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Stuff You Should Know

AM Radio: Solid Gold

Published November 18, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

The hosts trace the history and cultural impact of AM radio, from its early 20th-century technical breakthroughs and global spread through its "golden age" of dramas, soap operas, news, and political addresses. They explain how AM evolved into a youth-oriented Top 40 music medium and later the mellow 1970s "AM gold" era, while also covering regulatory milestones like the Fairness Doctrine and the rise of talk radio after its repeal. The episode concludes with a focus on AM radio's continuing importance for emergency alerts, its technical characteristics, and current debates over carmakers dropping AM receivers, particularly in electric vehicles.

Topics Covered

AM radio Broadcast history Television history Top 40 radio Yacht rock Talk radio Free speech and censorship U.S. politics and elections Emergency alert system Nostalgia

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • AM broadcasting was the first non-print mass communication medium and set enduring templates for news, soap operas, variety shows, and serialized dramas.
  • Despite FM's superior sound quality and earlier invention, AM radio dominated popular listening in the United States until the late 1970s.
  • The Fairness Doctrine and early public-service mandates shaped AM radio as a public good, requiring balanced political coverage and socially useful programming.
  • AM's technical properties-long-distance nighttime propagation and the ability to be received on powerless crystal radios-still make it central to U.S. emergency alert planning.
  • The shift of scripted entertainment from radio to television opened space for AM to become a music powerhouse, birthing Top 40 formats, personality DJs, and later the 1970s "mellow gold" sound.
  • Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine coincided with the rise of ideologically one-sided talk radio and modern political echo chambers.
  • Many automakers, especially EV makers, have tried to drop AM receivers due to interference and cost, prompting bipartisan legislative efforts to keep AM in all new vehicles.
  • AM radio retains tens of millions of monthly listeners, especially in rural areas, and continues to provide sports, talk, and community information despite being perceived as outdated by younger audiences.

Podcast Notes

Introduction to AM radio topic and its cultural significance

Framing the episode and prior related content

Hosts identify AM radio as the episode topic[5:31]
• Josh notes this is a good episode to talk about records because the topic is AM radio, tying sound recording culture to broadcasting history.
Connection to previous "beautiful music" short episode[5:37]
• They mention having previously covered "beautiful music" in a short "BM" episode, but stress that AM radio's story goes far beyond that niche format.
AM broadcasting as a foundational mass medium[6:12]
• Josh, citing researcher Julia, explains that AM broadcasting set standards for many media formats: news presentation, soap operas, and other show structures that lasted decades.
• They emphasize that AM radio was the first form of mass communication that was not printed, making it a seismic shift in how information and entertainment were delivered.

Modern perceptions of AM radio vs its historical role

Contemporary associations with AM radio[6:25]
• Chuck suggests younger listeners today might only associate AM with news talk, sports talk, foreign-language stations, or rural farm reports, if they encounter it at all.
• They point out many new cars, especially newer models and EVs, may not even include AM receivers, further distancing younger people from the medium.
AM as the original home of Top 40[6:50]
• Chuck notes that Top 40 radio began on AM, not FM, underscoring how central AM once was to popular music culture.
• They state that until about 1978, AM beat FM in listenership, even though FM had existed since the 1930s.

Early development and global spread of AM broadcasting

Technical breakthroughs leading to AM broadcasting

Multiple inventions converging in early 1900s[7:28]
• Josh says that around the very early 1900s, several disparate inventions were combined to make broadcasting sound over radio waves possible, and he marvels at the "mad genius" required to encode and send sound this way.
Early non-consumer uses of AM radio[7:56]
• Chuck explains that early AM signals were primarily picked up by specialized receivers used by soldiers at sea, not by ordinary households.
• He notes that World War I caused a pause in civilian broadcasting, as authorities restricted transmissions and did not want people broadcasting casual content like a daughter playing violin while the military needed spectrum control.

Birth of commercial AM broadcasting

KDKA and the 1920 election results[8:38]
• They identify 1920 and station KDKA in Pittsburgh as the start of commercial AM broadcasting.
• Josh says KDKA's first broadcast reported the Warren Harding election results against an opponent whose name he recalls only as "somebody cocks," and notes Harding won.
Explosive growth likened to the early internet[8:54]
• Josh compares the impact of early radio in the 1920s to the internet in the early 1990s: people knew it would profoundly change the world, even if they couldn't foresee all the specific ways.
• He describes how, soon after KDKA's first broadcast, stations proliferated across the United States and around the world.

Global spread and Marconi's role

Marconi as "father of radio" and international infrastructure[9:19]
• Josh calls Guglielmo Marconi the person considered the "father of radio" and notes he set up companies around the world, accelerating the establishment of stations in many countries.
Early national broadcasters outside the U.S.[10:24]
• They state that the BBC began broadcasting in 1922.
• Australia's first station, 2SB (now ABC Sydney), started in 1923.
• Canada's first station, XWA from Montreal, is said to have started in 1932.

Formation of early U.S. radio networks

AT&T's first radio network[10:28]
• Chuck notes that by 1922 AT&T had linked 38 radio stations via phone lines, allowing station WEAF in New York to be broadcast around the country as the first U.S. radio network.
Emergence of major U.S. radio networks[11:24]
• Josh and Chuck mention that by the late 1920s, major radio networks like NBC and CBS had launched, carrying international broadcasts from the U.S.
• They describe how vacuum tube radios connected to loudspeakers allowed entire households to listen, with later transistor radios and car radios increasing accessibility and mobility.

Technical characteristics and adoption of AM vs FM

Household penetration and station growth

Rapid expansion in the 1930s and 1940s[13:10]
• Chuck cites that by 1930, 40% of U.S. homes had AM receivers and more than 600 stations were on the air.
• By 1940, he notes that 83% of U.S. households received AM broadcasts, showing massive adoption.

Comparison of AM and FM technologies

Frequency allocations for AM and FM[14:29]
• Chuck explains that U.S. AM signals occupy frequencies between 535 and 1.7 on the dial, while FM spans from 88 to 108, referencing FCC definitions.
Advantages and limitations of FM vs AM[13:30]
• They mention "FM drift," where FM reception can shift and require retuning, especially while driving.
• Josh states FM receivers required more power due to the way FM is transmitted, making them more expensive and contributing to slower adoption compared to AM.
• They note that FM often had reception issues inside some buildings, whereas AM signals could sometimes penetrate better, although AM also had its own quirks such as nighttime power reductions.

AM's communal listening and nostalgia

Family listening dynamic[12:49]
• Josh emphasizes that early radios used loudspeakers rather than headphones, so radio listening was a social, family activity centered around a single device and whatever program the parents chose.
Personal nostalgia and sports broadcasts[14:55]
• Both hosts reminisce about listening to Georgia Bulldogs games on AM radio, including syncing radio commentary with muted TV broadcasts in college.
• Chuck recalls building a backyard fence over two months while listening to football games on AM radio before the era of podcasts.
• They praise radio sports announcers for having to vividly describe play-by-play action without visual aids.

Golden age of AM radio: programming, politics, and culture

Definition and scope of the golden age

Timeframe and multiple "golden ages"[19:23]
• Chuck defines the golden age of radio as roughly the 1920s through the mid-1950s, when AM radio dominated scripted entertainment.
• They note some consider a later 1970s AM music period a different kind of golden age, especially for "mellow gold" music, showing that "golden age" depends on perspective.

Early live sports and public excitement

1921 heavyweight boxing broadcast[20:01]
• Chuck describes a 1921 broadcast of a heavyweight boxing championship from Jersey City that reached listeners over 125,000 square miles.
• He imagines how mind-blowing it must have been for people to hear a live sports event as it happened for the first time.

Presidential use of radio and political influence

Presidents adopt radio quickly[20:57]
• Josh notes that after KDKA reported Harding's election, presidents began using radio directly: Harding himself used it within a few years to address Americans.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt became particularly famous for his "fireside chats," informal radio speeches that connected him personally with citizens.
First time hearing the president's voice[21:31]
• Chuck points out that for many people, radio provided their first chance to hear a president speak, making FDR's voice and style especially impactful.
• They highlight that radio quickly proved its power to shape political opinions and public sentiment.

Program formats: variety, drama, and soap operas

15-minute variety blocks and vaudeville roots[21:50]
• Chuck explains that early radio schedules often consisted of 15-minute blocks of highly varied programming reminiscent of vaudeville: advice shows, news, comedy, game shows, and dramas.
Birth of the soap opera[22:13]
• Josh and Chuck explain that serialized radio dramas targeted at women at home were sponsored heavily by cleaning product companies, leading to the label "soap operas."
• They contextualize this with post-World War I gender roles, noting that women who had worked in factories were pushed back into domestic roles, making daytime radio dramas a key outlet.
Guiding Light's long run[23:00]
• They note that "Guiding Light" began on radio in 1937 and successfully transitioned to television, continuing until its cancellation in 2009.
• Chuck calculates that "Guiding Light" ran for 72 years, airing on weekdays for most of that span.

Religious broadcasting and controversial figures

The "electric pulpit" and evangelists[24:26]
• Chuck says that radio gave evangelists a powerful new "electric pulpit," allowing them to become major Depression-era personalities.
Father Charles Coughlin and hate speech[24:42]
• Josh cites Father Charles Coughlin, a Catholic priest, as an early example who raised questions about free speech on the air due to his bigoted, hate-filled broadcasts.
• He notes that Coughlin infamously said the Nazis "didn't go far enough" during Kristallnacht, illustrating the extremity of his rhetoric.

Comedy and variety: Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy

Radio ventriloquism's success[25:13]
• They describe the popularity of the "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy" radio show, noting the novelty of a ventriloquist act succeeding in a non-visual medium.

Regulation, public service, and the Fairness Doctrine

Radio as a public good and government messaging

USDA and Home Economics programming[25:16]
• Chuck notes that by 1926 the USDA radio service was broadcasting to farmers, and the U.S. Bureau of Home Economics had a chat program focused on topics like child health and safety.
• These programs exemplified radio's role in distributing official information about emergencies, diseases, and public health to households.

Origins and requirements of the Fairness Doctrine

Need to balance political messages on limited bandwidth[27:51]
• They explain that by the late 1920s bandwidth was limited, and policymakers worried about one-sided political use of radio, leading to the Fairness Doctrine.
Equal time and public-interest obligations[28:31]
• Josh summarizes that the Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to provide roughly equal time for opposing political viewpoints when addressing public issues.
• He adds that it also mandated that commercial interests not overshadow social and public concerns, obliging stations to air programming that helped people become informed citizens.
• They frame this as part of a broader view that radio, especially AM, served the public good rather than being purely commercial.

End of the scripted golden age and transition to TV

Cancellation of key shows in 1962[29:21]
• They note that many historians date the end of radio's scripted golden age to 1962, when "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" and "Suspense" were canceled.
• "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" is described as following an insurance fraud investigator who narrates cases via expense report line items used as flashback devices.
• "Suspense" is compared to later anthology shows like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" or "The Twilight Zone" in tone and structure.
Shift of dramas and variety to television[30:25]
• They explain that many of the soap operas, dramas, and variety formats that began on radio migrated to TV, and older audiences followed them there.
• This left a vacuum on AM that younger listeners and new formats, especially music, would fill.

Repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and rise of talk radio

End of the Fairness Doctrine[31:33]
• Chuck notes that the Fairness Doctrine was eventually eliminated, and that this paralleled the expansion of FM and the proliferation of more stations and choices.
Creation of political echo chambers[32:05]
• They argue that removing Fairness Doctrine requirements enabled the creation of ideological echo chambers, where listeners could tune into a single personality who reinforced their existing views.
• Josh mentions that in the 1980s, figures like Rush Limbaugh emerged in this new talk radio landscape, which had not existed in the same way before.

AM's propagation quirks, nighttime coverage, and clear-channel stations

Nighttime long-distance reception

Ionosphere behavior and AM bounce[31:44]
• Chuck recalls nighttime drives in the American West where he could pick up AM stations from several states away after sunset.
• They explain that at night the ionosphere is less ionized and can reflect AM signals more effectively, allowing them to travel very long distances, sometimes reaching into other countries.

Station power reductions and clear-channel designation

Sign-offs and power limits at night[32:42]
• Josh notes that most AM stations historically had to either reduce power or sign off entirely at night to avoid interference, leading to familiar sign-off rituals like playing the national anthem.
Clear-channel AM stations for public safety[33:26]
• He describes how some stations were designated as clear-channel, allowed to broadcast at full power 24 hours a day and spaced apart geographically and on the dial to minimize interference.
• One rationale given is national security and public safety: in emergencies, these high-power AM stations could reach large areas, including rural regions.

Transition to music, Top 40, and the "mellow gold" AM era

Invention of Top 40 and DJ personalities

Todd Storz and jukebox-driven media[37:15]
• Chuck credits Nebraska station owner Todd Storz in the early 1950s with creating the Top 40 format, a "jukebox-driven" approach focusing on a rotating list of popular songs.
Rise of personality DJs[37:37]
• They describe how stations cultivated distinctive on-air personalities-DJs like Wolfman Jack and the Big Bopper-who drew audiences as much for their style as for the music they played.
• These DJs could become local or even international celebrities, illustrating radio's power to launch media figures.

Car radios, transistor sets, and youth culture

Car radio adoption[38:03]
• Chuck notes that by the 1950s, more than half of American cars came with factory-installed AM radios, which was a huge driver of listening.
Portable listening and generational divide[38:26]
• Transistor radios allowed younger people to listen privately and on the go, reducing reliance on the big family radio in the living room.
• As scripted shows shifted to TV, older listeners followed, while AM radio increasingly served youth culture through pop, rock, and R&B.

The 1970s "mellow gold" / yacht rock phase

AM's softer musical identity vs FM rock[39:56]
• Chuck notes an early-1970s-to-early-1980s window when "mellow gold" or soft rock on AM became dominant, in contrast with FM's album-oriented rock (AOR).
• They characterize AM's sound then as mustachioed, sensitive male singers, often lamenting being dumped rather than boasting about conquest like many FM rock acts.
Coded and subversive themes in mellow pop[42:07]
• Josh argues that creative constraints-such as content standards and radio's softer image-forced songwriters to cloak subversive or edgy ideas in coded language, which could increase artistic cleverness.
• He contrasts this with some album rock, which he jokingly says could be more blunt and "dumb" compared to the cleverness of well-written yacht rock lyrics.
• They give examples, suggesting "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" can be read as code for using DMT and that "Ride Like the Wind" describes the DMT experience, with Christopher Cross reportedly writing it on LSD.
Specific songs and musicianship[45:06]
• Chuck praises the guitar solo in "Ride Like the Wind" as an underappreciated performance that is buried in the original mix but highlighted in some online remixes.
• He also cites the extended guitar solo in "My Sharona" (full, non-radio edit) as one of his top five solos, noting that radio versions cut out a large portion of it.

Modern role of AM radio: emergency alerts, EV interference, and legislation

EV interference and automaker decisions

Electrical noise in EVs vs AM susceptibility[47:17]
• Josh states that AM waves are highly susceptible to electrical interference, and electric vehicles are filled with components that generate such noise.
• He says several automakers, led publicly by an EV maker in 2020, announced plans to remove AM radios from vehicles, citing interference and the expense of shielding.
List of manufacturers and changing positions[49:39]
• They report that some manufacturers have retained AM (including Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Stellantis, Subaru, and Toyota).
• They note that Ford initially planned to drop AM but reversed course after realizing how popular and valued it remains.
• Other companies-including Tesla, Rivian, Polestar, BMW, Volkswagen, and Volvo-have eliminated AM radios in at least some newer models.

AM radio and the Emergency Alert System

Role in emergency and national security communication[48:48]
• Chuck points out that the modern Emergency Alert System (formerly the Emergency Broadcast System) still relies heavily on AM radio infrastructure to disseminate urgent information.
• They argue that while phones can deliver Amber alerts and notifications, those systems are vulnerable and cannot be assumed to always function in all crises.
• AM's ability to cover rural areas and travel long distances, especially at night, makes it particularly valuable for national alerts.
Crystal radios and power independence[48:22]
• Josh explains that crystal receiver radios can pick up AM signals without batteries or external power by using the energy in the carrier wave itself to reproduce sound.
• This property makes AM radio particularly resilient in grid-down or power-loss situations, reinforcing its role in emergency planning.

Legislative efforts: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act

Proposed requirements and status[49:55]
• Josh describes a proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act that would require all cars sold in the United States to include AM radio not just as an option but as a standard feature.
• They say the act failed in 2024 but was reintroduced in 2025 with bipartisan support, though it still depends on congressional action.
Listening figures and cultural perception[50:52]
• Chuck notes there are about 4,000 AM stations with an estimated 80 million listeners per month, many of whom rely on AM for information.
• They speculate that some automakers may dismiss AM partly out of cultural scorn for nostalgia, and argue that corporate preferences should not dictate the survival of a medium that still serves public safety.

Closing reflections and listener mail

Support for AM radio

AM as more than a relic[51:54]
• Josh ends the main discussion by urging listeners to support AM radio, emphasizing that it is not merely a relic but remains important.

Listener mail from a long-time fan

Kara's multi-decade listening journey[52:14]
• They read an email from Kara, who started listening to the podcast in 2008 while home sick from high school with pneumonia, when podcasts were still relatively unknown.
• Kara describes the show as a constant companion through high school, college, grad school, and beyond, and says the hosts' voices are a source of comfort during difficult times.
• She mentions attending three live shows in Boston alone as personal celebrations and notes that she treats Stuff You Should Know differently from background podcasts, waiting until she can fully pay attention.
• Kara set a goal to catch up on all back episodes in time to listen to the 2025 Halloween special on Halloween itself, using increased driving time to achieve this and then writing in to thank the hosts.
Hosts' response to listener loyalty[53:44]
• Josh and Chuck express appreciation, saying the show only exists because of long-term listeners like Kara, and they describe such listeners as "travelers" who have journeyed with them over years.

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Technologies that seem old-fashioned can still play irreplaceable roles in critical systems, especially as resilient backups when newer, more fragile infrastructures fail.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What systems in your work or life rely entirely on a single, fragile technology that could benefit from an "old-school" backup?
  • • How might you reassess tools or methods you've dismissed as obsolete to see whether they offer unique resilience or reliability advantages?
  • • What is one process this month where you could intentionally add a low-tech fallback so you're not completely dependent on a single modern platform?
2

Regulatory frameworks like the Fairness Doctrine can profoundly shape the information ecosystem, influencing whether audiences hear diverse viewpoints or remain in ideological echo chambers.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your media diet do you see yourself receiving mostly one-sided perspectives, and how did the structure of those platforms encourage that?
  • • How could you intentionally design your own information intake-newsletters, podcasts, people you follow-to expose yourself to more structured viewpoint diversity?
  • • What is one small change you could make this week to counterbalance an echo chamber you frequently inhabit, either online or offline?
3

Creative constraints often force more inventive and subtle expression, pushing people to communicate complex or subversive ideas in ways that are more artful and enduring.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In what areas of your work or hobbies do you currently see constraints as purely limiting rather than as potential catalysts for creativity?
  • • How might you reframe a current rule, standard, or limitation you're facing as a design challenge that could lead to a more interesting or elegant solution?
  • • What is one project where you could deliberately impose a new constraint (time, format, budget, style) to see if it sparks more inventive thinking?
4

When dominant platforms shift-like entertainment moving from radio to television or from broadcast to online-there is often opportunity in the spaces and audiences left behind.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your industry or community are people migrating to a new platform and leaving an under-served audience or niche behind?
  • • How could you repurpose an existing skill or asset to serve people who are no longer the focus of mainstream platforms but still have meaningful needs?
  • • What is one "old" channel (email, in-person events, local radio, print) you could experiment with this quarter to reach people your competitors are ignoring?
5

Public goods that benefit many people-like robust communication systems-often need deliberate defense against purely commercial decisions that undervalue long-term social benefits.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What services or infrastructures in your community do you rely on that might be at risk if judged only by short-term profit metrics?
  • • How could you factor broader social impact into your own decisions about what to build, support, or phase out in your organization or projects?
  • • What is one concrete action you could take this year-advocacy, voting, supporting a policy or institution-to help protect a public good you believe in?

Episode Summary - Notes by Hayden

AM Radio: Solid Gold
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