Solid Gold

April 30, 2012 4:11 PM

Radio, radio filter. I want to learn about the history of radio programming formats.

Adult contemporary, Classic rock, CHR, etc. etc. etc. I'm not sure if I want some kind of nonfiction yarn, a textbook, links to old periodicals. I just need to know about these things for a writing project. Where to begin?

posted by Buffaload to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

It's pretty narrowly focused, but here's a BBC Four documentary on the history of Easy Listening that definitely gets into the development of the Easy Listening and Beautiful Music formats.
posted by darksasami at 4:51 PM on April 30, 2012

This is a crash-course in radio history, with no sources cited, but plenty of names and dates to send you on further searchers.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:08 PM on April 30, 2012

Deregulation and consolidation is a pivot point, particularly the removal of limits on ownership through the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The history of Clear Channel is a guide: owning hundreds of stations created the impetus to define formats more rigidly, with duplicate playlists and syndicated content outside of daytime hours.
posted by holgate at 5:44 PM on April 30, 2012

Art Vuolo's web site is a good place to start; the man is a walking encyclopedia of the past 40 years of radio programming.
posted by Oriole Adams at 8:53 PM on April 30, 2012