Publisher's Synopsis
2nd Edition book with hundreds of illustrations, available in Premium Color (this purchase is in b&w). 1st edition was an ebook only, earning 14 reviews for a 3.9 rating. Now rewritten & expanded, 82,500 words with 211 illustrations. Non-fiction history of American entertainment media before television and streaming via the internet. The live 'social medium' before FaceBook and podcasts, that may be the final nails in Radio's coffin. Much has been written about the national celebrities and networks, but what about where they originated - from local stations? Local radio is where actor John Lithgow, Dick Cavett, Dolly Parton, and "Buffalo Bob" Smith got their start. American Radio Then & Now is by an award-winning documentary filmmaker. About his and many others' experiences as "250 Watt" broadcasters - one-to-many - both on-mic and un-credited behind the scenes - during The Golden Age of Radio. Pioneers in what was once the world's newest, hottest medium. That once was a federally-protected bastion of "localism." And now, about Radio's condition & prospects.
More than a niche book for those aged over 65: the latest census putting that at 56 million. Add many more younger who grew up while radios still outnumbered TVs. The origins and growth of the first mass medium, delivered instantaneously ("live"). Why collectors clamor for vintage broadcast equipment. Local radio fostered early TV in grainy black & white; the "gray" motivations of today's practitioners. The "theater of the imagination" and "suspension of disbelief" elevated by Radio, but applicable to any story-telling medium. Many interviewed say Radio since its Golden Age is long dead. That Radio today is in a slow race to the bottom. Also about Television post its 2nd Golden Age, now being supplanted by streaming services. This book sees the cultural contributions of The Golden Age of Local Radio are remembered. A cautionary tale for electronic information & entertainment media today, and in the future.
