"Street Questions"
Magazine article
Date: April 21, 1986
Source: "Street Questions." The New Yorker 62, April 21, 1986, 40–41.
Introduction
Talk shows have been part of the television and radio landscape for decades. Jack Parr, Arthur Godfrey, Paul Harvey, and others popularized different formats of talk shows. Parr and Godfrey are products of the 1950s and 1960s, when talk shows were part standup comedian and part interview. Harvey's commentaries on life, politics, and news in general are part of a shorter format that is not interactive. Harvey's show has attracted listeners since 1951.
AM radio slumped in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. FM radio took over as the place to find music, current news, and interesting programming. The talk show format seemed like it might be dead. But Larry King changed that with his overnight radio program featuring audience participation. The same was true...
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1980's Media Primary Sources
The 1980's: Primary Sources
