 2018, in favor of a conventional sports format as97.3 The Fan.[26]

In 2019,JVC Mediabegan to establish a hot talk network in Florida branded asFlorida Man Radio(in reference to the "Florida Man"internet meme), beginning withWDYZin Orlando. The network has picked up personalities such asShannon BurkeandEd Tyll,with the syndicatedBubba the Love Spongeserving as its morning show.[27][28][29]In 2022, after receiving the station in a trade from Audacy,Beasley Broadcast Group'sKXTEin Las Vegas shifted to a hot talk format for its weekday lineup, which consists primarily of syndicated morning shows (includingDave and Mahoney,for which it is the flagship station, as well asFree Beer and Hot Wings,andDave & Chuck the Freakfrom sisterWRIFin Detroit).[30]

The genre has also shown up onsatellite radioand inpodcasting,which typically have more creative freedom due to the lack of indecency rules and lower reliance on corporate advertising.

Other U.S. hosts specialize in talk radiocomedy,such asPhil Hendrie,who voices his fictional guests and occasionally does parodies of other programs.

Political[edit]

TheUnited Statessaw dramatic growth in the popularity of talk radio during the 1990s due to the repeal of theFederal Communications Commission's post-warFairness Doctrineof 1949, in 1987. The mandate of theFairness Doctrinewas to require that audiences were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints.

It had required the holders of broadcast licenses to "present controversial issues of public importance" and to do so in a manner that was, in the commission's view, "honest, equitable and balanced". Its repeal provided an opportunity for a kind of partisan political programming with commercial appeal that had not previously existed.

The most successful pioneer in the early 1990s' talk radio movement in the US was thepolitically conservativecommentatorRush Limbaugh.Limbaugh's success demonstrated that there was a nationwide market for a passionately delivered conservative polemic on contemporary news, events, and social trends, and changed the face of how the talk radio business was conducted. Unrestrained (by the Fairness Doctrine), cheering for one's political party, and especially against the other, had become popular entertainment which rapidly changed the way politics nationally was discussed, perceived, and conducted.

Other radio talk show hosts (who describe themselves as either conservative orlibertarian) have also had success as nationally syndicated hosts, includingHugh Hewitt,Sean Hannity,Jon Arthur,Glenn Beck,Michael Medved,Laura Ingraham,Neal Boortz,Michael Savage,Bill O'Reilly,Larry Gaiters,andMark Levin.

TheSalem Radio Networksyndicates a group of religiously oriented Republican activists, includingevangelicalChristianHugh Hewittand Jewish conservativesDennis PragerandMichael Medved;these are mostly distributed in a 24-hour network format among Salem's stations, and they generally earn ratings much less than their syndicated counterparts.

In the summer of 2007, conservative talk show hosts mobilized public opposition to theMcCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill,which eventually failed.[31]Conservative hosts Limbaugh, Ingraham, Bennett, Prager, Hannity, Beck, Levin, and Hewitt coalesced around endorsing former Massachusetts governorMitt Romneyforpresidentat the end of January 2008 (afterFred Thompson,the described favorite of some of the hosts, dropped out), to oppose the nomination of SenatorJohn McCain;[32]however, Romney suspended his campaign in February of the same year and endorsed McCain. During the primaries, Limbaugh in particular had endorsed a plan to do whatever it took to prolong the Democrats' nomination by encouraging political conservatives to cross over to theDemocratsand voting for the trailing candidate, a plan he called "Operation Chaos".

Conservative talk show hosts also lent their unified support for congressional candidateDoug Hoffman,a conservative third-party candidate who was running inNew York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009,against a liberal Republican (Dierdre Scozzafava) and a mainstream Democrat (Bill Owens). The unified support from the conservative base helped propel Hoffman to frontrunner status and effectively killed Scozzafava's campaign, forcing her to drop out of the race several days before the election. This effort backfired on the conservative hosts, as the Democratic candidate Owens won in part thanks to Scozzafava's endorsement of Owens. Local hosts, such as Los Angeles'sJohn and Ken,have also proven effective in influencing the political landscape.

Libertarianssuch asDennis Miller(based inLos Angeles), Jon Arthur, host ofJon Arthur Live!(based in Florida), Patti BrooksKGMI(based in the Pacific Northwest), Free Talk Live (based inNew Hampshire),Penn Jillette(based inLas Vegas),Jay Severin(based inBoston,Massachusetts), andMark Davis(based inFort WorthandDallas,Texas) have also achieved some success. Many of these hosts also publish books, write newspaper columns, appear on television, and give public lectures.

Politicallyliberal talk radioaimed at a national audience also emerged in the mid-2000s.Air America,a network featuringThe Al Franken Show,was founded in 2004. It billed itself as a "progressive alternative" to the conservative talk radio shows.

Some prominent examples of liberal talk radio shows either previously or currently in national syndication include:Dial Globaltalk show hostsEd Schultz(who moved on to hosting onMSNBCand later onRT America),Stephanie Miller,[33]Thom Hartmann,[34]andBill Press;[35]Norman Goldman[36](not with Dial Global and is a self-described independent) is still included on syndication stations – seeWCPT (AM).Goldman began as the high-rating fill-in host and "Senior Legal Analyst" for Ed Schultz before launching his show;The Young Turks;Fox former co-host of Hannity and Colmes,Alan Colmes,First Amendment Radio Network libertarian hostJon Arthur,andMike Malloy,progressive radioWFTEFM'sDorothy And Dick,and Premiere'sRandi Rhodes(not on radio 2015).

In some markets, local liberal hosts have existed for years, such as the British talk hostMichael Jackson(who was on the air atKABCin Los Angeles beginning in 1968 and is currently atKMZT);Bernie WardinSan Francisco;Jack Ellery in New Jersey and Tampa;Dave Rossin Seattle, andMarc Germainin Los Angeles. A few earlier syndicated programs were hosted by prominent Democrats who were not experienced broadcasters, such asJim Hightower,Jerry Brown,Mario Cuomo,andAlan Dershowitz;these met with limited success, and Air America has been faced with various legal and financial problems.

Air America was sold to a new owner in March 2007, hired well-known programmer David Bernstein, and began its "re-birth." Bernstein subsequently left in early 2008, but the struggling network remained on the air with a revamped line-up.

On January 21, 2010, Air America radio ceased live programming citing a difficulty with the current economic environment and announced that it would file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy production and liquidate itself. The network ended operations on January 25, 2010.[37]

Clear Channel/iHeartMedia, with nearly 1,300 radio stations under its ownership – along with other owners – has in recent years added moreliberal talkstations to their portfolio[citation needed].These have primarily come from the conversion of AM facilities, most of which formerly hadadult standardsformats. Many complaints (all radio stations are required by the FCC to maintain, in their public files, copies of all correspondence from the public relating to station operations – for a period of three years from receipt) have been received from fans of this musical genre (Tony Bennett,Frank Sinatra,big band music,"etc.) – but the left-leaning talk programming leans toward a much youngerdemographic[citation needed],a group that advertisers covet. More recently, however, Clear Channel has been dropping liberal formats in favor of their ownFox Sports Radionetwork. By 2014, most liberal talk stations had abandoned the format, forcing hosts to find other ways to distribute their programming.

Liberal opinion radio has long existed on thePacificanetwork, though only available in a small number of major cities, and in formats that more often act as a volunteer-run community forum than as a platform for charismatic hosts who would be likely to attract a large audience. The one major host to become popular on the network isAmy Goodman,whoseDemocracy Now!interview and journalism program is broadcast nationwide.[citation needed]

Conservative critics have long complained that the long-format news programming onNational Public Radio(NPR) shows a liberal bias, although this was disputed once in 2004 byFairness and Accuracy in Reporting(FAIR), aprogressivemedia criticism organization, which found that, for example, "representatives of think tanks to the right of center outnumbered those to the left of center by more than four to one: 62 appearances to 15."[38] National Public Radio itself denies any partisan agenda.[39]Politically oriented talk programs on the network are in the mold ofTalk of the Nation,which was designed to be a soundboard for the varied opinions of listeners.

While politically oriented talk is still heard on the AM dial (mostly the conservative format), it has seen some expanding onto the FM dial. One notable example wasWPGBinPittsburgh,which switched to a talk format in 2004 after years of having several different music formats, branding itself as "FM News Talk 104.7" due to the relative uncommonness of politically oriented talk on the FM side of the dial even in 2013 while FM talk, in general, has expanded. Owned by Clear Channel and stylized as one of Clear Channel's typical conservative-leaning AM talk stations, WPGB's ratings were steadily high during its time as a talk station, whereas the station's numerous music formats were among the lowest in the Pittsburgh market before switching.[40]Clear Channel, which owns WPGB, has shifted some of their talk stations from full-power FM signals to lower-range translator stations which use AM orHD Radiosubchannel stations to originate those broadcasts; WPGB fired itsmorning showin December 2013 and switched back to music in August 2014, selling the format rights to AM stationWJAS.

Insults, advice and mystery[edit]

There had been some precursors for talk radio show stars, such as the Los Angeles-area controversialistJoe Pyne,who would attack callers on his program in the early 1960s – one of his famous insults was "gargle with razor blades"; the similarBob Grantin New York City; andWally Georgein Southern California.[41]

Talk radio also included personal relationship consultants such asLaura SchlessingerandBarbara De Angelisboth heard onKFIAM in Los Angeles. HostLarry ElderonKABC (AM)was a lawyer before entering the talk radio market.Leo Laporteoffers consumers computer advice. Business and real estate advice shows, paid health supplement presentations and religious programs are widely available.

Paranormal radio showshave had a place on radio for several decades; while the format has never been successful on a full-time basis, it has proven popular in the overnightgraveyard slot.Long John Nebel's program was one of the first to devote itself to the concept before it was further fleshed out byArt Bell,whoseCoast to Coast AMwent on to have comparable popularity to daytime talk hosts of his era. Bell had a long-running, on-and-off relationship with the show he founded, often leaving the show and returning on an erratic basis, also starting up new shows such asDreamland,Art Bell's Dark Matter,andMidnight in the Desertonly to quit them a few weeks into their run; Bell died in 2018.Coast to Coast AMcontinues withGeorge Nooryas the permanent lead host, with a rotating host on weekends. Clyde Lewis andJason Hawesalso host nationally syndicated paranormal shows.

Sports[edit]

Sports talk radiocan be found locally and nationally in the US; as of 2013, five national full-time sports talk networks exist. The oldest existing network, dating to 1991, isSportsMap(although it has only been branded as such since 2020 and has rebranded frequently over the years). Market leaderESPN Radiofollowed shortly thereafter in 1992, followed byFox Sports Radioc. 2000 and the near-concurrent entries ofCBS Sports RadioandNBC Sports Radioin late 2012 and early 2013. Most of these, however, air on weak, low-budget AM stations; the most successful sports talk stations operate primarily with local programs and supplement their programming with thebroadcasting of sports events,usually involving the local teams in themajor professional sports leagues.This adds significant expenses to the station's operations, and must be balanced carefully with the regular talk schedule, as an incendiary view about the team by a host can lead to that team pulling their broadcasts from the station.

Local stations may also hire personalities withpolarizing opinions about sports topics and athletesto make some kind of national impact that might turn off listeners, and in large markets, sports talk stations may be made up of personalitieswho pay stations for their show time and their advertising,disallowing any natural flow between each program, along with in-station competitions about whose show has the most impact.

Ratings[edit]

Pew researchers found in 2004 that 17% of the public regularly listens to talk radio. This audience is mostly male, middle-aged, and conservative. Among those who regularly listen to talk radio, 41% are Republican and 28% are Democrats. Furthermore, 45% describe themselves as conservatives, compared with 18% who say they are progressive/liberals.[42]In 2011, theArbitronportable people meterratings system, compiled data suggesting that out of 11 nationally rated radio formats, talk radio had lost nearly the most market share[43]and ratings continue to slide.[44]In 2013, Arbitron's executive summary noted that "92% of consumers aged 12 years and older listen to the radio each week" and "news-talk-information and talk-personality remained number one in PPM markets and number two in the rest of the U.S."[45]

Some of themost-listened-to radio programsin the United States are talk radio shows or have talk radio elements likeThe Sean Hannity ShowandAll Things Considered.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Valerie Geller,Beyond Powerful Radio: A Communicator's Guide to the Internet Age – News, Talk, Information & Personality(CRC Press, 2012).
  2. ^Rogers, Douglas.The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe.New York: Harmony Books. p. 28.
  3. ^Canning, Simon2UE officially launches native-driven Talking Lifestyle format with Koch, Rowntree and Obermeder,Mumbrella,18 September 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  4. ^Saxon, PeterWill lifestyle breathe new life into Radio 2UE? (comment),radioinfo, 19 September 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  5. ^"Making Radio: A practical guide to working in radio in the digital age".Routledge & CRC Press.Retrieved2021-04-27.
  6. ^Andreas Krebs, "Reproducing colonialism: Subject formation and talk radio in English Canada."Canadian Journal of Political Science44.02 (2011): 317–339.
  7. ^"Revolving Door".September 9, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 2,2022.
  8. ^Paul Saurette and Shane Gunster. "Ears wide shut: Epistemological populism, argutainment and Canadian conservative talk radio."Canadian Journal of Political Science44#1 (2011): 195–218.
  9. ^Marland, Alex; Kerby, Matthew (2010). "The audience is listening: Talk radio and public policy in Newfoundland and Labrador".Media, Culture & Society.42(6): 997–1016.doi:10.1177/0163443710379669.S2CID147628585.
  10. ^Kerby, Matthew; Marland, Alex (2015). "Media management in a small polity: Political elites' synchronized calls to regional talk radio and attempted manipulation of public opinion polls".Political Communication.32(3): 356–376.doi:10.1080/10584609.2014.947449.S2CID143682300.
  11. ^Marland, Alex (2013)."Public opinion monitoring by provincial governments: The prevalence of open line radio in Newfoundland and Labrador".Canadian Journal of Communication.38(4): 649–661.doi:10.22230/cjc.2013v38n4a2653.
  12. ^"Yle Puhe".areena.yle.fi.Retrieved2 September2023.
  13. ^"Results From The National Radio Survey".Retrieved2 September2023.
  14. ^Tero Toivonen (2014-01-16)."Puheradio Rapu kajahtaa myös ulalle"(in Finnish).
  15. ^"Talk Radio Europe".
  16. ^"Asian Radio Live – Home of Desi Beats".Retrieved2017-02-13.
  17. ^"Radio talkshow caller dies on air".BBC News.2006-01-06.Retrieved2010-04-09.
  18. ^"Radio DJ 'saves boy's life'".BBC News.2004-02-06.Retrieved2008-11-24.
  19. ^Tona J. Hangen,Redeeming the dial: radio, religion, & popular culture in America(2002).
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  21. ^Miles Romney, "The Voice in the Night Unheard by Scholars: Herb Jepko and the Genesis of National Talk Radio."Journal of Radio & Audio Media21.2 (2014): 272–289.
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  23. ^Bachman, Katy (1999-04-05)."Ed Tyll Fires Up Growing 'Hot Talk' Category".Mediaweek.9(14): 16. Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2011.
  24. ^Kenney, Kirk."Ron Fowler says Padres could end relationship with new radio partner".San Diego Union-Tribune.Retrieved2018-03-29.
  25. ^Kenney, Kirk."Radio host who caused uproar on new Padres station is a no-show".San Diego Union-Tribune.Retrieved2018-03-30.
  26. ^Kenney, Kirk."Padres flagship radio station goes all-sports and rebrands as 97.3 The Fan".San Diego Union-Tribune.Retrieved2018-04-12.
  27. ^"The Answer Completes Its Move In Orlando".RadioInsight.2019-08-19.Retrieved2019-08-23.
  28. ^"JVC Media To Launch Florida Man Radio In Orlando".RadioInsight.2019-08-23.Retrieved2019-08-23.
  29. ^"Florida Man Radio Expanding To Gainesville; Adds Ed Tyll".RadioInsight.2019-11-05.Retrieved2019-11-06.
  30. ^"Alt 107.5 Las Vegas Returns To Former X107.5 Branding With Hot Talk Flip".RadioInsight.2022-12-19.Retrieved2022-12-19.
  31. ^Currie, Duncan (2008-01-22)."Beyond the Border".Weeklystandard.Retrieved2008-11-24.
  32. ^"Limbaugh, Ingraham, Bennett, Prager, Beck, Hannity, Levin, and Hewitt plan concerted attack on Sen. McCain over the airwaves to promote Romney's candidacy".3 February 2008.Retrieved13 February2017.
  33. ^The Stephanie Miller Showhttp:// stephaniemiller /
  34. ^The Thom Hartmann Showhttp:// thomhartmann /
  35. ^The Bill Press Showhttp:// billpressshow /
  36. ^The Norman Goldman Showhttp://normangoldmanArchived2015-04-17 at theWayback Machine
  37. ^James, Frank (21 January 2010)."Air America Radio Goes Silent, Makes Bankruptcy Filing".NPR.org.Retrieved2019-09-23.
  38. ^"How Public Is Public Radio?".FAIR.org. May–June 2004.Retrieved2009-05-01.
  39. ^"NPR News Code of Ethics".National Public Radio. n.d. Archived fromthe originalon September 17, 2009.Retrieved2009-09-30.Section III of the code states that NPR "...separate[s] our personal opinions – such as an individual's religious beliefs or political ideology – from the subjects we are covering. We do not approach any coverage with overt or hidden agendas."
  40. ^"Radio notes: WPGB tops morning drive ratings – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  41. ^"Wally George vs. Morton Downey, Jr".Archived from the original on July 17, 2008.RetrievedNovember 24,2008.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  42. ^"News Audiences Increasingly Politicized".People-press.org. June 8, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon April 23, 2008.Retrieved2008-11-24.
  43. ^Harker; Bos (2011)."How's News-Talk Doing?".Radio Insights.
  44. ^Harker."Is News/Talk Radio in Trouble?".Radio Insights.
  45. ^"Radio Today 2013"(PDF).arbitron.Retrieved2 September2023.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]