Talk Radio’s America

Journalist Brian Rosenwald details the circumstances that led to the rise of AM talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, all the way to the election of Donald Trump.

Air Date: October 29, 2019 12:00 am

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh talks on a phone as House Speaker Newt Gingrich gestures during a break in taping of NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday Nov. 12, 1995 in Washington. The topic of the news show was showdown and shutdown in regards to the federal budget. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)

Guest: Brian Rosenwald

Decades ago, AM radio was king of the airwaves, until the advent of FM radio. Because the higher quality sound of FM brought new life to the music of the day, AM executives moved from music to talk radio, giving rise to a DJ named Rush Limbaugh who had a talent for engaging his audience through his on air antics and gift for spinning stories. Our guest, BRIAN ROSENWALD, tracks the rise and influence of AM talk on politics and pop culture in his new book Talk Radio’s America. It’s about how Rush Limbaugh and other like-minded conservative hosts spoke to Americans who felt disenfranchised, left behind, looked down upon by the so-called elite. Tapping into this frustration, Rosenwald writes, Talk Radio connected with the GOP and paved the way eventually for the election of Donald Trump.

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