In the Twist of the Dial

What Happened to Radio, 1960 to 2020?

By: Joe Taylor

Narrated by: Bill Hemberger

Joe Taylor, on the air and in the boss’s chair witnessed and was part of how radio changed from the end of the network era, through the days of Top 40, then the emergence, and eventually the dominance of FM over AM, to a medium becoming absorbed into today’s multi-platform media environment, and facing an uncertain future.

In a personable, often humorous, always knowledgeable tone, he writes about how and why radio changed. He not only remembers the outlandish promotions and stunts that made radio fun back in pop radio’s heyday, he also shines the light on what life was like for those (mostly back then) guys we enjoyed listening to, when the mic went off. The listener will meet some of these characters—funny, sad, flawed—along the way.

Nostalgia aside, In the Twist of the Dial addresses how economics, changing regulatory policies, and even retail trends have conspired over the last few decades to effect what listeners, especially in non-metropolitan markets are now hearing on their local radio stations. It reminds listeners that in the final analysis, as with so much else in the U.S., in radio, it’s all about sales, profit, and the bottom line. It is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys listening to radio, who wonders about how it all works, and what its future may be.

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