From H.V. Kaltenborn to Rush Limbaugh -- Political Talk's Legacy Remembered for National Radio Day

Online, August 18, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Tuesday, Aug. 20 is National Radio Day, a day for noting radio's importance and legacy in the United States even in the digital age. In an era when music listeners are increasingly listening to iTunes, news talk is the present and future of radio, a medium making its own adaptations.

Radio communication was around since the 1800s in some form, but became a commercial force in the 1920s, when commentators such as H.V. Kaltenborn ruled the airwaves. The story of these early radio voices through the current talkers such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck is told in "The Right Frequency: The Story of the Talk Radio Giants Who Shook Up the Political and Media Establishment" by Fred Lucas (History Publishing Co.).

The book explains how radio not only survived but thrived despite various media revolutions over the past 90 years. It also details milestones in the radio era such as the Payola Scandal of the early 1960s and the end of the FCC's Fairness Doctrine in the late 1980s, both of which contributed to the proliferation of talk radio. Today talk radio, once a domain of the AM dial, is increasingly moving in on the FM dial. All these are important events to remember for anyone "celebrating" National Radio Day.

The website, HolidayInsights.com says, "Celebrating National Radio Day is easy listening. Simply tune into your favorite radio stations(s). You could also give your local radio personalities a little recognition." It further states that the holiday began in the 1990s when radio station personnel began talking about celebrating their own holiday.

National Public Radio enthusiastically declared in 2011, "That's right - one day is set aside to celebrate radio. At NPR, we honor it every day, but we're happy to have an excuse to pay it extra special attention." Seeking to answer the question, "Why would anyone want to celebrate radio in this digital age?" NPR asserted three points: 1.) "Radio is one of the nation's most accessible forms of media." 2.) In times of crisis, radio can be the only source for emergency information, and 3.) Quoting NPR correspondent Susan Stamberg, "Radio has the best pictures."

The Right Frequency explains how radio talkers spanning two centuries from Walter Winchell, Bob Grant and Sean Hannity have painted the clearest pictures, rarely leaving ambiguity on the hot political and social issues of the day.

For more information on National Radio Day, on The Right Frequency or to interview the author, contact Don Bracken of History Publishing Co. at djb@historypublishingco.com or at 845-398-8161.