Radio and TV - The Fairness Doctrine

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As the 1960s bore on, the civil rights movement started getting more on air coverage. You could turn on the radio and hear a broadcast about black history or indigenous solidarity. There were gay and lesbian shows, shows about agriculture. This was the time when we really began to see news and public affairs programs become important in the American culture.

If you’ve ever flipped through the radio dial — not satellite, not podcasts, but good old-fashioned AM and FM radio — you may have noticed something. Right wing radio talk is everywhere.

But the airwaves weren't always so dominated by such a narrow range of voices. Reporter and friend of the show Katie Thornton has the story of how talk radio has evolved (and perhaps devolved at times) over the past century, and what all of it means for the airwaves today.

The Divided Dial

Hear the rest of the the series from On the Media