The History and Politics of Public Radio

The History and Politics of Public Radio PDF Author: James T. Bennett
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030800199
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
This book presents an absorbing study of how educational radio, which originated to broadcast weather forecasts to farmers, has become what the Pew Center calls the most trusted source of news for American liberals and a regular in the rogue's gallery of election-year conservative targets.The Nielsen Company reported in late 2019 that 272 million Americans listen to "traditional radio" each week, a number exceeding those who watch television, use a smartphone, or access the Internet. Yet almost from the start, radio has also been flayed as a noise box of inanity, a transmitter of low-brow entertainment, an instrument of cultural degradation promoting vapid popular music, and a medium whose ultimate purpose is to convince listeners to purchase the goods and services incessantly hawked by the advertisers who underwrite the programs and allegedly dictate content. At the same time, an alternative conception of radio existed as a vehicle for education and for cultural and intellectual (and even political) enlightenment. Most proponents of this perspective disdained advertising revenue and sought subsidies from foundations, wealthy patrons, or varying levels of government.The long, winding road of educational radio led eventually to the creation of National Public Radio (NPR), a fixture on the left of the dial that can be seen as either the consummation or corruption of the educational radio movement. Prized by many liberals, especially affluent whites, and disparaged by many conservatives, NPR has become a potent symbol of the political polarization and cultural chasm that now characterizes the American conversation.

The History and Politics of Public Radio

The History and Politics of Public Radio PDF Author: James T. Bennett
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030800199
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 136

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book presents an absorbing study of how educational radio, which originated to broadcast weather forecasts to farmers, has become what the Pew Center calls the most trusted source of news for American liberals and a regular in the rogue's gallery of election-year conservative targets.The Nielsen Company reported in late 2019 that 272 million Americans listen to "traditional radio" each week, a number exceeding those who watch television, use a smartphone, or access the Internet. Yet almost from the start, radio has also been flayed as a noise box of inanity, a transmitter of low-brow entertainment, an instrument of cultural degradation promoting vapid popular music, and a medium whose ultimate purpose is to convince listeners to purchase the goods and services incessantly hawked by the advertisers who underwrite the programs and allegedly dictate content. At the same time, an alternative conception of radio existed as a vehicle for education and for cultural and intellectual (and even political) enlightenment. Most proponents of this perspective disdained advertising revenue and sought subsidies from foundations, wealthy patrons, or varying levels of government.The long, winding road of educational radio led eventually to the creation of National Public Radio (NPR), a fixture on the left of the dial that can be seen as either the consummation or corruption of the educational radio movement. Prized by many liberals, especially affluent whites, and disparaged by many conservatives, NPR has become a potent symbol of the political polarization and cultural chasm that now characterizes the American conversation.

Public Radio and Television in America

Public Radio and Television in America PDF Author: Ralph Engelman
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 0803954077
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
Overview of public radio and television in the United States

Listener Supported

Listener Supported PDF Author: Jack W. Mitchell
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 031301793X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Public radio stands as a valued national institution, one whose fans and listeners actively support it with their time and their money. In this new history of this important aspect of American culture, author Jack W. Mitchell looks at the dreams that inspired those who created it, the all-too- human realities that grew out of those dreams, and the criticism they incurred from both sides of the political spectrum. As National Public Radio's very first employee, and the first producer of its legendary All Things Considered, Mitchell tells the story of public radio from the point of view of an insider, a participant, and a thoughtful observer. He traces its origins in the progressive movement of the 20th century, and analyzes the people, institutions, ideas, political forces, and economic realities that helped it evolve into what we know as public radio today. NPR and its local affiliates have earned their reputation for thoughtful commentary and excellent journalism, and their work is especially notable in light of the unique struggles they have faced over the decades. This comprehensive overview of their mission will fascinate listeners whose enjoyment and support of public radio has made it possible, and made it great.

Broadcasting Freedom

Broadcasting Freedom PDF Author: Barbara Dianne Savage
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 9780807848043
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
Tells how Blacks used radio

NPR

NPR PDF Author: Michael P. McCauley
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231509952
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
The people who shaped America's public broadcasting system thought it should be "a civilized voice in a civilized community"—a clear alternative to commercial broadcasting. This book tells the story of how NPR has tried to embody this idea. Michael P. McCauley describes NPR's evolution from virtual obscurity in the early 1970s, when it was riddled with difficulties—political battles, unseasoned leadership, funding problems—to a first-rate broadcast organization. The book draws on a wealth of primary evidence, including fifty-seven interviews with people who have been central to the NPR story, and it places the network within the historical context of the wider U.S. radio industry. Since the late 1970s, NPR has worked hard to understand the characteristics of its audience. Because of this, its content is now targeted toward its most loyal listeners—highly educated baby-boomers, for the most part—who help support their local stations through pledges and fund drives.

Radio and the Politics of Sound in Interwar France, 1921-1939

Radio and the Politics of Sound in Interwar France, 1921-1939 PDF Author: Rebecca Scales
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107108675
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
Explores how radio broadcasting and the emerging audio culture transformed the dynamics of French politics during the tumultuous interwar decades.

Public Radio and Television in America

Public Radio and Television in America PDF Author: Ralph Engelman
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISBN: 1452246610
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
The origins and evolution of the major insititutions in the United States for noncommercial radio and television are explored in this unique volume. Ralph Engelman examines the politics behind the development of National Public Radio, Radio Pacifica and the Public Broadcasting Service. He traces the changing social forces that converged to launch and shape these institutions from the Second World War to the present day. The book challenges several commonly held beliefs - including that the mass media is simply a manipulative tool - and concludes that public broadcasting has an enormous potential as an emancipatory vehicle.

The Disinformation Age

The Disinformation Age PDF Author: W. Lance Bennett
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108843050
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 323

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Book Description
This book shows how disinformation spread by partisan organizations and media platforms undermines institutional legitimacy on which authoritative information depends.

This Is NPR

This Is NPR PDF Author:
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 081187253X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
A celebration of this anniversary milestone, featuring both new content and some of the most historic and iconic moments in NPR's first forty years on the air.

Fireside Politics

Fireside Politics PDF Author: Douglas B. Craig
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801883125
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
Craig provides an in-depth examination of radio's changing role in American political culture between 1920 and 1940. He follows the evolution of radio into a commercialised and regulated industry, and ultimately into an essential tool for winning political campaigns and shaping American identity at that time.