Stuff You Should Know AM Radio: Solid Gold
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Nov 18, 2025 Explore the fascinating history of AM radio, from its 1920 launch to its golden age filled with live sports and iconic fireside chats. Discover how it became a family entertainment staple and the rise of soap operas and radio dramas. Learn about the transition to DJ culture in the 1960s and the impact of regulations like the Fairness Doctrine. Delve into the debate over AM's presence in modern cars and the cultural shift from AM to FM. It's a nostalgic journey through the soundwaves that shaped a generation.
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AM Radio Defined Early Mass Media
- AM broadcasting set standards for mass media formats like news, soap operas, and network programming.
- It was the first non-print mass communication and reshaped society worldwide within years of its 1920s launch.
Families Gathered Around The Radio
- Early radios used loudspeakers so families gathered around broadcasts as a shared activity.
- That communal listening made radio a central social and cultural experience in households.
Radio As A Public Good
- Radio became a public-good medium used for information and presidential addresses.
- FDR's fireside chats showed how radio could shape public opinion and civic life.