Listening In: Radio and the American Imagination
Few inventions evoke such nostalgia, such deeply personal and vivid memories as radio -- from Amos 'n' Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. Listening In is the first in-depth history of how radio culture and content have kneaded and expanded the American psyche. But Listening In is more than a history. It is also a reconsideration of what listening to radio has done to American culture in the twentieth century and how it has brought a completely new auditory dimension...
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At the beginning of this spirited and engaging cultural history, Douglas (communication studies, U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor) refers to Erik Barnouw's three-volume History of Broadcasting in the United States (published between 1966 and 1970); she covers much of the same ground--only quicker (one volume)--and points out that each chapter could have been its own book and that many topics are not even addressed. Still, her lively narrative is full of information, insight, and specific references to shows and personalities as she traces the evolution of radio broadcasting and audiences and highlights the significance of this kind of listening in American life. This is a paperbound reprint of a 1999 work published by Times Books. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction31The Zen of Listening222The Ethereal World403Exploratory Listening in the 1920s554Tuning In to Jazz835Radio Comedy and Linguistic Slapstick1006The Invention of the Audience1247World War II and the Invention of Broadcast Journalism1618Playing Fields of the Mind1999The Kids Take Over: Transistors, DJs, and Rock 'n' Roll21910The FM Revolution25611Talk Talk28412Why Ham Radio Matters328Conclusion: Is Listening Dead?347Notes359Index391
