Let’s Talk on the Radio

Talk show in the radio is a common medium for people to listen and to debate about certain discussions and arguments on varieties  of issues in the globe. Among the most popular topics for radio talk shows are politics, religion, culture, entertainment and show business, economy, sports, social issues, and environment.

This radio format is usually hosted by a single person but sometimes today there are a co-host or guests in the program, especially if the topic to be discussed is a very hot issue or very interesting one. The show could either be: free-format, wherein the host talks on air about the issue at hand; discussion format, wherein distinguished guests are invited; or interview type, wherein the host interviews a particular resource person for the topic to tackle. There are also times that listeners’ participations are needed where live conversation of the host and the listener who calls-in can be broadcasted in the air.

Ever since Barry Gray introduced the listener call-in in 1945, the popularity of Talk radio never ceased to leave the airwaves. This gained him the title “The hot mama of Talk Radio” during that era. However, the very first talk radio broadcast was really credited to Aimee Semple McPherson, who purchased her own radio station and began broadcasting in 1920’s.

Since then, radio talk show is everywhere. Every state has its own radio station airing radio talk shows, may it be AM or FM broadcasting. It does not matter as long as there is a juicy topic or issue or sometimes, gossips to talk about. As long as there are commercial breaks in every segment of the show, as every producer knows that commercials and listener ratings are the one that feeds the shows, then the show must always go on.

There have been a lot of variations in today’s radio talk shows. These are now categorized as conservative talk, hot talk, sport talk, and progressive talk. The latest and the most popular now is the internet-based talk radio show.

Conservative talk mainly covers the issues on political, religious, and ethical beliefs. Topics that are taboo and too conservative to talk about are being aired in free time in the United States as its popularity began in late 1990’s. The audiences of these talk shows are mostly adult males in middle-ages that are conservatives. A 2004 survey shows that 17% of the public are listening to this kind of programming. It also shows that 41% are Republican and 28% are Democrats. Moreover, 45% described themselves as conservatives while 18% as liberals.

Hot talk, on the other hand, is sometimes called the FM talk or the shock talk that targets male audiences whose ages range from 18 to 49. Common subject for this is about pop culture and current issues on culture. The Arts are mostly aired in the FM station rather than in the AM.

As the name speaks for itself, sports talk is a radio talk show that discusses about the buzz in the sporting arena. Host may invite guests, sportscasters, players, coaches, or fans to talk about the latest event in the NBA, PGA Tour, in the World Cup and World Series, and above all, the Olympics. The discussion may range from a simple interview or interaction between players inside the box and a listening fan. Mostly, the target audience for these are the sport enthusiast people, be it a man or a woman.

Progressive talk is a radio talk show format that is based on the expression of progressive or liberal opinions of the host as well as the listeners. This program is implemented in the US since 2004. Some familiar shows are the Stephanie Miller Show and the Air America Radio which is both aired in the AM radio.

Lastly, the advancement of technology brought to life the internet-based radio talk show. It is sometimes called as web casting. This is because it is just an audio broadcasting service transmitted through the internet. This is now effectively used by broadcasters because it is cost effective and its audience coverage is very wide.

The listening audiences of any radio talk show have all the control of their judgment. Whatever they hear from the radio, it is their sole responsibility, whether or not to believe in it.

The Emergence of Talk Radio and Its Impact to the Listeners of the Show

Talk radio is a kind of radio show that provides listener-participation. It contains topics and discussions with regards to issues that are about politics, romance, comedy, sports and pretty much anything that gives concern to the society. It provides emphasis on the participation of the listeners on the issues being discussed. It is hosted by a talk radio host and sometimes features a guest or a group of guests to add spice into the show. Participation of the listeners is usually done through live broadcast conversations using the telephone as the medium of communication between the listener calling and the talk radio host. Most of the time, the show is formatted into program segments separated by commercials, advertisements, and music. There are various types of talk radio and each type caters for a different field of topic and caters for a specific group of listeners. Talk radio has indeed provided another alternative medium of self-expression and promotes the right of freedom of speech. It provides yet another form of entertainment for the listeners from different parts of the world. Each country has its own distinct flavor in terms of social issues and areas of concern, not to mention the differences of their respective native tongues, thereby making talk radio unique among every country. So, why did talk radio gain so much popularity over the years? With today’s technology and the presence of the internet, how did talk radio manage to keep up with the pace of modernization? And lastly, what is the effect of the emergence of talk radio to the listeners of the show? As the discussion progresses, these questions will soon be addressed.

Talk radio has gained popularity up until today’s generation. It discusses a broad range of topics reflecting the society’s current situation. Talk radio oriented by political issues talks pretty much all about the science of politics. It talks about the different individuals running for the different positions in the government. To make things a lot more interesting, the actual individuals running in the elections may actually be the ones that will guests in the show and listeners get a chance to ask the aspiring politicians about issues concerning their administration and about their platform of governance. The persons running for a government office will then undergo intense scrutiny by the public as represented by the listeners of the talk radio show. The talk radio host may create some sort of debate between the guests of the show to spice up the discussion and to let the thousands of listeners of the show to be the judge in terms of their respective bets for the coming elections.

Sports-oriented talk radio discusses about the different sports icons of the different fields of sports including boxing, basketball, football, hockey, and many more. It also discusses about the rising superstars of sports, and the highest paid stars of the game. It is, an all exclusive access to the world of sports and sports enthusiasts from different places could participate in the discussion and give their points of view with the topic at hand. What is great about this is that a certain group of people of similar interests could engage in an activity wherein they could interact with each other and present their respective opinions live on air. They could talk about the latest controversial fight in boxing and just share their beliefs about which boxer had the upper hand and deserved to win the match. All things with regards to sports are all tackled under sports-oriented talk radio.

Talk radio has gained so much popularity primarily because of the element of listener participation. It gives the listener a chance to get involved with the discussion that is why this program is still patronized by many listeners. The birth of internet-based talk radio has made it possible for talk radio to keep up with the pace of modernization and innovation. It somehow evolved from just a plain radio show. Its emergence certainly had a big impact to the listeners of the show and to the society. It gave the public an opportunity to interact and be part of the discussion. It provides them the chance to give their opinions and share their experiences on air along with the other listeners of the program thereby creating an environment characterized by freedom of speech and freedom of expression.