Across America, the message is loud and clear: 35 years after the talk radio revolution, “on the air” is still often an exercise in “off the rails.”
Correspondent Jim Axelrod asked industry expert Brian Rosenwald, “In 2022’s America, what’s the nature of talk radio? Is it any different than it’s been the last two or three decades?”
“If anything, Jim, I think it’s more extreme,” Rosenwald replied.
Following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, broadcasters were no longer required to present both sides of controversial political issues – which ushered in Rush Limbaugh’s polarizing and immensely popular style that attracted 15 million listeners a week who felt dominant media outlets had a liberal bias.
“And I think over that long span, it has unquestionably divided Americans,” Rosenwald said. “It has unquestionably hardened our…
