Radio After the Golden Age: The Evolution of American Broadcasting Since 1960

What became of radio after its Golden Age ended about 1960? Not long ago Arbitron found that almost 93 percent of Americans age 12 and older are regular radio listeners, a higher percentage than for those turning to television, magazines, newspapers, or the Internet. But the sounds they hear now don’t resemble those of radio’s heyday when it had little competition as a mass entertainment and information source.

Much has transpired in the intervening epoch including a proliferation of disc jockeys, narrowcasting, the FM band, satellites, automation, talk, ethnicity, media empires, Internet streaming, and gadgets galore. Deregulation, payola, HD radio, pirate radio, the fall of transcontinental networks, the rise of local stations, conglomerate ownership, and radio’s future landscape are examined in detail. Radio has lost some influence yet it continues to inspire new and stunning innovations.